Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: jscon2011 on July 08, 2015, 01:18:01 AM
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Some of you may remember I totaled my 2012 Connie recently. It happened while leaning into a turn and hitting a patch of sand. That back tire slide-out felt like betrayal after 12 years of riding accident free... I had always put a lot of stock in my rubber and my contact with the road.
Anyways, insurance got me another Connie so I'm back to riding but now I ride it way more conservatively - I'm pretty scared going into turns and don't lean it over much at all. When I do, it's not very fun because I'm basically waiting for it to slide out. Each successful turn feels like I cheated maim and injury.
Any tips? Will it come back? I've learned a lot about road conditions and appraisal after the wreck but I think this new fear is a bit unwarranted. I'd like to resume scraping my pegs on occasion without fear...
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Many years ago with my first bike (Honda Silver Wing) I went around a corner and slid out on powdered asphalt. From then on I always try to keep an eye on the road surface. I can't say that I'm overly cautious but I do pay attention to what's lying on the road. I've had a few slips since then but no downs. I like MCing too much to stop riding. I think if the desire to ride is there then eventually you'll get your confidence back. If you don't, it's time to try other things. I believe what you are feeling is quite normal, though.
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Just a thought...how about taking an experienced rider course in your area to get a little retraining under controlled conditions? :chugbeer:
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It's a normal survival response. It eases up.You won't notice it so much after the third crash. 8)
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I always look thru the turn looking for debris. The road is not a race track so you have
to do your due diligence in looking for road kill and debris
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Track day
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Wow, bummer! But it does sound like a totally normal adult response. I've never wiped out but I know when I have close calls I ride more cautiously for awhile. I think what Jim said, it will come back but if not maybe look for another activity. I hope your enjoyment and confidence returns.
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Most people never do get comfy on a bike. The same people that get 10,000 miles out of their tires. ;)
I think the advanced rider course is a great idea.
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Most people never do get comfy on a bike. The same people that get 10,000 miles out of their tires. ;)
I think the advanced rider course is a great idea.
;D, that makes me feel better about the 5000 mile average on my sneakers
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So is 6k a bad thing?
I don't think so, means I'm having fun, what I bought the dang thing for.
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I always look thru the turn looking for debris. The road is not a race track so you have
to do your due diligence in looking for road kill and debris
+1
I am constantly looking at the road for debris, holes, sand, etc. I just always hope I see it in time. And I will take corners slow on which the road has little visibility. Just too risky.
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Most people never do get comfy on a bike.
One might even say those who DO get comfy might get themselves in trouble
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I would like to know how much you have to exceed the speed limit to touch down a peg when properly negotiating a curve. I have never touched a peg down and have exceeded the limit by 20 mph which is the fastest I will ever exceed because I need my license for work.
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I would like to know how much you have to exceed the speed limit to touch down a peg when properly negotiating a curve.
Probably a lot faster than *I* would ever go :)
I have never touched a peg down and have exceeded the limit by 20 mph
I have taken ramps more than 20 mph over and nowhere near peg zone (and with my bike lowered, I expect my peg touching would happen even sooner than most)... but I think in VA they are crazy pessimistic with suggested (ramps and yellow signs) and actual speed limits. In fact, on corners and ramps, I usually automatically add 20 MPH to the suggested limit and consider that only mildly spirited.
which is the fastest I will ever exceed because I need my license for work.
In my case, I just value my life more than a license. For slab/Interstate/highway, I automatically take 5, often take 9, and will typically only go faster only if it appears to be with the flow of traffic (inotherwords, good chance of someone ELSE getting the ticket, not me).
Of course that doesn't count the few places where I can't resist zooming to 110+ for a quick wakeup ;) (But those are quite rare, and only with excellent conditions- flat, smooth, clean, good weather, great visibility, no traffic, etc). Hey- it is good for the engine....
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I would like to know how much you have to exceed the speed limit to touch down a peg when properly negotiating a curve. I have never touched a peg down and have exceeded the limit by 20 mph which is the fastest I will ever exceed because I need my license for work.
Back in my youth, before I grew up and realized I was mortal; we used to run ramps. In order to scrape the pegs on a SS, you would typically have to be doing at least twice the limit.
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Ahh. I never think about ramps. They are not on my radar or near where I normally ride. If I do a jaunt on the interstate, it is because I am loaded down and heading somewhere to far away to stay on the back roads. Mostly ride the country two lane in the hills of middle Tennessee.
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Ahh. I never think about ramps. They are not on my radar or near where I normally ride. If I do a jaunt on the interstate, it is because I am loaded down and heading somewhere to far away to stay on the back roads. Mostly ride the country two lane in the hills of middle Tennessee.
Unfortunately, around here, if I don't use interstates, it often takes forever to get somewhere where riding isn't just an endless sea of traffic lights.
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Some of you may remember I totaled my 2012 Connie recently. It happened while leaning into a turn and hitting a patch of sand. That back tire slide-out felt like betrayal after 12 years of riding accident free... I had always put a lot of stock in my rubber and my contact with the road.
Anyways, insurance got me another Connie so I'm back to riding but now I ride it way more conservatively - I'm pretty scared going into turns and don't lean it over much at all. When I do, it's not very fun because I'm basically waiting for it to slide out. Each successful turn feels like I cheated maim and injury.
Any tips? Will it come back? I've learned a lot about road conditions and appraisal after the wreck but I think this new fear is a bit unwarranted. I'd like to resume scraping my pegs on occasion without fear...
When on the original Crapstone 021 tires, I had a couple of tank slappers that almost ended my bikin' career the wrong way and destroyed my confidence of 40 years until I junked them for a decent pair of Michelin PR2's- almost immediately that *hit-eating grin came back again.
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Scraping your pegs should be a warning, not a goal. Just my .02
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Most people never do get comfy on a bike. The same people that get 10,000 miles out of their tires. ;)
I think the advanced rider course is a great idea.
Really?? So since I got 11,600 out of my tires, that now means that I am not comfortable on my bike. I would say your wrong and that your generalization is far off from reality.
Nope, I will correct myself. Last week when I was crossing Ontario I was about 275 miles into my day, with another 150 miles to go. It was a driving rain with a stiff head wind, and the temps were showing at 53*F. So yeah, I wasnt comfortable on my bike.
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Yea maybe the A course would be a good refresher and help me return to confident riding more quickly, thanks for the tips. Bikes are made to be leaned over, of course we have to be careful on roadways that aren't consistently cleaned and groomed for max traction but that doesn't mean I should be taking switch-backs at 5 mph :o
The stock tires suck. The ones I slid on were pilot road 2's, pretty hard rubber.
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Just a thought...
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Just a thought...
I like that!! :) :)
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Just a thought...
OMG, that graphic just defined my very essence.
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So you going to get the tattoo Max?
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Yeah, I saw that post too- I took it as more amusing than insulting or baiting.
You have nothing to prove Nicole, at least not here as far as I am concerned. Just a thought but ride your bikes (like Mary Jane Tinklepants if you want :rotflmao:), and just take these kind of remarks with passing amusement.
I got 16K miles out of three sets of PR2s..... musta' been riding really badly. ;) ;D
Brian
Really?? So since I got 11,600 out of my tires, that now means that I am not comfortable on my bike. I would say your wrong and that your generalization is far off from reality.
Nope, I will correct myself. Last week when I was crossing Ontario I was about 275 miles into my day, with another 150 miles to go. It was a driving rain with a stiff head wind, and the temps were showing at 53*F. So yeah, I wasnt comfortable on my bike.
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Know that feeling intimately. I've been down four times while moving (never totaled a bike though) and I can tell you that riding is the only thing that helped me get my confidence back. Lots of riding. I am advantaged however because I consider my bike my primary mode of transportation (15k+ on the bikes last year, 800 miles on my truck.)
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Perhaps what I did yesterday while scrubbing in a new rear tire. Pick a flat wide stretch of vacant road. gently weave the bike back and forth in big wide arcs, smoothly using the whole road, gradually increase the lean angle. Do it for a bit, then stop. Repeat every day or two.
Another technique to help stretch your bounds is to enter a turn at your comfortable pace, start and stay wide, then as you accelerate out of the corner look to the inside, either the center line or fog line and head there. (you tend go where you look automatically). This may be a clue to your current discomfort as well, because you are worried about going off the outside of the corner, you are looking at the OUTSIDE (ditch). This creates no end of problems in smoothness and line. Force your eyes in and ahead.
My wife is a very cautious rider, then slid out on gravel, had her foot pinned under her 750 shadow. This slowed her down even more. She still rides but it's painful to watch (so I don't). I worry she will get rear ended by an impatient can driver.
Caution on the road in ag country is a no brainer. I see manure running out of the spreader, in a day or two it's invisible but you know it's still there. Ditch mowing often spreads grass on the pavement, corn, sand, gravel spill out of trucks. DEER! I still ride and prefer the rural hazards to the city stuff. :P
Make a point of doing some "pointless" riding. Riding only when you have to "get somewhere" creates a hurried feeling and worry.
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My avatar is about as far as you can lean a connie as the shifter is just touching. The bike will lean a long way without doing anything dangerous so the trick is to take positive action in all ways and places you ride.
And by that what I mean is almost all sand (or even worse,DIESEL fuel) can be predicted by you long before you come to it. For instance.... decomposing granite hillsides?, has it rained recently, inside turn with a negative camber, trucks use the road, pulling up to a stop is where to look for diesel etc.
Riding safely means constantly running scenarios as to what if? When I space out and start to ride at 5% of my ability is when I find the greatest danger. I space and start thinking about something else and not running the what if game. That is when I need to crank it up a bit to FOCUS on what and where I am.
Take charge and find the hidden signs that will keep you safe.
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Some of you may remember I totaled my 2012 Connie recently. It happened while leaning into a turn and hitting a patch of sand. That back tire slide-out felt like betrayal after 12 years of riding accident free... I had always put a lot of stock in my rubber and my contact with the road.
Anyways, insurance got me another Connie so I'm back to riding but now I ride it way more conservatively - I'm pretty scared going into turns and don't lean it over much at all. When I do, it's not very fun because I'm basically waiting for it to slide out. Each successful turn feels like I cheated maim and injury.
