Riding Skills Series: Trail Braking
There are times when trail braking can help you out of a tricky situation.
By Andrew Trevitt
Photography: Frank Hoppen
1 Under most riding conditions it's safest to avoid using the front brake when your bike is leaned over. But there are times when trail braking-staying on the brakes while entering a corner-can help you get out of a tricky situation. Ordinarily, in a street scenario, you would brake while the bike is vertical, let off the brakes, and only then arc into a bend. This avoids forcing you to balance braking and turning traction with the front tire, as the two are kept separate and independent. By far the most common situaton where you would be forced to trail brake into a turn occurs when you enter it with too much speed, or the corner tightens up unexpectedly. In either situation, to avoid running out of road you have to scrub off speed in a hurry, while still leaned over.
2 On a clean, dry road that you are familiar with (or better yet, the racetrack), experiment with leaving the brakes lightly applied as you turn into a corner, and gradually releasing them as you arc in. For a start, use only light braking at moderate lean angles until you have a good feel for how your bike reacts to turning while braking. Be wary of the front end wanting to tuck, which means a lowside is imminent. Maintaining conservative speeds and lean angles, experiment with using more braking force at moderate lean angles, and then more lean angle with light braking force.
3 As you get comfortable with a variety of combinations of lean angle and braking force, you will find the inverse relationship between the two-in other words, with more lean angle you must use less front brake and vice versa. Ideally, you want to know exactly how much front brake you can apply for a given lean angle, and how far you can lean your bike for a given brake pressure. Once you are familiar with this relationship, concentrate on smoothly releasing the brakes as you lean into a turn, balancing the braking and turning forces so that your bike's front end doesn't dive or lift noticeably during that transition.
4 For racers, using maximum braking at maximum lean angle is paramount to outbraking your rivals and cutting a good lap time. For street riders, knowing the limits is just as important, but for different reasons. If you know exactly what you and your bike are capable of, you will be better prepared to make that blind turn, or miss that rock in the middle of the road. Another advantage of trail braking is that, because using the front brake steepens a bike's geometry (on bikes with telescopic forks, that is) and puts more weight on the front tire, your bike will steer quicker with a bit of brake applied. Once this skill becomes second nature, you may find that you can alter your bike's setup to take this into account, and benefit in other areas accordingly.
This story originally appeared in the June, 2003, issue of Sport Rider.
<i></i>
Riding Skills Series: Tankslappers
How to deal with one of the most dreaded handling problems
By Kent Kunitsugu
Photography: Kevin Wing
1. The “tankslapper” is a very frightening experience. Usually occuring when accelerating hard over bumpy pavement, a tankslapper ensues when the front tire becomes airborne, then regains traction outside the rear tire’s alignment. The resulting deflection bounces the tire off to one side, followed by another bounce in the opposite direction as it contacts the pavement again. Unless the bike’s steering geometry is able to damp out the deflections quickly, the resulting oscillations from the front tire as it bounces back and forth will swiftly gain in strength, causing the bars to swap from side to side with increasing ferocity. The oscillations can be violent enough to rip the bars out of your hands, and fling your feet off the pegs. You can guess what happens next.
2. The easy cure for this problem is a steering damper. Many sportbikes now come stock with one, as the radical steering geometry needed for quick handling can otherwise cause some instability in certain situations. While a steering damper is an easy fix, it shouldn’t be a cure-all; if you’re forced to adjust the steering damper’s stiffness (if available) until you can barely turn the bars in order to keep the bike’s handling stable, there is a problem somewhere in your chassis setup. A too-stiff steering damper can also cause handling problems by itself; if your steering damper is adjustable, and you find that your bike won’t hold a line (especially in slower corners), or gets into a small wobble or oscillation in high speed corners, try backing off the stiffness a little and see if it helps.
3. Not all sportbikes need a steering damper, however. Many have steering geometry setups that offer quick handling, while still providing the necessary stability to damp out any front-end oscillations. In most cases, one of the biggest contributors to a tankslapper is your body positioning and grip on the bars. Some people ride in a more upright position when carving corners, but when accelerating over bumpy pavement, that upright body position puts even more weight transfer to the rear, which causes the front end to get lighter. Also, the more upright torso means that your grip on the bars is tighter in order to stabilize your upper body. That firmer grip feeds more input into the front end, something it doesn’t need while it’s busy trying to damp out the inputs from the bouncing front tire. It actually forms a vicious circle: you grip the bars tighter because they’re starting to flap back and forth, but that only feeds more input into the front end, compounding the problem further.
