Great idea.
How about the obvious? ---how to corner. If enough people know about this thread you'll get all sorts of input. Let me start with lean angle. You lean the bike more and stay on top or you lean the bike less and hang off. Any thoughts or opinions or any related ideas whatsoever??

* Last updated by: Rook on 3/13/2012 @ 8:06 PM *

Grn; Why ask the opinion of "experts" when you can get a real expert's opinion.
Keith Code

Grn14, I herd that too,

...."the street is NOT a track"...

Its the road that joins the tracks together, If you go looking for the twistes your going to need the roads to join them all up .

Simple tip I'm sure we all know and can add a few more. Be in the right gear, have the engine revs were they work the best for breaking and for acceleration be smooth.

Sic is committed, Ped is not so sure

holy crap you guys can write! I know I should talk----but damn, guys --I have to work early in the morning.

Buy the dvd "Ride Like A Pro" and set up a course like they use, and master it.

You will be twice as good a rider after you do it, and you can't do it now.

there is a track and a race track
On the road I don't race anyone but myself and the conditions, I ride with others of different skill, but don't race as everyone just dose there own thing.
So the road to me is not a race track as much as it is the track.

Guys come with us on a new BMW 1000rr and other sports bikes (BMW has stopped making them by the way ) bikes all shapes and sizes different skills, everyone rides the own way some quick some learner,

If your not going to play on the road with these things what did you buy it for.

Your skills won't grow if you don't find a few boundaries from time to time, like pushing hard in the wet, its amazing how fast you can be in the wet conditions, be even smoother learn how to read the road in front of you what's the water and shinny patches on the road telling you, whats the feeling coming through the seat of your pants the bike is trying to tell you something.

the speed limt is not your limit or the bikes, if you learn to be safe at faster speeds you'll be even safer at slower speeds

Grn14, my theory on that would be different to yours perhaps.

A setup on a bike at the track is a blend of conditions on the day, tyres on the day, heat on the day, how many lefts how many rights, were are you fast were are you slower and so on etc. You adjust the bike to give you the best results you can get at that time on that day at that track, because your going around the same corners again and again ,next week its a different track.

On the road, you get a setting that carries your weight, is stiff enough to handle most bumps and gives good average handling. You can't set a bike up for the road like you do a track every corner is different

I've ridden bikes with no brakes , no suspension, no power, any bucket of shit you can get your leg over is great, just ride it as fast as you can with what you got, its still a challenge and lots of fun

Find a middle ground setting for the suspension, and you the rider make the rest of the changes

I guess I'm doing everything wrong...

It sounds to me like you are doing everything RIGHT. -bg

Glad ya stopped drinking Grn, especially when riding, just can't imagine the two together.

If you're somehow implying that a guy 'should' crash at least once in a riding career just to appreciate the 'dangers' possible while riding...

People that have never fallen off, don't know how much it hurts or how close they are to coming off on a regular basis.

not every one lives long enough to learn, the ones that do some still just don't get it

is he gone there hub, he might save that, be a superman if he did

Anyone else want to bash ole Grn here for his ignorance in thinking he actually was having fun riding his bike?Seems to me the threads that are about slamming people certainly get the traction.This one is dying....quickly.Oh well...at least everyone now knows that I can't ride...and should stay off my bike.The word of the Lord has spoken

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/16/2012 @ 10:22 AM *

Grn, how-NOT-tos are just as valid and useful as how-toos. Praise God, you are clean for how long now?? Five years?? That is hard to kick you can't do it by yourself it is so much more than a physical addiction. We all agree that drinking is the best way to find yourself in an accident. That is one to not get overconfident with. For those of us who started riding in the past few years or came back to it after a long time, we can appreciate the amount of focus that is required to stay on two wheels even going the speed limit. It is a lot different than driving a car. Being even a little impaired on a bike is an accident just waiting to happen.

* Last updated by: Rook on 3/16/2012 @ 11:02 AM *

Why ask the opinion of "experts" when you can get a real expert's opinion.

same reason we ask opinions on anything. #1, We know each other. I am sure most of the info I get from you guys is parotted second third tenth 100th hand. Doesn't matter to me as long as I get my info and then I will parrot it to someone else.

So, how to corner-- I know Keith Code has vids up the yin yang. Feel free to post links. I remeber when I first started really doing something like sport riding my goal was to enter on the inside of the corner so that I had the whole rest of the width of the road to play with on exiting. That might be a good strategy when you don't know the corner (a situation prolly best avoided in the first place) or when on the race track and close to others who have taken up the outside entering a corner. The textbook corner entering technique is opposite.

