Lean Angle

[jstark47]

When I ride the B-King I sit in a "very" standard position, but my nuts are scooched up right in to the gas tank. So, I can't move forward any further.

You don't necessarily need to move any further forward. If you just reposition your body sideways so the centerline of your mass from the waist up is inside the centerline of the bike's mass, you'll achieve a very beneficial weight redistribution. Everything we write about shoulder position, arm position, etc, is really about facilitating a shift of your mass off the centerline of the bike's mass and to the inside. This buys you a bunch of benefits including "conservation of lean angle" - ability to turn sharper without leaning the bike so much.

It needs to be accompanied by a "loose" position on the bike - all your body joints flexible and not locked, and by keeping your eyes UP and on the corner exit. Once you get this down, you'll be going through curves 15 mph faster than you used to, but it will seem slower..... and you'll be wondering why you ever thought those curves were sharp.

[tymanthius]

Today I paid special attention to my body position as it's a little windy here in BR, and I just added a Givi E55 Maxia top box. I was curious what the wind would do. Not much as it turns out.

But I did notice that I was turning WAY too sharp, once I leaned correctly. Those sharp cloverleaf turns to change hiways were actually much easier with the lean done more properly.

[Wrider]

As far as checking your chicken strips you have no need to have a video camera follow you around.
http://www.shopmonkeys.com/dealsgap/60.jpg
Those are some nice small ones, but the rider can still lean further if needed.
http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/8464/picture9rk9.jpg
Those are relatively huge ones. The rider is afraid to lean very much.
Heck mine were smaller on my Volusia!

And yes I know those aren't images, just links, one is too big to be easily viewed on a forum.

[Lion_Lady]

If I may be bold

Everytime I get some one who says they have fear of leaning, we find that the body positioning is all wrong. EVERY TIME.

Forget gadgets, get some one who knows what they are doing to follow you and help you with the body positioning, or get to a track with an instructor.

Listen to me dude, I am bullying you now.

Me too! More gadgets to "look at" on the instrument panel, means less brains to use to look where you're going and just ride the dang bike! If you've got $1 of brain capacity to use, don't waste even 5 cents on indicators that will tell you what the rest of your body can.

+1 on getting someone with some skill to follow you through curves, or sign up for "Lee Parks' Total Control: Advanced Riders Clinic" - available here in Maryland, and a few other East Coast locations.

P

[Amdonim]

If you've got $1 of brain capacity to use,

I think she just called you dumb bro, you gonna take that?

[mydlyfkryzis]

The lean angle gauge won't work. Your lean angle is determined by speed and turn rate. The outward force of the turn is exactly covered by the force of gravity. On a motorcycle, your lean indicator will always point to 0 degrees unless you are already falling.

Those indicators are for:

Off road vehicles. It indicates the lean when stopped or going straight. In a turn, the centrifugal force (Centripetal force for you purist) causes it to read incorrectly.

the aircraft bubble type have the same issue. In a normal, proper turn, the bubble should stay at zero degrees regardless of the actual lean compared to ground level. If the bubble is other than zero in a turn, you are banked too much or too little. In straight flight, it is desirable to keep the plane level, so it works there too.

A motorcycle lean indicator is useless straight, will read zero in any turn,
and can only read actual lean when stopped or on your way to being stopped as you fall off the bike.

[XB08]

I found out something , along time ago. I you just watch where you want to go you will lean as much as you need to for the turn and will never think about how much you are leaning.

[RhadamYgg]

What's the point of increasing lean angle anyway? IMHO, it's something you don't have direct control of. You directly control direction, speed, and your position (and weight) relative to the bike. Given those three variables, the bike's chassis and geometry "decide" the angle of lean.

Oh, I suppose the lean angle isn't the goal. It is an indicator that I'm taking the turns at a reasonable speed or not.

RhadamYgg

[RhadamYgg]

I found out something , along time ago. I you just watch where you want to go you will lean as much as you need to for the turn and will never think about how much you are leaning.

In some turns I am very good with this. I find though, that in some ramps you can't see straight-line distance to where you are supposed to be in the curve.

I also find that sometimes I'll consciously have to force myself to look in the appropriate place and then it gets easier to get through that specific turn.

So, definitely an excellent point.

At least I don't look down much anymore. Look down, go down!

RhadamYgg

[RhadamYgg]

Caveat: Did not read all the posts, so forgive me if I am repeating.

If you're worried about lean, (I do too, but not as much as you, and I KNOW mine is body position), and you don't have the time or $ to go to one of the schools then get a good still and or video camera and have someone take LOTS of pictures of you.

At speed, you'll need a pretty good still camera.

Then post the pictures and let the motley crew here critique.

Thanks Tymanthius! Definitely on my list of things to do. I even spoke to my wife about it.

Of course, speaking to my wife about it is almost a guarantee that it'll never happen. So, maybe I'll just have to haunt her from my grave.

RhadamYgg