ShawnKing
Well-known member
Not yet. Right now, I'm a much better skier than I am a rider.
But looking forward to experiencing the sensations you describe!
Wide open sweepers or tight twisties
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But looking forward to experiencing the sensations you describe!
The FeeJ isn't a Sport bike and is a considerable heavy weight in tight twisties. I like both, but I prefer wide sweepers on the FeeJ. In general I guess I prefer more speed in sweeper turns then real tight twisties, but both are fun.
Bike Effects
Well-known member
Twisties and big sweepers are good for me. Little dirty goat trails.....no thanks. If I think about it, if I need to drop it into first gear, it's tighter than I like it on the FJR.
Cdogman
Bad Boy
[SIZE=14pt]GUNNY!!!!!!!!!!![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]I would bet you are going in too hard... Slow in fast out... Go in hot on her and she will pucker an ass[/SIZE]
charismaticmegafauna
Well-known member
Well, I don't know -- but, my FJR corners as well as I can ask (no deficits, really). But, the suspension has been massaged from stock.
When I first rode my FJR on my favorite mountain road (The Devil's Highway, aka The Coronado Trail -- something like 525 corners) I found myself often in too low a gear for the corner speed. Much like when I first rode a big 4-stroke off-road single. I found that the FJR corners well if you "ride the torque curve" and let the engine do alot of the work for you.
That and attention to MSF's basic cornering rules of: "Slow -- Look -- Lean -- and Roll".
When I first rode my FJR on my favorite mountain road (The Devil's Highway, aka The Coronado Trail -- something like 525 corners) I found myself often in too low a gear for the corner speed. Much like when I first rode a big 4-stroke off-road single. I found that the FJR corners well if you "ride the torque curve" and let the engine do alot of the work for you.
That and attention to MSF's basic cornering rules of: "Slow -- Look -- Lean -- and Roll".
That and attention to MSF's basic cornering rules of: "Slow -- Look -- Lean -- and Roll".
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zorkler
Ave U !!!!
I agree with MIKEPA on this one also you need to use body english (moveing you weight left to right ) Knee on the gas tank and pushing on which side your turning on .
gasportrider
gasportrider
When I feel I am "pushing" a hot pace on the feejer or my GSXR, I notice that I have to fight a tendency to tense up in the shoulders, arms, and hands. This upper body tension at the bars results in one side of the body "fighting for control" at the bars with the result that the bike appears "hard to turn". This sensation is just as strong on the GSXR as it is on the FJR which strikes me as a very easy bike to steer.
Two solutions have worked for me. One is to focus on maintaining "soft" hands on the grips. The other solution is to countersteer ONLY by pushing on the inside bar. The hand on the outside bar then just goes along for the ride. This frees the front end to respond to small irregularities in the road surface and to track the road surface more freely. If more lean angle is needed at any time, I only have to focus on one thing and that is to push harder on the inside grip. While riding on new roads, this technique has saved me from lots of puckers when a surprise on the roadway or a decreasing radius corner appears. I only have to remember to PUSH on one bar and to look where I want to go. Both bikes just increase their lean angle and track beautifully. The only difference between them is that on the FJR, either my foot or peg may drag a bit.
Remember that once a bike's cornering "set" has been established, you can take your hands off the bars and the bike will maintain that track until some new force alters it. There is no need for a death grip on the bars or to actively "steer" around a corner.
Last but not least, once the twisties start getting tighter, avoid watching just the road where sight distances become shorter and shorter. Switch to a higher view and watch the verge and treeline.
In the Appalachians, more green means more lean! In the Rockies, more air means grow a pair.
Try these techniques and share what you think of them.
Two solutions have worked for me. One is to focus on maintaining "soft" hands on the grips. The other solution is to countersteer ONLY by pushing on the inside bar. The hand on the outside bar then just goes along for the ride. This frees the front end to respond to small irregularities in the road surface and to track the road surface more freely. If more lean angle is needed at any time, I only have to focus on one thing and that is to push harder on the inside grip. While riding on new roads, this technique has saved me from lots of puckers when a surprise on the roadway or a decreasing radius corner appears. I only have to remember to PUSH on one bar and to look where I want to go. Both bikes just increase their lean angle and track beautifully. The only difference between them is that on the FJR, either my foot or peg may drag a bit.