4. The easiest way to avoid tankslappers while accelerating over bumpy pavement is to—believe it or not—keep a relaxed grip on the bars. Relaxing your grip on the bars means you must lean forward in order to assist in keeping your torso stabilized. This helps put more weight on the front end, which keeps the front tire on the pavement. Since you’re not using your arms to stabilize your upper body, get your weight onto the footpegs so that you can get your body as far forward as possible; this also allows you to grip the tank with your knees for more stability.
If you do get into a tankslapper, keep your weight forward and—as hard as this sounds—maintain a relaxed grip on the bars. Let the motorcycle’s chassis deal with damping out the oscillations. Don’t try to be a human steering damper; you’ll only make the problem worse. Tankslappers can definitely soil your undies; but if you’re able to deal with them correctly, you’ll usually ride through them before you know it.
<i></i>
Riding Skills Series: Control Tailoring
By Andrew Trevitt
Photography: Marc Cook
1. Adjusting the controls to fit you brings greater comfort and allows you to optimize the body movements necessary to properly control your bike, which could be the difference between involvement in a mishap or safely avoiding it.
Adjusting the angle of the handlebar levers (especially the front brake) aids comfort, helps increase your braking “feel,” eases the task of blipping the throttle between downshifts, and also helps ward off possible wrist problems. The rider’s fingers in the first photo are bent upward at an awkward angle in order to reach the brake lever. This means he must readjust his grip to apply the brake, increasing reaction time significantly.
The second photo shows the angle adjusted so the rider can comfortably ap-ply the front brake without having to readjust his grip on the throttle. A tip: with the bike on its sidestand (or a buddy holding it), close your eyes, grasp the bars in your natural riding position, and reach for the levers. You should be able to reach them quickly and easily; the brake lever should be comfortably accessible with the throttle closed.
2. Rear-brake-pedal adjustment is a matter of personal preference depending on the pedal’s travel and how strong the rear brake is. The photo on the left shows the rider’s ankle bent pretty severely in an unnatural riding position; it’s not only uncomfortable but it could also lessen control feel during heavy braking. The photo on the right shows the pedal height adjusted to put the rider’s ankle in a more natural position.
Remember that pedal adjustments should be done carefully and in small increments. Adjusting it too far downward could negatively affect your ground clearance. Take some time to experiment with various heights and setups. Check your owner’s manual for the correct adjustment procedure.
3. Shift-lever adjustment is also dependent on the rider and the particular motorcycle. Finding that perfect setup will take some experimentation.
The transmissions on some motorcycles require more lever travel to actuate the shift than others. The rider in the left photo has to strain his ankle to upshift, which isn’t good. This can cause the rider to use excessive force on the shift lever, possibly bending the shift linkage rod (we’ve seen it happen), or open the door for missed shifts because of the movement required. The photo on the right shows the rider’s ankle in a more natural position, reducing both the effort and concentration necessary to make the shift.
Again, some experimentation is necessary to accommodate your particular bike’s transmission traits and any ground clearance problems you might encounter. Watch the shift lever and the brake pedal for any scrapage, and adjust accordingly. Adjustments are usually made on the shift linkage rod, or on the lever that fits over the splined shift shaft itself. Making the controls fit you is a small but important step in helping increase your riding skills.
<i></i>
Riding Skills Series: Braking and Downshifting
Shifting gears smoothly is one of the hallmarks of a competent rider. Downshifting properly poses the greatest challenge for novices because miscues lead to an unsettled chassis at inopportune times-like entering a corner. What makes the task difficult is the right hand must manage to brake and blip the throttle to match the engine speed to the road speed. Having your hand in the proper position will make the process easier. When the throttle is completely closed, your wrist should still have a slight downward bend (right)-not choked-up drag-racer style (left). Now practice maintaining constant pressure on the brake lever, while quickly rolling the throttle on and off. This is how you'll match the engine speed to the lower gear, and prevent the front end from bobbing up and down due to uneven brake lever pressure.
While you're braking and blipping the throttle, the left side of your body is busy shifting gears and modulating the clutch. Almost simultaneously, slightly preload the shifter (to get slack out of the linkage) by lightly pressing down on it, pull in the clutch, make the downshift and release the clutch when you blip the throttle. You only need to pull in the lever far enough to disengage the clutch plates. Pulling the lever all the way in is wasted effort and makes it more difficult to shift smoothly. One way to make this slight movement easier is to only cover the lever with two fingers. Your other fingers will remind you when you pull it in too far as you become accustomed to the technique.
