Keeping your line; do you?

[MG-242]

It sounds like you're on the right track and have the right tools. Often times I'll actually measure the height of the mounted tire and adjust accordingly. Even though the sidewall states they are the same (e.g. 180\70) the overall height will differ from model to model and mfg to mfg.

 

[oldfast007]

This summer I started riding a skateboard with my 13 YO. I'd not been on one in 35 years! I found myself looking down at the board. I had to force myself to look at where I wanted to go. Once I did that I was doing much better, but I still suck

Awesome, please tell me you have the proper gear on while doing so.:thumbup:

 

[Andz]

As long as I stay on the road I'm happy.

 

[FinalImpact]

This summer I started riding a skateboard with my 13 YO. I'd not been on one in 35 years! I found myself looking down at the board. I had to force myself to look at where I wanted to go. Once I did that I was doing much better, but I still suck

Awesome, please tell me you have the proper gear on while doing so.:thumbup:

I still ride this....
46" bomber! Actual deck is a Sector 9 "Bomb Hills Not Countries" lol

Since that shot its sporting 72mm wheels. It Halls ASS and turns pretty well too!

No comment about the gear question... but its gonna hurt of something goes wrong!

 

[Misti]

Interesting post for sure. What I'd like to know is for the guys that are keeping their intended line 90-95% of the time, what is your secret? What do you think the key to keeping your line is? Is it all visual? Throttle control, where you entered the turn?

Misti

 

[FinalImpact]

^^ I think I just wrote a novel!!!
This may come across as odd, but I never thought in detail about how straying true to my "chosen line" happens! For me a big part is seeing the road and knowing how its layout will affect the bike. As in, will the bike do what I'm asking of it or will it be upset and stray off course. In short if I predict properly, the path has been chosen and the bike and I are linked as one. Basically I expect it on the dime and it is "on a dime" unless I predicted wrong and DIDN'T take something into account. I'm not sure if that makes sense?

An example is this; In the corner ahead I see a dip just before the apex of the turn. If I hit that dip at speed I will be launched, be unable to turn, and I will go wide and miss my line (and likely miss the turn completely). So before I ever hit the dip I know how the bike will respond, I've anticipated where it will be after the dip, and I adjust before it happens which keeps me where I intended to be.

In short, can you accurately predict how your bike will respond to most events? If yes, you should be able to hold your line.

To learn and be ahead of the curve (our limits) I push the boundary before being backed into a corner and having to deliver. That is, I know what the bike will do if I pin it in 1st gear while leaned over (will it bust loose, will raise the nose, will we slide out, will it stand up, etc), if I lock the back tire, if I lean too much going too slow, if I don't lean enough in a corner, etc.. .. .. I try to equal the playing field by placing us as a pair into situations before it really matters so I know what to expect! Essentially testing the water before it gets too deep and I don't have the skills for the level I'm riding at. Does that make sense?

The other day it rained for the first time in months. I tried a panic stop, I tried hard rear brake stop, and I purposely dumped the clutch on a new tire while coming out of corner in 2nd gear at higher RPM's to see how far can I push it before all hell breaks loose!! So for me, its about knowing limits and NOT placing myself in a situation where I exceed my skills and jeopardize us. All actions are pretty much reflex and honestly, nothing rattles me as its all just a reflex. Please this is not me trying say I'm bad @ss, this is me learning something new when it presents itself. I'm pretty sure that hitting gravel at 70mph in a turn would have made me pretty uncomfortable two years ago. Tonight it happened about 3 times and I didn't think twice about. Yes, I aimed for the lessor concentration, yes the bike moved over (but I knew it would). I Neither over acted or under acted and the bike was exactly where I expected it to be. Obviously ALLOT of gravel would make me slow down. Scattered pebbles and the bike moves over a little but its OK as long as you don't freak out.
The take away: for me is prediction, expectation, and being smooth are my keys so as not to compromise us placing us in over our head!