A couple years back, someone pointed out to me on this forum that generally, we aim to enter a corner at the outside. Anyone care to add or continue? After all, this is fairly basic knowledge but I haven't discussed it in a long time and I for one, was way off in my thinking not so long ago.

* Last updated by: Rook on 3/16/2012 @ 11:02 AM *

Hub says..."I know what grn is doing, because I do it. It's easy to spot".Guess that makes at least TWO of us here that can't ride

Anyway...ya Rook...I will enter a corner on the outside part of the lane...on the straight coming up to it.Then I'll try to apex as straight a line from beginning to end of the radius...and be sitting right at the middle of the lane for the next curve...whichever way it's heading.If I know the road...then I can pretty much judge beforehand where I need to be to 'square-off' that next turn...and be set for 'the next' one.It's much easier to develope a groove if ya know what yer roads are like.I'm fortunate here because lots of 'my' roads are pretty open ahead.You can see things happening quite a ways up...and as long as you're not hugging that centerline...there's generally a nice way out(the ditch) IF someone decides they want to drink and drive,botch the curve,and cutoff that oncoming lane on ya.And ya...it's been 10 yrs since I drank.Lucky to be alive really.I stopped in 02.

I don't know if anyone else has noticed this here...but it seems to me that the posted limits 'generally' can be exceeded at at least twice that speed...safely.Not that I do that...all the time...but....I've found that most curves...unless they're at like 10,15,20 mph and such....I can roll through at twice the speed...and without any kind of drama.Course,it has to be clear and safe to be doing that.I'm not saying...take a 70 mph curve at 140....BUT....I've done that more than once...and the bike definitely begins to display a different rideability than moving along 'slower'.Things happen a lot faster doing that...so setting apexes and entry points and such kinda take on a new level of awareness.Drifting and lane correction definitely have to be addressed much quicker.Scanning ahead definitely becomes critical.Body positioning has to be done way quicker,if I want to remain smooth and planted.The bike will behave surprisingly well if those things are done ahead of the situation....before I ever get to where I'm wanting to be.I totally love the way this bike responds to inputs and all.The way she settles in on the fast curves,the way she steers and holds a line with minimal inputs.Allows me to focus on what's next...instead of..OMG..I didn't get THAT one right.(which I've done mucho mucho times)

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/16/2012 @ 11:31 AM *

I'd have to totally agree with that.I don't think trying to ride the street like it was a closed course is good way to keep living.Just watching some of those guys run the TT and such....very scarey stuff.That's ONE thing that makes those guys PROS.You wouldn't live long doing that on the street methinks.I can't even imagine riding a 14 like they're riding.No way.Just too much mass.I will say though...that the increase in wheelbase on this bike and the increase in motor weight and position have made a difference in how she handles...most definitely.It could be that the way the motor is pulling,it feels more smooth when setting up and executing the turns and such.IDK....

I have confidence though that I'll eventually be able to ditch these training wheels I've got on there.Had to order em special....

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/16/2012 @ 12:34 PM *

Well...I just came back from a good ride...nice temps.Dry roads.I think I'm going to change my outlook about my riding.I don't think I want to ride all that fast anymore.I kinda took it easy today....sane....spirited at times...in a few corners.Nothing crazy though.I noticed one very interesting thing about this particular bike.Driving at sane speeds and feeling the bike at a more 'subdued' pace really is very rewarding to me.I hadn't really allowed myself to actually kinda sport-cruise too much.I've talked a lot here about speeds...triple digits an such.I'd have to say here,now....my ride today was a lot of fun,and I think the highest I got at one particular time was 120.For a short ways.

For now...I'm going to ease up on the haul azz stuff.This bike has a lot to offer within a certain area of operation.I think my high speed hijinks are pretty much over.I felt really good just rolling and feeling the performance of my bike today in a sane manner.Think I'll leave the speed runs and corner blasting and such to the pros.This bike is the bomb!

Gonna keep my Guhl ECU in there as well...little comparo today...she's a bit more responsive and wants to lift moreso than the stock ECU settings.So for now....it's just straight out enjoy the ride...and lighten up with the wrist(a tad)

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/16/2012 @ 2:49 PM *

grn, good to see ya out and enjoying the ride

rook you lost me in your last thread,

to me the way you take a corner depends on lots of stuff, each corner is different , your speed your position from the last corner were you want to be for the next corner, I just make it up as I go along, don't ride to much to a plan more to what unfolds in front of me.

corners, outside to inside to outside , we can get to technical some times in the way we approach things

everybody needs more variety in there riding

riding should be more fluid, flowing more instinct, less mechanical and organised

It actually DOES feel quite fun staying at sane speeds.Wheel loft here,there...grab a handful here,there.But I think I'm having more kicks leaving the 'roadracing' part out.This baby has a very different feel when I'm not all tucked up behind the screen(leaned forward,yes),and trying to twist myself into a pretzel(so's I can 'drag a knee' )This bike feels much more stable and smooth sitting just a tad to the inside of a turn but pretty much untucked.The whole chassis feel seems to be more solid.(not harsh....solid)(smooth)Probably just me and my lack of skills...but she feels way more controllable sitting like that than off the seat and hanging out.IDK.Sa'll good though.