When combining braking and downshifting through multiple gears, follow the above steps for each gear. Let the clutch out fairly quickly between each shift. Never change more than one gear at a time. If the rpm drops and then rises as you let the clutch out, you need to give a little more throttle before each shift. If the bike surges forward, give less throttle. When downshifting while decelerating at partial throttle (instead of braking), you can use an alternate shifting method. Simply keep the throttle constant while you pull in the clutch, snick the downshift and ease the clutch out. Of course, use all four fingers to pull in the clutch at a stop.
Since mastering downshifting while braking is challenging enough, don't make it more difficult than it needs to be by having the clutch lever and shifter improperly adjusted. The clutch lever should be adjusted so that the point of full engagement is as far out from the bar as possible, while making sure that it has 2mm-3mm of free play at the end of the lever. This allows you to disengage the clutch with a minimum of finger movement. Similarly, you should not need to lift your foot off the peg to press down on the shifter. Once you have the shifter height tailored to your riding position, make sure that you haven't adversely affected your upshifts. Eliminating unnecessary movement from gear changes will help downshifts go much smoother.
This article was originally published in the December 2001 issue of Sport Rider.
More riding tips
<i></i>
Riding Skills Series: Brake Dancing
By Andrew Trevitt
Photography: Kevin Wing
1. While it's true that most of a motorcycle's stopping power is generated by the front brake, the rear binder can be used in subtle ways to make your riding smoother and safer. In certain situations, using the rear brake to scrub off speed-rather than chopping the throttle or applying the front brake-will have less of an effect on the chassis and keep you on-line in a turn rather than running wide. To use the rear brake properly, it must be adjusted correctly. The pedal should be a few millimeters below your foot when you're in a comfortable riding position; a misadjusted lever can force you to sit awkwardly or make it difficult to actuate the brake carefully.
2. When entering a turn, leave the rear brake applied until after the front brake has been released and the bike is leaned over. This will stop the front-end from rising the moment after the front brake is let off and before cornering forces act to keep the fork compressed. Once the throttle is cracked open, use the rear brake lightly to modulate your speed if you find yourself going a bit too fast. Closing the throttle will load the front-end excessively and cause you to run wide, whereas applying the rear binder will actually tighten your line and pull you to the inside of the corner. Try to avoid using lots of both gas and brake; you want just enough throttle to pick the revs up and keep weight off the front tire.
3. During slow speed maneuvering such as U-turns and lane splitting, the gyroscopic effect of your engine's spinning internals keeps your bike balanced. You can use this to your advantage by using the rear brake and slipping the clutch slightly to keep some revs going. Try U-turns using different combinations of clutch, rear brake, and throttle to find what works best for you and your bike. In general, just enough throttle and clutch slip is required to keep the chassis stable and moving, with speed modulated by the rear brake. Keep in mind that this technique results in more wear on brake pads and clutch plates, and they should be checked more frequently.
4. In downhill turns the rear brake can be used to avoid gaining too much speed once the throttle is open-especially in longer sweepers. As in a flat corner, crack the throttle open as soon as possible to unweight the front tire, and carefully utilize the rear brake to keep speed in check. Downhill turns are notorious for loading the front-end and causing you to run wide, but keeping the throttle cracked open and carefully applying the rear brake will result in a more even weight distribution and keep you on line. With some practice and experimentation, using these rear brake techniques will become routine, and will give you more confidence, smoothness, and safety in previously worrisome situations.
<i></i>
Riding Skills Series: Body Steering
By Evans Brasfield
Photography: Dean Groover
1. Over the years, there has been much ado about the importance of countersteering. Simply put, countersteering-or turning a bike's handlebar in the opposite direction of your desired turn-is the best way to control your motorcycle. Those riders who doubt the importance of countersteering owe it to themselves and their loved ones to sign up for an MSF Basic RiderCourse or Experienced RiderCourse as soon as possible (800/446-9227; www.mic.org or www.msf-usa.org). Still, a small but vocal group of seasoned riders insist that-in the efforts to impress upon novice riders the importance of countersteering-an effective, advanced method of turning a motorcycle has been neglected. Body steering utilizes a rider's feet and legs to augment handlebar input for quick, controlled turns.