I'm sorry, I can't condense it into something sensible but it has allot to do with knowing you limits, being confident, practice, repetition, looking ahead, predicting, hitting my target(s) based on what I know, being smooth, Not over reacting, and always work on keeping my skills fresh! I think there are times when I should have panic'd but that's only going to end badly so I just hang on and lean more! lol

I hope something I wrote adds value to someone.

 

[tejkowskit]

This is actually something I've been paying more attention to this year and working on improving. I focus on it more than I used to, and after a few months I notice it has greatly improved. I'd say im right at the 75%-80% of the time mark.

 

[tamucc2004]

I associate having a line more with track riding but since this is not about track I put 95%. I think having a line on the street is about being able to put the bike where you want it. While the line is ever changing on the street if you cant put the bike where you want it you are not in control of it and that is never a good thing.

 

[Verharen]

I'm pretty sure that hitting gravel at 70mph in a turn would have made me pretty uncomfortable two years ago.

I'm still pretty careful with entry speed into corners, particularly blind corners because I'm not comfortable with gravel or other road hazards (squirrel).

I liked Misti's questions. I think, for me, the visual element is the biggest factor. I still have to work at looking through the turns and not getting distracted by scary cliffs and guard rails and rocks right in my path! Throttle control seems more natural to me than looking at the space next to the rock/hole/squirrel that appears in my line.

When my line of sight is clear through the whole turn, I'm a happy Hoon!

 

[iviyth0s]

I'll tighten my line up better as I learn the bike!

 

[Nelly]

What I would like to learn is the technique for increasing my turn in speed.
I have a roundabout on my commute that I can exit at 80kph, I am not at the limit of the tyres or traction at this speed. I believe that if I could increase my entry speed I could come out much quicker. It's a mind thing. How can I improve this?
We have all had this type of corner issue, a lower gear feels too slow and in the wrong part of the power band and rolling on the throttle feels to aggressive as the bike accelerates through the top end of the power band.
Conversely a higher gear seems to lack the correct engine braking and the balance feels strange and roll on seems to be to neutral lacking the drive required as the rpms are just below the sweet spot.

Nelly:thumbup:

 

[Ssky0078]

What I would like to learn is the technique for increasing my turn in speed.
I have a roundabout on my commute that I can exit at 80kph, I am not at the limit of the tyres or traction at this speed. I believe that if I could increase my entry speed I could come out much quicker. It's a mind thing. How can I improve this?
We have all had this type of corner issue, a lower gear feels too slow and in the wrong part of the power band and rolling on the throttle feels to aggressive as the bike accelerates through the top end of the power band.
Conversely a higher gear seems to lack the correct engine braking and the balance feels strange and roll on seems to be to neutral lacking the drive required as the rpms are just below the sweet spot.

Nelly:thumbup:

Body position.

I personally would stay in the lower gear to take advantage of the torque coming out, flick the bike in and get my body turned into the corner, knee out and a half a butt cheek hanging off. As soon as you hit the apex and see the exit out on the throttle and let the bike stand itself up allowing it to go back to the outside. But I'm still a noob, maybe a racer can tell us

 

[Nelly]

Body position.

I personally would stay in the lower gear to take advantage of the torque coming out, flick the bike in and get my body turned into the corner, knee out and a half a butt cheek hanging off. As soon as you hit the apex and see the exit out on the throttle and let the bike stand itself up allowing it to go back to the outside. But I'm still a noob, maybe a racer can tell us

Thanks for the reply,
Nelly

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4

 

[Ssky0078]

I'm still pretty careful with entry speed into corners, particularly blind corners because I'm not comfortable with gravel or other road hazards (squirrel).

I liked Misti's questions. I think, for me, the visual element is the biggest factor. I still have to work at looking through the turns and not getting distracted by scary cliffs and guard rails and rocks right in my path! Throttle control seems more natural to me than looking at the space next to the rock/hole/squirrel that appears in my line.

