Passing

[Cosmo]

Just went for my first cruise out in the country. Had to pass a stock truck today but felt I could have done with a bit more to play with considering the traffic coming the other way. Could someone tell me if my bike pulls about 8000 rpm in 6th and I drop down to forth to pass I wont lock the back wheel up? (Dropped down to 5th today with no problems)

[MIXONE]

It'll handle 4th no problem and will give you the extra power you want when passing.Remember the shorter the time you spend on the wrong side of the road the better.

[JimO]

It'll handle 4th no problem and will give you the extra power you want when passing.Remember the shorter the time you spend on the wrong side of the road the better.

yes but you arnt allowed to exceed 100k per hr even when passing:whistle:

[NighthawkNZ]

yes but you arnt allowed to exceed 100k per hr even when passing:whistle:

correct...

[Reido]

5th doesnt really give you enough umph for passing..
4th is good, can get up to a decent speed too

[Cosmo]

Thanks for that info. Will do that with confidence enxt time though I may have to go over 100 the odd time to get past.

[Howsie]

You could start be learning you "top speed" in each gear ( i say that loosely as i do not wish to promote speeding - its dangerous) so you have a rough idea of which gear to change into for passing and also how many revs you are doing at that point so you can match it when you change making your shift smooth.

eg. in the van i can do max 110kmph in 3rd @5000rpm, so unless im doing under 100kmph ill use 4th for passing, same theory with the bike i believe. As long as your gear changes are relatively smooth you shouldnt lock the back tyre. maybe some of the more experienced can advise?

Easy aye?

[discotex]

Just don't change down two gears in one go. Drop to 5th, let the clutch out, then drop to 4th.

[vifferman]

Two things:
Drop back a bit, to get up some speed before you try to pass, and to give you time to abort should not be enough room, a car approaching, etc. It also enables you to better see what's coming.
Use the terrain/gravity if you don't have enough grunt: wait until you come over the crest of a hill, and use the fact your bike is lighter than a truck and can pick up speed a bit quicker.
Be aware of the aerodynamics/turbulence around trucks: there's a significant area of turbulence behind a truck that will buffet you around a bit if you're stuck in it. Closer to the truck, there's a still zone, but you won't be able to see from there, and you're subject to fumes, dust, etc. Further back than the turbulent area it is relatively calm again. Trucks have a very significant bow wave that you have to push through just as you get level with the front of the truck. It will slow you down momentarily, then push you sideways a bit.
Be patient. Better stuck behind a truck than dead.
Practice: get familiar with how fast your bike is in each gear, how long it takes to accelerate on the flat, on a give hill slope (up/down), etc.

[Swoop]

Practice a little bit when you have a completely empty road (no traffic whatsoever).
Imagine that you are following a vehicle at a certain speed and then perform your gearchanges and overtake the imagined vehicle. You can do this without even having to cross over the centreline.
Learn what your engine and gears are happy and capable of doing for you.

[Badjelly]

Could someone tell me if my bike pulls about 8000 rpm in 6th and I drop down to forth to pass I wont lock the back wheel up?

By the way, do you blip?

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=48656

There was a poll thread on this, too, but I couldn't find it. Most KBers do blip.

[Cosmo]

I have never heard of "Blipping" but followed the link thanks. Sounds like exactlly what I am after. This was the main reason I got a 250 as I am keen to be able to go quick around corners before I get a bit more power under me. Sounds quite tricky but will give it a go

[Cosmo]

I did think that it may have been turbulence behind the truck as it was a bit of a windy day. Never had those problems when in my car. Explains why I was getting bolwn around a bit

[CB ARGH]

If you choose to do this in wet weather on a white line then yeah - you'll lock it up. You should be fine in the dry, it'll take a lot to lock it up in the dry, if you ever feel unsafe about it, slowly let out the clutch instead of a forced quick release.

[scracha]

Bikes have this thing called a clutch that you're supposed to let out slowly.

[PuppetMaster]

Can you not hear the engine ? Basic driving/riding says you may not necessarily know what gear your in, but you should be able to hear that its not the right gear and know to change up, or down.

One really good piece of advise when passing vehicles on the open road. If you are behind a vehicle and a truck is coming the opposite way, wait for the truck to go past and wait before pulling out to pass, the wind from the truck going the opposite way can be rather full on.

[The Pastor]

Yeah careful around trucks - they can suck you under the wheels, ive seen it happen.

[The Stranger]

Just went for my first cruise out in the country. Had to pass a stock truck today but felt I could have done with a bit more to play with considering the traffic coming the other way. Could someone tell me if my bike pulls about 8000 rpm in 6th and I drop down to forth to pass I wont lock the back wheel up? (Dropped down to 5th today with no problems)


You "had" to pass it why?
What license are you on?

I tend to think that when passing a stock truck with oncoming traffic is not the ideal time to be wondering about the performance of your bike. It pays to know (with a high degree of certaintly) how the bike will respond in a given situation before attempting it.