2. Before experimenting with body steering, a rider needs to be proficient at countersteering. Also, bad habits-such as riding with locked elbows or improper body positioning (see RSS, June '00)-can dull or even negate the effects of body steering. Begin by riding a section of road that you are familiar with at a moderate pace. With the balls of your feet, evenly place weight on the bike's pegs. Focus on your riding position, making sure to support your torso with your stomach muscles while keeping your elbows bent and your arms relaxed. Next, choose a corner to try this body steering technique. At the turn-in point, countersteer while pressing down on the inside peg and pulling your outside knee in and down toward the inside of the turn. Try varying the force of the foot/knee input while body steering into a variety of corners to learn the proper combination of countersteering and body steering.
3. Although body steering is more effective at initiating a turn in some types of corners than in others, the technique is particularly well suited for midcorner line corrections or bending your bike into a decreasing radius turn as shown above. By using the lower extremities instead of your arms to alter your bike's line while leaned over, your hands are free to modulate the throttle. Also, by using your legs to steer the bike, your arms stay relaxed allowing the bars to move as your bike tracks over pavement irregularities. Some riders report that they not only press toward the inside of a turn with their outside knee, but also, while keeping their toes on the peg, hook their outside heel against the frame or bodywork to assist in pulling their bikes into a turn.
4. Body steering isn't just useful for turning a bike into a corner. This technique can be reversed by applying weight on the outside peg to widen the line midcorner. At the exit of a turn, body steering can help stand a bike up when used in conjunction with countersteering, putting the meat of the tire to the ground, while your hands are busy rolling on the throttle or shifting. Riders who want to study this riding technique in more detail should attend Jason Pridmore's Star School (805/658-6333; www.starmotorcycle.com) to explore the limits of body steering in a controlled environment. When used properly, body steering and countersteering will help you turn your bike smoothly and quickly in a variety of cornering situations.
This article was originally published in the August 2000 issue of Sport Rider.
<i></i>
DJ, I know you said no bull, just good tips, but I DO think my one and only tip was a goodone last time...
Quote:When farting, rest weight on footpegs and raise butt slightly
"sometimes, crime does pay"
Employee of the Year
Easyrider Imports
www.easyriderimports.com.au
<i></i>
more good stuff here
www.motorcyclecruiser.com...tsurvival/ <i></i>
I WOULD PERSONALY LIKE TO THANK the shredder 3 FOR PASTING THIS INFO AND WOULD INCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO SO AS WELL SOMETHING MINOR TO YOU WILL BE VERRY HELPFULL TO SOMEONE ELSE SAFE RIDING TO ALL
REGARDS ROD. <i></i>
IF all this info just saves you once its worth reading.
Keep up the good posts.
I have been riding 25 years and im still picking up
good tips (Thanks & have a Merry christmas)
All the best for the coming year ,stay safe on the
Road,strip or track.
And have a fantastic new year .
<i>Edited by: LARDASS at: 21/12/05 3:27 pm
</i>
I'd also encourage people to read research specific to anything to do with motorcycling.
One of the findings that I always remember that has done me some good, was from London where they shoved car drivers in front of a simulator at a 'T' junction.
It showed that car drivers don't read bike speed at all well. These guys wouldn't pull out in front of a car doing 30mph, but they DID when a bike was doing 40mph.
Also recommended the best way to tell if a car will do this you, is to watch their wheels and nothing else. If they start to move - prepare for evasive action.
Not to do with riding tips, but I also like the London stat that says if we could shift 10% of car drivers onto two wheels, travel flow would increase over 60%. That has to be a wake up call to City planners - like free parking for instance, or parking on pavements like in Vickytoria.
<i></i>
Whilst I haven't read all of the above just yet, I thought I'd throw in a teeny bit of constructive criticism; Sport Rider magazine, I'm guessing is a US publication?
The articles are written in relation to riding /driving on the right-hand side of the road. Information relating to left & right turns in these articles needs to be taken on board keeping in mind that we ride/drive on the left so it's all arse-about.
i.e. when the article says there's usually no problem turning right, we need to read that as ...no problem turning left.
I'm sure most people are intelligent enough to have worked that out for themselves, I just thought I'd point that out as the info is intended for newbies who are trying to get their heads around enough new concepts without taking on board mis-information by not reading between the lines.
Other than that, some great info. <i></i>
Sheesh.... you stray off for a few months and suddenly the board is full of really good information ! Theres some outstanding reading in here. Great stuff guys ! The older I get, the better I was. Regards.... Rob (Astro)<i></i>
when going for a weekend ride,remove the ballast in the front of the bike used for the drags.With the weight bias on the front tyre the resistance to turning was insane.It felt like the handlebars were welded straight.Coupled with the standard wheels instead of my light ones,i may as well have been riding a train.Still better than not riding though.
|
Contact Us
