quote:Originally posted by James R. DavisAin't electronics grand?
quote:Originally posted by James R. DavisWhat concerns me more is that tests have shown that ABS works badly while traveling in other than a straight line.
quote:Originally posted by Eagle SixDuring any type of brake training whether than be beginner (MSF) type or more advanced high speed threshold skills, my concern is the difference between typical training scenarios (parking lot or track based) as compared to the reality of an obstruction and how that psychologically/physiologically effects our skills in the real world.Nonetheless on both of these occasions my fright meter was pegging towards the maximum. If any of these 3 were missing I may not have ended with that safe distance and might have experienced a collision. I have never felted alarmed about stopping in a short distance while training when there is no harmful penalty if I fail. I have never had any training that presented an obstruction similar to reality. I have thought about methods of simulation and have never come up with anything practical and safe that would be covered by liability insurance.Bottom line of this is, there is a sizable difference between threshold braking skills to a safe stop during skills development training than when we are facing a large obstruction that will hurt us if we don't get stopped to avoid it, and most of that difference is between our ears. Regardless, I continue to train and use visualization techniques to edge closer to reality based training.
quote:Originally posted by Eagle SixScott, are there times in some turns when you slide the rear tire to turn, rather than slowing to steer with the front?
quote:Originally posted by JanKBut I also tend to trail brake into turns, which in itself is fine, however, I have an unfortunate habit of releasing the brake too quickly, not smoothly enough, and I can sometimes feel the front end bounce a bit. I was thinking about this habit on the ride that day and thinking that I need to get rid of it and for some time I actively practiced a smooth release of the brake. But, as always with these sorts of "exercises", it's difficult not to slip into old habits.
quote:Originally posted by MikeydudeThanks James... I will.
quote:Originally posted by JanKWell, this forum has been awfully quiet for some time now. Time to add another report.I think I got bitten by the Metzeller Z8 tyres that I am looking forward to replacing. The problem with these tires - OEM on BMW R1250R and other similar BMW motorcycles - is that they need to be really hot to work properly. If they are, they're OK and exceed my comfort zone (i.e., I cannot outride them). When colder, they are skittish in corners, the front tends to slide a bit before catching up and the rear definitely needs a bit to settle down. A week ago I rode in rain on a 10C slick alpine road and they were a disaster!Anyway, yesterday I was riding in the twisties in our local Alps. The weather was fine and sunny, but the temperature was 20C and there was quite a stiff wind. On one stop I noticed that, after 10 minutes of taking a break, drinking some water, enjoying the sights... the tires cooled down enough for it to be noticable - they became skittish in the corners, just as they are when you start riding, only less intensely. But after a few minutes of spirited riding, they started gripping again.But after the last stop I forgot about that and started riding hard right away. In the first hairpin https://goo.gl/maps/myerECXZc4VXCkic9 the front tire just washed out and I lowsided... The picture in Google Maps is 9 years old and in the meanwhile the road had been repaved with nice, grippy, still black asphalt. There was no gravel or any contamination on the road. The tire just let go... Of course, as I said, I was riding hard, but not harder that all day, including on slicker asphalt.The motorcycle was OK. The cylinder heads are protected by MachineArt X-Head cover protectors and the paralever is protected by the SW-Motech slider. These were the only two points of contact and the motorcycle is otherwise undamaged.My Alpinestars TechAir 5 airbag went off and the only really painful spot is where I landed on my left elbow and it must have "penetrated" the air cushion and hurt the ribs (but that hurts quite a bit :(). So, all in all I got off lightly.After the crash I finished the ride to Kranjska Gora, then climbed over another pass, Wuerzenpass, then rode home on the highway. The additional pass was becasue the "local" Louis store is in Villach and, unfortunately, the Alpinestars airbag (bought from Louis) needs to be checked out by the manufacturer if it goes off, so I left it at the store, where they said that it will not be back before 16th of June.I'm debating with myself whether to switch to a tethered airbag, where you can simply replace the cartridge. But I'm not sure it would have gone off or gone off early enough, since I remained mostly very near the bike, whereas I remember that the airbag inflating the moment that the bike started skidding from underneath me, so the TechAir will most likely stay.