Crash106
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Posts posted by Crash106
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Why do I ride?
I ride because it is the only place I feel like myself. I live with a very limiting muscle disorder, related migraine headaches and a history of repeated neck injuries. But on the bike, I am free! I am myself again. I move like myself: graceful, powerful, effortless and strong (maybe that's why I enjoy hard braking so much). I get a taste of that freedom when I'm using my electric mobility scooter, but the feeling is much stronger, and more authentically ME, on the motorcycle.
What's the most enjoyable part of riding?
Even though my daily commuter has a full fairing, the most enjoyable part is being outside in the wind. I love it when the air changes, and I feel it get 10 degrees cooler under the trees, or I feel the water in the air by the river. I love to hear how different roads sound or see the road open up and expand into a lush, green field. I love the smell of cut grass and old wood. The wind makes me feel like I'm touching the whole world at once.
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Great discussion. I can clearly see how a 1/2 second quick flick would be completely appropriate on a race tack going through a chicane. So, how do I apply this to street riding when I don't have knee pucks to protect me?
On a cruiser with 30-degree lean angle, you can use the floor boards as feeler gauges. On lots of sport bikes, I'm not even sure you can use the foot peg extensions because the lean angle is way down there at 40-degrees. What could I use to judge too much lean in a fast corner when I'm not wearing pucks? I'm not just talking about blasting down a two lane at 80 mph, but even just trying to beat the yellow light around a corner in town. That's a street application of the quick flick I've actually needed in my daily riding.
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Dear Dan,
Yes. I believe you can turn too quickly. I believe the idea is to turn "as quickly as possible ... given the requirements of the turn." Not every turn requires you to snap the bike over. You just need to give the turn what it needs. Here are some question you might consider:
Are you in the turn waiting for the bike to settle?
Is the bike rocking up and down?
Are you fighting with the bars trying to find the right lean angle?
If you are waiting, are you able to get on the gas and get to 40/60 or are you stuck, just being carried along?
On the other hand, are you able to glide right in and roll on the throttle?
Are you able to look in and turn quickly without loosing visual contact with your apex, exit or vanishing point (whichever one you are looking for next)?
Me? I'm just a slug with nice boots, so I like to let my vision set the turning pace.
Best wishes,
Crash106
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Great answers. Thank you. I knew there had to be some logical reason. Once again, a perfectly good theory shot in the behind by the real world.
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Hello Race Fans,
So, if we "stear for the rear," because that's where the most rubber is, and if racers often wash out the front tire from over braking at turn entry, why don't we just put on a wider front tire? Harley-Davidson is doing this on some of their Power Cruisers but I think this is mostly a fashion statement. Would a wider front tire really make the bike THAT much harder to turn?
Thanks,
Crash106
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Hello All,
I've been looking into the turns, setting sensible entry speeds, using Throttle Rule One and trying to turn in once and keep everything nice and steady and smooth. This feels wonderful: safe, easy, relaxing, but NOW, I'm getting all kinds of weird information through the hand grips.
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- I feel the road drop away under my front tire.
- I feel funny little jiggles.
- I feel the bars (and can actually see them sometimes) turning a bit left and right.
- I feel the bike at one angle, while the road cambers up and down to different degrees.
- I feel like the front end is very light--it almost feels "invisible."
Is this normal? Is this what happens when you don't have a death grip on the bars? Or do I need to take the bike to the shop?
FYI--the front tire pressure is okay and while worn, the front tire still has maybe 1/8" of tread available before I hit the wear indicator bars.
Thanks.
Crash106
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Steve,
It sounds like you had a great time. Reading a report about going out there, having fun and working on things without too much stress, SRs or near crashes was very encouraging. Thanks.
Best wishes,
Crash106
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I enjoy looking at things with a fresh eye and just wondered since Buell is almost gone and Ducati twins are still competitive, would you consider racing in Daytona Sportbike with a Suzuki V-Strom 1000? Lots of torque. Plenty of ground clearance. More style than a GSX-R600.
Is the SV-1000 low cost Sportbike fun or strictly for fire roads?
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Yes. I agree with the experts. Grip the bike with your outside leg, lean in, then keep trying less and less pressure on the bars and tension in your arms. When I played with relaxing in the turns, I found I became sooo relaxed in the turns that a pelican landed on my arm (not really).
