Do you “Hang Off” your FJR ??????

[lonerider]

So, I wondered how aggressive are you with your body position? Do you really “hang off” the seat in corners or do you find a fairly upright position with moderate body lean to be sufficient?
Any thoughts, observations, pictures, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated..

Thanks

Hell, if I tried that, I'd probably end up falling off!

 

[Philip V]

There is a relationship to leaning (that is; body weighting/positioning) and countersteering.
I would recommend that you explore this relationship until it's totally understood and natural for you.

Here's some examples of what I mean;

As far as what I normally do in the tight stuff, I shift my weight from one butt cheek to the other while my upper body shifts as if I am trying to "kiss the mirrors".

I rarely "hang off" racing style.

In the tight stuff it's fairly easy to drag your toes on the FJR so it's important to get in the habit of having your feet positioned with the "balls" not the "arches" on the pegs.

To be smooth is the key to riding well. Body position shifts left in advance of a sharp left. This keeps the bike from having to lean as much for a stable carve.

As you finish your weight shifts back to the right which keeps the bike leaning left a little bit longer and also sets up for the next sharp right......................

If you have a throttle lock, you can practice this; Use a road without other traffic with easy turns that can be handled at a light speed.

Keep your hands right over the grips but try not to touch them (unless it becomes needed-then they're right there).

So in effect you're riding with no hands.

You will be able to steer the bike through the turns by just shifting your weight.

Then grip the bars normally, practice countersteering with your body totally upright, in relation to the bike. Push left-turn left. Push right-turn right.

Now practice extreme leaning........knee down or not but really get the weight to the left for a left.

Try that with your throttle lock and no hands and what will happen? Your left turn would be more extreme than the line needed to get through the turn.

In order to keep the bike on course (without changing your body position)you will have to apply counter steer pushing right to move the bike to the right even though you are going around a left turn.

From this, you can see that too much body lean is not only not required (in most situations) but actually creates a need to "anti-countersteer" to keep the bike on its proper course.

So ideally, I think I could say, the perfect amount of body lean at a given time will minimize the required handlebar inputs needed and maximize your tires' traction.

That said, it depends on what you want to do. On milder roads, you may actually want to lean the "wrong way" just to get the bike to lean over farther for a less boring ride. Doing this in some degree actually has a practical advantage of increasing your visual horizon around a blind spot................but that's another topic.

Changing the subject slightly, I have noticed on my FJR that whenever I remove both hands from the bars with a throttle lock on, the front end stsrts to shimmy. Any idea why?

 

[dean]

I have about 1500 miles on my ‘06 AE mostly in the North Georgia Mountains where we have some great Twisties and then a few trips to the “Tail of the Dragon” in Tennessee. See Avatar. As I discover and appreciate the nuances of this bike from spirited riding, I also supplement my learning curve by studying appropriate motorcycle books. Reg Pridmore, Lee Parks etc. These experts all discuss and advocate the importance of rider position when cornering and I have been trying to really work on my “body steering“ when I ride.
So, I wondered how aggressive are you with your body position? Do you really “hang off” the seat in corners

i do, especially on blood mountain. ( :

 

[Cdogman]

When I am riding in the twisites, and I do often since I am on my bike every single day now and the twistes are 10 minutes away (make a nice lunch break)

I hang off, even when I don't need to, I am practicing. I do it at lower speeds and could easily have done most of the turns without doing so.

I also enter a turn slower than most, apex as late as I can, and come out hard as I dare, usually in second, back tire on the edge

I do this to practice. I also take my bike to a parking lot 2-3 times a week and do lazy u-turns and practice stopping my bike at the limit of the ABS. I can get the back wheel off the ground and the FJR will stop VERY fast

I do all of this because IT IS FUN AND I LIKE TO! And that is why I bought my bike in the first place

Last weekend I was two up and it was the first time I rode with the Utah Sport Bike Association boys (these are the track racers and Apex boys from Miller Motor Sports Park)

I was told "Dam you are fast on that bike" by people who I am sure could have walked away from me had they chosen to.. But we were not competing.

Thing is, by practicing at lower speeds FOR FUN!!! I did not have to burn neurons at higher speeds to play with the fast boys. That made the day MUCH safer because i was not trying to be faster than I was... I had the ability already from doing it slowly a ka-jillion times having fun

I dont care if someone thinks I am a squid, I know I am not.. and if you are chasing a 1098 and can keep up with him he is either not trying to lose you and riding his pace, or is not a skilled rider of your equal

An FJR will NOT keep up with a 1098 with equal riding skills of each bike in the twisties or in a straight.. I mean Come on here.. WTF is this disneyland

 

[jjsC6]

....An FJR will NOT keep up with a 1098 with equal riding skills of each bike in the twisties or in a straight.. I mean Come on here.. WTF is this disneyland

I'm well aware of that. In fact, the guy I ride with all the time has (in addition to a FJR) a new 1198 S. I've put about 150 miles on it myself.

