How much lean angle have I got?

[Oldfulla]

Hi all,
How do you know when you are running out of lean? Please don’t say it’s when you ass off into the ditch you have run out of lean, or look at your tyres and the size of your chicken strips and you will get an idea of how much more you have.

What I want to know is how do you know when you are max lean while you are riding? Is there gradual sliding or woobing that starts, or is there sudden release of grip and you do a big power slide or what?

The reason I ask this is because I have favourite piece of road that I love to ride on. It has some very nice corners that I can go ripping through. I have worn my back tyres to the edge on this road and the bike is rock solid. The bike still feels like I like can lie it down further. Although I don’t fancy putting this to the test on a public road with lots of traffic coming in the opposite direction and end up a skid mark on the road through failed testing.

Does my bike have more lean then I have balls to find out?

Cheers

[MVnut]

Sorry mate few too many variables, but generally with todays tyres (if in good nick) you can lean at least till the bodywork/pegs touch down

[Patch]

Hi all,
How do you know when you are running out of lean? Please don’t say it’s when you ass off into the ditch you have run out of lean, or look at your tyres and the size of your chicken strips and you will get an idea of how much more you have.

What I want to know is how do you know when you are max lean while you are riding? Is there gradual sliding or woobing that starts, or is there sudden release of grip and you do a big power slide or what?

The reason I ask this is because I have favourite piece of road that I love to ride on. It has some very nice corners that I can go ripping through. I have worn my back tyres to the edge on this road and the bike is rock solid. The bike still feels like I like can lie it down further. Although I don’t fancy putting this to the test on a public road with lots of traffic coming in the opposite direction and end up a skid mark on the road through failed testing.

Does my bike have more lean then I have balls to find out?

Cheers

Depends if ya sticking out ya knee when rounding the curves plus a shitload more things that can change.
But so long as ya bike has USD's I wouldn't worry about lean angles on the road, you'll be sweet as.
Book a place at Taupo 4th April here only safe place to learn that stuff. If ya lean to far, you ain't gonna get run over by Pop whose ambling off to the dairy.

FYI: Michelin say 51.2º lean angle in the dry and 43º in the wet for their Pilot Powers - grab a protractor, is interesting

Keep it real.

[CookMySock]

[...] generally with todays tyres (if in good nick) you can lean at least till the bodywork/pegs touch down

REALLY!? Hot diggity dawg I'm gunna try it !!

DB

[JimO]

REALLY!? Hot diggity dawg I'm gunna try it !!

DB

you have to be moving though or else you will fall over

[Taz]

Also remember that the contact patch of your tyre is about the size of your palm so even if you are getting to the edge of the tyre you'd still contacting the road with a good 1/4 to a 1/3rd of the tyre.

[MVnut]

you have to be moving though or else you will fall over

Now that's a good call

[riffer]

I've always looked at the tyres for an idea of how far I can go. I tend to have a hard line about 3mm wide, with bits of roughed out wear to the edge coming off it. And my pegs have almost never touched down.

However, no matter how far I pull them in, the feet always seem to. So the bike will go further over I guess.

In the end, if you're riding comfortably and as fast as you need to, what does it matter? Worrying about chicken strips is about as important as worrying about the size of your knob.

[DEATH_INC.]

What I find is you feel the front get really vague as it reaches the end of it's grip, it feels like it isn't attached to the road, and the bars start to feel lighter. The rear is a bit harder to feel, it just sorta stops following the front and swings outwards. If ya got it nailed it'll normally start to weave a bit before it lets go completely.
Sometimes though they just go with no real warning....
At least that's what I've noticed.

[Oldfulla]

What I find is you feel the front get really vague as it reaches the end of it's grip, it feels like it isn't attached to the road, and the bars start to feel lighter. The rear is a bit harder to feel, it just sorta stops following the front and swings outwards. If ya got it nailed it'll normally start to weave a bit before it lets go completely.
Sometimes though they just go with no real warning....
At least that's what I've noticed.

sweet thanks for that answer DEATH_INC., thats what I'm wanting to know, not saying that any of the relpies weren't good as they were. I think maybe I may have worded my question slightly wrong.

Cheers
oldfulla

[Usarka]

sweet thanks for that answer DEATH_INC., thats what I'm wanting to know, not saying that any of the relpies weren't good as they were. I think maybe I may have worded my question slightly wrong.

Cheers
oldfulla

The trouble is until it actually goes for the first time then you're never sure exactly how far it's got to go...... the question is how bad do you want to find out.....

[Ocean1]

FYI: Michelin say 51.2º lean angle in the dry and 43º in the wet for their Pilot Powers - grab a protractor, is interesting

Did exactly that.

Got a cargo strap around the garage rafter and leaned it over to 45deg, scary. Then leaned it to the 55deg Mr Buell says is max. Is a good way to scare the crap outa oneself.

[beyond]

Too many variables to be definite.
Size and weight of the bike and rider.
Condition and type of tyres.
Condition and type of surface.
How smooth you ride as ham fisted riding will get you tossed in no time at all.

On most road tyres when you have gone too far you generally don't get time to correct before you are down and out.

On "most" bikes you will more than likely touch down the peg feeler bolts easily enough with room to spare. If harder bits touch down then that's a loss of downforce which is probably going to have you off pretty quick as well.

When your rear goes at speed you are stuffed 9 times out of 10. It goes so fast that if you manage to correct it it you will more than likely highside (hurts a lot) but will mainly lowside which still hurts.

[BadCompany]

I can scrape my pegs on my GPX250 and I still have small chicken strips on the front but nothing on the back, might chuck a bigger wheel on and see if I can get her lower

[Macstar]

As mentioned, bike chasis, attachments is usually the limit. I recently bought a new Hornet 900 and scrape the pegs often. I have also scraped away some of the rear brake lever too. Having said this, I've owned a lot of bikes and the only other bike that I got scraping action on was the KTM motard.

The tyres will reveal how much more you've got to go though.