Any tips? Will it come back? I've learned a lot about road conditions and appraisal after the wreck but I think this new fear is a bit unwarranted. I'd like to resume scraping my pegs on occasion without fear...
I know what will cure you...head out my way and we'll ride twisties until you're better! :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:
P.S. you know who this is ;)
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It'll pass. Just stay on the bike and the bad memory will fade and the new ones will get better and better. I've been through it.
I also get 10k+ on my PR3 tires. No chicken strips either. Also, no black marks on the road when I start or stop.
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So you going to get the tattoo Max?
Um, I have to cling to the illusion that I can change...
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Just a thought...
And underthinking results in why the OP is now hesitant to lean over
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If you're gonna ride, you're gonna go down. Not a question of if, it's a question of when. And how bad.
There are many activities that I used to enjoy but I don't participate in now because of the risk of injury. Jumping out of aircraft and downhill snow skiing, to name a couple. I don't enjoy them enough to risk injury. Motorcycling is a different story. If / when I get damaged, it is what it is. If I got damaged while riding a horse, I would be bitter to the bone, so I don't ride horses. When I can no longer get on to my motorcycle by myself, I will have someone help me get on it and stuff it into an abutment at a high rate of speed.
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http://youtu.be/Re8U_on4Gn4 (http://youtu.be/Re8U_on4Gn4)
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Absolutely!
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How about your drawers.... any black marks in there after you stop? A sure sign Mary Jane Tinklepants is around..... ;D
OFFTOPIC: the one thing that does scare me when riding a motorcycle is forest rats, mostly at night of course, although I have ridden right by plenty that were out and about (feeding) during daylight. It is the one thing I believe is absolutely outside of my control or ability to influence- a deer strike. Everything else, at least I believe, I can influence to some degree: leaning too far, slow down. Slippery in a heavy rain- slow down. And so on.... except for those insane, unpredictable members of the deer family. I cannot predict what they will do because they do not know themselves until they do it and it sort of freaks me out. I ride at night a lot, and at sustained high speeds, and I have to say it is a little cause of concern every single moment when I am riding under those conditions. The only thing that changes it at all is when I have a passenger, and then it gets worse 'cause exposing (Easy Boys!) two people to that danger instead of one is not really an improvement.
But back to the OP: ride w/in your comfort zone, whatever that is. Nothing wrong with leaning less and going a bit slower unless you are riding to impress others in the first place. I always tell everyone I ride with to ride at whatever speed they are comfortable with and not try to either go outside the envelope you would normally stay within just because you are with other people or not try to keep up if it is not something you would normally do or want to do. I personally know two people who have gone down (Boys!) absolutely due to following someone else who was riding at speeds beyond their own comfort level (in both cases, the lead rider had no difficulty and was fine). IMO the reason to ride a motorcycle is for personal enjoyment and if it causes anxiety, then you may want to either take steps to reduce / eliminate that as others have said such as skill enhancement or merely slowing down, or re- think riding altogether.
Best of luck and success with this.
Brian
It'll pass. Just stay on the bike and the bad memory will fade and the new ones will get better and better. I've been through it.
I also get 10k+ on my PR3 tires. No chicken strips either. Also, no black marks on the road when I start or stop.
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How about your drawers.... any black marks in there after you stop? A sure sign Mary Jane Tinklepants is around..... ;D
OFFTOPIC: the one thing that does scare me when riding a motorcycle is forest rats, mostly at night of course, although I have ridden right by plenty that were out and about (feeding) during daylight. It is the one thing I believe is absolutely outside of my control or ability to influence- a deer strike. Everything else, at least I believe, I can influence to some degree: leaning too far, slow down. Slippery in a heavy rain- slow down. And so on.... except for those insane, unpredictable members of the deer family. I cannot predict what they will do because they do not know themselves until they do it and it sort of freaks me out. I ride at night a lot, and at sustained high speeds, and I have to say it is a little cause of concern every single moment when I am riding under those conditions. The only thing that changes it at all is when I have a passenger, and then it gets worse 'cause exposing (Easy Boys!) two people to that danger instead of one is not really an improvement.
But back to the OP: ride w/in your comfort zone, whatever that is. Nothing wrong with leaning less and going a bit slower unless you are riding to impress others in the first place. I always tell everyone I ride with to ride at whatever speed they are comfortable with and not try to either go outside the envelope you would normally stay within just because you are with other people or not try to keep up if it is not something you would normally do or want to do. I personally know two people who have gone down (Boys!) absolutely due to following someone else who was riding at speeds beyond their own comfort level (in both cases, the lead rider had no difficulty and was fine). IMO the reason to ride a motorcycle is for personal enjoyment and if it causes anxiety, then you may want to either take steps to reduce / eliminate that as others have said such as skill enhancement or merely slowing down, or re- think riding altogether.
Best of luck and success with this.
Brian
Off topic also, but I have found that after 2 deer strikes and injuries, my riding style changed, and if I'm in an area of reduced sight lines and dense foliage, my anxiety level reduces the fun factor. But I can still get my Ya-Ya's out when I'm doing the West coast and have those panoramic sight lines.
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If you're gonna ride, you're gonna go down. Not a question of if, it's a question of when. And how bad.
There are many activities that I used to enjoy but I don't participate in now because of the risk of injury. Jumping out of aircraft and downhill snow skiing, to name a couple. I don't enjoy them enough to risk injury. Motorcycling is a different story. If / when I get damaged, it is what it is. If I got damaged while riding a horse, I would be bitter to the bone, so I don't ride horses. When I can no longer get on to my motorcycle by myself, I will have someone help me get on it and stuff it into an abutment at a high rate of speed.
That is like saying, If you are going to drive, you are going to crash. I think what really mean to say is that if you ride beyond your limits or the bikes limits you are going to go down. Many drop their bikes when starting out, which is why it is good to start when you are a teenager.
I dress for the crash, but will do everything in my power to avoid it. Deer and Drunks are the two things that concern me. Riding at speeds that allow me to stop within my sight distance, and have more lean angle left to adjust my line are important to me. Too many tractors and old folk putting around to be a boy racer at 50 years old.
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That is like saying, If you are going to drive, you are going to crash. I think what really mean to say is that if you ride beyond your limits or the bikes limits you are going to go down. Many drop their bikes when starting out, which is why it is good to start when you are a teenager.
I dress for the crash, but will do everything in my power to avoid it. Deer and Drunks are the two things that concern me. Riding at speeds that allow me to stop within my sight distance, and have more lean angle left to adjust my line are important to me. Too many tractors and old folk putting around to be a boy racer at 50 years old.
Yes, if you drive, you probably will be involved in an accident. The vast majority of people have. The odds of getting hurt on a motorcycle are infinitely higher though. A person can decidedly reduce the odds of being involved in an accident but the only way to eliminate them are to live in a bubble. If motorcycles weren't dangerous, where would the thrill be?
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Yes, if you drive, you probably will be involved in an accident. The vast majority of people have. The odds of getting hurt on a motorcycle are infinitely higher though. A person can decidedly reduce the odds of being involved in an accident but the only way to eliminate them are to live in a bubble. If motorcycles weren't dangerous, where would the thrill be?
It helps keep the riffraff out too. 8)
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Speed is only part of the formula when leaning. What about turn radius?
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9MVY8swO5M#)
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After reading about the group buy on rear end plugs, I do not think that is working out too well. Shiver me timbers. :o
Brian
It helps keep the riffraff out too. 8)
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After reading about the group buy on rear end plugs, I do not think that is working out too well. Shiver me timbers. :o
Brian
:rotflmao: We're probably ok unless someone starts a 'Try a Plug for Free' thread.
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Not on my watch, they won't! :rotflmao:
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SMH
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Many years ago with my first bike (Honda Silver Wing) I went around a corner and slid out on powdered asphalt. From then on I always try to keep an eye on the road surface. I can't say that I'm overly cautious but I do pay attention to what's lying on the road. I've had a few slips since then but no downs. I like MCing too much to stop riding. I think if the desire to ride is there then eventually you'll get your confidence back. If you don't, it's time to try other things. I believe what you are feeling is quite normal, though.
Did the same thing on a corner where there had been an accident and a large diesel spill. It was so large it covered the whole corner and I did not realize what was up until it was too late. I managed to almost recover but my feet fell off the pegs and I started a reinforcing oscillation in the forks and had to abandon the ship. It hurt, but I rode home -- looking in all ways like a real mess. So, yes, pay attention to that road surface.
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That is like saying, If you are going to drive, you are going to crash. I think what really mean to say is that if you ride beyond your limits or the bikes limits you are going to go down. Many drop their bikes when starting out, which is why it is good to start when you are a teenager.
I dress for the crash, but will do everything in my power to avoid it. Deer and Drunks are the two things that concern me. Riding at speeds that allow me to stop within my sight distance, and have more lean angle left to adjust my line are important to me. Too many tractors and old folk putting around to be a boy racer at 50 years old.
I'm way more concerned with idiots texting than drunks and forest rats - there are more of 'em!! :o
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I'm way more concerned with idiots texting than drunks and forest rats - there are more of 'em!! :o
Me too.
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I'm way more concerned with idiots texting than drunks and forest rats - there are more of 'em!! :o
You might be surprised to know the number of impaired drivers on the road. Be it from alcohol, reefer, prescription meds, etc.
At least the texter can drop the phone with a blast from the air horn.
I have zero tolerance for texters. But out in the country where I live they are not as prevalent as drunks and deer.
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True. I live in the Bay Area, so there is a preponderance of texters and DUIs.
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True. I live in the Bay Area, so there is a preponderance of texters and DUIs.
Born & raised in the Bay Area (SF) I have noticed both an increase in traffic and in the percentage of inattentive drivers.
Been a professional driver with a commercial license for 30 years and have witnessed enough witlessness to accept it as ubiquitous.
Daily I see arbitrary lane changes, pointless speed-ups, unnecessary sudden stops, wild turns, 15 mph below the limit, all kinds of stupid sh#t.