What you said is actually my point - that a good rider sitting bolt upright can stay with a not as good rider using all the tricks. The point is that people should do what they are comfortable doing, and ride within their limits.

 

[madmike2]

The point is that people should do what they are comfortable doing, and ride within their limits.

Assuming they are aware of those limits and assess them before each ride..

The Laws of Nature are not as forgiving as most humans.

 

[palerider]

Assuming they are aware of those limits and assess them before each ride.. The Laws of Nature are not as forgiving as most humans.

Disagree. Given the number of absolute morons who live to a ripe old age, I believe the laws of nature are way more forgiving than most humans.

:assassin:

 

[Fred W]

Assuming they are aware of those limits and assess them before each ride.. The Laws of Nature are not as forgiving as most humans.

Disagree. Given the number of absolute morons who live to a ripe old age, I believe the laws of nature are way more forgiving than most humans.

:assassin:

That's right. And I'm here to prove it! :blink: :dribble: :blink:

 

[RadioHowie]

Assuming they are aware of those limits and assess them before each ride.. The Laws of Nature are not as forgiving as most humans.

Disagree. Given the number of absolute morons who live to a ripe old age, I believe the laws of nature are way more forgiving than most humans.

:assassin:

That's right. And I'm here to prove it! :blink: :dribble: :blink:

Pauly Shore and Andy ****. Nature created them.....humans let them live.

Incontrovertible proof that both nature AND humas are stupid.

 

[428Cobra]

[SIZE=12pt]On the track - Yes....low-siding (hopefully), without hitting anything, just hurts your pride and wallet.[/SIZE]

On the street - sometimes when I'm alone, but this is getting rare for me. To many variables. If I'm going fast enough to need to hang off the bike I'm going to fast for the street and guard rails, sign posts and cagers have taken out a few friends of mine the past 2 years. One is a paralized from the waist down and the other broke his leg in three places. :blink:

I did a mild tank slapper coming out of rh corner at 80+ in Arkansas last weekend. Got into some marbly **** in the middle of my lane....not sure if I could of held it if I was hanging off the bike pushing another 10-20 + mph. Who knows??

I was young in San Diego, CA. when I went down last playing Ricky Race Track on the street and it hurt a lot. No helmet, no gear. I was lucky. I'm not going to repeat if I can help it. I dress out as if my life depends upon it now.

I'm slower but that's ok. My wife doesn't need to go on a med cruise with the insurance money just yet... :glare:

 

[3dogs]

 

[Gizmo]

Hanging your *** off the seat whilst turning a bike on the street, is for squids and attantion whores. You can shift weight inside to assist turns without sliding around. Steve

That's a pretty strongly opinionated statement there, bub.

I'll just say I disagree and leave it at that.

+1. I'm not Mr. MotoGP on the streets by any stretch of the imagination (don't want to be either), but I've been practicing body positioning over the past month and WOW! what a difference it makes. Going thru the same turn while shifting weight to the inside - arse crack on the inside edge of the seat - makes the turn so much smoother than keeping centered on the seat and just leaning.

 

[Cdogman]

....An FJR will NOT keep up with a 1098 with equal riding skills of each bike in the twisties or in a straight.. I mean Come on here.. WTF is this disneyland

I'm well aware of that. In fact, the guy I ride with all the time has (in addition to a FJR) a new 1198 S. I've put about 150 miles on it myself.

What you said is actually my point - that a good rider sitting bolt upright can stay with a not as good rider using all the tricks. The point is that people should do what they are comfortable doing, and ride within their limits.

I was not gainsaying your point above. What I was taking to subject was that if you do it you are an attention whore or squid (I cannot see exactly what you said) My point was that I disagree with that part of your statement

I hang off (not track style) because I am practicing and it is fun. I try to use proper body positioning and get a good line at any speed, including parking lot speeds. I do it because it is fun, I like to try to master the bike.

I am far from the best rider here. I am not saying I am a super fast rider, super good rider, or super anything. Just that I am having fun trying to get as good as I can. I will tell you I can hold my own, but I have nothing to prove. That is not why I ride.

I completely agree that a skilled rider on a slower bike will beat a lessor skilled rider on a faster bike,, every time..

