Newb question... staying upright at city speeds

[shane-o]

can you just tip over for no other reason than balance was lost?[/qoute]

Losing balance is typically the culprit for things falling over.

A bike is certainly more stable at speed, yes. A heavier object needs to be going faster for the same amount of stability as a smaller object. Probably one of the reasons that lighter bikes are more "newbie friendly" since you don't have to deal with having a heavier/more powerful bike.

dont wanna burst ya bubble, but cause a bike is physically light, doesnt mean its easier to handle, and I would not recommend a bike to a novice user on the basis that it is safer cause its lighter IMHO whats the weight of a R6, CBR RR, ZX 6, GSXR 6 etc etc these days? 150 kilos?????

avergae weight for a MGP bike is about 80-90 kilos I think lol

[Septimus]

and I would not recommend a bike to a novice user on the basis that it is safer cause its lighter IMHO

I didn't say a bike is safer because it's lighter. I said that it is easier to handle, particularly in lower speeds. A race replica bike more or less cancels this out by being much more responsive on the throttle, but it is still, technically, "easier" in the strictly laws-of-physics sense. I would certainly not recommend a bike just on account of its weight without taking horsepower and other factors into account.

But given the choice of two 40-50 HP bikes for a newbie, the 380 lb bike is probably going to be "easier" than the 600 lb bike, though again not so much so that I would base my entire decision on that. I know our MSF instructors said that, of people who take the DMV road test here in New York State, the ones who have the hardest time with it are the ones who show up on big bikes, even if they've been riding for a long time, just because slow speed maneuvering is more difficult on a heavier object. I wouldn't learn to drive by climbing into an 18-wheeler and I wouldn't learn to fly by piloting a 747, either.

[Derail]

He says he's going 40-45? You speed should balance you after like 15mph O_O depends on the bike too i guess. But you shouldn't need to go faster than 40 for stability lol.

[flw]

d. you

[J.R. Bob Dobbs]

I guess it's possible there's something wrong with the bike, but I seriously doubt it. My first week or so I couldn't make myself go 45mph, it seemed overwhelming. But stability was only an issue going really slow, say 10 or less.

[nate1714]

getting use to a bike is a long process at times...i would take it to a parking lot and do some basics just like in the MSF course....and that will help a lot....and bikes are natural balanced so dont worry about it tipping over...worry about u tipping it over.....

[racerj313]

just hang in there ledzep. i, like a big share of the guys in here grew up on the pegs of a dirt bike so it amuses us a bit to hear a question like yours, hence the ribbing, but you are fine. you just need to get the feel of it all. it won't be long and it will all seem normal for you.

[zenman]

This is interesting because I am also a newb and have experienced something like what the OP experiences. At about 40 mph, the bike starts feeling, what's the word, "unstable?", "squishy?", "off balance?". The tires are filled properly, there is nothing shaky on the bike. It's difficult to explain. It feels kind of like when you're getting a flat while riding.

for the record, i ride a GZ 250.

[KeithB]

Is that bike a sportbike?

sportbikes can be twitcy or nervous as slow speeds, cause they wanna go

[Nibblet99]

Wavey road surfaces can do it, but my money is on you either gripping the bars too firmly, or holding your weight up with your arms instead of your legs