I feel a bit safer in my work vehicle because of its size but when I ride my MC what concerns me the most is the rapidly unpredictable nature of other drivers.
Impatient inattentiveness, ignorance of basic traffic laws, texting + talking +taking selfies +watching movies, etc. on their cell phones, makes the crowded streets more perilous.
Add to that the generally crappy condition of (where I now live) Sonoma County roads and the mouth breathers who can't see me
because their trucks are the size of municipal buildings, and the thrill of riding gets somewhat dampened.
Riding sometimes feels more like an energy draining chore than a soul-stirring experience.
If, on top of all that, I went down on a leaned turn hard enough to total my bike, returning to two wheels would be a challenge.
(http://i.ytimg.com/vi/niyITYyfwhE/hqdefault.jpg)
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Born & raised in the Bay Area (SF) I have noticed both an increase in traffic and in the percentage of inattentive drivers.
No different in Hampton Roads. I think the situation is pretty much across the whole country.
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No different in Hampton Roads. I think the situation is pretty much across the whole country.
Ummm...yeah, bad roads and drivers! I was heading home yesterday doing my usual 70-80 mph and splitting lanes where necessary when, out of nowhere, some idiot speeds past me and then changes lanes right in front of me and slows down. I went to the right lane to go around him and he gave me the bird ::). I pulled back in front of him and slowed down some and he proceeded to speed around me, pull in front of me again and then came to a complete stop in front of me...ON THE 101 FREEWAY :o!! This guy had a SERIOUS hard-on for me and wouldn't leave me alone. He was actually trying to push me off the road from the side at one point. He then pulled in behind me and to my right side and was taking pictures of my bike...hope I looked okay 8)! At this point I was pissed and tried to get him to pull over so I could offer him an "attitude adjustment" but like all "tough guys" in their cars he wouldn't do it >:(. I have NO IDEA what I did to offend this guy but he definitely has some SERIOUS anger issues! I believe if I would have let him he would have taken me out...and I don't mean to dinner ;).
My feeling on the whole thing is that he was pissed that I was moving through traffic and decided he was going to let me know about it. He definitely hates motorcycles...kind of like the guy in the movie "The Jerk" who hated cans ;D!
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IMHO there were two motorists with attitude problems. Hint you CANNOT win a battle with a cage driver, just make your self scarce RIGHT NOW.
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IMHO there were two motorists with attitude problems. Hint you CANNOT win a battle with a cage driver, just make your self scarce RIGHT NOW.
yep, you're correct Gary...I did have attitude as the incident progressed. I should have just left it alone but I couldn't. In hindsight it would have been better to move along and get away from the guy, something I know I should have done but I let him get under my skin and that was it for me! It's easy to "quarterback it" from the armchair but when you're in the middle of it sometimes emotions get the better of a person.
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Yep easy from the armchair. Last week in a town near me. street race, bike and car, the losing car "caught up" and punted the biker, he's going to live, but will remember what happened every day, the rest of his life.
Years ago wife and I on the way to supper on the Honda, some drunk cut us off, I got out of his way but ahead of him. he kept "catching up" to us and tailgating. I finally pulled off the road, he stopped and apologized for the original incident. Moron! About 2 hours later a park ranger started following us, I may have been going a bit fast. He got way too close so I pulled off again. When he got out I read HIM the riot act about tailgating a motorcycle before he got a word out. He slunk off,having never checked my expired plate registered to a different bike. ;D
Be careful out there!
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Yep easy from the armchair. Last week in a town near me. street race, bike and car, the losing car "caught up" and punted the biker, he's going to live, but will remember what happened every day, the rest of his life.
Years ago wife and I on the way to supper on the Honda, some drunk cut us off, I got out of his way but ahead of him. he kept "catching up" to us and tailgating. I finally pulled off the road, he stopped and apologized for the original incident. Moron! About 2 hours later a park ranger started following us, I may have been going a bit fast. He got way too close so I pulled off again. When he got out I read HIM the riot act about tailgating a motorcycle before he got a word out. He slunk off,having never checked my expired plate registered to a different bike. ;D
Be careful out there!
I hear you...I thought about it all the way home! When he cut me off and gave me the finger I should have continued on as if nothing happened but emotions took over and it went downhill from there...I should have just let it go :-[! So, now I have to keep my head on a swivel and make sure the idiot doesn't try and sneak up on me. I'm hoping he'll cool off and everything will be okay before I come across him again or hoping another incident takes his mind off of me (not wishing bad on anyone else). From the looks of it he hates bikers so we'll see what happens. The problem is he's in his car, hiding behind lots of metal with 4 wheels (he was in an Acura RDX...fast little car!)! It would be a lot different if it were a more "level playing field"!
I too have had people tailgate m on my bike. One was an old lady who was in a hurry. We got to a stop light and I tapped on her window and told her to back off and she gave me the finger too :o..and she was probably pushing 80! People out here love the middle finger ::).
Anyway, I have to learn to let it go from now on. It's a hard thing for me to do...it's my nature to stand up to idiots and let them know how stupid the really are but I am realizing that it does't do any good. Just have to get past this one!
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Wait a minute here. You were splitting lanes at 70 mph? I thought splitting lanes was reserved for traffic jams. You are a braver man than I. When I was out in California in June I filtered at the lights, but never split lanes.
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Wait a minute here. You were splitting lanes at 70 mph? I thought splitting lanes was reserved for traffic jams. You are a braver man than I. When I was out in California in June I filtered at the lights, but never split lanes.
LOL...yes, there are times when I do it but I try not to make a habit of it. My best friend rides for the Sheriff's Dept. out here and is they're top instructor and he makes us look ultra-conservative when we ride. You should see that guy split lanes...CRAZY! Anyway, there are times when I do it but ONLY when things are getting congested in my area and I'm starting to feel "boxed in"...then I'll split but I ALWAYS make sure the person in front of me sees me (usually they'll move left or right a bit, depending on which lane they're in).
I move to the front at lights when I can because I don't EVER want to be taken out from behind! I'll even move up until there's no more room to move and sit between cars while waiting for the light to change...had some pretty interesting conversations while waiting! I've "nicked" one mirror when creeping up to the front but the guy in the car was really cool!
I ride between 70 and 80 mph and try to stay around 80...I want to make sure I'm hitting the gaps in front of me and leaving what's behind me, behind me! If it means splitting at those speeds then I do it. I'm sure that's why I made my "new friend" yesterday ::)!
What's funny (or scary) about that is there are guys PASSING me while I'm at those speeds and doing between cars! So I'm guessing the guy that got pissed at me decided I was his target for the day even though there were others doing it faster than me...maybe I need to ride faster ;)!
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LOL...yes, there are times when I do it but I try not to make a habit of it. My best friend rides for the Sheriff's Dept. out here and is they're top instructor and he makes us look ultra-conservative when we ride. You should see that guy split lanes...CRAZY! Anyway, there are times when I do it but ONLY when things are getting congested in my area and I'm starting to feel "boxed in"...then I'll split but I ALWAYS make sure the person in front of me sees me (usually they'll move left or right a bit, depending on which lane they're in).
I move to the front at lights when I can because I don't EVER want to be taken out from behind! I'll even move up until there's no more room to move and sit between cars while waiting for the light to change...had some pretty interesting conversations while waiting! I've "nicked" one mirror when creeping up to the front but the guy in the car was really cool!
I ride between 70 and 80 mph and try to stay around 80...I want to make sure I'm hitting the gaps in front of me and leaving what's behind me, behind me! If it means splitting at those speeds then I do it. I'm sure that's why I made my "new friend" yesterday ::)!
What's funny (or scary) about that is there are guys PASSING me while I'm at those speeds and doing between cars! So I'm guessing the guy that got pissed at me decided I was his target for the day even though there were others doing it faster than me...maybe I need to ride faster ;)!
We have similar styles of riding, but I have one rule when on my bikes. No cages are allowed past me. I guess if you think you can come around in your cage, you can try, but I've never seen it done yet.
Unless it's a Policeman.
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It is the one thing I believe is absolutely outside of my control or ability to influence- a deer strike.
Wrong. Don't ride when they're most active (around dawn and dusk), and you automatically reduce your chances of hitting one by over 90% ;). And same logic applies to reduce other risks: commuting (intersections/traffic), night, rain or bad weather, etc., dramatically increase probability of an accident. Remember riding is not dangerous; crashing is... especially if you hit something solid. If you must go somewhere under any of those conditions, the smart thing to do is drive instead.
OP, did you crash with the OEM tires? They're not bad, but not great either. I'm going to wear them out, but am more careful than it they were Michelin Pilot Roads, for instance. Since you can touch a peg, I assume you had some track training, and look where you want to go, etc. But in addition, you also need to scan the road carefully, especially on unfamiliar territory. I only push the envelope on familiar roads, but still leave room for safety (late appexing is a good technique, since you can see more of the curve). And only do it on tight to medium curves (60 mph max), where I lean hard, but speed is not great. I NEVER push the envelope on sweepers, since you need triple digits to lean the bike hard, and at that speed, you have much less of a chance to save the day. And much more likely to have a very bad injury (or worse) if you crash. My last and only spill was over 15 years ago, and on Bridgestones (stock) too. On a Hayabusa. Same thing: hit some sand I failed to detect early enough. Tires were crap, but it was my fault for not slowing down (trying to catch up my group) on an unfamiliar road. And for not scanning the road for debris. Fortunately, I could ride the bike home. And only scrapes and bruises. After that, learned to trust my tires with track school. And later learned that being able to push a bike to its limits dramatically increases your chances of not having an accident in the first place. And also the confidence of knowing you can deal with locked tires (before ABS), slides, etc. That was at Superbike School; very helpful. When you start sliding, you don't have time to think. Your reflexes are your only chance of saving the day. And you have milliseconds to do the right thing. A very common accident scenario is hitting sand at the edge of the road. But the reason for that is not being able to lean the bike more so you don't get there in the first place. So yes, not being able to lean your bike until you drag a peg makes you more likely to have an accident, even if you ride like a grandma. Sooner or later you'll need to do that, but won't be able to. Hope you can overcome your fear OP. If I couldn't ride fast and lean hard (I only ride on trips), wouldn't ride at all. Hope to be able to do that for a long time ;D. And yes, always do it as safely as possible, meaning weekdays, clear weather, good lonely roads, flat terrain with great visibility, full gear, new bike, etc. But it's still dangerous. On the other hand, cancer almost killed me (proving even living in a bubble could kill you ::)), so rather go out doing what I like... if that's my fate. He he. Good luck.
