Tight curvy roads with fast traffic, too much 4 newb bike?

[intotherain]

Ok so. There is this one route from my house through the woods and to the highway that is really curvy and tight, with fast moving traffic.

During the turns, I really did not trust my bike. It felt like at any moment my bike could fall over during a turn and I could either fall off the edge of the cliff of get run over by oncoming traffic and get killed.


SO, im just asking if this kind of feeling is normal for a noob biker, or maybe the bikes tiny 2.75 or whatever it is tires are actually not capable to handle the speed and the tightness of the curves..

thanks.

[Fast Eddy B]

Good question. It seems like there could be many reasons for you feeling this; please someone fill in the blanks if I miss something else...

I think I ran wide on corners before I really figured out high speed countersteering. Also, I mistakenly braked in the corner, which stood the bike up, which made it run even more wide.

Or, it could be tires? Or as you said, lots of distractions? Or as I remember from my mountain bike days, after a long hard ride I was tired and just started crashing into things....running wide on corners because my core strength was tapped-out?

I'm no expert, but these are my initial ideas....hope it might help.

[sharpmagna]

It's normal as a newb to feel that way. You don't have trust in your own skill right now and it's the easy way to to cop it out on your bike. Your bike can handle those turns, it's just that you haven't done them enough to know your limitations or skill yet. The more miles you rack up, the more comfortable you'll become on the bike and you'll push the bike closer and closer to its limits.

Btw, what kind of bike do you have?

[Shorts]

As a faierly fresh rider and not knowing myself, I'm still comng from what I anticipate. But I think that you just have not pushed yourself or your bike to the edhe of traction to know/feel what the limits are. Basically, you're unsure anddon't trust the bike.

My suggestion is more ride time for gaing experience. And 2, go push the limits doing cornering drills in the parking lot. A bike's limit is further than we newbs often give it credit for.

I specificallty remember taking the MSF advanced course as pillion on DHs bike, in the rain no less. We took the drills so far we scraped peg often and hard. Fast forward now to the next street ride. I felt much more comfortable and at ease taking these curves at speed after feeling the bike's llimit at MSF than compared to previous. And I was the pillion! Pillion or rider, it's just a matter of feeling the example of the bike as far as it can go, then trusting it. Until you feel the limit, you will not trust it completelty.

If you can, take some parking lot time, on asphault, to go practice the limits.

[KarateChick]

+1 to what Sharpmagna said.

Does that curvy road ever get non-busy so you can get on it and use it/practice and not have to worry about some car driving up your "O Ring"? Empty parking lots (with no obstacles) are good too for learning how much you and your bike are willing to lean. One of the guys I rode with last season loved to go to training parking lot (he's a riding instructor) and work on big and small figure 8's to see how much he could get his bike leaned and scrape pegs... and he was always wanting the rest of us to go practice with him too.

[intotherain]

my bikes in my hello forum here. http://totalmotorcycle.com/BBS/viewtopic.php?t=18982

The only times that road is open is around 5-6 AM, and thats the only time I can ride because its the only time it is light out. There is absolutely no lights in there and I rely on sunlight.

[JCS]

Ok, so what kind of bike is it?

Make-Model

Maybe I'm too dumb to figure this out. Help me!

[intotherain]

Ok, so what kind of bike is it?

Make-Model

Maybe I'm too dumb to figure this out. Help me!

Its

Lifan-Komoto 200

it has 3 inch tires in front and a 3.5 in the back.

[jstark47]

Dohun- Without seeing you ride, it's pretty hard to guess what the problem is. I'm pretty sure it isn't the width of your tires, though. I run a bike with pretty narrow tires myself, if my technique is good the bike runs curves feeling like it's on rails.

Just some basics- tires not worn out? inflated correctly? suspension components OK - no leaking fork seals? (I ask 'cause you said your bike was inexpensive.)

Assuming your equipment is OK, then check technique. Are you really looking where you want to go? Riding posture OK? (not lying on the tank) Arms not locked, everything flexible? Locked arms, elbows, shoulders etc are IMO a major problem with making smooth steering inputs. How's your line - are you taking a good delayed apex? Are you smooth and soft off the throttle and on the brakes, and vice versa? Harsh or abrupt control inputs will unsettle the suspension and make the bike seem less controlled - if your bike uses cheap suspension components, that just makes it even more vulnerable.

Not necessarily saying any of these are your problem, just some things to think about. Good luck.

[intotherain]

Dohun- Without seeing you ride, it's pretty hard to guess what the problem is. I'm pretty sure it isn't the width of your tires, though. I run a bike with pretty narrow tires myself, if my technique is good the bike runs curves feeling like it's on rails.

Just some basics- tires not worn out? inflated correctly? suspension components OK - no leaking fork seals? (I ask 'cause you said your bike was inexpensive.)

Assuming your equipment is OK, then check technique. Are you really looking where you want to go? Riding posture OK? (not lying on the tank) Arms not locked, everything flexible? Locked arms, elbows, shoulders etc are IMO a major problem with making smooth steering inputs. How's your line - are you taking a good delayed apex? Are you smooth and soft off the throttle and on the brakes, and vice versa? Harsh or abrupt control inputs will unsettle the suspension and make the bike seem less controlled - if your bike uses cheap suspension components, that just makes it even more vulnerable.

Not necessarily saying any of these are your problem, just some things to think about. Good luck.

Thanks! hmm Ill try it out. Ill try it all out. My bikes not jerky at all unless I go from zero to full throttle in less than half a second, or else it doesnt really jerk. Theres about a half second delay between the throttle and actual power in the rear tire. I think I will just have to take it out on more rides and just become one with the bike.