Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Brackstone wrote:

RhadamYgg wrote:

Brackstone wrote:Damn,

Sorry to hear that happened man. But good for you getting back up on the horse and continuing on. I'm sure you know this but I'll say it anyway! Don let fear get to you. You've beer riding a while now so there isn't anything to be worried about.

Just a hit of history about my experience. I stuck to roads I knew and didn't practice any parking lot exercises until I felt comforable with my new bike.

Also I did spent for frame sliders. They were like $100 for my bike, I know I sucks up front but if they look cool it's a necessary evil almost

As far as things go - that wasn't too bad. My wife didn't actually say anything about not riding anymore. She was even sympathetic and will help me search for parts for the bike.

Clearly, it was just too soon for me to do slow-speed stuff. You know with the sheer mass of hours I'd spent in stop-n-go traffic in the Kawasaki - I really got to know the clutch and throttle well on that bike.

But this is completely different. I probably should have spent more time riding the highway miles and doing the on-off-ramps + start commuting on the bike where I'd really beat up the clutch before attempting figure 8's.

Not going to let the fear get to me. Going out for a ride tomorrow with my wife driving her car - we have to get some software and stuff for painting - just for the express purpose of me getting some more miles on the bike.

Of course she did say if I drop the bike while she can see me I'm going to have to sell the bike.

RhadamYgg

Glad to hear your wife isn't giving you a hard time about it.

But yeah I think the best advice I can give is to familiarize yourself with the bike before doing this. The techniques taught during the MSF course will stay with you, being on a different bike IMO doesn't effect the knowledge in your brain.

Your new bike just handles differently, so as soon as you learn how your bike handles, you should be able to do all these exercises again without problem. It's a mental game.

Me personally though? I love my bike and I don't want to risk scraping it or dropping it. Because of that I do not practice figure 8s or anything like that.

I have had to make a U turn in a narrow space (2 parking lot spaces) and I was able to do it. I don't know if I can do a figure 8 and I really don't care to find out. I don't really consider that a skill you need to survive on the road, it's just something to practice in case you need to make small tight turns and don't want to drop your bike.

If I think something is too small or too dangerous, I just put my feet down and waddle on the bike. But I can't remember the last time that has happened to me.

TEvo wrote:Sorry to hear about the horizontal parking d00d. Glad to hear you weren't hurt. All things considered, it's a lot better to drop it at walking speed than to crash the thing at higher speeds. If the gravity troll has to be paid its toll, it's better to pay it this way.

My 2-cents...

Limited space maneuvers to the right are more difficult for a lot of people, myself included. From my own observation, it seems the tighter (odd?) angle of your right arm and elbow and consequently, the throttle hand makes throttle manipulation more sensitive. Takes a bit more practice to overcome. I tend to counterweight more doing tight rights than I do on lefts.

Also, on the bigger/more powerful bikes, it is often difficult or impossible to use throttle alone to control speed during such maneuvers. Two other controls can help... the clutch and the rear brake lever. Slip the clutch and/or drag the rear brake. Either way, you gotta keep the engine pulling through the manuever.

Lastly, you did go from a < 400 lb. wet bike to a 500+ lb. wet bike. That's quite a lot more weight and weight becomes most evident at slower speeds.

RhadamYgg wrote: Yeah, you know, I've considered that. The function that I really need to work on is my sloppiness on start up - in particular when making an immediate right turn.
RhadamYgg

Penguin wrote:

PacificShot327 wrote:Sorry to hear about the drops. No fun! I dropped mine, too, but at least the thing is already beat up enough to where you can't distinguish new scratches from old...

And not trying to start up an argument or anything, but what wrecks describes, IS, according to my MSF instructor (who I still keep in touch with), trail-braking. This was the only way I managed to get through the figure 8s for the test. For whatever reason, I couldn't really manage to get those down without trail-braking. He used that term specifically and encouraged me to do it since I was having a bit of trouble.

Possibly you have different definitions over the other side of the atlantic...anyway we all know what we're talking about so there's no confusion

In the case of figure 8s the yes it is trail braking because you are braking into the corner...anyway it doesn't really matter

Trail braking is done with either both brakes or the front brake alone. Trailing the brakes deep into corner entry allows a smoother transition into corner entry speed, and compresses the front suspension, facilitating lean.

The slow-speed technique we're discussing here is done exclusively with the rear brake. Used with clutch feathering, it is a way to increase engine speed and gyroscopic effect without increasing bike speed, and also helps mitigate any abrupt throttle inputs. You can call it whatever you want, but IMO calling it trail braking adds confusion, not clarity.

Gunslinger wrote:

jstark47 wrote: Trail braking is done with either both brakes or the front brake alone. Trailing the brakes deep into corner entry allows a smoother transition into corner entry speed, and compresses the front suspension, facilitating lean.

The slow-speed technique we're discussing here is done exclusively with the rear brake. Used with clutch feathering, it is a way to increase engine speed and gyroscopic effect without increasing bike speed, and also helps mitigate any abrupt throttle inputs. You can call it whatever you want, but IMO calling it trail braking adds confusion, not clarity.

With regards to trail baking as per your explanation are you talking about braking prior to entering the curve?

Gunslinger wrote:Would you not consider using the rear brake prior to corner entry as trail braking?