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We have similar styles of riding, but I have one rule when on my bikes. No cages are allowed past me. I guess if you think you can come around in your cage, you can try, but I've never seen it done yet.
Unless it's a Policeman.
+1 Cars are not allowed past me, unless it looks like an imbecile on a mission. So I guess 98% of Germans are allowed. Seriously, gauging other drivers is the key, and there's no shame in letting someone pass, but never, NEVER let an idiot come close to you. If he's behind, increase distance. If he manages to get in front, turn at the first chance. It's never worth it trying to teach reason to somebody at the risk of not coming home that evening.
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Seriously, gauging other drivers is the key, and there's no shame in letting someone pass, but never, NEVER let an idiot come close to you. If he's behind, increase distance. If he manages to get in front, turn at the first chance. It's never worth it trying to teach reason to somebody at the risk of not coming home that evening.
Very sound advice and exactly how I ride. If I suspect someone is acting even slightly stupid or distracted, I will do everything I can to get far away and quickly- moving from the lane, accelerating away, dropping back, whatever necessary.
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Don't ride when they're most active (around dawn and dusk), and you automatically reduce your chances of hitting one by over 90% ;).
Good point. Every time I have had a near-deer experience, it has been at dusk or soon after. Don't know about dawn, since I don't "do" dawn :) Anyway, I can't always easily avoid that few/several hour period (pre-dusk to post dusk). I have seen activity outside that period, so I am not sure it is as high as 90%, but the concept seems valid.
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I don't "do" dawn :)
I did. It wasn't bad. ::)
8)
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:rotflmao:
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I did. It wasn't bad. ::)
8)
:banana :banana :banana Waking up at the crack of dawn.
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I don't drive at night 90% of the time and when I do, I'm on high alert for forest rats.
When riding on the highway, I keep a nice pace to stay out in front of the traffic, and unless I know
the curvy stuff really well, I slow down the pace
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...I don't "do" dawn :)...
Used to do it from the other side all the time when I was younger... (...up 'til dawn) ;D
Not so much anymore... :-\
Jamie
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:banana :banana :banana Waking up at the crack of dawn.
OMG- Geeze, I completely didn't even make that connection (about my crazy early posting... which was still considerably after dawn, you should note). I fell asleep in the living room chair AGAIN and woke up at 6 instead of the normal 7:30 in bed. I decided to just stay awake.
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Wish it wasn't so but I've been down twice in the last 4 years, the latest just before Christmas 2014. I was making a right turn onto the on ramp of the freeway. Not even leaned over hard just moderate, which is what freaked me out-going down while riding moderately. I ride everyday and I'm still not over it, I think it just takes time. Heart rate goes up with lean angle! What I'm trying to do is learn something from the experience and keep positive. One good thing that has come out is I've been reading Keith Code's book " A Twist of the Wrist". In he explains that the throttle is the rider's most valuable suspension control and chopping the throttle in a turn is going to upset the suspension causing the bike to loose traction. That's what I did, chop the throttle as the bike started to slide. Staying on the throttle or letting off slowly may have not helped but I think it wouldn't have made it worse. It's a survival reaction that's hard to overcome. I don't claim to be a expert but I'm trying to learn from them and apply that learning.
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Just..... Cannot..... Resist.....
Well I think we are going to need a nuclear grade Easy Boys! on this one....
And I still want full credit for not asking if 2014 was an extra Merry Christmas.
Brian
Wish it wasn't so but I've been down twice in the last 4 years, the latest just before Christmas 2014. .....
<snip>
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B.D.F.! I should known, the king of "easy boys" Rereading it does sound kind of....shall we say unfulfilling :o
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Ten years ago I laid my Honda 919 down in order to keep from being a hood ornament. Sweet young thing driving Daddy's Lexus was busy with her cell phone and pulled out in front of me at a light. Banged me up pretty good, but nothing broken. In retrospect, I wasn't focused on the intersection and her and I didn't play the "What if?" game at that time -- and I paid the price.
I've become much more conservative in my riding style since then (the stock rubber on my 2012 Connie certainly does not inspire confidence) and I'm okay with that, but I'm looking for a few curves here and there and an empty road to practice on.
I'm almost 60, so I don't bounce real well these days and I really don't want to even find myself where I might bounce off the pavement -- so I ride judiciously now.
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Ten years ago I laid my Honda 919 down in order to keep from being a hood ornament. Sweet young thing driving Daddy's Lexus was busy with her cell phone and pulled out in front of me at a light. Banged me up pretty good, but nothing broken. In retrospect, I wasn't focused on the intersection and her and I didn't play the "What if?" game at that time -- and I paid the price.
I've become much more conservative in my riding style since then (the stock rubber on my 2012 Connie certainly does not inspire confidence) and I'm okay with that, but I'm looking for a few curves here and there and an empty road to practice on.
I'm almost 60, so I don't bounce real well these days and I really don't want to even find myself where I might bounce off the pavement -- so I ride judiciously now.
Just a suggestion...if you still have the oem tires, dump 'em.
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Just a suggestion...if you still have the oem tires, dump 'em.
I thought about it, but I think I'm going to just wear them out with the chicken strip in the middle. I have less than 500 miles on the bike. I live in the Mississippi Delta where a curved road is the precursor to a construction zone. Reeeeally boring riding here, which means heading to Arkansas for at least a few twisties.
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I understand. When you do you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. You'll know when it's time.
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I thought about it, but I think I'm going to just wear them out with the chicken strip in the middle. I have less than 500 miles on the bike. I live in the Mississippi Delta where a curved road is the precursor to a construction zone. Reeeeally boring riding here, which means heading to Arkansas for at least a few twisties.
Eupher, I went 20 years between bikes so the chicken stripe on my stock tires was about an inch wide :-[ ... I couldn't get the confidence to push her over. Now, a year and half later, my stripes are about an 1/8" from the edge of the tire so I have definitely become more comfortable and confident in the bike. Point is, it does get better :thumbs: ... just takes time. My stock tires last 8,000 miles before I changed them.
Mike
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I'm almost 60, so I don't bounce real well these days and I really don't want to even find myself where I might bounce off the pavement -- so I ride judiciously now.
I know that feeling..
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Ten years ago I laid my Honda 919 down in order to keep from being a hood ornament. ....
Intentionally crashing to avoid a crash is usually a terrible idea. If you had taken the time you spent "laying it down" and used it for maximum braking and/or swerving, I wonder if your outcome would be different?
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I think the question is how many has he avoided using his method.
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I think the question is how many has he avoided using his method.
:)
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You know, just thinking out loud here, light hearted criticisms and probing (easy boys) questions have always been encouraged. Going after someone because of them mentioning a past deed is not something I readily support. We're a family here, let's keep it that way, please.
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I don't think there was any ill intent. A bit of humor with a bit of truth. I got a grin because I could relate to a similar situation.
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yeah it's not easy to say sometimes but no laydowns, how to counter steer, really stopping your bike and making these second nature are fair forum discussions and need to be continually refreshed.
Then we should might ask ourselves why fragile old guys that "ride judiciously" are riding C14s? ??? ??? Gary that just sold mine The connie was just too much bike for the midwest. The K1200 is way too big (heavy). and am now thinking R1100RT may be next. Basically I would like a 500 pound all the bells 1 person touring bike.
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Intentionally crashing to avoid a crash is usually a terrible idea. If you had taken the time you spent "laying it down" and used it for maximum braking and/or swerving, I wonder if your outcome would be different?
I have no problem answering this question. Thin-skinned I am not.
I approached the intersection at about 35, and accelerating a bit. Facing me in a left-turn lane was Daddy's little girl. On her right were cars, one after another, making a right turn. She pulled out just as I hit the intersection. On my right and 90 degrees was a car making a left turn, essentially blocking my (desired) escape route. In short, I had no where to go, which is where the "idiot" bell goes off in my own head.
Rather than do a high side after a full on collision, I laid the bike down and avoided bouncing. I don't bounce real well.
Check my earlier statement in which I said, in part:
In retrospect, I wasn't focused on the intersection and her and I didn't play the "What if?" game at that time -- and I paid the price.
Attended a defensive riding course in 2003, during which I learned a ton -- mostly defensive measures, which I momentarily forgot in the incident above.
Since I'm new here, I'll say that i've been riding since I was 12 - minibikes, and then a 1965 Honda S-90, which is where I developed some measure of skill. I would not ever characterize my skill set as being much beyond "defensively competent." Never was much of a hotdogger. Just ain't wired that way. This C14 I now have is my third new bike, having bought my first new bike in 1982.
You can better believe I've made mistakes in my riding, just as I'm quite sure others reading this post can nod their heads (if they're being honest with themselves) and admit the same thing.
I'm prepared to keep learning, which is, I think, what the rational man does. To stop learning means to die, and I ain't dead yet.
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yeah it's not easy to say sometimes but no laydowns, how to counter steer, really stopping your bike and making these second nature are fair forum discussions and need to be continually refreshed.
Then we should might ask ourselves why fragile old guys that "ride judiciously" are riding C14s? ??? ??? Gary that just sold mine The connie was just too much bike for the midwest. The K1200 is way too big (heavy). and am now thinking R1100RT may be next. Basically I would like a 500 pound all the bells 1 person touring bike.
This "fragile old guy" ( :rotflmao: ) bought the C14 because it's a "sport-tourer." I like the touring part of that expression. And who knows? Maybe I'll see some curves in my future besides those of Mrs. E.
Gotta go to Arkansas for those, unfortunately...
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I have no problem answering this question. Thin-skinned I am not.
