Coming up on an unfamiliar turn

BranNwebster · Oct 9, 2008

So your out riding on a road you've never been down and your coming up on a turn. The turn has a suggested/caution speed limit. Now not to many people except for maybe the overly cautious follow these suggestions, me included, I take them as fast as I can. As a rule of thumb I usually add 50% to the suggested speed, meaning if it's 40 I am comfortable taking it at 60, now this is in my semi sporty altima.

Now on the FZ it's a whole different story I have no idea. I did hit a pair of successive 45's the other day at about 55. It didn't seem to slow or to fast, so my bike approach speed seems to fall into about the 20% range.

I was just wondering if anyone else looks at these suggestions on an unfamiliar road and does a sort of calculation like I do? And if you do what is you comfort zone?

sportrider · Oct 9, 2008

it depends on how much visibility through the corner I have. if I can see the exit I'll rail it, if it's blind I'll back off a little so I don't get caught off guard in a decreasing radius corner with too much speed.

Scorphonic · Oct 9, 2008

haha comfort zone?

if it says 40 I go 30...simple as!! Too many crashes on my first bike on corners that I slow right down. Now I'm talking roads where only one car can pass safely in one direction. As for larger roads, i'll go the stated speed.

I look at the vanishing point to determine the severity of the turn...and judge my position and speed according to that.

champion221elite · Oct 9, 2008

In my area, it's usually safe to add about 20 mph to any cautionary speed sign. However, if I'm riding on an unfamiliar road, I'll usually stay closer to the cautionary speed sign. My main reason for doing so is the hilly/ curvy terrain in my area.

Fall in Northern Michigan is often rainy which washes sand and gravel from the shoulders and deposits the debris directly on the road surface. I'd rather take an unknown curve slower to avoid dumping my bike. Once I know the curve is free of gravel, I'll step up my speed a bit and increase my lean angle.

Better safe than sorry.

Hellgate · Oct 9, 2008

I typcially add about 50 to 75% to the warning speed. Once I know the road I'll to 2X the warning, usually.

What I like to do is go wide, square off and dive to the apex. That approach allows you a lookie-loo through the corner to see gravel, sticks, dead deer, cyclists, holes, etc.

We will get plenty of practice this weekend! :thumbup: W

hen in doubt, throttle back. You can always turn around and try the corner again once you've been through it.

BranNwebster · Oct 9, 2008

Hellgate said:
I typcially add about 50 to 75% to the warning speed. Once I know the road I'll to 2X the warning, usually.

What I like to do is go wide, square off and dive to the apex. That approach allows you a lookie-loo through the corner to see gravel, sticks, dead deer, cyclists, holes, etc.

We will get plenty of practice this weekend! :thumbup: W

hen in doubt, throttle back. You can always turn around and try the corner again once you've been through it.

WELL HELL YEAH!

2x the warning,, You are a madman!

Sawblade · Oct 9, 2008

If I like the turn, I'll come back and do it again.

wrightme43 · Oct 9, 2008

Thats something you have to be real careful with.

Sometimes just a change in countys will change what you can add. There are places here where a 25 mph sign means 25-30 and where it means 60 is fine. I was driving in the truck today and saw a giant chunk of log lying all in the driving lane.

Really its best to ignore the hell out of the signs, especially dont relie on them to warn you of a corner. The get stolen, drove over, blown down and what not.

Scab · Oct 9, 2008

Yeah, what wrightme43 said. There is no dependable science to what is posted. Around here, you could nearly double the posted limit through any turn and come out the other side. Recently, though, on a trip to West Virginia, I noticed some of the posted limits on their roads...whoa! There were many that left me thinking, "You're kidding, right?" I mean, they have commonly and regularly placed limit signs reading "55" on tight-*ss twisties! Some that I was crawling through at 45, thinking that I was haulin' *ss! Many of those roads left me just wishing I could do the limit through them!

Wolfman · Oct 9, 2008

sportrider said:
it depends on how much visibility through the corner I have. if I can see the exit I'll rail it, if it's blind I'll back off a little so I don't get caught off guard in a decreasing radius corner with too much speed.

