[Gungnir]

Om my way home this afternoon, I almost had a non r heart attack and a seizure at the same time.

I felt like riding and took the loooong way home. I am pretty comfortable with the road and I know all the corners like the back of my hand. So... I just starting to slow down to take this one corner (almost a hairpin bend) and went in a bit hot. As I am leaned over, I start to realise I am starting to go into the opposite lane. There wasn't any cars coming, but being a hairpin, you can't really see if there's one approaching. I gave it everything I had left and leaned like I have never leaned before (I have about 3mm left on my tires, so it can still lean a bit), then something completely unexpected happened...
I SCRAPED MY PEG!!!!! I know that this is something that some of you do on a regular basis, but this was my first time and it was unexpected.

Now let me tell you something: it was f**king terrifying. My first though was "o my god, i'm going down" then that screech and vibrations through the pegs almost made me jump off the bike. I managed to keep my cool (I have no idea how... Mind = blown) and I pulled over on the straight after the corner to calm my nerves.

If you haven't leaned that far yet, be prepared. It will be the most terrifying and exhilarating thing you have ever done!!!

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[tlee2989]

betcha are ready for more now, its addicting. starts off with flat out speed, then you slow up and start cornering, next thing you know your blasting through corners flat out its a rush i never get tired of it, only way to add more excitment is to ride two up while riding twisties

 

[molgam]

Eat a healthy diet.





Get a rear set.

 

[KRA5H185]

I know how you feel man. My first time scared me sh**less but then after I took a moment, I wanted more. It is terrifying but the rush that comes with it is indescribable.

My only advice is take it to the track or a large empty parking with proper safety gear if you ever plan on pushing it to the limit again.

 

[Gungnir]

I am ready for more. Going for an advanced riding course on Sunday. It's going to be awesome.

But i'm definitely doing this again tomorrow!!!

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[PIGTRAIL RIDER 23]

Yep done the same thing my first time, but now it's like a drug can't get enough of it. But you do have to know your limits. I've had several bikes over the years & with each of them you find out very quickly what you can & can not do. Only broken 1 bone in my 30+ years of riding & that was my big toe & I probably wouldn't have broken that if I had just put on my riding boots that day. Oh I've had some good crashes a little road rash & some $$$ out to fix whats was damaged. But the rush of hitting that corner & feeling your adrenaline pump you up is some thing that most people just don't get. Yea & when you hit a corner there is the feeling in the back of your mind hay dumb a$$ what the hell are you doing. But like Freddy Kruger said aah what a rush. Remember tho ride to live live to ride & RIDE TO CRASH!!!

 

[ecustu7]

I have not leaned mine over far enough to scrape the pegs, although I feel like I have and friends riding behind me say that I just barely make some corners without the pegs hitting, and have often thought that it would scare the crap out of me too. Im glad you made it without freaking out and giving up. The first time I laid my bike down I went into a corner too fast and didn't feel comfortable really leaning the bike hard so I drove through the corner into a field, I was new to riding and it was a really heavy bike. Now, that I have been riding for a couple of years and have a much more manageable bike I know that if that happens again I have to trust that I can lean my bike even more than I am and I can make the corner. I have recently found counter steering to be very important in this kind of situation. Im not sure how I was steering before, but now in a sharp corner, say to the right, If I push slightly (Like turning left) on the right handle bar and lean right it feels a lot more stable and I feel I can push it harder than without counter steering.

 

[ecustu7]

I am ready for more. Going for an advanced riding course on Sunday. It's going to be awesome.

But i'm definitely doing this again tomorrow!!!

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Be careful not to push your luck

 

[pooder7]

If you haven't leaned that far yet, be prepared. It will be the most terrifying and exhilarating thing you have ever done!!!

I REMEMBER doing that! It was a long time ago, and I was riding a BMW K75 . . . I took the corner a little hot but I remembered to press harder on the inside handgrip. It was not so terrifying for me; it was more like a "Now I'm a MOTORCYCLIST" moment. But I had been riding for a few years at the time, so I had been close to being that far over several times before.

My next Exciting Motorcycling Moment was a few years later during a take-off on my Ducati 900SS when I realized my front wheel was lofted about six inches off the pavement: "WHAT DO I DO NOW??" my brain screamed. I did nothing; just rode it out, and it was OK.

I asked my daughter, who had been aboard at the time, if she had noticed . . . she hadn't . . . . <WHEW>

 

[Jme250RA]

It just goes to show you how capable these bikes are and how much training we need, to be able to trust ourselves and really ride these bikes properly. I'm glad to see you rode it out without letting your 'logical' mind crash the bike for you!

