Riding style

[haydes55]

On the road do you ride a motard like you would on a track (leg out and lean the bike in) or more like a road bike and leave your feet on the pegs?

[Boo]

I'm not a 100%, but if you stick your leg out on the road you can get a ticket. I think it would be considered dangerous.

[FlangMasterJ]

Leg out if I'm enjoying myself.

[SVboy]

I,m mainly sportsbike-so off the bike into the corner.

[McWild]

My 2c, on the road I just sit on the bike, feet on the pegs and enjoy myself. Don't know why you'd bother throwing the leg out any more than you'd bother trying to get knee down as far as the road is concerned, unless you're genuinely riding so close to the limit that you need to keep gauging how much traction you have left. And if you are genuinely riding that hard then perhaps you would have more fun on the racetrack than the road anyway?

For me the legs stay on the pegs unless I'm really getting into the shingle/dirt. And even then it's probably a waste of time in an environment where you aren't racing.

[caspernz]

Context please!

There's stuff like time of day and whether the yummy mummies are picking up the sprogs from school to consider...

And always make sure your cellphone number is plastered on the side of your motard so your fans can hit you up :eek5::2thumbsup

[haydes55]

Haha I'm not riding too fast just had a moment a few days back where I scrapped my boot on the ground. Was thinking about using the foot out when I'm going faster. I usually ride it like a sportbike and put the leg out on gravel or slippery roads. It's not like im sliding into corners or anything. Think I'll just buy those boots with the scrape strips on the side if these ones wear through.

[redhat]

Boot out, habit from riding in the dirt years ago.

[scorry]

Haha I'm not riding too fast just had a moment a few days back where I scrapped my boot on the ground. Was thinking about using the foot out when I'm going faster. I usually ride it like a sportbike and put the leg out on gravel or slippery roads. It's not like im sliding into corners or anything. Think I'll just buy those boots with the scrape strips on the side if these ones wear through.

sounds like your rear suspension is too soft, or you aren't riding on your toes?
raced a few motards and hardly scrapped a boot and that's on a track so no way near it on the road.
I ride road style too, both feet no the pegs.

[george formby]

sounds like your rear suspension is too soft, or you aren't riding on your toes?
raced a few motards and hardly scrapped a boot and that's on a track so no way near it on the road.
I ride road style too, both feet no the pegs.

I got big feet so if the instep is on the pegs it's relatively easy to scrape. On the wee trailie on a closed & private twisty road near here I ride with my toes on the pegs & my knackers on the tank. I always think if I stick a boot out & forward on tarseal to kick the bike up if it should slide is a recipe for a broken leg.

[haydes55]

sounds like your rear suspension is too soft, or you aren't riding on your toes?
raced a few motards and hardly scrapped a boot and that's on a track so no way near it on the road.
I ride road style too, both feet no the pegs.

I wasn't riding on my toes, I had my foot ready to trail brake if need be, rode on my toes from then on though. Do you usually always ride on your toes?

[scorry]

I wasn't riding on my toes, I had my foot ready to trail brake if need be, rode on my toes from then on though. Do you usually always ride on your toes?

Not usually on the road, but then again i don't ride fast enough on the road to scrape my feet

[haydes55]

Not usually on the road, but then again i don't ride fast enough on the road to scrape my feet

I had a ride on a KTM 690 adventure over the weekend. My little 250 certainly turns a shitload easier and can go a lot lower easier and faster (although not sure if the tyres are playing a big part there or not but I had to be quite physical counter-steering and shifting my weight on the KTM to turn half as much as my 250 with just a little push on the handlebars). Do heavier bikes use less lean angle to turn just as sharp? (Physics question haha, I'm now looking at bikes for when I get my full in 5 months time :2thumbsup)

As a general guide I ride at double the suggested corner speed (on my speedo which reads 108km/h at 100km/h), so 55km/h corners or higher I don't back off, 45km/h corners at 90km/h etc. (of course that is if the corner is dry, clear sight, yada yada yada). The corner in question was a 35km/h corner after another 35km/h corner which I would of been at about 70km/h. I'll ride on my toes for the 45km/h or less corners and have my foot on the brake for higher speed corners.