I approached the intersection at about 35, and accelerating a bit. Facing me in a left-turn lane was Daddy's little girl. On her right were cars, one after another, making a right turn. She pulled out just as I hit the intersection. On my right and 90 degrees was a car making a left turn, essentially blocking my (desired) escape route. In short, I had no where to go, which is where the "idiot" bell goes off in my own head.
Rather than do a high side after a full on collision, I laid the bike down and avoided bouncing. I don't bounce real well.
Check my earlier statement in which I said, in part:
Attended a defensive riding course in 2003, during which I learned a ton -- mostly defensive measures, which I momentarily forgot in the incident above.
Since I'm new here, I'll say that i've been riding since I was 12 - minibikes, and then a 1965 Honda S-90, which is where I developed some measure of skill. I would not ever characterize my skill set as being much beyond "defensively competent." Never was much of a hotdogger. Just ain't wired that way. This C14 I now have is my third new bike, having bought my first new bike in 1982.
You can better believe I've made mistakes in my riding, just as I'm quite sure others reading this post can nod their heads (if they're being honest with themselves) and admit the same thing.
I'm prepared to keep learning, which is, I think, what the rational man does. To stop learning means to die, and I ain't dead yet.
Amen to "thick skin" Eupher! I have it too and have needed it on the forums ::)
So, in response to your incident, I have learned from my cop buddy that you NEVER ride next to anyone for any length of time if you can help it. With that in mind I ALWAYS move from car-to-car when traveling and try to stay in "open" areas if I can.
You can do this all day long but when it comes down to it ... Intersection SUCK! You (we) are always at the mercy of the cager who doesn't pay attention.
So, as I ride every day I try and make sure that ,when approaching intersections, I am at a speed that will allow me to maneuver/brake to safety and that I don't have someone blocking my escape route. I create my own room using the incredible power of the C14 (meaning I get to open spots before the intersection and leave the cagers behind me) and enter intersections with room to spare.
Now, I have definitely made mistakes and fortunately they haven't cost me anything but a "kick in the butt" and some embarrassment for not doing what I know I should have done. Going down wouldn't be fun and I have no desire or plan to ever do it ... it's not on my list of "todo's"!
This was posted in love BTW!
Mike
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Amen to "thick skin" Eupher! I have it too and have needed it on the forums ::)
So, in response to your incident, I have learned from my cop buddy that you NEVER ride next to anyone for any length of time if you can help it. With that in mind I ALWAYS move from car-to-car when traveling and try to stay in "open" areas if I can.
You can do this all day long but when it comes down to it ... Intersection SUCK! You (we) are always at the mercy of the cager who doesn't pay attention.
So, as I ride every day I try and make sure that ,when approaching intersections, I am at a speed that will allow me to maneuver/brake to safety and that I don't have someone blocking my escape route. I create my own room using the incredible power of the C14 (meaning I get to open spots before the intersection and leave the cagers behind me) and enter intersections with room to spare.
Now, I have definitely made mistakes and fortunately they haven't cost me anything but a "kick in the butt" and some embarrassment for not doing what I know I should have done. Going down wouldn't be fun and I have no desire or plan to ever do it ... it's not on my list of "todo's"!
This was posted in love BTW!
Mike
Understood, and thanks. :chugbeer:
It may (and does) look stupid, but especially at dawn or dusk when approaching somebody who's waiting to pull out, I'll wave. I ALWAYS ride with two fingers on my front brake, and I've practiced braking with front brake alone, just to gauge how much is too much.
Being seen is probably the biggest thing, just to cut through the fog and the cell phone usage that a lot of cagers find "necessary." ::)
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Understood, and thanks. :chugbeer:
It may (and does) look stupid, but especially at dawn or dusk when approaching somebody who's waiting to pull out, I'll wave. I ALWAYS ride with two fingers on my front brake, and I've practiced braking with front brake alone, just to gauge how much is too much.
Being seen is probably the biggest thing, just to cut through the fog and the cell phone usage that a lot of cagers find "necessary." ::)
Yep, which is why I loaded up the front of my bike with LED's and HID's ... to make me as bright and noticeable as possible and then I STILL ride like they don't see me.
I know it's not the "cure all" but I have had people comment on how they could see me coming a mile away!
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IMHO the worst are the lane changers that don't look! I've come across a lot of those lately ... you know who I'm talking about, the cager that moves to the next lane and THEN looks to see if someone's there! That's the craziest and scariest for me and where I take the most caution because I DEFINITELY don't want to get "bumped" into oncoming traffic by someone who's "sleep-driving"!
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I just had one do it to me yesterday! I knew she was going to move though ... just knew it! I could see her climbing up the car in front of her but what's funny is that she had all day to move over but waited until I was going by her. I slowed and let her panic as she realized she was cutting me off and then gave her the "evil eye"!
I spent 12 years in Law Enforcement and I attribute pushing the black-and-white everyday for years to the ability to read drivers and get a good feel to what they're going to do by the way they drive! Plus, I learned during those years that there are more idiots behind the wheel than not so I don't take anything for granted and treat every car like an idiot is behind the wheel!
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There's a reason they call it the blind spot. Might as well be the Bermuda Triangle, if you spend much time there you will be "lost". Not only might the car take your lane but on surface streets you have no visibility of cross traffic from the right when you are in that spot. Yes, listen to your inner "that car's out to get me" voice. Look under trucks. It's not enough to know the right thing to do, you need to stay in constant practice so you DO the right thing when it's needed.
This may cause a bit of discussion...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUWViatY_LA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUWViatY_LA)
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Just had a bud on a Connie bite it at an intersection this summer. In the blind spot, the light went yellow, cross traffic saw the blind spot car slowing so turned right before the light changed,but used "both lanes". My bud "beat the yellow" then with oncoming traffic and the right turner swinging front of him had nowhere to go. He had great front brakes just installed, but hadn't done a "panic stop" test series. Grabbed too much brake, the wheel skidded and down he went. He slid in front of the bike, it just bumped into him after he stopped, He walked away, the bike? not so much. He never hit anything else, had he been current on his braking feel it would have been a finger salute moment, nothing more. There was the usual chain of events leading to the accident. Changing any one of the links would have broken the chain, no accident.
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IMHO the worst are the lane changers that don't look! I've come across a lot of those lately ... you know who I'm talking about, the cager that moves to the next lane and THEN looks to see if someone's there! That's the craziest and scariest for me and where I take the most caution because I DEFINITELY don't want to get "bumped" into oncoming traffic by someone who's "sleep-driving"!
Most of us bellyache about the drivers that have completely forgotten what that little stalk on the left side of their steering column is used for, but I have NEVER seen so many idjits as there are here in Miss-sippi.
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Most of us bellyache about the drivers that have completely forgotten what that little stalk on the left side of their steering column is used for, but I have NEVER seen so many idjits as there are here in Miss-sippi.
Come to California ::)!
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Come to California ::)!
You guys win by default, just by sheer volume of numbers.
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You guys win by default, just by sheer volume of numbers.
Tell me about it!! There are times I want to stop and hug the people that DO use their turn signal. Seeing someone out here using a turn signal is like seeing a Unicorn ... maybe not that bad but close!
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People around here signal their turn after they have made the move or are halfway into it. Strange. If you are observant you can read the signals and know when someone is going to move over and most of them move so slowly you have plenty of time to blast them with your horn so they panic and almost go off the road the other way, while you motor on with a smile.
I use my high beam 'flash to pass' switch quite often when I am approaching a car waiting to enter the road ahead of me. A couple of quick flashes seems to get their attention.
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It's so bad in Va.................that it is now not a reason to pull someone over.
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It's so bad in Va.................that it is now not a reason to pull someone over.
That's pretty bad. Well, it's still illegal to do it here but is NEVER enforced!
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I use my high beam 'flash to pass' switch quite often when I am approaching a car waiting to enter the road ahead of me. A couple of quick flashes seems to get their attention.
Very bad idea. Saw a bike do just that and the driver of the car misinterpreted it as 'go ahead and pull out in front of me' and nearly took the bike and rider out. Scared the crap out of me and sure it did to the rider as well. Don't assume anyone knows your 'signals'....
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Very bad idea. Saw a bike do just that and the driver of the car misinterpreted it as 'go ahead and pull out in front of me' and nearly took the bike and rider out. Scared the crap out of me and sure it did to the rider as well. Don't assume anyone knows your 'signals'....
Flash the high beams AND STILL assume they're going to pull out.
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Flash the high beams AND STILL assume they're going to pull out.
Zackly.
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People around here signal their turn after they have made the move or are halfway into it. Strange. If you are observant you can read the signals and know when someone is going to move over and most of them move so slowly you have plenty of time to blast them with your horn so they panic and almost go off the road the other way, while you motor on with a smile.
That is exactly what I do. I tend to watch everyone very carefully and almost always know when they are about to do something stupid. And I will often be very ready and will, indeed, blast them with my air horn (of course, that is secondary to making sure I am safe).
I use my high beam 'flash to pass' switch quite often when I am approaching a car waiting to enter the road ahead of me. A couple of quick flashes seems to get their attention.
That can be dangerous- misinterpreted as yielding the right-of-way. Although when I felt threatened, I have raised highbeams, but not in a flash manner.
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It's so bad in Va.................that it is now not a reason to pull someone over.
Sad but true. All the police care about is freaking speeding, which is rarely an issue. It is not using turn signals, following too closely, not paying attention, and changing lanes without looking that causes the vast majority of accidents and issues.
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Sad but true. All the police care about is freaking speeding, which is rarely an issue. It is not using turn signals, following too closely, not paying attention, and changing lanes without looking that causes the vast majority of accidents and issues.
Oh Maxtog, why'd you say it ... why'd you say "following too closely"? Don't get me started!
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Very bad idea. Saw a bike do just that and the driver of the car misinterpreted it as 'go ahead and pull out in front of me' and nearly took the bike and rider out.
Hmmm, I have to admit that never occurred to me and it's never happened to me. As others have said though, I still assume they are going to pull out and keep my fingers over the brake lever.