There's quite a difference in ride quality,power delivery with this bike as compared to my 07.She's very strong,but not abrupt.And the shifting is a lot nicer,quick,smooth with this bike than my 07.Even with that FactoryPro ShiftStar in there...my 07 never shifted like this one.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/16/2012 @ 3:36 PM *

grn, ya know you still can't get hold of a green one here anywhere.

just came back on Wednesday from 5 days away a 3500k ride through all the good roads to Sydney and back, must of been through a million corners, most in 2nd 3rd 4th, hit the open road for the high speed stuff bit highway but not to much

you should do a trip to some tight twisties Grn , great way to build on your skills, I know every time I go I learn something , and do things a little sharper.

Before I started racing I was one of those morons hanging off in every corner, in town and out. Since I retired from racing I almost always just sit relaxed on the bike and let it carve. Like i said in another post, if you aren;t dragging hard parts, the bike WILL make the corner,(assuming no oil, gravel, dead squirrels etc). I stay smooth with the throttle, keep my eyes looking around the corner and keep the outside arm RELAXED. I found out on the track that having your outer arm stiff drastically affects how the bike corners. A loose, relaxed arm lets the bike swoop to the inside real easy. Riding this way I can go all day. If you want to find out what you and your machine are capable of you MUST go to the track. There is simply no safe way to test yourself on the street. A wise man once said,"The track is a test of your skill, the street is a test of your nerve."

Have fun
Mad

"you should do a trip to some tight twisties Grn"....The twistiest roads anywhere NEAR here(and I'm talking within 300 miles at least)are in Glacier National Park(25 miles to the North here)...over on the East side.But no way could you ride those at any sporting pace.No way.But they're there alright.Aw,we have several spots that do have some tighter stuff...but they're few and far between.The KAAK river has thousands of tight curves and such...but the road surface is like...stutter bumps almost all the way along....very hard to enjoy and 'get better on'.They will test your bike and kidneys though!The tight stuff here is unfortunately...going through some pretty isolated areas winding through mountains and such....logging roads and stuff.Those trucks just kill the road(s).Not worth even trying to go anything above 25...if that.It's no fun...that's for sure..Closest thing we have(to sharper curves and deep lean angles) is the Kookanusa ride...57 miles of pretty decent curves and 'shorter' straights leading into em and throughout em.Posted limit's 70.At 120,130,they are quite a challenge actually.Fun to ride.But lots of kinda blind corners...but if you've been there a few times...you know what to expect anyway.And they're nicely two laned..there's room to escape if ya need to(a gravel shoulder anyway).

I'm stuck with the smooth roads and big azz sweeps(well,some nicely tighter curves as well)...and I'm happy with that.I can get my groove on at will....that's for sure.People are cool as well....lots of em kinda pull to the right when they think yer gonna pass and such.So ya go for it...yep..get out and away...to that next corner!

I'm with ya on that improvising thing.Exactly how I ride.I don't know if there IS any other way on the street?

I will enter a corner on the outside part of the lane...on the straight coming up to it.Then I'll try to apex as straight a line from beginning to end of the radius...and be sitting right at the middle of the lane for the next curve...whichever way it's heading.If I know the road...then I can pretty much judge beforehand where I need to be to 'square-off' that next turn...and be set for 'the next' one.

Make the corner as much of a straight line as possible. It is really not possible to do it without practicing and knowing the corner. I believe we learn to ride fast but that is only half of the equation. The other half is we learn the road. To really be at your best you have to have both. That is largely the reason why track riders attain such speed. They might not even be that great of a rider but if they know the course and there is no oncoming traffic they are going to be able to let go in such a way as would be suicidal on street.

I don't know if anyone else has noticed this here...but it seems to me that the posted limits 'generally' can be exceeded at at least twice that speed...safely.Not that I do that...all the time...but....I've found that most curves...unless they're at like 10,15,20 mph and such....I can roll through at twice the speed...and without any kind of drama.

That is exactly what I noticed.

Sounds like we'd have a blast here riding these Montana roads Rookster.????????Imagine...TWO 14's rollin on.Kickin azz and takin names

That we would.. I will put it at the top of my places to go and I'll let u know when I can make the trip.

I promise I won't get ya killed! I've got room here for ya.Something to think on anyway.