 

[Boomer1911A1]

Plus 1 on the track days. Tracks are so much better than public roads. And not that expensive compared to car track days...
And if you think scraping a peg causes a pucker, try dragging your knee! It vibrates your whole leg.

 

[Gungnir]

Be careful not to push your luck

I will be carefull. I'm definitely not going to take any chances. Tomorrow I will be going to an empty parking lot for practice.

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[Gungnir]

Plus 1 on the track days. Tracks are so much better than public roads. And not that expensive compared to car track days...
And if you think scraping a peg causes a pucker, try dragging your knee! It vibrates your whole leg.

I don't know whether I'll get my knee down on Sunday, but I can believe that your whole leg vibrates.

I'm definitively posting pics of the track day!!!


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[shisoshin]

just for fun or as part of conscious skills training
try cutting an L shape fm a plastic ice cream container [etc]
tape it to your footpegs, adding an inch or so as you like,
then ride thru familiar corners, roundabouts etc..

obviously you now hve a longer more forgiving feeler..
ride with your mind on the corner and good balance etc, etc,
as you would normally, not overly distracted by the plastic feeler,,
just another way to ease into finding your and the bikes
contact points and lean angles etc..

instead of going into the unknown, your brain will know that
you have already been there before, thus no unwanted tension
from potential fear responses from the unknown [plus danger!]..

even if you only take the plastic close to your footpegs,
or from wherever you start, it still gives your brain
something to go by and to learn from..

 

[FlipKickz]

Yea, was scary 1st time I did it, and then it was like YEAAAHHHHHH BOOOOIIIIIIIII! LOL

1st time I scraped a peg was doing figure 8's in a parking lot maybe 7k miles ago...

 

[Michael Dupri]

Your description was a rush.

 

[TrueFaith]

You're probably a little too stiff on the bike since you're just learning. Had you shifted your weight (and butt) to the inside of the curve it would have helped bring the bike back into your lane a lot quicker.
Once you start learning to scoot around on the seat more you'll really start having fun!

 

[Gungnir]

You're probably a little too stiff on the bike since you're just learning. Had you shifted your weight (and butt) to the inside of the curve it would have helped bring the bike back into your lane a lot quicker.
Once you start learning to scoot around on the seat more you'll really start having fun!

I am a lot more relaxed on the bike than I was a month ago.

I usually try to put my weight on the inside of the curve, but i am not really scooting around a lot. Just little movements to shift my weight. I got rid of the death grip after about 4 days of riding, and my shoulders aren't tense anymore, but what i have noticed is that my legs are still kind-of gripping the tank like a vice when i'm going around corners. I just can't seem to get the message through to them that everything will be fine. Hopefully i'll loosen up with some more experience.

This is one of the reasons why i'm doing an advanced rider course this weekend. Hopefully that will put my mind at ease.

 

[KRA5H185]

I am a lot more relaxed on the bike than I was a month ago.

I usually try to put my weight on the inside of the curve, but i am not really scooting around a lot. Just little movements to shift my weight. I got rid of the death grip after about 4 days of riding, and my shoulders aren't tense anymore, but what i have noticed is that my legs are still kind-of gripping the tank like a vice when i'm going around corners. I just can't seem to get the message through to them that everything will be fine. Hopefully i'll loosen up with some more experience.

This is one of the reasons why i'm doing an advanced rider course this weekend. Hopefully that will put my mind at ease.

Just remember that the whole purpose of leaning is to use your weight as a counter balance to the bikes inertia and forward momentum. Every track rider will tell you, your not trying to lean the bike over as much as you can but rather leaning your body off the bike to use your weight to assist in the turn. The bike will naturally lean because of the shift in weight but will remain upright due to the physics involved.

The goal is to lean off with the right amount of weight to capture the optimal line of attack into and out of a corners apex without sacrificing overall stability. The more the bike leans, the less contact surface the tires have with the road, more likely your tires are to lose traction and lowside. Knee dragging is fun but not necessary in every cornering situation.

 

[Gungnir]

Just remember that the whole purpose of leaning is to use your weight as a counter balance to the bikes inertia and forward momentum. Every track rider will tell you, your not trying to lean the bike over as much as you can but rather leaning your body off the bike to use your weight to assist in the turn. The bike will naturally lean because of the shift in weight but will remain upright due to the physics involved.

The goal is to lean off with the right amount of weight to capture the optimal line of attack into and out of a corners apex without sacrificing overall stability. The more the bike leans, the less contact surface the tires have with the road, more likely your tires are to lose traction and lowside. Knee dragging is fun but not necessary in every cornering situation.

Thanks for the advice!