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Sox Fan
 Senior Member
419 Posts
[Mentor]
Kerhonkson, NY
USA
Suzuki
DL 650
Peer Review:
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 Posted - 03/07/2005 : 11:05 AM
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Had an interesting experience this weekend, while I was practicing my slow speed maneuvers in an empty parking lot. One of my drills is to S-turn my way down a line of parking spaces, using the lines to help me judge how tightly I'm making my turns. Once I reach the end of the row, I accelerate through a turn and head back the other way, speeding up to then practice an emergency quick stop. As I was accelerating through that turn at the end, I dragged my left-side peg. This was the first time that's ever happened to me. Took me a bit by surprise, but having read James' safety tips I didn't panic.
What I found on my way home from my practice session was that I had a whole lot more confidence in my turns. I've read all sorts of advice to the effect that motorcycle tires are engineered such that there's really no need to worry about them losing traction on a clean, dry road, unless the bike is leaned past 45 degrees. Intellectually, I believed what I had read, but there was always that little nagging in the back of my brain during curves. I think what my little inadvertent peg dragging experience did was to prove to myself that there's plenty of lean left in my bike before I reach the edge of that traction envelope. Now my brain KNOWS that.
I guess that's all part of gaining experience, and it's nothing earth shaking, but it really made an impression on me.
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md2lgyk
Standard Member
228 Posts
Harpers Ferry, WV
USA
Honda
Shadow VLX
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Posted - 03/07/2005 : 12:16 PM
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| Excellent observation, and a great confidence builder. However, don't let your newfound confidence override the requirement to always be watchful. A slight amount of unnoticed sand in the wrong place and your turning maneuver has a much less pleasant outcome. |
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marsam
Advanced Member
510 Posts
[Mentor]
Birkirkara
Malta
Yamaha
Dragstar & Vmax
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Posted - 03/07/2005 : 12:42 PM
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I also like to practice slow speed maneuovers and have also scraped my right floorboard during a an evasive maneuover and was also startled by the noise even though I had read about it and was (or so I thought) prepared. I did not panic at least.
The thing is that now that I've been through it, I have a hesitation when I come to lean a little too much in a turn as if I am always expecting the floorboard to touch down again and so I slow down to an appropriate speed that would require less lean on the bike.
I have to practice this in slow turns on my own in a parking lot until the boards start to scrape. Hopefully I will regain my confidence and not be so hesitant in faster turns. |
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Sox Fan
Senior Member
419 Posts
[Mentor]
Kerhonkson, NY
USA
Suzuki
DL 650
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Posted - 03/07/2005 : 1:22 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by md2lgyk
Excellent observation, and a great confidence builder. However, don't let your newfound confidence override the requirement to always be watchful. A slight amount of unnoticed sand in the wrong place and your turning maneuver has a much less pleasant outcome.
Point well taken. I don't think I actually started cornering more aggressively (although perception and reality can be remarkably divergent), just felt more at ease while I was making my turns and taking curves. I still try to be vigilant in watching for traction reducing hazards like sand, gravel, oil, etc. Left over salt is also a biggie around here this time of year, especially at intersections. |
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River
Advanced Member
506 Posts
[Mentor]
Chippewa Falls, WI
USA
Kawasaki
Concours
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Posted - 03/07/2005 : 2:48 PM
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Hee hee...
I remember the first time I scraped my pegs was on the test ride for my savage! Since then I have felt (it is my 2nd bike) more confident on turns, just actually having experienced how much I can trust my tires.
I was shocked too, but I had been prepared for it through reading Hough's books.
Cool stuff.
^o^ |
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DoubleDip
Senior Member
262 Posts
Erlanger, Kentucky
USA
Yamaha
650 V-Star Silverado
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Posted - 03/07/2005 : 5:32 PM
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While driving home from work today on the x press way. I was thinking that concrete has a higher coefficient of friction than hottop or tarmack or blacktop whatever you call it in your neck of the woods. And I was wondering what effect this has on riding. As a new rider without much expierence I'd appreciate any views that you more expierenced folks could share.
Thanks in advance,
DD |
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