Easier said than done

Out for a pleasant bimble this afternoon when I'd gone into a right-hander
rather hotter than I would have liked. Now I /know/ the answer is tip the
bike in more, yet I settled for the usual dab on the brakes and sit it up,
trying not to run off. It was fine but too close for my liking.

I should know better by now, but apparently when it counts I get it wrong -
the reflex to brake is still rather strong. Doesn't help that the Busa makes
everything /feel/ slower than it is, but that's no excuse, got to recalibrate
my brain.

--
TD
2000 GSX1300RX (red and black)
1991 VFR400R NC30 (black and red)
1993 Eunos Roadster (supercharged)
Missing: SOB, Unreliable Italian exotica

 

I had to train myself out of this, in exactly the same manner as
training myself to get off the brake in a car. It's exactly the same
principle - you have to put yourself in that position, then perform the
'correct' manoeuvre to get out of it. Repeatedly.

I didn't ride around deliberately 'going in too hot', mind, not to start
with - I picked a nice quiet road with a nice clean tightening sweeper
and established a good speed for it, on a positive throttle. Then I
tried shutting off mid-corner (runs out a bit), going WFO mid-corner
(runs out a lot unless you crank it over) and braking mid-corner (not a
lot with the rear, a bit wider with the front unless you give it a good
handful, then it sprints for the hedge).

So, I entered the corner at the prescribed speed, shut the throttle and
practiced pushing the inside bar away to conteract the gentle drift
hedgewards. After a few runs, I gave it a handful instead and /had/ to
crank it over to avoid hedging. Had to have a fag after a couple of
them.

Anyway, after a couple of hours, I was entering the corner 20mph 'too
quickly' and anticipating the running off by pushing the inside bar away
from me - I recall Doc Gower suggesting that when one runs out of arm,
to pull the outside bar back (of course) and applying more positive
throttle at the same time. Worked for me.

 

I'll have to try this. Stll struggling mentally with the fact that I 'feel'
that the bike as at it's (or near) maximum lean. Looking at pictures later,
I'm not even half way...

Maybe I wasn't born to do silly things on bikes...

 

Cheers for that, sounds like a good idea to go and do the same corner a few
times. I even thought of "simulating" it at first to avoid squeaky bum time -
maybe going to a car park after hours and setting it up so that some of the
parking lines are like the edge of the road. That way even if I lose my nerve,
all that happens is that I cross a white line, I don't finish up picking bits
of ditch out of my various crevices.

I didn't even have the pegs down in my original scenario, so I know there was
lots more leanage to be had, but it just pisses me off that my reflexes picked
the wrong option. I know full well what the **** to do, so why I didn't do it
is anybody's guess.

Of course, a track day would be good for this as well, but it's my age-old
problem of having no trailer or van. Plus, if I grab the brake in the corner
and sit it up, I'm in the gravel which is nicer than a ditch, but probably
still not going to help me keep it upright.

I'd better get some crash bungs as well. Not like I can make it any uglier[1].

[1] But... What. A. Bike.
--
TD
2000 GSX1300RX (red and black)
1991 VFR400R NC30 (black and red)
1993 Eunos Roadster (supercharged)
Missing: SOB, Unreliable Italian exotica

 

On Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:35:49 +0000 (UTC), TD

snip>

I think you'd be better off spending more time riding on roads you
don't know so that you can learn how to 'read' roads and lessen the
chances of going in at a speed you're not comfortable with.

Going back and repeating the same corner until you get it right is
fine on a race track but on public roads it's missing the point a bit.

 

Yeah, but this is about what to do when and if I do go in too quick. I'm not
looking for "trouble", but it can always happen, what with me being human and
all. And I'd say that in this situation, I hadn't gone in too quick with
regard to the /bike/'s capabilities, I know I could have tipped in more. It's
/my/ capabilities that need sharpening, and I don't see how to do that without
going (just) past my limit.