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I still have chicken strips on my tires. I just can't find a place on the street where I feel safe enough to zip around at a 40-degree lean angle. I pretty sure leaning over as far as possible is the safest way for me to get to work or even enjoy a back road blast. Now, I don't know much about racing, but I tend to suspect that winning on the track is more about vision, getting on the gas earlier than the next guy, and not falling down in the tricky bits rather than using maximum lean angle (or wheelies or sliding the rear tire).
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I recently went for a very nice ride at close to the posted speed limit. All I did differently was to stop thinking about lines, try to watch the vanishing point (while letting my sub-conscious mind pick the line) then slow down before the corner, and smoothly power on through the turn. I found this very relaxing as I'd slow down, look through, speed up--slow down, look through, speed up. Sometimes I'd end up exiting the turn a bit over the limit, but I'd just ease off and cruise on to the next curve. It was joyful, felt very safe, the bike never slipped, jerked or bucked and I didn't even have to lean over very far to feel the tires hold me in place. It felt soothing, relaxing, even freeing. Nice.
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Hello All,
I've been trying to understand lines and lean angles better. Just for fun, I've been spending some time following that yellow line around the curves (American roads). Then other times, I'll follow the white line around for awhile. Left turns. Right turns. I'll just stick to that line and see how it feels.
I have found that trying a new line can be a surprisingly scary thing to do--not because it's unsafe, but because it is weird and new and different. The painted lines want to pull your vision off the vanishing point. Trying different lines has certainly helped me learn to TURN HERE! I've also learned that I can take almost any turn with almost any line, but if I don't go outside-inside-outside I'm probably going to have to slow down. Also, on big sweepers on public roads, my line doesn't mean squat.
So, if you are looking for something fun to play attention too, you might try kicking it down a gear and playing with different cornering lines. I found it fun and educational.
Best wishes,
Crash106
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I used to read a lot about powerlifting. Powerlifting is about as dead simple a sport as a sport can be. Most everyone agreed that you lost skill and strength off your maximum lifts in just 3-4 days. Of course, you would still be very strong (well, they would be, I was never very strong), but your maximum performance would drop off immediately.
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Hello Wrist Twisters,
I recently tested two Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The big hog Electra-Glide Classic was surprisingly pleasant and easy to control with proper counter steering. The XR-1200 sport bike, on the other hand, scared the heck out of me when I locked the front brakes TWICE trying to get out of the parking lot! No, I didn't crash, but the bike tried hard to tuck under and throw me off. Yes, this was pilot error (I'm clumsy, I had just come off the Electra-Glide, I THOUGHT I knew what I was doing, I ride a Japanese bike with dual disks, I've got plenty of excuses), but still, it bothered me.
Soooo ...
... since I've done it in the parking lot, and I've seen Mat Mladin do it on the race track, why don't more riders use anti-lock brakes? I've heard people say, "The most dangerous thing you can do on a race track is brake for a corner." I've seen more crashes from over braking and leaning in than anything else. Would ABS help reduce this? I see why expert riders might turn the traction control off (they want to slide the rear end and have the finesse to get away with it). But with so MANY people toeing in and loosing it at corner entry, I just wonder why ABS is not more popular. Any comments?
Best wishes,
Crash106
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I've had my tires lose pressure and performance many times over the years. I've tried those spin-on plastic go-no-go valve stem covers and didn't like them. Checking tire pressure by hand is awkward, dirty and gives me unreliable readings. Has anyone used the TireGard electronic system with the little sensors on the valve stems and a read out on the key ring? It is pricey at $150, but so is a crash caused by squishy tires. Any other suggestions for an easy, simple, reliable way to keep my tires inflated properly without getting my hands dirty?
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I test rode the FJR1300 with centrifugal clutch and electric-push-button shifting and absolutely LOVED it!
I have problems with my muscles and riding something like a Harley touring bike in traffic is absolutely out of the question. I also have doubts about being able to ride a normal bike on a track for even 15 minutes, especially if I have to use the clutch. Actually, unified braking with the rear pedal would probably help me too.
On the FJR, the shifting was effortless, seamless and instantaneous. I only slid the tires once while accelerating out of a corner and shifting. Normal bikers might have trouble with the centrifugal clutch, but I suspect CSS junkies will understand that the gas/engine-speed IS the clutch and adapt quickly. The FJR gives riders the option of using the push buttons or the foot shifter. I used the buttons--really more of a paddle--and thought that was fine. Other people might be more comfortable with the familiar foot shifter.
