Post by oldscratcher on Sept 6, 2008 17:57:34 GMT -5
I love riding fast in hilly country. It's my favourite thing to do on a motorbike. I've never been a racer, & I'm no expert. But I have been doing it for 35 years, so I have learned a thing or two. & the fact I'm still here to tell the tales, must be some kind of testament to efficacy of my methods.
Anyway all I'm saying is that I don't know everything, or think I know everything. & I'm starting this thread to learn, as much as to educate. So if you think I'm wrong, feel free to correct me. & if you've anything to add, please do.
1. Know your bike; Before you start pushing it's limits make sure it's up to it. The tyres have good tread & are correctly inflated. & all the mechanical bits are working as they should. NB Make sure both the motor & tyres are fully warmed up before the first bend.
2. Know the road: It's virtually impossible for any rider to be blisteringly fast on their first ride up a new, challenging set of twisties. So do a few passes to learn the road. Keep a mental note of all pot holes, bad/changing surfaces, ripples etc. As you do more passes, start looking for features on the road verge that you can use as turn markers.
3. Finding ther lines: There is usually one fast line thru any corner, & it's often been worn into visibility, by previous riders. The line starts on the opposite side of the corner at the turn marker, which is usually about 20m before the apex, & goes diagonally across the road to the apex (which should be taken at maximum lean), where the change of dirrection occurs. Before continuing out the otherside, as far towards the opposite edge as you need to go, to get the bike back onto a straight line. Sometimes the corner's so sharp, or badly constructed, that you need to change dirrection at the apex more than once. These are known as double & triple apex turns, which are more difficult. But still utilise the same basic technique, Just a lot slower & with more care.
Smoother is Faster: The biggest mistake most people make when pushing hard in the twisties, is they do just that, push hard. & they end up coming into corners too fast, then have to brake, & even worse, change their line mid-corner. All of which slows them down.
If you've ever tried to keep a smooth, fast rider in view, as they dissapear around the next bend, while you wring the neck out of your bike trying to keep up. You'll know what I'm talking about. & if you thought that the rider in front looked like they were doing it so much easier than you. I'm here to tell you. They were! (& they were having heaps more fun too)
Why? Becase they weren't fighting their bike. they were in the right gear, at the correct speed & approach angles for the corner. They had total control of the situation & only had to concentrate on executing the turn as smoothly as possible.
4. Weight distribution: We all know that we have to lean a bike to get it around a corner. & the further it leans, the faster it corners. There is however a way to redistribute the weight of a bike so that it can lean further. It's called the rider, who's the only part of the bike's weight that can be easilly moved, with the bike in motion. So if you want to lean further, slide your bum off the seat & get your weight over onto the side you want to lean into. This of course, eventually leads to dragging the knee along the road, which is as far as you can take the technique. But I don't reccomend that for public roads. & as any racer will tell you. It's not something you should try to do. It's the natural progression of that technique, & will happen naturally, when you're smooth enough, & fast enough.
Smoothness is the key
5. Chase the Horizon: We all know to keep our heads up, & look where we want the bike to go. But this can be hard when where you want to go is dissapearing around the next, rapidly approachng bend. So you have to chase that dissapearing road with your eyes. Making the quick mental calculations required to maintain your fast, smooth line, while factoring in any adjustments needed to cope with current conditions (on-coming traffic, unexpected obstacle, wildlife etc.)
Stay safe: Always err on the side of caution. Expect that there's going to be an out of conrol Semi, with no brakes. coming at you the other way. 'Coz there just might be. Don't get sucked into unsafe riding practices, by chasing some mad fool who's out to kill themselves. If someone wants to ride like that, let them. I can guarantee that they won't ever be writing a blog about their 35 years of mountain road experience. Whereas if you use your head, you'll have a lot better chance of living long enough to pass your accumulated wisdom along to the next generation.
6. Have Fun. Thrills should be fun, not frightening. If you're scaring yourself, you're doing it wrong. I only ride the twisties while I'm fully up for it, & having fun. If I'm tired or don't feel up to it. I don't do it.
Stay safe everyone. & I'll see you in the twisties.