[george formby]

I had a ride on a KTM 690 adventure over the weekend. My little 250 certainly turns a shitload easier and can go a lot lower easier and faster (although not sure if the tyres are playing a big part there or not but I had to be quite physical counter-steering and shifting my weight on the KTM to turn half as much as my 250 with just a little push on the handlebars). Do heavier bikes use less lean angle to turn just as sharp? (Physics question haha, I'm now looking at bikes for when I get my full in 5 months time :2thumbsup)

As a general guide I ride at double the suggested corner speed (on my speedo which reads 108km/h at 100km/h), so 55km/h corners or higher I don't back off, 45km/h corners at 90km/h etc. (of course that is if the corner is dry, clear sight, yada yada yada). The corner in question was a 35km/h corner after another 35km/h corner which I would of been at about 70km/h. I'll ride on my toes for the 45km/h or less corners and have my foot on the brake for higher speed corners.

Settle petal. Regardless of your perspective on control & observation, if your "generally" taking corners at twice the posted recommendation your more than likely pushing your luck, chewing into your safety margin IFYKWIM.
Any hoo, yes, bigger bike is less flickable, I jump from a 240kg twin to a 140kg 2t trailie, the wee bike feels subliminal compared to tubs. The KTM will sit in the middle. Ultimately they all do the same thing until it goes tits up, the heavier it is the more likely you munch scenery. Your asking about riding with your foot out, either that is to control the bike sliding through a corner, similar to using your knee or catching it when the back swings round. Either way, you have to pick & choose the right place to learn this. The more weight you have the less effective your leg. I know this to be fact, been their. Ouchies.
I,ve come full circle & love thrashing the DT on gravel, leg out, arse in the breeze, front wheel popping up off the cambers. Hilarious. Hilarious on tarmac too but to ride it that hard I negate my safety margin.
Excuse the finger wagging, I'm a crusty, it's all about fun but getting home in one piece takes priority.
Where you oop north with Maha & Mom?

[haydes55]

Settle petal. Regardless of your perspective on control & observation, if your "generally" taking corners at twice the posted recommendation your more than likely pushing your luck, chewing into your safety margin IFYKWIM.
Any hoo, yes, bigger bike is less flickable, I jump from a 240kg twin to a 140kg 2t trailie, the wee bike feels subliminal compared to tubs. The KTM will sit in the middle. Ultimately they all do the same thing until it goes tits up, the heavier it is the more likely you munch scenery. Your asking about riding with your foot out, either that is to control the bike sliding through a corner, similar to using your knee or catching it when the back swings round. Either way, you have to pick & choose the right place to learn this. The more weight you have the less effective your leg. I know this to be fact, been their. Ouchies.
I,ve come full circle & love thrashing the DT on gravel, leg out, arse in the breeze, front wheel popping up off the cambers. Hilarious. Hilarious on tarmac too but to ride it that hard I negate my safety margin.
Excuse the finger wagging, I'm a crusty, it's all about fun but getting home in one piece takes priority.
Where you oop north with Maha & Mom?

Yea I was up north.
I still have a bit more lean angle in reserve around corners. I've never pushed the bike to the point where It's felt as though I was losing traction or that I wasn't in control. Several times I have unexpectedly encountered gravel around corners and come through the other side unscathed. That being said, I know if you are 99% sure you will make it around the corner, 1% chance of crashing is still too high,(especially after 100 corners). The general rule is when I know the corner is obstacle free.

I will be taking my bigger bike to track days when I get a bigger bike, however on a bike that is pushing its luck at 130km/h I think my little motard wouldn't be ideal right now.

[dilwog]

Be carefull sticking ur foot out, you could break it if you hit a cats eye. I leave my feet on the pegs, you just look like a try hard, unless your riding on dirt or gravel.

[toebug]

I have raced MX for many years and have ridden road bikes for many years too. I'm in my first season of motard racing and have tried the leg out technique but cant get it down pat, bieng tarmac it seems to be ingrained to ride road bike style so its knee down at all costs for me.

[DEATH_INC.]

Interesting subject this whole foot out thing.
Look at the top MXers and tell me how many put their foot out on corners where there's no chance of it getting pulled off the peg.
The only real reason to take your foot from the peg is to protect it. Again, look at the top mx guys, foot well forward and up off the ground unless it can't be.
Same goes for 'tard riders, take your foot off when backing it in and the inside peg is dragging, or any time you CAN'T keep it there, otherwise feet on pegs will give best control, and be fastest.

