To give advice or not

[Riff Raff]

[QUOTE=paparazzi]Sorry if I was a bit presumptuous with any advice. /QUOTE]

I'm not having a go at anyone. You made a fair comment. What I'm trying to say is that I actually do appreciate advice - I'm not good at asking cos I think I might end up asking something stupid and looking like a dick, and I'm not good at taking it either. Since getting back into riding I've mostly ridden by myself so I've kinda got used to finding out things by trial and error. The whole intention of this thread was to say thanks guys for making me look at my riding, and if I was offhand then I need a bit of an attitude adjustment. I also really appreciated it when people hung back with me even tho I was slowing things down.

[sAsLEX]

I do have a question on leaning if someone could offer some advice. I go into the corner I have a reasonble line, but I still seem to only lean so far, (this maybe in my head) I would like to be able to go thru the corners a bit quicker but I dont think I am leaning over far enough?, any tricks to do it. I understand the countersteering thing and put that into practise, but I just feel I would be able to go thru the corner faster if I was able to lean over more.

as TS said just find somewhere comfortable for you and go over a few times, I scraped my foot first time on the weekend with toes right up on the pegs and at the time I wasn't pushing as hard as I could but just hit the corner nice and smooth then looked like a retard when I picked the bike up from full lean cause it suprised me when I felt and heard my foot sliding along the deck, was a nice uphill right 25 my favourite!

[Redstar]

During the course of the Coromandel loop ride yesterday some people threw a few snippets of advice my way. Now some of you may have got the impression that I'm an ungrateful bitch, which is probably true. I'm very aware of my own failings, but get a tad precious when they are pointed out to me.
Went on a decent ride today and spent half of it analysing my riding style, then a brainwave hit me as two separate and (I thought) unrelated conversations came to me. One was on target fixating, and the other on the wobble my bike has on some cornering. Noticed the wobble was occuring on right handers and realised that I was focussing on the centre line and not on where I wanted to go. Simple stuff really. I'm not sure when I started doing this, but it is fairly recent and probably has something to do with a couple of near misses I've had with cars straying over the centre line.
So anyway this is a thank you to those offering advice. I'll try to be more receptive in future (unless I have PMT in which case I'll be totally irrational), so keep throwing snippets at me.

I spent a bit of time behind you (no I wasnt checking out your butt!) but don't recall giving you any advice? I thought for a 250 rebel your were holding your own and was doing real good and cruisers are different anyway in handling and cornering. You were pretty tough to get past at times I recon if you got a sports bike you would show a few the way home.
I want my ZXR back!

[Riff Raff]

I spent a bit of time behind you (no I wasnt checking out your butt!) but don't recall giving you any advice? I thought for a 250 rebel your were holding your own and was doing real good and cruisers are different anyway in handling and cornering. You were pretty tough to get past at times I recon if you got a sports bike you would show a few the way home.
I want my ZXR back!

Thanks. Well not too much longer now til I get my next bike - it will be good to have a bit more power so I can attempt to keep up with everyone else. Will probably need a bit of advice then as it's going to be a big change going from a cruiser to a Duc (hopefully if finances permit). Will also look at doing Track Time next year to hone my biking skills.

[ajturbo]

I spent a bit of time behind you (no I wasnt checking out your butt!) but don't recall giving you any advice? I thought for a 250 rebel your were holding your own and was doing real good and cruisers are different anyway in handling and cornering. You were pretty tough to get past at times I recon if you got a sports bike you would show a few the way home.
I want my ZXR back!

yes same here! i was behind...(was i checking out your butt? :sly: )
and i agree with Redstar, you were not hold me up at all, ! when i over took you i just wanted to go a bit faster, don't get me wrong, i would have been happy if you had led the ride !..I'm not sure about the other real FAST guys, but it was a good pace!.. how long have you been riding?

[Riff Raff]

how long have you been riding?

Started 12 years ago, then had a break of 8 years, took it up again last year. Finally got round to getting my restricted this year, and can go for my full licence in december.

[ajturbo]

Started 12 years ago, then had a break of 8 years, took it up again last year. Finally got round to getting my restricted this year, and can go for my full licence in december.

so that means that you will be able to stay out after 10pm ???

[Riff Raff]

so that means that you will be able to stay out after 10pm ???

[Motu]

Angle of lean is over rated in my book,going over further doesn't mean more corner speed,but does boost the ego of the rider concerned - mind you,I used to ride behind guys on the same bikes me...they'd be on the pegs,but I'd have 2in to go - I could take them on the inside and still not touch the pegs,I guess that didn't do their ego much good.Us lightweights have advantages the lardarses will never acheive.

I used to have trouble when I first started riding my sohc CB750 - if I hit a bump mid corner it'd rip the bars out of my hands and stand up,I was not impressed! I found out it was the high centre of gravity,on a bump the CG would move out and it'd stand up.I found I had to lean more than I wanted in a corner and/or hang off the bike,I was ok after that.

As the others have said - smoothness is the hallmark of a good rider.If you see some old fart who looks like he doesn't go too fast...get in behind and you might get a surprise.Smoothness and consistancy will give higher speeds point to point than big time braking,flicking in and off the bike,lot's of throttle on the exit - looks good,sounds good - but not the fast or safe way.Be cool,be smart,be smooth,be on top of the game.

[aff-man]

[QUOTE=Motu]Angle of lean is over rated in my book,going over further doesn't mean more corner speed,but does boost the ego of the rider concerned - mind you,I used to ride behind guys on the same bikes me...they'd be on the pegs,but I'd have 2in to go - I could take them on the inside and still not touch the pegs,I guess that didn't do their ego much good.Us lightweights have advantages the lardarses will never acheive.

[QUOTE]


Sorry mate angle lean is very important (on a sports bike anyway) the amount of lean depicts what speed you can carry through the corner and where you come out on the otherside. i.e. to much speed not enough lean and you'll find youself on the other side of the road (been there done that) or over a cliff.

As to advice taking, the best i got was. Listen to what everybody says try it out and if it doesn't work for you then don't do it.

[Two Smoker]

Started 12 years ago, then had a break of 8 years, took it up again last year. Finally got round to getting my restricted this year, and can go for my full licence in december.

I wish i could get my full have to wait till June next year ...

What kind of Duke???

[Motu]

Sorry mate angle lean is very important (on a sports bike anyway) the amount of lean depicts what speed you can carry through the corner and where you come out on the otherside. i.e. to much speed not enough lean and you'll find youself on the other side of the road (been there done that) or over a cliff.

As to advice taking, the best i got was. Listen to what everybody says try it out and if it doesn't work for you then don't do it.

If you ran wide on a corner we are talking more than lean angle - sure,you didn't have enough...but why? Your corner approach was wrong,speed,braking,apex,not looking far enough into the corner.Get the basics right and the CORRECT lean angle will come.Too much angle will do nothing for corner speed except looks...which is what I was talking about.

[Riff Raff]

I wish i could get my full have to wait till June next year ...

The waiting's bloody hard, eh? Wish I'd got my a into g a lot sooner.

What kind of Duke???

Monster, either 620 or 800.

[Dodgyiti]

An old saying that I live by is " you never learn anything with your mouth open"
20 years and 200,000+ kms and I still have a heap to learn, the first thing was how not to fall off. Problem is- the more you learn -the more confident you get-the more you push it- then you fall off
The moral is never think you know it all, and don't be over confident

[Fryin Finn]

For me working out maximum angle of lean is not to maximise corner speed but to determine margin of saftey. I can go into a corner hot and know if required I can scape more than my boots.