Race between an LC & a DOHC GSA

[Norm]

I have, just last week.............bend on/approaching a stone bridge and I was distracted

Came in too hot..................so hard on front brake and the rear end lifted off the floor and just managed to lean her round further, with counter steer to squeeze past the stonework

All BY A LARDY on a non ABS 1150GSA

She's ace at stoppies

sorted JB

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

sorted JB

Says you

 

[Mark Hooton]

Mark,
Please consider going slower so you can use a better line in the bend, with practice you will get back to speed and will be able to see through the bend better.
Don't want to see another RIP thread.
1, correct line makes the bend less severe(wider arc)
2, better view through the bend so more time to react
3, more distance from opposing traffic

Yep, I`ve heard that good sense said before too and I do try to abide by it. I think the key for me is indeed slowing down, getting it right and then building up from there

thank you - this is what the forum should be about, helping each other.

 

[Flipfly]

Kinda waaaaay off topic but I've found that I overcook it, especially on right handers, I get far tooooo close to the centre line sometimes even crossing it.

Riders far more skilled then me including several police traffic friends have always taught me to keep well over to the left (makes sense) to achieve correct road position in approach, apex and exit but if I`m going too fast I simply can`t keep to the left so that's what happens to me.

I `manage` it by:

1. Feathering my rear brake to drop off some speed prior to the apex, that helps.
2. Change my pants - this helps too
3. Next time go into the bend slower and I manage to keep the correct line!

On a serious note Mark, slow down before you kill yourself or someone else!

I hate riding the "usual" biker routes for this exact reason. I have had 3 near misses in North Wales caused by bikers over estimating their abilities.
I have a tendency to turn in a little early on right handers at speed. I work on it by dropping the speed and working on the line rather than the speed.
One thing I avood though is poking my head, bike or any other sticky outey bit over the white line unless you can see through the bend.

Matey on the dohc was 2 up and no doubt not even trying. My brother is that infuriating type of rider who makes it look effortless. Slow down, be alive and enjoy being mediocre, sometimes it feels pretty good

When I watch any sport I no longer watch in awe, I wonder how many bones they broke on the way to their greatness. Me, I've only ever fractured an arm, but I am a demon wanker

 

[sycomoto]

Erm

The GS with it's (almost) zero dive front end allows a lot more braking into a bend than a "normal" bike. Im not saying make a habit of it because I imagine grip drops suddenly on/over the limit.

But you can scrub off a lot of speed with the fronts and still keep shiny side up. Ive been got caught out a couple of times because the bike is so ** stable and corners so well I have not realised how fast I'm going. Lesser bikes would have been bobbing all over the place at considerably lower speeds.

Yer tele lever doesn't give you any more front end grip than conventional forks. What it does by not diving at the front is keep the steering geometry the same. Conventional forks shorten under braking which changes the rake &trail thus making the bike turn quicker as you get on the gas at the apex the forks extend an the rake and trail increases which can change your line through a corner. Cos the tele lever doesn't change the rake and trail stays constant. On a race track it's perfectly acceptable to brake into the apex, I'd never do it on the road. As for using your rear brake again I'd try to avoid using it in a corner. You can use a small amount of rear to stabilise a bike in the corner if the road becomes bumpy as it forces the chassis to squat keeping the forces front and rear equal.
I'm my experience if you are coming into a bend faster than you'd like your better brake as much as you can in a straight line get off the brakes, stay relaxed and tip it in, you'll find the tyres limits at full dangle of angle are far more than yours so will stay gripping long after your head is telling you to pull it up and aim for a soft looking bit of hedge
Stay loose, relax and look where you want to go, do that and you'll go round the corner even if you think you should be going 20mph slower

 

[Bendy toy]

Ive been used to a bike that used up all its fork travel with anything more than ordinary slowing down brake forces. The Telelever is just so much better at letting me know what's going on at the front rather than scaring me before it needs to.

On the previous bike I had to brake in a straight line and never ever in a bend, because it would sit up and run off the road. It taught me the value of forward thinking and watching for the vanishing point getting closer.

The Telelever has given me a bit more breathing room but initially fooled me until I re calibrated to its ways. I also need some counter-steer out of a bend. Previously, just winding on the power would lift it out.
On my second day out on the GSA I got into some horrendous wet weather. On one traffic island (taking no chances) the front end washed to the left. An instinctive counter-steer picked up the bike and it carried on with zero drama. Every other bike I have owned would have squirmed and complained, seriously adding to the laundry bill. But the GS just took it in it's stride.

Another time I misjudged an island entry (don't drive tired). There appeared to be a straight on bypass lane with traffic island to the right. But there was actually a triangle of kerb and a RH turn into the island. It should have been game over at least for the front wheel. But the GSA pulled up with no fuss.

I'm now using the speedo a lot more and relying less on (many) years of experience to judge my speed. I can hustle, but the bike is so much more capable. I want that as a cushion between me and the limit. Use too much and one day there wont be any left.

 

[-XP-]

A really good way shown to me of riding more smoothly/increasing observation/planning skills and especially judging corner speed was to pick a bit of twisty road you know well and ride it with no brakes (obviously use your common sense re other traffic and what's appropriate) and gradually build up speed until you're going almost as quick as if you were using your brakes.

Doing that should really drive home the 'slow in', 'fast out' approach to taking bends.

Andres

Spot on, it's lots of fun to do too

It's harder than you think when you first try too, you're used to braking for corners so tend to go in too quick so it quickly learns you to go in a lot slower but that means smoother/safer and accelerating out and hitting the sweet spot on the bed. that's what it's supposed to do though and the whole point of doing the twisty without breaks, great fun it is!

 

[Packer]

Ride with the arch of your foot on the pegs and toes slightly down. In the dry, if your toes aren't touching down you're not going too fast unless there are other limiting factors like a broken road surface, gravel etc. etc. Easy

If they do touch just lift them, also easy.

Clearly reasonable tyres are important, original Tourances qualify.

 

[Bendy toy]

So that's why my boots have a chicken strips.