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I use my high beam 'flash to pass' switch quite often when I am approaching a car waiting to enter the road ahead of me. A couple of quick flashes seems to get their attention.
As others have said, that can be misconstrued to mean 'go ahead'. What I use is the 'wiggle'. Any car in a position to turn in front of me, I wiggle the bike. It wakes their brain up from "oh just a motorcycle" to "what the hell is that guy doing". An while they are looking at you like your crazy what they aren't doing is pulling out.
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Many years ago with my first bike (Honda Silver Wing) I went around a corner and slid out on powdered asphalt. From then on I always try to keep an eye on the road surface. I can't say that I'm overly cautious but I do pay attention to what's lying on the road. I've had a few slips since then but no downs. I like MCing too much to stop riding. I think if the desire to ride is there then eventually you'll get your confidence back. If you don't, it's time to try other things. I believe what you are feeling is quite normal, though.
+ 1
It takes a while. It will come. You will never be the fool you were! Once bitten...
It bears repetition - PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE SURFACE OF THE ROAD!!!!!!!!! Your life depends on it.
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As others have said, that can be misconstrued to mean 'go ahead'. What I use is the 'wiggle'. Any car in a position to turn in front of me, I wiggle the bike. It wakes their brain up from "oh just a motorcycle" to "what the hell is that guy doing". An while they are looking at you like your crazy what they aren't doing is pulling out.
I have seen many recommendations about "wiggling" or quickly weaving the bike... and I do use that method sometimes and I believe it is effective. It lets cars know that you are a bike, that you are not a stray light, it makes you more visible without yielding, it is very "different" so people will stop and think more, and it also helps cars to judge your distance a little better.
I will point out that highbeams and high-pointed auxiliary lighting can blind people even in the daytime and sometimes even make it harder for people to actually see the bike or judge distance. It also obliterates turn signals.
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Intentionally crashing to avoid a crash is usually a terrible idea. If you had taken the time you spent "laying it down" and used it for maximum braking and/or swerving, I wonder if your outcome would be different?
That statement is absolutely true, especially since it says 'usually' (I'd have said 'almost always';D). And even for those very few instances, you need to 'panic' brake until the last possible moment, since hard braking scrubs much more speed than sliding. And that's a fact; you don't need 'experience' to know that. And finally, most people claiming they had to 'lay down' the bike in reality fell down and used that as an excuse. And that usually happens due to inadvertently locking the rear wheel, since another fact is most people don't use the front brake hard enough for fear of flipping over the bike. Please note I use the word 'most' in all of my statements, meaning not all... because that's true. The good news is with ABS, nobody is going to accidentally drop this bike on purpose. In fact, I'd challenge most here to 'lay down' this bike and see if they can do it, and how ;D... if I had a spare ABS Connie to do that. Bottom line is drive defensively enough to never be on that situation. And if you are, brake like hell and let your reflexes/experience take over, meaning you NEED to practice panic braking if you're not used to it already, meaning that you're actually braking hard enough to invoke ABS ;). Have a good one folks.
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Sometimes there comes a point, regardless of what led up to that point, you just have to chose.....head or gut.
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I couldn't raise even a whimper from the counter steering video?
This forum is all so enlightened and knowledgeable that we are all true believers and practitioners of counter steering, all are doing spot avoidance to hammer it in on a regular basis? Seeing as it's the polar opposite of car driving I find I need to keep in practice so if (when?) that day comes, I make the right moves...
Pick a feature on the road, do an evasion using counter steering, repeat often. Seriously exercise the front brakes even on the ABS models. You may be surprised at how much arm it takes to resist YOUR forward momentum. Not so great if the bike's safely stopped but you are facedown over the fairing.
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Troublemaker..
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Sometimes there comes a point, regardless of what led up to that point, you just have to chose.....head or gut.
??? +1
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Sometimes there comes a point, regardless of what led up to that point, you just have to chose.....head or gut.
Without knowledge and constant PRACTICE of the correct techniques the gut will maim or kill you.
The gut just told someone lay "r" down was the right answer!
Once you've laid it down you will go UNDER whatever you contact. I'll take the top side of the oncoming if it comes to that, thank you very much!
Top level motorcycle racers STILL go out and do a practice lap before the race. Warm up the bike but they know that overnight they have lost some of the edge and need to bring focus and concentration to top form. We may not be two wheel sliding through the corners but our days are filled with distracted cagers that don't notice our existence.
Troublemaker? Who? Me? :o
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:)
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Just a thought...
Uh, no on your little over thinking cross stitched wall hanger. Here's some quotes from Ronin for moto riders:
Spence: You think too hard.
Sam: Nobody ever told me that before.
____________
Spence: You worried about saving your own skin?
Sam: Yeah, I am. It covers my body.
____________
Sam: Whenever there is any doubt, there is no doubt. That's the first thing they teach you.
Vincent: Who taught you?
Sam: I don't remember. That's the second thing they teach you.
____________
Deirdre: You're scared!
Sam: Of course I'm scared! You think I'm reluctant because I'm happy?
____________
Sam: Either you're part of the problem or you're part of the solution or you're just part of the landscape.
____________
Sam: Good reflexes.
Gregor: Oh yeah, they die hard.
Sam: You're great in the locker room, pal, and your reflexes might die hard, but you're weak when you put your spikes on.
____________
Vincent: A friend of yours?
Sam: Yeah, we went to high school together.
Vincent: Well, everyone's your brother 'till the rent comes due.
____________
Everybody's a Hollywood script track star stud on the Internet. Hold on to your fear.
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Guys and girls, I don't know about yours but my 2012 Connie can handle a handful of brakes and is very controllable while doing it. My cop buddy had me on the course a while ago doing that exact drill, ride into a cone pattern at 40-45 mph and as soon as you enter you grab as much brake as you can and try to stop before reaching the other end, which isn't that far.
I'm here to tell you that at 45 mph those brakes work great and don't lock up. I grabbed front and back as hard as I could and the bike stopped and it stopped fast! There were no wobbles, slides, skids, no fear of the rear wheel lifting, nothing but seriously fast stopping power!
The drill was great because I left with more confidence in what the bike can do in that situation. My desire is to stay on the bike always and I will do all I can to make sure that happens.
On another note, and I'm sure I'll "open a can" here, my same cop buddy said their guys are getting new gear because they have gone and done a lot of research in gear and how safe it is. They currently use Tourmaster (as do I) and they have discovered that Tourmaster and a lot of jackets and pants that we buy in that class of gear pretty much suck when it hits pavement. I heard the talk last night from him and it does scare a person when you hear the stories. He claims that wearing the gear I currently wear is like wearing nothing. I disagreed and said it's better than nothing but what he did say was that in a sliding crash the material in those jackets tends to "melt" into your skin! Thoughts...Maxtog ;)?
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Open away..
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Everybody has heard of gear melting. What we didn’t hear was what's the new gear?
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You mean my jeans and Hein Gericke aren't the latest? C'mon guys, I just started wearing Tourmaster pants this year!
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LOL ... the stuff the local "fuzz" is getting is here http://www.motoport.com/ (http://www.motoport.com/)
I told him it's not the "prettiest" stuff I've seen and it is expensive. He said "it looks much better in person" and it's supposed to be really effective when protecting you in a crash (God forbid) and the mesh seems to be the ticket because they come with a "zip-in" liner that keeps you toasty in the cold. Supposedly it's much, much stronger and has much better "tear" resistance than the jackets we (I) typically buy. Reports are, from paramedics, that the stuff is difficult to cut off when they need to remove it from a crash victim nad that the jackets hold up very well when they are sliding on the pavement.
Expensive doesn't do well here in my house so I told my buddy (he happens to be my best friend for the last 30 years) to call my wife and if he can convince her to let me buy one of those jackets that drinks are me (even though I don't drink but you get the picture) :chugbeer:
When it comes to protection I'd like to think function outweighs "pretty" ... you guys with me on that one :thumbs:?
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Looks good to me. I think I will make this stuff my next outfit. Thanks for link.
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Looks good to me. I think I will make this stuff my next outfit. Thanks for link.
My pleasure
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I'm here to tell you that at 45 mph those brakes work great and don't lock up. I grabbed front and back as hard as I could and the bike stopped and it stopped fast! There were no wobbles, slides, skids, no fear of the rear wheel lifting, nothing but seriously fast stopping power!
The drill was great because I left with more confidence in what the bike can do in that situation. My desire is to stay on the bike always and I will do all I can to make sure that happens.
Just keep in mind that was straight-line braking on perfect, dry pavement. Things are often not that perfect. Practice is good, though. The hardest thing to do is dealing with avoidance and slowing in a corner.... and that is often what wipes people the most. Least visibility, most likely place to have unnoticed debris or sand/leaves, bicycle, deer, whatever.
He claims that wearing the gear I currently wear is like wearing nothing. I disagreed and said it's better than nothing but what he did say was that in a sliding crash the material in those jackets tends to "melt" into your skin! Thoughts...Maxtog ;)?
I agree with you, not them. The Tourmaster might be nylon, and yes, it will melt under high friction. But it is *armored* in the places that matter the most- the back, the shoulders, the elbows. That armor not only protects from impact, but it also protects from skidding and also absorbs energy (all while isolation from the outer nylon layers). Nothing is black-and-white, just shades of grey. My favorite answer to such questions is "it depends" :)
I am sure that a super-expense, very heavy, non-water resistant, hard-to-maintain armored leather jacket would be better overall protection, but it isn't necessarily a realistic option for everyone (for the first four adjectives I listed).
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LOL ... the stuff the local "fuzz" is getting is here http://www.motoport.com/ (http://www.motoport.com/)
I told him it's not the "prettiest" stuff I've seen and it is expensive. He said "it looks much better in person" and it's supposed to be really effective when protecting you in a crash (God forbid) and the mesh seems to be the ticket because they come with a "zip-in" liner that keeps you toasty in the cold. Supposedly it's much, much stronger and has much better "tear" resistance than the jackets we (I) typically buy. Reports are, from paramedics, that the stuff is difficult to cut off when they need to remove it from a crash victim nad that the jackets hold up very well when they are sliding on the pavement.