When the incident occured, I'd already done over 300 miles that day, was
getting knackered, and it was night-time on a B-road - no lights and pitch
black, hence really not the time to be in the twisties. I thought I was
already well on my guard because of all that. Half of my brain was telling me
to chill out, but the other half wanted to get home sharpish. I didn't think
I had been going particularly quickly, but the bike has a deceptive turn of
speed.

--
TD
2000 GSX1300RX (red and black)
1991 VFR400R NC30 (black and red)
1993 Eunos Roadster (supercharged)
Missing: SOB, Unreliable Italian exotica

 

I can't see how you're going to learn how to cope with a situation
where you've found yourself going too fast if you're doing your
practicing in a car park or on corners you already know which is why I
suggested just getting out on the road and improving your overall
riding skills.

It could be that you're simply riding too fast for the conditions and
backing off a bit would solve the problem.

 

I got one wrong the other week near pocklington, my urge was to grab a
fistful, but i somehow managed to avoid it, rolled the throttle back a bit &
got the bike further over. I shit my pants, but it worked My fuckup was
lack of concentration, easy done.

On the road to Hawes there a 90 degree right, over a humpback bridge & then
a 90 degree left. I fucked that one up on the Ducati. I went in way too hot,
managaed to keep it together, hit the humpback bridge in atters & the bridge
jolted me back enough to pull the front up. **** knows how i kept it
together, luck & adrenaline i fear

--


Nige,

Honda VTR1000 SOLD!
BMW K1200S
Range Rover Vogue
Aprilia RSV Mille

 

I'm not sure how I'm meant to improve in that respect given that getting it
wrong whilst practicing on the road can have muddy consequences whereas
getting it wrong e.g. in a car park is not a problem in the slightest. But I
hear what you're saying and next time I'm in the twisties I'll treat it as a
learning exercise, and thinking about every corner, trying to suppress the
braking reflex that is clearly there. Sometimes it's good to have a bit less
fun in the short term, to have more fun in the long term.

Well, yes. But I'd rather solve the problem by trying to raise my
capabilities to nearer the capabilities of the machine, in order to make
the most of what we both have to offer.

--
TD
2000 GSX1300RX (red and black)
1991 VFR400R NC30 (black and red)
1993 Eunos Roadster (supercharged)
Missing: SOB, Unreliable Italian exotica

 

Would that be the bridge about 1 mile and a half before Aysgarth, that
has a lorry go though the side into the river every couple of years?
There's a farm a bit further along where a Blade went into the side of
an emerging muckspreader a few years back.

 

Try going on either a fot or a fof and you'll always find someone
riding at a pace where you're riding faster than normal yet still in
the area where you feel happy.

Failing that you could come up to the Black Horse next Saturday
because unless it's pissing down there'll be a ride out on the
Saturday.

That's dead easy: just keep going faster and faster until you crash
and if it was the bike letting go then you've found the limit and if
it was rider error you need to repeat the process.

 

Aye, it caught me well cold :0

--


Nige,

Honda VTR1000 SOLD!
BMW K1200S
Range Rover Vogue
Aprilia RSV Mille

 

I'll be having a ride-out on the Saturday, starting in London and ending
at the Black Horse.

Anyone from dahn sahf wanting to convoy it is more than welcome.

 

It caught a bloke in a Land Cruiser too, and all the screaming sprogs in the
car with him. Me and the wife were coming the other way and saw him plough
into the bridge wall. She said something along the lines of "Fucking
dickhead"

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

OK, with you and SD, that's at least two chaps I'd be happy to share a
beer with.

I'll be there on the new Hayabusa and with (shock!) the gf too.

Must drop Jackie and email to confirm food etc

Can anyone recommend a B&B?

 

We could do swapsies, so you can see what a man's 1300 feels like. ;-)

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, SD

Blimey, there's a first!

You're bringing Linda.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

I have already made the greatest contribution to the fight against climate
change that I can make: I have decided not to breed. Now quit bugging me and
go and talk to the Catholics.

 

Hardly. "Bringing" implies that you're leaving the house, for
starters.

Linda has very staunch views re: camping.

 

ooh, she is awful

 

I'll be making use of Chateau Vango Alpha.