When my line of sight is clear through the whole turn, I'm a happy Hoon!

Head up and look through the corner. Have you taken the Advanced Rider Course from MSF. The class out here really helped me a lot with this.

 

[Verharen]

Head up and look through the corner. Have you taken the Advanced Rider Course from MSF. The class out here really helped me a lot with this.

Thanks for the recommendations! I haven't had the chance to take the advanced course yet, but I hope to do so. I know what I am supposed to do, but sometimes I have trouble anyway. Especially looking through the corner when there is solid rock in the way.

I'd sign up for the class in a heartbeat if I could take it from Vegasrider or Erci!! Maybe I'll have to make it a road trip! :justkidding: I was not impressed by the information I received from the local school when I inquired about their advanced classes. I'm not sure if the person was new, or just REALLY bad at answering questions, but I was left with the idea that I should look into other MSF operators. I was also considering Superbike school or other track school.

 

[Lefty]

Head up and look through the corner. Have you taken the Advanced Rider Course from MSF. The class out here really helped me a lot with this.

It takes some practice to learn to look ahead through a corner and not fixate on what's rigth in front of you, especially on the street when you're looking for junk in the road. But once you can train your eye to see the exit point in a corner, it'll all fall into place and you'll wonder why you haven't done this sooner. :thumbup:

 

[Ssky0078]

But once you can train your eye to see the exit point in a corner, it'll all fall into place and you'll wonder why you haven't done this sooner. :thumbup:

Had this experience during my CO trip. It only took me 17,000 miles to really get it. On roads that have 500+ foot drop offs to the edge with beautiful scenery all around you, you have to look through the corner. It was half way through my trip, and the second half was so much better after it fell into place for me.

Another story:
I focus on keeping the line so much as a result from crashing the first time when I hit the gravel. I had an experience when I went riding with David323, we were coming back from South Mountain and I decided to take a right hander on a city street with out slowing down about 35-40 (stupid I know, but South Mountain is our in town little fun twisty road). Well the line I picked put me square over the middle of a manhole cover, on top of that a smooth one. I maintained throttle and both tires slid out almost instantly, then grabbed again just as quick. I held my line despite the disturbance and had a good little rush from it. When I crashed I had slid out like that and I chopped the throttle and tried to adjust my line and body position, ended up messing me up even more. Learning to hold a line is very important to me.

 

[FinalImpact]

Question for all; anyone flinch or change your line when cars/bikes come at you in the opposing lane?

 

[DavesFZ]

Question for all; anyone flinch or change your line when cars/bikes come at you in the opposing lane?

I usually ride on the inside except for avoiding obstacles. I haven't been riding too long, and sometimes catch myself moving a few inches further towards the outside when bikes are riding on the inside of the opposing lane. I know we are still going to be several feet apart when we pass, but going 50 mph, that gap feels really small and I don't know if the other rider it's going to veer onto the line at the last second.

Speaking of inside/inside passes, has anyone ever contacted an opposing bike riding too close to the line? Giving high-speed high-fives counts.

 

[FinalImpact]

It takes some practice to learn to look ahead through a corner and not fixate on what's rigth in front of you, especially on the street when you're looking for junk in the road. But once you can train your eye to see the exit point in a corner, it'll all fall into place and you'll wonder why you haven't done this sooner. :thumbup:

You just have to double (or triple) the posted limit so there's no time for fixation!!! :BLAA: J/K!

Honestly, the roads i'm on 50% of the time are so bad, its like an MX course. If your not looking ahead and living in the "now" your likely in trouble. Most are narrow, have ditches, are off canter and have dips and waves. Just like the section last night with the stupid buzzard in the road. The corner before the road kill lightens the the nose with ramp action followed by a dip which is the apex and you should be turning so its extremely deceptive but you must continue to look ahead.

I can imagine riding on wide well paved roads with sweepers would have given me a different lesson than the one I have now. Perhaps why i'm very picky with the bikes placement below me.