PS. If you're riding with other bikes, make sure you check your mirrors often. If following, make sure the rider ahead is checking their mirrors often, & don't do anything that they're not aware of.
Anyway all I'm saying is that I don't know everything, or think I know everything. & I'm starting this thread to learn, as much as to educate. So if you think I'm wrong, feel free to correct me. & if you've anything to add, please do.
1. Know your bike; Before you start pushing it's limits make sure it's up to it. The tyres have good tread & are correctly inflated. & all the mechanical bits are working as they should. NB Make sure both the motor & tyres are fully warmed up before the first bend.
2. Know the road: It's virtually impossible for any rider to be blisteringly fast on their first ride up a new, challenging set of twisties. So do a few passes to learn the road. Keep a mental note of all pot holes, bad/changing surfaces, ripples etc. As you do more passes, start looking for features on the road verge that you can use as turn markers.
3. Finding ther lines: There is usually one fast line thru any corner, & it's often been worn into visibility, by previous riders. The line starts on the opposite side of the corner at the turn marker, which is usually about 20m before the apex, & goes diagonally across the road to the apex (which should be taken at maximum lean), where the change of dirrection occurs. Before continuing out the otherside, as far towards the opposite edge as you need to go, to get the bike back onto a straight line. Sometimes the corner's so sharp, or badly constructed, that you need to change dirrection at the apex more than once. These are known as double & triple apex turns, which are more difficult. But still utilise the same basic technique, Just a lot slower & with more care.
Smoother is Faster: The biggest mistake most people make when pushing hard in the twisties, is they do just that, push hard. & they end up coming into corners too fast, then have to brake, & even worse, change their line mid-corner. All of which slows them down.
If you've ever tried to keep a smooth, fast rider in view, as they dissapear around the next bend, while you wring the neck out of your bike trying to keep up. You'll know what I'm talking about. & if you thought that the rider in front looked like they were doing it so much easier than you. I'm here to tell you. They were! (& they were having heaps more fun too)
Why? Becase they weren't fighting their bike. they were in the right gear, at the correct speed & approach angles for the corner. They had total control of the situation & only had to concentrate on executing the turn as smoothly as possible.
4. Weight distribution: We all know that we have to lean a bike to get it around a corner. & the further it leans, the faster it corners. There is however a way to redistribute the weight of a bike so that it can lean further. It's called the rider, who's the only part of the bike's weight that can be easilly moved, with the bike in motion. So if you want to lean further, slide your bum off the seat & get your weight over onto the side you want to lean into. This of course, eventually leads to dragging the knee along the road, which is as far as you can take the technique. But I don't reccomend that for public roads. & as any racer will tell you. It's not something you should try to do. It's the natural progression of that technique, & will happen naturally, when you're smooth enough, & fast enough.
Smoothness is the key
5. Chase the Horizon: We all know to keep our heads up, & look where we want the bike to go. But this can be hard when where you want to go is dissapearing around the next, rapidly approachng bend. So you have to chase that dissapearing road with your eyes. Making the quick mental calculations required to maintain your fast, smooth line, while factoring in any adjustments needed to cope with current conditions (on-coming traffic, unexpected obstacle, wildlife etc.)
Stay safe: Always err on the side of caution. Expect that there's going to be an out of conrol Semi, with no brakes. coming at you the other way. 'Coz there just might be. Don't get sucked into unsafe riding practices, by chasing some mad fool who's out to kill themselves. If someone wants to ride like that, let them. I can guarantee that they won't ever be writing a blog about their 35 years of mountain road experience. Whereas if you use your head, you'll have a lot better chance of living long enough to pass your accumulated wisdom along to the next generation.
6. Have Fun. Thrills should be fun, not frightening. If you're scaring yourself, you're doing it wrong. I only ride the twisties while I'm fully up for it, & having fun. If I'm tired or don't feel up to it. I don't do it.
Stay safe everyone. & I'll see you in the twisties.
PS. If you're riding with other bikes, make sure you check your mirrors often. If following, make sure the rider ahead is checking their mirrors often, & don't do anything that they're not aware of.
