What part of the bike touches down first?

[stick]

OOOOOOOOOps

Point 8
in your photos the bike's suspension is fully extended as there neither bikes or riders weight on it and no cornering forces.

So back in the real world and on my GSA the order is Peg then Sidestand. I haven't been brave or daft enough to see what happens next.

Beat me to it

 

[GrinningGSer]

Good points, I can understand that suspension compression WOULD lower both stands

 

[Rasher]

Good points, I can understand that suspension compression WOULD lower both stands

The throttle "control" of the rider also makes a big difference to how the suspension compresses through a corner, I suspect the GS is maybe les affected by poor control due to the odd front end, but on a chain driven bike shutting the throttle mid-turn drastically alters ground clearance (for the worse)


Still an excellent bit of research and provides some idea of what will hit when, can someone now go and kick their standard GS onto the floor and take some pictures for my benefit.

 

[tanneman]

Basically it depends on your setup. Load distribution ie panniers, body position, fat or skinny bloke with or without pillion. How stable is your suspension under load and cornering? Suspension setup, high or low at the back or front. Long sweeping bends or quick direction changes that will compress the suspention even more. Camber of the road and cornering forces influences lean angle.

Footpegs first on a GSA and depending on the above panniers, centre stand and cylinder heads last before all cornering bliss ends. I touched them all down except the cyclinder heads while moving. You don't need to move at all to get the cyclinder heads down

 

[WindyChuffer]

On trackdays if I don't hang off the seat (which I don't yet) then the outside of my boot touches down first (that's with my foot positioned with the ball of my feet on the pegs). It shouldn't be distracting but I find it a little unsettling because I've only started to lean the GS that far consistently on the last couple of trackdays.

Rather than leaning the bike over more and more on the track and seeing what grinds next, I will probaly start experimenting with shifting my weight off the inside off the bike so that the bike doesn't have to lean so much. I do lean my upper body to the inside a bit but may try doing that more and/or a bit of actual hang off on my next track day for a few sessions just to experiment.

I think there's a danger that focussing on "how far can I lean the bike" sets you on the wrong path to going fast on the track. Still I tend to overthink this stuff as I'm borderline Rainman.

+1.

Toes touch first, then you still have quite a lot of lean angle left.

But we all get hung up on how far we can lean the bike over. But that is fundamentally wrong. Keeping the bike as upright as possible is what gets drilled into you at California Superbike School, which is why you see the bike racers hanging off. I don't hang off like them on my GSA, but I shift my weight. Interestingly, on exiting a corner, its the bike that gets thrown upright first, then the body is to follow. Why? Cos they go better the more upright they are. Again, from California Superbike School.

 

[Boxerboy55]

You'll get the outside edge of your toes down first, it'll probably give you a bit of a shock the first time but you'll soon get used to it.

I've trundled my GS round Knockhill a couple of times. Just a big pussy, so was surprised when my right boot touched down once. Goodness knows how hard I'd have to go to get the metal work touching tarmac. And that ain't gonna happen on the queen's highway.

Screwing the rear suspension up does raise the bike an inch or more so that all helps keep it from grounding.

 

[NLC]

Point 8
in your photos the bike's suspension is fully extended as there neither bikes or riders weight on it and no cornering forces.

So back in the real world and on my GSA the order is Peg then Sidestand. I haven't been brave or daft enough to see what happens next.

 

[Rasher]

Screwing the rear suspension up does raise the bike an inch or more so that all helps keep it from grounding.

I run mine with about 25mm static sag, I think the OE shocks with no pre-load give over 30mm sag, and if going on a track I would probably reduce it another couple of mm to help the steering.

I also have a slightly stiffer spring on my Wilburs rear shock which will also reduce how much it compresses in a bend so doubt I am really likely to have major issue.

I think toes-touching is a good "feeler", when I am on twisty roads I tend to move my foot back on the peg so when the toe touches I know the peg is not far away - but I would guess still a fair amount of margin - then a bit more after the peg before something really solid hits.

Two-up used to be much worse but the stiffer spring, extra adjustability and possibly better damping of the Wilburs means even two-up with luggage I have decent ground clearance.

I think this ground clearance thing is a bit like when people look and see they are only a couple of mm away from the edge of the tyres - that couple of mm is a whole load more lean than most people imagine.

 

[BeamishTripleBlack]

Great info, some real research there I ask the question because of corners like Mansfield at Cadwell, it is a left hander where the inside camber causes the track to come up and meet you, if you have never had a knee down moment I highly recommend that bend for starters . As has already been said, taking the forces into account including riders weight, suspension set up (I am assuming sport for the lecky or stiff for the manual set up) there is a chance of something touching down, I just wondered what it was going to cost me if it did . I blame the bike, its so damn great to ride I have been actively seeking out twisty B roads, I never would have gone looking for these in the past . Suppose its the joys of 1200 ownership. Long may it continue