Expensive doesn't do well here in my house so I told my buddy (he happens to be my best friend for the last 30 years) to call my wife and if he can convince her to let me buy one of those jackets that drinks are me (even though I don't drink but you get the picture) :chugbeer:
When it comes to protection I'd like to think function outweighs "pretty" ... you guys with me on that one :thumbs:?
P/whipped- tell your wife that if you fall off without proper protection, she will probably have to find a new husband, as you will be too messed up- (only tell her this if you are secure in your relationship).
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:rotflmao:
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P/whipped- tell your wife that if you fall off without proper protection, she will probably have to find a new husband, as you will be too messed up- (only tell her this if you are secure in your relationship).
Lololololol...I was wondering when you'd chime in about that!
I am secure in my marriage, very secure, but trying to convince someone who doesn't understand the difference or doesn't care to learn what the difference is seems an impossible task at times!
Guys, we're talking about a woman here, you know...those things that are completely unreasonable, unrealistic, irrational, and think completely opposite of us guys who know everything, are completely rational, reasonable, and Realistic in the things we know and what we know we need!
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Lololololol...I was wondering when you'd chime in about that!
I am secure in my marriage, very secure, but trying to convince someone who doesn't understand the difference or doesn't care to learn what the difference is seems an impossible task at times!
Guys, we're talking about a woman here, you know...those things that are completely unreasonable, unrealistic, irrational, and think completely opposite of us guys who know everything, are completely rational, reasonable, and Realistic in the things we know and what we know we need!
Ouch!
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Have to agree with Sailor Chic on the ouch. That was a bit harsh. Then again WW1 (wicked wife 1) fit the description. WW2 (wonderful wife 2) is not at all like that, so I am blessed. Plus she loves to ride!
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In my humble opinion you have to lots of confidence to ride a motorcycle on highways, inner city,
and rural areas, with each one presenting it's own challenges. If you lose your edge it might be
best to sit it out until you get it back. Riding a motorcycle requires cat like reflexes and nerves of steel
to watch out for moving objects coming at you from all directions with the power to take you out
or injure you. . .
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In my humble opinion you have to lots of confidence to ride a motorcycle on highways, inner city,
and rural areas, with each one presenting it's own challenges. If you lose your edge it might be
best to sit it out until you get it back. Riding a motorcycle requires cat like reflexes and nerves of steel
to watch out for moving objects coming at you from all directions with the power to take you out
or injure you. . .
You can't get the edge back unless you're actually sharpening the knife.
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In my humble opinion you have to lots of confidence to ride a motorcycle on highways, inner city,
and rural areas, with each one presenting it's own challenges. If you lose your edge it might be
best to sit it out until you get it back. Riding a motorcycle requires cat like reflexes and nerves of steel
to watch out for moving objects coming at you from all directions with the power to take you out
or injure you. . .
Most people have cat like reflexes, if you're talking about my lazy cat who lays around all day.
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Lololololol...I was wondering when you'd chime in about that!
I am secure in my marriage, very secure, but trying to convince someone who doesn't understand the difference or doesn't care to learn what the difference is seems an impossible task at times!
Guys, we're talking about a woman here, you know...those things that are completely unreasonable, unrealistic, irrational, and think completely opposite of us guys who know everything, are completely rational, reasonable, and Realistic in the things we know and what we know we need!
Mikeb2411, I couldn't resist and you are a good sport. Your description also fits my ex-wife unless it's something that she 'needs' like jewelry, shoes, botox, makeup...
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You can't get the edge back unless you're actually sharpening the knife.
I *really* like that phrase
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Most people have cat like reflexes, if you're talking about my lazy cat who lays around all day.
If you ride 55 mph, cat like reflexes not needed, but if you are cutting lanes at 80 mph. . .
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If you ride 55 mph, cat like reflexes not needed, but if you are cutting lanes at 80 mph. . .
I'm like Spiderman on my bike. You have to have "Spidey senses" here in So. Cal. You can't ride 55 on the freeways here or you'll get taken out from behind. You have to develop "Spidey senses" and then get on it and "trust the force Luke" ;)
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Mikeb2411, I couldn't resist and you are a good sport. Your description also fits my ex-wife unless it's something that she 'needs' like jewelry, shoes, botox, makeup...
You can keep em coming Connie14boy but I will have my revenge ;D. Just fooling with you. I talk like that about my wife but like I said before, she's actually really good to me and does a great job putting up with me. She has to pull the reigns or I'd go crazy! As hard as this is to believe, I may be finished farkling this bike. I'm currently adding Cruise back to my bike and rewiring everything so everything is soldered and all my connections are bullets going to my PDM60. Once I finish this I plan on leaving it alone and enjoying the bike until I buy a new one in the next year to year-and-a-half. I went to IMS over the last weekend and saw this
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a209/mikeb2411/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-11/20151121_105400_zps0rqmn6se.jpg) (http://s12.photobucket.com/user/mikeb2411/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-11/20151121_105400_zps0rqmn6se.jpg.html)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a209/mikeb2411/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-11/20151121_104442_zpssogqgued.jpg) (http://s12.photobucket.com/user/mikeb2411/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-11/20151121_104442_zpssogqgued.jpg.html)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a209/mikeb2411/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-11/20151121_104434_zps0n6skmbe.jpg) (http://s12.photobucket.com/user/mikeb2411/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-11/20151121_104434_zps0n6skmbe.jpg.html)
It was so "pretty". I really liked the new silver and it was sitting next to a black one and I thought I was sold on black but the silver looked better IMO. I am going to wait to see if Kawi is changing the 2107 model much. If they aren't I will probably buy this model and color.
BTW Connie14boy, you can just call me "Mike", no need for the rest of the tag.
Mike
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According to Cycle News "Kawasaki dropped a bombshell at EICMA, announcing there would be 12 new models coming out in the next 2 years."
http://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/605808-cycle-news-2015-issue-47-november-24 (http://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/605808-cycle-news-2015-issue-47-november-24)
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Well, it's never to early to speculate on the 2017 models so someone open a thread on that when you get a chance... ::)
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Who me? :1DeadBanana I don't want to be that guy.
I added it here for the sake of mikeb2411 who is enamored with the 2016. He might want to wait. I also posted it on the thread about the rumored 2016 changes.
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I went to IMS over the last weekend and saw this
It was so "pretty". I really liked the new silver and it was sitting next to a black one and I thought I was sold on black but the silver looked better IMO. I am going to wait to see if Kawi is changing the 2107 model much. If they aren't I will probably buy this model and color.
There is only one [true] silver, it is the 2011. And that looks exactly like the 2011. 2016 colors do not include silver, so I am not sure what it was you saw there.... Perhaps a leftover? A sample? A one-off?
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=20250.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=20250.0)
UPDATE: Looked again, it is the new Moondust Gray color, which is nice!
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There is only one [true] silver, it is the 2011. And that looks exactly like the 2011. 2016 colors do not include silver, so I am not sure what it was you saw there.... Perhaps a leftover? A sample? A one-off?
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=20250.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=20250.0)
It was advertised as a 2016 and listed all the available 2016 add-ons for the bike. It had the new windscreen and it had the "comfort seat" as well as the new tank bag and trunk on the stock rack. All of the information on it said "2016" so they're lying, making it up, or don't know what they're talking about ... or it is actually a 2016 in silver :o
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That's about right....left over paint before the new super duper deluxe model comes out in 2017.
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It was advertised as a 2016 and listed all the available 2016 add-ons for the bike. It had the new windscreen and it had the "comfort seat" as well as the new tank bag and trunk on the stock rack. All of the information on it said "2016" so they're lying, making it up, or don't know what they're talking about ... or it is actually a 2016 in silver :o
Ah- it is the lighting. I went back and looked at the photo again. It is not silver. It is Moondust Gray! Sorry about that. Was looking at only the first photo which is under VERY bright light and a little over-exposed.
I *do* like the color.
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Ah- it is the lighting. I went back and looked at the photo again. It is not silver. It is Moondust Gray! Sorry about that. Was looking at only the first photo which is under VERY bright light and a little over-exposed.
I *do* like the color.
Hey Max, don't be knocking my "amateur" photography skills! I work hard just to get pics like that!!
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Hey Max, don't be knocking my "amateur" photography skills! I work hard just to get pics like that!!
No offense meant! Pretty good pix!
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Most people never do get comfy on a bike. The same people that get 10,000 miles out of their tires. ;)
IMHO it's quite the opposite. People who ARE comfortable on their bikes can get more than 10,000 miles on their tires as they lean more. If you lean scraping your pegs then the outer sides of the tire take some portion of the wear allowing the tire to wear more evenly thus more millage can be squeezed. If you are not comfortable on your bike and ride more upright than only the middle of the tires will take the wear. The middle will worn faster and the tire will become not usable even if the sides are still good.
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No offense meant! Pretty good pix!
None taken
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IMHO it's quite the opposite. People who ARE comfortable on their bikes can get more than 10,000 miles on their tires as they lean more. If you lean scraping your pegs then the outer sides of the tire take some portion of the wear allowing the tire to wear more evenly thus more millage can be squeezed. If you are not comfortable on your bike and ride more upright than only the middle of the tires will take the wear. The middle will worn faster and the tire will become not usable even if the sides are still good.
You train of thought is derailed. I'm very comfortable on my bike. I do 12,000 plus miles a year, I have worn peg feelers on both sides and bubbys on 600rr's struggle to keep up in the corners. And the last set of tires I had mounted are 80% worn on the edges and they only have 1900 miles on them.
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You train of thought is derailed. I'm very comfortable on my bike. I do 12,000 plus miles a year, I have worn peg feelers on both sides and bubbys on 600rr's struggle to keep up in the corners. And the last set of tires I had mounted are 80% worn on the edges and they only have 1900 miles on them.
I may be wrong then :) You need to take into account the heavy braking of course.
The description of your riding style is the exact match of the way I ride but my average is probably less than 1200 miles as I am in Canada where the season is short. Still less than 2500 miles on a set of tires is to little. What kind of tires you have?