Ditto :thumbup:

damnpoor · Oct 9, 2008

General rule for new roads:

If suggested speed is >35 add 15-20mph.
If suggested speed is <35 slow the hell down, it's probably sharp.

fz6nick · Oct 10, 2008

wrightme43 said:
I was driving in the truck today

QUOTE]

STEVE!!!:spank:

Ya, I always would take the turn very easy being unknown. If it is a sweet turn, with minimal traffic, hell, id take it 10 times.

Its like when i first rode palomar. I went the whole way up and down very slow. Then I rode the mountain in sections and learned where all the dec radius turns are.

steveindenmark · Oct 10, 2008

There are so many posts on here where people are saying "Oh I add 20%, 30%, 40% to the posted speed limit". In a few days there will be another thread where someone is whinging " Oh I got a speeding ticket" . So my comment before the speeding ticket thread turns up is "Oh I am so suprised you got a speeding ticket, how on earth did that happen?"

I am a tourer and not a speedster so my rule is "Always travel at the speed where you can see it is safe to stop".

If you hammer around bends where you cannot see, it is a bit like motorcycle Russian roulette.

Steve

necrotimus · Oct 10, 2008

My biggest fear in my area isnt taking a turn too fast for the turn but taking it too fast too be able to stop when there is traffic further ahead that you can't see. Most turns by me the exit is blind so I tend to stay at a speed where if traffic is stopped around the bend I can safely stop the bike in my lane. Not nearly as fun but I prefer to stay on the bike.

abacall · Oct 10, 2008

Wow, I'm surprised so many are blasting through unfamiliar territory. If I've never driven the road, I usually won't go more than 5-10 mph over. Too many variables.
My general rule on new roads is simple: be able to stop as though there's a car stopped on the road. On straights that's easy. On curves, that means being able to see completely through the turn before I throttle hard out.
Now on roads I know, it's a completely different story. :Flash:

damnpoor · Oct 10, 2008

steveindenmark said:
There are so many posts on here where people are saying \\\"Oh I add 20%, 30%, 40% to the posted speed limit\\\". In a few days there will be another thread where someone is whinging \\\" Oh I got a speeding ticket\\\" . So my comment before the speeding ticket thread turns up is \\\"Oh I am so suprised you got a speeding ticket, how on earth did that happen?\\\"

I am a tourer and not a speedster so my rule is \\\"Always travel at the speed where you can see it is safe to stop\\\".

If you hammer around bends where you cannot see, it is a bit like motorcycle Russian roulette.

Steve

We're not talking about speeding. Most turns have big yellow advisory signs giving you a suggested speed for the corner. This speed has to apply to all vehicles and is usually the speed a large truck should take. I can go around a turn on an FZ6 a lot faster and safer than someone in a giant SUV.

If the speed limit is 55 I will go 55, but if the caution sign advises 30mph and I go 40 I am adding about 30% to the advised speed without breaking any laws.

ozzieboy · Oct 10, 2008

I do indeed look at these advisory signs and start off by adding about 10km/h to a 25 and 35, and 15 to 20 on a 55km/h corner unless I can see all the way through them or know them. I did discover that some corners are ok at twice the limit. Good camber/visibility/no gravel shoulders/good run off with no rails or fences = no worries. :noworries:
Cheers
Mike

MarinaFazer · Oct 10, 2008

Hellgate said:
I typcially add about 50 to 75% to the warning speed. Once I know the road I'll to 2X the warning, usually.

You TWO-TIMIN' son-of-a..... haha

+1

necrotimus · Oct 10, 2008

chevrons... this symbol > on the sign is supposed to mean 25 mph or less but they are starting to get a little loose with them but if i see those i am on the brakes way before the turn

MarinaFazer · Oct 10, 2008

necrotimus said:
chevrons... this symbol > on the sign is supposed to mean 25 mph or less but they are starting to get a little loose with them but if i see those i am on the brakes way before the turn

go big or go home...just kiddin'

Coming up on an unfamiliar turn

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