I'm very much looking forward to one day buying an FJR or perhaps the new VFR1200T.
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When I was having a problem with entering turns too slowly (so slowly the bike would about stall and fall over), I discovered my vision was getting stuck on my turn point. I fixed this by scanning the road surface BEFORE I got into the turn (so I could relax and stop worrying about sand, frogs and sticks), then looking in for the apex just before hitting my turn point. Suddenly, I was swooping in instead of stalling. I believe this is what CSS calls The Two Step.
Crash106
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Eirik,
You said, "... I am making a great effort to also stay within my comfort zone now." This has helped me a lot too.
Crash106
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Okay. Thank you. That's clearer to me now.
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Yeo, Jaybird180,
Me too. I don't get it either, but maybe I'm getting it all mixed up with the Hook Turn.
I read this section over and over in "Twist II," but I didn't understand HOW to do a quick turn, j-turn, hook turn, or why I would want to. The lines in the diagrams make it look like this technique is: Riding straight, slamming the bike down, then standing the bike right back up, riding straight again while hoping the tires don't loose traction because you are COMMITTED. Does anyone really ride quickly or safely by pointing and shooting? Then there is that whole foot peg opposite handgrip thing. It just confuses me.
I'm not trying to be rude or disrespectful. I just don't understand how all this is different from getting a good, solid body position then counter steering as quickly as necessary to make the turn.
Sincerely,
Crash106
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Hello MotoX Racers,
I love sliding around in my car. I don't much like it on my bike. In the car, I'll just abuse the throttle a bit till the back end starts to slip, or crunch on the brakes till the front starts to slide. I have no interest in doing that on my street bike. I've had things slide around on the bike (sand, rain, brakes, throttle), and all my experience sliding the car in the snow and rain makes that less scary, but I've seen plenty of video of people who start to slide and BOOM, down they go. So, if you want to know how much traction you have, my suggestions, and I have zero bike racing experience, is to do everything smoothly, especially when skating on thin ice.
Best wishes,
Crash106
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Oops, sorry. False start. Ride through penalty.
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Hello Everyone,
I've been playing with seeing just how relaxed I can be on the hand grips and still control the bike in corners. It turns out I can relax a LOT! I can relax so much I'm barley even touching the darned bars. This scares me, and makes me feel like I can't possibly be in control of the bike. The funny thing is, the bike seems to really like it and zooms into corners with much more grace, speed and finesse than I can muster when I try to MAKE the bike do my bidding. Keith demonstrated this two up in the "Twist II" DVD where the passenger is turning the bike using one finger.
It feels like I'm controlling the bike with my vision, not the handlebars. Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon?
Thanks,
Crash106
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Mr. Magic,
I love that picture! It reveals a lot. What I see superbike racers doing, and what I try to do to a much lesser extent, is get in position BEFORE the turn, then stay locked with the bike and go with the bike as I lean it over. I'm trying NOT to change my position relative to the bike at the apex (or anywhere else) unless I feel or see a problem.
Sometimes, I seem to imagine I'm getting into position, but when I'm in the turn I realize I'm pushing the bike down or want to carry less lean angle. Then I'll lean more inside and the bike springs right back up--it looks like 5 degrees!
This is on my ride to work, so my riding position is nothing radical--I just move my weight to the inside of the saddle and lean my upper body forward and into the turn maybe 2"-4". The forward lean seems to make at LEAST as much difference as the inside lean. My theory is that leaning forward makes me bend my elbows and suddenly, "Hey, look Ma! I can turn the bike!"
Also, when I using standard throttle control the bikes works so much better it's not funny. I hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Crash106
Whose Riding Do You, Did You Like, And Where Are They Now?
in School Questions/General Discussion
Posted
Great question.
I noticed something interesting watching American Superbikes. It was a race with Josh Hayes in the lead, sliding the bike into every corner, powering out with the rear end getting loose and the front end popping up on the straights. I'm thinking. "No way could I do that! I'd be scared to death." One bike length behind Josh Hayes was Tommy Hayden. Tommy was going through the same corners, at the same speed, but his braking was smooth with hardly a wiggle from the back tire. He was right with Josh in the corners, but without the drama and excitement of sliding the bike, and Tommy's front tire was almost always on the ground. I'm thinking, "That's how I want to ride!" As of this writing, they are running one and two in the standings with Tommy Gun 1 point ahead. So I guess both styles work pretty well.
If everybody needs a hero to emulate, Tommy Hayden is mine.