I wasn't too bad at mx in the day, and rode a lot of trailies (before there were 'tards) on the road, both seal and gravel.

[haydes55]

Interesting subject this whole foot out thing.
Look at the top MXers and tell me how many put their foot out on corners where there's no chance of it getting pulled off the peg.
The only real reason to take your foot from the peg is to protect it. Again, look at the top mx guys, foot well forward and up off the ground unless it can't be.
Same goes for 'tard riders, take your foot off when backing it in and the inside peg is dragging, or any time you CAN'T keep it there, otherwise feet on pegs will give best control, and be fastest.

I wasn't too bad at mx in the day, and rode a lot of trailies (before there were 'tards) on the road, both seal and gravel.

You make sense. What are you doing on KB? :laugh:

[george formby]

Yea I was up north.
I still have a bit more lean angle in reserve around corners. I've never pushed the bike to the point where It's felt as though I was losing traction or that I wasn't in control.

:laugh: Sorry. Jas and I rode over the Mangamukas the other day, it went from damp at the bottom to raining at the top. She left me for dead, I had a major arse pucker thinking of her visiting the scenery. When I caught up I asked her why she did not slow down on the wet road she replied "I did, the second time the back wheel skidded out":facepalm:

[toebug]

Interesting subject this whole foot out thing.
Look at the top MXers and tell me how many put their foot out on corners where there's no chance of it getting pulled off the peg.
The only real reason to take your foot from the peg is to protect it. Again, look at the top mx guys, foot well forward and up off the ground unless it can't be.
Same goes for 'tard riders, take your foot off when backing it in and the inside peg is dragging, or any time you CAN'T keep it there, otherwise feet on pegs will give best control, and be fastest.

I wasn't too bad at mx in the day, and rode a lot of trailies (before there were 'tards) on the road, both seal and gravel.

the main reason to take the foot off the peg is to transfer weight over the front of the bike. Unlike a road bike its difficult to get the weight over the front axle by just moving your head and upper body weight so putting the foot out helps this. In mx it also gives you the opportunity to stamp it back up again should you lose the front, you can do this on the road too but it hurts from what I've seen...

[george formby]

you can do this on the road too but it hurts from what I've seen...

Yarp, only done it once. On a salt slick roundabout on a wee 125 2t trailie. It does hurt. Some of the SM racers seem to use a foot like a GP racer uses their knee but its not out front, it's too the side, boot sliding.

[Ender EnZed]

As a general guide I ride at double the suggested corner speed


Settle petal. Regardless of your perspective on control & observation, if your "generally" taking corners at twice the posted recommendation your more than likely pushing your luck, chewing into your safety margin IFYKWIM.

+1

But not just due to the numbers.

I'm a pretty average road rider but I happen to know that with the "yada yada" taken care of a DR650 on ADV tyres will take any corner at 2x+ the posted sign speed without scraping a thing.

I've never had any of the slippery shit down anywhere near pat so I can't really comment on that but I'd say that if you need to ask the question (on sealed roads) then your feet should be on the pegs. It gives you so many more options as to how you want the bike to respond that you'd need to have a really good reason for taking your foot off.

[george formby]

+1

But not just due to the numbers.

I'm a pretty average road rider but I happen to know that with the "yada yada" taken care of a DR650 on ADV tyres will take any corner at 2x+ the posted sign speed without scraping a thing.

I've never had any of the slippery shit down anywhere near pat so I can't really comment on that but I'd say that if you need to ask the question (on sealed roads) then your feet should be on the pegs. It gives you so many more options as to how you want the bike to respond that you'd need to have a really good reason for taking your foot off.

I'm in the occasionally worrying position of nurturing my G/F into bikes. We have practiced heaps, her skills are great but it's the road craft she needs to learn now. As per my previous post about the Mangamukas she based her speed on the fact that the bike "felt" planted. Second slide she backed off.
No reflection or assumption on the OP t'is the interweb & he's doing some big miles & good practice. But. Nothing beats experience and as you say, feet on the pegs gives you a lot more control. You can take a boot off the peg a lot quicker than you can put it back on.