I ride because there is only one thing in the world that feels better... And I get plenty of that as my wife spoils me, but I hit the limitations of the male body so I ride too :yahoo: After all, I am not superman

(The FJR is fun on the track too. I had the priviledge of running it on Miller Motorsportspark twice..I SPANKED a girl on a Burgman scooter with it)

 

[jackplanet514]

I guess I'll get in on this mix. What I find interesting is that if you read any books on expert riding, for street or track, you will quickly find that after line choice in the corner, the next most important part of the equation is body position on the bike. Starting with your head, then your shoulders and then your entire body.
I ride pretty aggresively in the right areas. I will tell you that moving on the bike is part of riding. Like others, I'm on the balls of my feet on the pegs and shifting weight on the bike. Do I drag knee..NO. Do I come close, don't know and don't care. I've had a few riders that are behind me ask me if I know how close I am...I tell them no, I'm concentrating on my line and the road. I do move about half of my butt off the seat in corners. In all corners? NO.

Are you a "glory hound" for riding like this? I'm no glory hound...Don't care what people think, I just want to keep improving my riding and the experience of twisties at a good speed. And by the way, how can you be a glory hound when everyone behind you is trying to keep up?

Ray

I agree. I would also like to add:

1. Line - (Regardless of your speed, if you're aimed the wrong way it's not good)

2. Entrance Speed - (Enter a turn too fast and the best line or body position won't save you)

3. Body Position - (Keeps the bike from dragging parts and gives you a safety buffer if you screwed up 1 and/or 2 or find a surprise around the bend)

Jack

 

[SebringSilver]

Thank you all so much for your responses and advise. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this thread as much as I have.

I just got back from a wet, wet trip to Tennessee with two friends who ride HD Street Glides, but we just sat in the MotorCoach drinking with the wives (of course, they trailered their HD’s, I rode home in the rain) and we didn’t get to ride the Tail of the Dragon or the Cherahola Skyway. Very disappointing. I really wanted to practice all I have learned from your insight.

When you read motorcycle books designed to make you a better rider, not a faster rider, although it could be argued that a better rider is a faster, safer rider, the authors generalize about bikes. That is why I asked the weight distribution question specifically for the FJR. I have found that “kissing the mirror” and moving the arse crack off center and into the turn when heading into corners allows me more control and a safety zone if problems occur. I like high-spirited, physical riding, this is a big machine and I find it fun to throw it around. Hell, it's the only exercise I get :angry2:

Again, thanks for all your instruction and encouragement.

Happy Memorial Day!!

 

[Cdogman]

SebSilver.. there are some boys here that look slow... until you try to keep up

Practice slow.. so your errors are smaller at speed.. Books and classes... classes are fun and you meet some nice people too

 

[DailyCommuter]

A Picture speaks a thousand word eh Tracy?!? Good One

 

[James Burleigh]

I was not gainsaying your point above.

I'm guessing you're an English lit major or professor.... Or your name is Billy Shakespeare. :blink:

 

[James Burleigh]

Practice slow.. so your errors are smaller at speed.. Books and classes... classes are fun and you meet some nice people too

Gunny! (I thought we had to say gunny, or was that pre-TWN's passing?)

Anyway, I've taken a lot of classes and ridden a lot of twisties and practiced a lot to get through curves fast and safe, but in the last 18 months or so I've become fearful (paranoid really) of rural twisties and slowed way down (when I even seek them out anymore; who else out there loves to ride the freeway like me?).

(Okay, well there was that Sacramento foothills ride a few weeks ago trying to keep up with ExSkiBum and Bunny, and was that BlueStreek between me and Ex?)

I've slowed way down because so much can go wrong out in the country, mostly poor road conditions, DY crossing cages, and farm equipment exiting from blind driveways around the corner. And oh yeah, I got a ticket for crossing a DY and CANNOT afford another ticket!

So I've slowed down. But what I have discovered is that I get a great amount of pleasure, not out of going through a turn fast, but out of going through it smoothly and technically correctly (based on the stuff I learned at StreetMasters and Lee Parks, and maybe some Pridmore, and in reading Code). And what I find is that, as I become better at being smooth and accurate while relatively slow, I become safer if I up the pace or get in too hot or a decreasing radius.

Form, not speed.

Jb

 

[Cdogman]

I was not gainsaying your point above.

I'm guessing you're an English lit major or professor.... Or your name is Billy Shakespeare. :blink:

I dont think I have ever been accused of that on ANY construction site I was running..

I agree 100%.. The ability to carry speed through a corner cannot be faked.. and you cannot learn it at speed.. That is on someones siggy somewhere and oh so true