[Lochwood]

Ok I have been riding for about 10 years now but really only manage the odd day out about once a fortnight. I still see myself as being quite experienced but I never seem to manage using all the side tread on tyres. You know where you are when you see the lines on front and rear tyres (fanny lines)I have recently purchased my blue gsxs and is without a doubt the best handling bike I have ever owned. I always feel I am leaning pretty far over but when i check tyres I still have around half an inch to spare. What's the secret?


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[ackack]

They are called chicken strips in the UK and I really wouldn't worry about it.
The secret is to lean more and use TC1 or off. The moment you start to think about chicken strips could be the moment you run out of talent. They will go in time.

 

[JeffroGymnast]

If you are using correct body position, your bike won't need to lean as much. If you are keeping up in the corners with less lean angle that just means you're shifting your body mass more.

 

[dekker]

You need to find a quiet bend and practice using a little more speed/lean each time. Do not look at the road in front of you but look right through the bend to where you want to go. When the peg blobs start scraping you will be near as my photo. Still plenty more lean left if you want but that's about my limit on the road these days aged 74.

 

[Lochwood]

Thanks for that dekker I'll give it s go.


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[rcannon409]

Consider this stolen...."The moment you start to think about chicken strips could be the moment you run out of talent."

Seriously, listen to what Ackact said.

Would I be a fast runner if my shoes were worn out?

 

[Thumper07]

I've been riding 32 years. About 8-10,000 miles a year. I'm pretty fast and think I'm a pretty good rider with excellent traffic prediction skills. I've never been a knee dragger though, and never will. I have 3/4" chicken strips, even when I go to Tail of the Dragon. About 8 years ago I had an accident that killed me, they revived me at the scene. It was pretty bad. I've mellowed out a lot since then. You don't have to be a knee dragger to be a good rider. I've learned to predict traffic patterns and other rider's behavior in different situations. It's uncanny how I can zip/weave in and out of hairy near-death situations with a smile on my face without ever getting upset. I'm no knee dragger, but I make up for it in other areas.

Just ride the way you ride and have fun. Remember, no matter how good someone is...there is always someone better

Wow, Dekker! 74 and tearing it up! (they don't have a bowing smiley otherwise I would post one here)

 

[rickster]

My BoxerCup Replica had a 180/55 rear tire instead of the basic 160 rear tire. So, there essentially wasn't anyway I was ever going to remove the last 1/2-inch or so of chicken strip. I used to get a kick out of some guys hyperfixating on no chicken strips and then I go riding with them and never come close to being passed by them. Anway, it is not necessary a consistent gage of someone's cornering speed. On the other hand I have a friend with an old 900 SS Ducati that has his rear tire looks like Dekker's from riding only at our local Canyon Lake squid road ( and he is pretty fast in with a Mike Hailwood-style of riding). Others can lean off and not use so much of the side wall. If one is worried about speed, put the bike on the clock and do track days, right? I found removing chicken strips to be infinitely easier by visiting your local dragstrip and lower the pressure until the whole tread surface is used in the burnout box. .

 

[ronmongo7]

Props Dekkerthats Awesome 74!!!!
Hope to b riding at that age too
Ride Safe my friend !

 

[wolverine495]

Fair play to dekker

> fair play to Dekker!!!! Are any you chaps aware of Mr Keith Code and
the california superbike school and his excellent book " a twist of the wrist 1 and 2". I would recommend as a must read to improve your riding skills, clearly Dekker does not need too!!!.

I personally trying and concentrate on my line through the corner, Throttle control and counter steering to turn the bike quickly and get it on the right trajectory by looking right through the bend and not in front of me. Sometimes
I hang off which reduces lean angle, but generally I use countersteering and the throttle to control the bike, hence my purchase of a power commander to smooth
it out.

 

[Thumper07]

Twist of the Wrist is THE BIBLE for the sport bike community. It's been on my night stand, next to my bed, for the past 20 years. The book will make the reader a better rider in all aspects, safety and performance. The most important thing I learned from the reading is looking straight at the horizon and using my peripheral vision to look at everything around me, as opposed to actually looking at everything. I can see a thousand times faster just by looking straight ahead. That little trick in itself saved me uncountable times because you learn to see what others don't.

The second most important to me was the Survival Reactions and chopping the throttle. I've had experienced friends go down from chopping the throttle in a tight turn at Deal's Gap and I learned that, no matter what the circumstances, always continue to roll on the throttle slowly through every turn. It took a LOT of practice to control my SRs (Survival reactions) because it's like being startled, one can't really control it. Or sneezing. After a lot of practice one can slowly begin to learn how to control it.

Because that's how vast majority of accidents are caused from. Jerking the car wheel too quickly because you're startled that someone just swerved into your lane. That "over compensation" now causes the car to slide and spin out of control, resulting in a violent uncontrollable crash. Had the driver learn to control their Survival Reactions, they would have calmly, but quickly, smoothly turned the wheel just the right amount to avoid the oncoming car.

 

[wolverine495]

re: survival reactions ouch!!!

I totally agree Fanny Lines, I only recently became aware of Mr code's
book, although I have been riding for 30 years.

I had a bad accident last year in which I broke my pelvis and had 3 months
off work due to Survival reactions causing me to chop the throttle and I lost
the front end on a Kawasaki Z1000sx (brand new 6 days old) and hit a bank and
concrete manhole cover which broke my pelvis and wrote off the bike.

I was then introduced to mr Code's book and it is definitely my bible and my
riding has improved ten fold!!

Pic of rear tyre after 500 miles on the clock attached.

 

[dekker]

I can't pull a wheelie and I can't hang off, well I can up to a point, but it's painful getting back on the seat again due to knackered knees.
However I can and do ride fast, every bend is a challenge to see how well I can take it. I still need my "adrenaline fix" and that's how I get it.
I also used to be able to cruise along enjoying the scenery when in the mood, but now find it almost impossible with this bike - there is a > in it.

 

[wolverine495]

Dekier I certainly don't hang off very often but this bike really likes it and yes it does have a devil in it! I have a honda cbf 1000 as well which I ride two up with the missus. That is completely different and very smooth but still surprisingly rapid as it has a very torquey engine and a good chassis. I actually achieve higher top speeds on that as the fairing is so good. You can cruise at 120 no problem. No chicken strips at all on that but has only a 160 rear tyre.

 

[DTM74]

 

[slothman]

^^lmao

 

[Patroontjie]

Here is how my dad tought me since I started riding road bikes at the age of 16(now almost 26):

1) get comfortable with the bike you are riding.
2) get confidence with the bike you are riding.
3) look about 3-4 bike lengths ahead of where you are for a start at a speed you are comfortable at.
4) once you start going a bit faster your line will change and where you look in the corner will change.
5) AND ALWAYS HAVE YOUR PERIFERAL VISION IN USE AT ALL TIMES.
6) do not focus on the start of the corner and then move your vision.
And last but not least, everyone has said the same thing pretty much consistantly before me, do not worry about your chicken strips/fannylines at all. Once you have everything sorted we all have mentioned then you will slowly either get them smaller or they will stay the same but you will go much faster.

We are heading deep into winter here but we still have some good days on the weekends for riding and I try and go out to the twisties my dad took me to go and ride after riding for the first time because it is actually a very good stretch of road to learn(again) on what to do and focus on being smooth and consistent the whole time.

My dad did teach me a couple of other tricks to use to make me turn at higher speeds but I am not at that level yet because I am not confident enough yet to try going faster(missed out on riding for about 2years).

 

[Warfasts16]

Practice left and right until both feel natural.