grounding out problems....

[Franky]

Sounds like fun! Hope to have my new exhaust on soon so you can hear me too!

 

[Muppet]

Where d'ya live? If its not too far I will happilly give you a demo ride of how to go WAY above the NSL and not grind a thing.

Hmm, I do that all the time on my bike - but then it's an 1100, not a 12, perhaps the 12's are lower?

And no, I don't have any chicken strips

 

[Abelrider]

Hmm, I do that all the time on my bike - but then it's an 1100, not a 12, perhaps the 12's are lower?

And no, I don't have any chicken strips

Dunno whether they are lower or not, but its not hard to not grind out OR have no chicken strips on either.

 

[Schtum]

Hmm, I do that all the time on my bike - but then it's an 1100, not a 12, perhaps the 12's are lower?

And no, I don't have any chicken strips

I don't think it's anything to do with the bike, Clive. I occasionally get the toe of my boot down, even with my balls on the pegs..... Nothing hard has touched down yet though and that includes several laps of Knockhill. We both know a certain hooligan on a greenVFR who regularly grinds lumps off the undercarriage. Both kdny and I have observed how following him round a given corner at the same speed he'll be cranked over a fair bit further than either of us.

 

[Muppet]

I don't think it's anything to do with the bike, Clive. I occasionally get the toe of my boot down, even with my balls on the pegs..... Nothing hard has touched down yet though and that includes several laps of Knockhill. We both know a certain hooligan on a greenVFR who regularly grinds lumps off the undercarriage. Both kdny and I have observed how following him round a given corner at the same speed he'll be cranked over a fair bit further than either of us.

Interesting Mike, I've never noticed that, but then I haven't followed him that much I guess. So, does that make him the better rider, you & KDNY the better rider, or none of the above it's just a difference in style not ability?

 

[Tartan Terror]

Touch the toes of my boots down regular and did manage to scrape a peg (fastways on low setting) when 2 up and loaded but I think it was a dip in the road as I was banked over riding past the layby south of Glencoe (The one withe the piper & tartan trinket shop). Peg folded up so nothing to worry about.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Interesting Mike, I've never noticed that, but then I haven't followed him that much I guess. So, does that make him the better rider, you & KDNY the better rider, or none of the above it's just a difference in style not ability?

Without wishing to 'diss' the VFR rider I would say somebody who is not leaning the bike as much when all else is equal is smoother and in better control of their bike through a bend.

A bike is most stable when travelling in a straight line at a constant speed. As soon as a bike is leant over in a bend it is less stable and the more it is leant over the greater the strain on tyres and suspension, thus making it less stable still.

This is one reason why racers get their knee down, in order not to have to lean the bike so much for a given speed and corner radius. A good road rider will use position approaching and into a bend in order to spend as little time leant over as is applicable for the conditions. The idea being to get the 'leaning over bit' over and done with as quickly as possible and return the bike to the relatively stable upright position as soon as is safe to do so.

It may not sound as exciting or gung ho as flying around a bend with your knee down and sparks flying but I can promise you it is far more satisfying and enjoyable when you get it right

 

[MATKAT]

missing a small point

Thats fine about knee down, however, are you sure the bike is most stable upright and in a straight line.......modern tyres grip best when the bike is leant over.i.e. the shape of tyres mean that as you lean it you have much more rubber and therefore grip and this also enhances the 'turn in'.............get a plastic cup and roll it it runs round the radius. This is why racers can appear to lean the bike at impossible angles on the track even in the wet.........
Of course there comes a point where everything breaks away, usually as a result of something grounding out.

 

[Gipsy]

Good debate about grounding various parts of the bike. Exciting but not really sesnsible. Adjusting the suspension to cope with loading of the bike is the most obvious initial step. If still grinding parts of the bike I would suggest a couple of minor changes to the riding style, both of which will enable the rider to carry more corner speed for any given lean angle.
Firstly try to turn quicker. By this I mean a more definate use of counter steering to set the bike on the chosen line. Turning quicker decreases lean angle and the length of time leaned over, and allows the bike to be brought upright more quickly. Going in low ie max lean angle early in corner decreases options if the corner tightens for example less scope for increased lean.
Secondly I would suggest a modest ammount of weight shifting, but not leaning off, or trying to get the knee down. This modest movement will also allow for the bike to use less lean angle for any given speed.
Race track is obviously a different set of circumstances, getting ones knee down is then about telling you how much lean angle you are using, and how far you can go before you touch ground and unsettle the bike. IMHO not applicable to road riding in any circumstances.

 

[Wizard]

Knee down is fine until you dump a slider into a pothole.

Having read all the previous advice, I decided to crank up the preload a bit this morning. Tight left into a tight right followed by another tight right where I normally buff everything (when fleecing it), just about tipped the peg on the final right. Not only that, but it didn't make any discernable difference to ride height, and I'm a bit of a shortarse. Handling I can't really comment on yet coz it was only 7 miles.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Thats fine about knee down, however, are you sure the bike is most stable upright and in a straight line.......modern tyres grip best when the bike is leant over.

I guess a bike is at it's most stable when in a position of no change ie not accelerating, not braking. If you are in a corner on a staedy throttle and the bike is nice and settled then, yes, I 'spose you could say it was in a stable condition. There are, however, far more forces acting on a leant over bike that one that is upright and if you were to hit a pothole would you rather be up right or lent over and comitted............................?


Andres