Remember that once a bike's cornering "set" has been established, you can take your hands off the bars and the bike will maintain that track until some new force alters it. There is no need for a death grip on the bars or to actively "steer" around a corner.
Last but not least, once the twisties start getting tighter, avoid watching just the road where sight distances become shorter and shorter. Switch to a higher view and watch the verge and treeline.
In the Appalachians, more green means more lean! In the Rockies, more air means grow a pair.
Try these techniques and share what you think of them.
ShawnKing
Well-known member
Have you ever actually done that? I wouldn't have the stones for it.
Matter of fact, I'm heading out in about 30 mins to do exactly that!
FuzzyRider
esolc oot m'I siht dear nac uoy fI
I likey me the tight twisties. Long sweepers are fun but for that real E-ticket ride I'll take the 25, 20, 15 and 10 MPH turns in a heartbeat. The two most important techniques are to look ahead - get your head craned all the way around so you are looking at the corner exit BEFORE you turn in. This also means raising your line of sight above where you would naturally have it. The second important technique is slow in and fast out. When riding Arizona 89 into Prescott I was entering the 25 MPH turns at around 28 MPH. I was exiting them at ~40 MPH. And I was leaving space to the centerline and not dragging pegs - it was an unfamiliar road so I was leaving extra margin of error.
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It's no big deal. I don't know why it would be a cause for jitters. If the bike doesn't track perfectly, just put your hand(s) back on the bars.Have you ever actually done that? I wouldn't have the stones for it.
Having said that, not all bikes will track perfectly without continuous rider input. It has a lot to do with tire brand and condition, air pressure, weight distribution, presence of fork damage, etc. Even so, it's not like the bike is going to go flying off in some random direction when you let go of the bars.
dbx
Silver Penguin
Silver Penguin
Isn't that one of the most awesome roads? Did you go through the town of Jerome too? Where the main road has 10mph hairpin turns?
We added an extra day to a weekend trip last month, just to include that road since we'd enjoyed it so much on a previous trip. Each time, all the oncoming traffic, every single one of them, stayed on their own side of the road. That must be some kind of record.
Jill
Daddydukes
Well-known member
Took that ride years ago too. It is a spectacular ride. I was with a buddy who was a Sgt. with the Phoenix PD. We had gone to Sedona, Oak Canyon, Flagstaff, Jerome, Prescott and back to Phoenix from about 8 am until nearly 11 pm when I got back to the hotel.
On one stretch coming down a mountain at night on one of the interstates heading back into the desert my buddy told me he liked to take that road at 90 in his BMW Z3 convertible. Well, his speedo was out on his bike during our ride. I told him well, you just came down it at 95 mph on two wheels. His only response was, "Guess we outran our headlights." No doubt about it. But it was a great day of riding.
This has been a good thread. There's a lot of good tips here for folks who are a little skiddish of the tight curves. Heed them and it will become second nature.
Keith
CRMH Eagle
Well-known member
I love when I leave work and hit I-70 west from Denver go up the mountains. The curves are just right to be hit it fast and accelerate thru them. Most the cagers are doing about 65 and it feels great doing 80 as I pass 'em. From Golden going west to Evergreen is one of my favorite spots here in Denver. Of course lately the State patrol and Sheriff's office has been targeting the western direction along with their favorite enforcement going east down the mountain.
When I think instead of "feeling" my way thru a curve I tend to do poorly. When I can shut the brain down and get in the zone it feels more natural.
When I think instead of "feeling" my way thru a curve I tend to do poorly. When I can shut the brain down and get in the zone it feels more natural.
FuzzyRider
esolc oot m'I siht dear nac uoy fI
Jill, yeah, that's the best road I've ever been on. I got lucky and traffic was very light - oncoming and the same direction. And yeah, I got to go through Jerome too - a cool little town litterally built into the mountain-side. One of these days I'm going to move out there.
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