Just popped up to Hawes via Devils bridge a few wrong turns and through Dent and finally to Hawes. Loads of little tracks and roads that haven't changed in the last 100 years or so. Anyway I have been making progress and found that the dips and humps have caused the bike to get air born a few times, great fun, but on landing the rear didn't seem to like it much. Is this normal or should I avoid getting the wheels off the ground at speed, I was only doing 40-60 mph.
Low level flying
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NicD
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Have been told by a BMW mechanic that it can cause problems with the drive train. He told me of two guys he has had to pick up after driveshaft failure from going airborne. Hard to avoid sometimes but you can push down on footpegs to move bike down and keep rear wheel in contact with the ground. Often better to be sensible with a bike prone to fd etc problems
BOBAD
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NicD
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Really ? .......... I mean REALLY ? ............
Yep. GS is completely different from my other bikes in that way. On my sports bike it achieves not much except a harsher ride. I read question as from someone who hasn't had the bike that long, hence suggestion. Not meant to cause offence.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_charity
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Every force has an equal and opposite ........
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Really ? .......... I mean REALLY ? ............
Issac Newton would have been confused by that too
A 1200GS is a heavy lump landing on its suspension.
Best to keep its wheels on the ground and get a smaller bike for your airborne activities.
Best to keep its wheels on the ground and get a smaller bike for your airborne activities.
It not the speed it’s the height, keep below 3 feet of the ground and you’ll be fine although some say 900mm is fine... go back try again, try pushing down with your feet as suggested when approaching 3 feet and please do send pictures, ideally a video from a following biker mate.
LowFlying
I must admit I learnt this technique when about 8years old jumping my Raleigh scooter off the curb outside my house. Of course the height gained was all dependent if I could get enough speed after negotiating Mrs Cook and her bags of shopping. The landing was not progressive on the solid rubber tyres and no suspension having been as high as 15 inches . I kept trying until I ending up on the floor in front of the electric milk float. (We had battery vehicles 60 years ago so nothing new) . I now regret not perfecting the `Push Down Technique`. This has brought back bad memories as one day I left the scooter by the dustbin and the dust men took it!
I must admit I learnt this technique when about 8years old jumping my Raleigh scooter off the curb outside my house. Of course the height gained was all dependent if I could get enough speed after negotiating Mrs Cook and her bags of shopping. The landing was not progressive on the solid rubber tyres and no suspension having been as high as 15 inches . I kept trying until I ending up on the floor in front of the electric milk float. (We had battery vehicles 60 years ago so nothing new) . I now regret not perfecting the `Push Down Technique`. This has brought back bad memories as one day I left the scooter by the dustbin and the dust men took it!
AberdeenAngus
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Well it looks like the little bunny hops off speed bumps will have to stop too. Didn't have such issues with the Africa Twin or the Varadero, but this is only my second shaft bike and the first shaft to make me giggle like a girl when going over back lane humps.
This does obey physics. The equal and opposite reactions when the rider pushes on the pegs are the bike gets a downward force and the rider gets an upward force (Newton is kept happy because there is no net force on the centre of mass of the bike and rider). Assuming the rider does not let go, there will be a reversal of forces a short while later when the rider applies an upward force to the bike to stop his upward motion, but this come later after the bike has hopefully gotten back on the ground.
I do not know if the effect is big enough to make any odds in practice, but the physics is sound - if you’re not persuaded, bend your knees on a pair of weighing scales and watch the numbers change when you push down to straighten them.
Reading this and picking yourself up in a bucket comes to mind.
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