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IMHO it's quite the opposite. People who ARE comfortable on their bikes can get more than 10,000 miles on their tires as they lean more. If you lean scraping your pegs then the outer sides of the tire take some portion of the wear allowing the tire to wear more evenly thus more millage can be squeezed. If you are not comfortable on your bike and ride more upright than only the middle of the tires will take the wear. The middle will worn faster and the tire will become not usable even if the sides are still good.
You train of thought is derailed. I'm very comfortable on my bike. I do 12,000 plus miles a year, I have worn peg feelers on both sides and bubbys on 600rr's struggle to keep up in the corners. And the last set of tires I had mounted are 80% worn on the edges and they only have 1900 miles on them.
Well, I wish I lived in a place that had so many curves that I spent most of my time on the sides of my tires. Unfortunately I don't, and most other people don't either. Therefore the original comment is pretty accurate IMHO. If you are able to lean more when you do come to a corner it will spread the wear out over the entire tire instead of just the center. I have very little in the way of chicken strips but I'm not Johnny Racer like you and since the corners are few and far between around here, I tend to get more wear on the center of the tires. When I'm in a corner, however, the centers are taking a rest! :chugbeer:
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IMHO it's quite the opposite. People who ARE comfortable on their bikes can get more than 10,000 miles on their tires as they lean more. If you lean scraping your pegs then the outer sides of the tire take some portion of the wear allowing the tire to wear more evenly thus more millage can be squeezed. If you are not comfortable on your bike and ride more upright than only the middle of the tires will take the wear. The middle will worn faster and the tire will become not usable even if the sides are still good.
Although partly true my original post was more on the joke side as a reply to this comment:Most people never do get comfy on a bike. The same people that get 10,000 miles out of their tires. ;)
which could be offensive to some riders.
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I may be wrong then :) You need to take into account the heavy braking of course.
The description of your riding style is the exact match of the way I ride but my average is probably less than 1200 miles as I am in Canada where the season is short. Still less than 2500 miles on a set of tires is to little. What kind of tires you have?
Used to run Angel GT's but this last set i tried a set of B.S. T30 GT's. Got 5000 out of my last Angel rear but that included a bit of freeway to my trips. This last trip was 95% 2 lane twisty mountain roads, the front looked great but as you can see in the pic this was my rear after 1900.
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Used to run Angel GT's but this last set i tried a set of B.S. T30 GT's. Got 5000 out of my last Angel rear but that included a bit of freeway to my trips. This last trip was 95% 2 lane twisty mountain roads, the front looked great but as you can see in the pic this was my rear after 1900.
I'm currently running the Angel GT's. How do you like the B.S. T30's?
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Used to run Angel GT's but this last set i tried a set of B.S. T30 GT's. Got 5000 out of my last Angel rear but that included a bit of freeway to my trips. This last trip was 95% 2 lane twisty mountain roads, the front looked great but as you can see in the pic this was my rear after 1900.
You should (if you haven't yet) try Michelin Pilot Road 4 GT. The GT, not the regular. These are IMHO superior to any other available for the Connie.
This is a interesting pic you've posted. Is it just me seeing wrong or it is actually the sides of the tire worn more than the center?
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You should (if you haven't yet) try Michelin Pilot Road 4 GT. The GT, mot the regular. These are IMHO superior to any other available for the Connie.
This is a interesting pic you've posted. Is it just me seeing wrong or it is actually the sides of the tire worn more than the center?
I've had 3 sets of them already. Well, 2 sets of the PR4 and one of the PR3. I wanted to try others that cost less to see what I can get out of them. It's too soon to tell on the Pirelli's but I have to admit I like the feel of the PR4's better so I will more-than-likely go back to those. I ride a lot, pretty much everyday and put 20,000+ a year on my bike so forking out over $500 every tire change gets old after a while!
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I ride a lot, pretty much everyday and put 20,000+ a year on my bike so forking out over $500 every tire change gets old after a while!
Agree
I have to admit I like the feel of the PR4's better
And agree.. Less than 1mm chicken strip on these :)
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I've had 3 sets of them already. Well, 2 sets of the PR4 and one of the PR3.
Neither of those are the PR4GT, which is what he was recommending...
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Neither of those are the PR4GT, which is what he was recommending...
Yeah The GT 'thingy' is important :)
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Neither of those are the PR4GT, which is what he was recommending...
You guys, come on now...just because I typed the PR4 and not the GT...really? To make you happy, I have had 1 set of PR3 GT's and 2 sets of PR4 GT's. Why would someone NOT put the GT on their bike? I guess maybe some do but I wonder why they wouldn't go GT? You guys and your details ::)!!
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OK ;)
Please tell me about the tire on the picture you posted. Is it really more worn on the edges than at the center?
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Yeah The GT 'thingy' is important :)
GT = Good Tire ?
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GT = Good Tire ?
Or maybe Great Tire? ;)
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You guys, come on now...just because I typed the PR4 and not the GT...really? To make you happy, I have had 1 set of PR3 GT's and 2 sets of PR4 GT's.
Michelin didn't make a Pilot Road GT model until the PR4 :)
Why would someone NOT put the GT on their bike? I guess maybe some do but I wonder why they wouldn't go GT?
The GT variant was designed *specifically* for heavy sports-touring like the Concours 1400. The C14 is heavy, even solo, and the extra support will help the tire keep the proper shape for longer tread life and better performance. Yet some people believe that they don't need the extra sidewall rigidity because they only ride solo and should save the $19 in price and/or believe they will somehow get better performance out of the non-GT.
You guys and your details ::)!!
God is in the details! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_devil_is_in_the_detail
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The GT variant was designed *specifically* for heavy sports-touring like the Concours 1400. The C14 is heavy, even solo, and the extra support will help the tire keep the proper shape for longer tread life and better performance.
+1
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Michelin didn't make a Pilot Road GT model until the PR4 :)
The GT variant was designed *specifically* for heavy sports-touring like the Concours 1400. The C14 is heavy, even solo, and the extra support will help the tire keep the proper shape for longer tread life and better performance. Yet some people believe that they don't need the extra sidewall rigidity because they only ride solo and should save the $19 in price and/or believe they will somehow get better performance out of the non-GT.
God is in the details! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_devil_is_in_the_detail
What I have found to be most important for the twisties and hi-speed sweepers is a rear tire PR4 with a 55 profile- no tire holds a better line and gets me a gigglin' in my helmet.
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Tire threads are starting to look like oil threads, Geez C-14 owners have thousands of miles
on PR-2 - PR-4 with no issues.
I can't fault Michelin for their marketing campaign though and until Michelin puts out bulletin advising otherwise PR-2 through
PR-4 tires are made for the C-14. I do not like the effort required to install the GT and the ride is much harsher according to those that tried them
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You guys, come on now...just because I typed the PR4 and not the GT...really? To make you happy, I have had 1 set of PR3 GT's and 2 sets of PR4 GT's. Why would someone NOT put the GT on their bike? I guess maybe some do but I wonder why they wouldn't go GT? You guys and your details ::)!!
Mike, you know how it is around here. You need to say and type everything perfect. Thanks for your correction. Oh, by the way, you forgot a comma in your sentence too. :)
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You need to say and type everything perfect.
perfectly
;D
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What I have found to be most important for the twisties and hi-speed sweepers is a rear tire PR4 with a 55 profile- no tire holds a better line and gets me a gigglin' in my helmet.
+1 for the 55
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perfectly
;D
:rotflmao:
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Mike, you know how it is around here. You need to say and type everything perfect. Thanks for your correction. Oh, by the way, you forgot a comma in your sentence too. :)
LOL...sorry! Max, where were you when I forgot the comma????
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Correct punktuation and speling appreciated...
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LOL...sorry! Max, where were you when I forgot the comma????
Sorry, but I am not a grammar nazi! http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Grammar+Nazi (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Grammar+Nazi)
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You should (if you haven't yet) try Michelin Pilot Road 4 GT. The GT, not the regular. These are IMHO superior to any other available for the Connie.
This is a interesting pic you've posted. Is it just me seeing wrong or it is actually the sides of the tire worn more than the center?
Yes its worn on the edge, maybe not right on the edg but about 1in front the edge. That spot that looks like a wear bar on the shoulder of the tire wasn't a wear bar its the bottom of the tread. Here is a pic of what the tread should look like
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I'm currently running the Angel GT's. How do you like the B.S. T30's?
They feel geat, the front is wearing well but the rear worn out quick. The problem i was having with the angels was cupping of the front tire that went away with the T30. Id say bang for buck on the pair its about a even trade. I might try the PR4 next after i mount another t30 rear and use up the front some more. All this is based on a heavy 300lb agressive rider.
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:finger_fing11: :chugbeer:
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Sorry, but I am not a grammar nazi! http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Grammar+Nazi (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Grammar+Nazi)
If you post a LINK to the very definition of Grammar Nazi .. . while declaring you are NOT a Grammar NazI!! . . . you ... .. .sir .. .. I'm afraid .. . . are a Grammar Nazi!
:battle:
:chugbeer:
zee gile!
(http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx321/mr_beeps/nazb_zpswdohuae4.gif)
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If you post a LINK to the very definition of Grammar Nazi .. . while declaring you are NOT a Grammar NazI!! . . . you ... .. .sir .. .. I'm afraid .. . . are a Grammar Nazi!
Nope, that makes me a link nazi!!
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zee gile!
Uh...at the risk of being a Grammar Nazi myself, I'd suggest that the proper way to spell that Nazi salute is:
Sieg heil!
Make sure to click your boot heels together, eh? :)
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Uh...at the risk of being a Grammar Nazi myself, I'd suggest that the proper way to spell that Nazi salute is:
Sieg heil!
Make sure to click your boot heels together, eh? :)
zee gile!
(http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx321/mr_beeps/nazb_zpswdohuae4.gif)
... I said!
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zee gile!
(http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx321/mr_beeps/nazb_zpswdohuae4.gif)
... I said!
Uh huh. I heard you the first time. It's still wrong. (Though your boot heels click perfectly.) :deadhorse: