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First scare on my 1200 Aspy

3K views 25 replies 10 participants last post by  CrystalPistol 
#1 ·
So its been a while since Ive ridden a 1200 and the biggest difference is the momentum I feel going through corners. Maybe a stupid question, but how does this extra weight affect corner traction limits? The tyres are rated for more weight than my 600, but I guess overall cornering ability is reduced anyway? By the way, I dont ride fast, I've mainly been riding cruisers and standard bikes for most of my riding life.

Heres what happened:

Yesterday I was riding through a pretty heavy downpour and the front wheel broke loose going around the bend of a highway offramp at about 40mph. It wasn't a lot, the wing wobbled a couple of times through the front end but kept on tracking :)
 
#2 ·
the same rules applies to the heavier bikes as it does for the lighter ones, even a bicycle.

you must lean it over to make it turn....
the tighter the corner, the harder you have to make it lean.

Rule #1: the bike will go where your eyes are looking....
that means that you need to practice looking about halfway thru that turn, not the 100 feet that is right in front of you.

Rule #2: if the road surface is wet, knock 25% off the speed limit to be safe.
If you try to go thru a wet turn at the speed limit, you are putting your life in the hands of the Angels hoping they don't let you slide into a ditch.

Tires can only do so much, the best tires can make the bad ones look very bad.

When the roads get wet, I slow down:
you can knock 10% off the speed limit and your Time To Destination won't change more than 3 minutes for almost every trip you make.

this excludes a 1,000 run. I am talking about all the little trips we take to work and back, the 100 mile rides to see the colors of the tree leaves..... that is a fact, and your GPS can prove it for you very easy.

Set up a Destination, and then set the GPS to give you ARRIVAL TIME.

Now, this is the hard part. Knock 5% off the speed limit and let the Hot Rod jerks go around you..
Meanwhile, you are enjoying the view, you aren't about to hit the guy in front, because he isn't there anymore.


Make it a point to always stay 5% below the Speed Limit...... betcha when you get back home, or at that destination, the Time Difference is not enough for you to even get off, take a leak and buy a coke.


I do this everyday, and it is now a habit.... I run exact at, or 2-3 mph slower than the Speed LImit.

For off ramps, I never take one faster than the Posted Speed Limit for that curve.....
that has saved my ass so many times, I can't count them all.
we have an off ramp here in Tulsa that has needed to be resurfaced for 10 years....
one day I took that ramp, and a huge hole was right in the middle of where I normally track thru it.

Had I been pushing the speed limit +10 mph or more, like 99% of motorcycle riders do, I would have done an End Over and crashed into the guard rails.
 
#5 ·
Rain is always a little treacherous on a bike. There isn't any "right" speed to take corners since every one is different. It's just a matter of learning the limits of your bike and staying below those limits. I do everything I can to avoid riding in the rain but if I happen to get caught out in a shower I just assume the road is greased glass and ride accordingly.

Surprisingly enough the size and weight of the bike have very little to do with the handling ability. Sure the extra weight is pushing out in a curve but it's also pulling down against the road surface creating extra grip. Tire configuration (tread and shape of the tire) and composition (how sticky or hard is the rubber) along with the road surface really determine the cornering performance.

I cannot recommend strongly enough a good riding course. The best one I know of is Ride Like A Pro. You can find dozens of Jerry Palladino's videos on YouTube and his website is RideLikeAPro.com. I've purchased two of his DVDs and they're packed with great information.


A good riding course or DVD is the best investment you can ever make in your bike.
 
#8 ·
Yeah boy, being halfway through a good turn, bike heeled over, smooth road, "Wife Unit" on back, and having the front drop as the tire slips will increase the pucker factor 10X.


Late '90s ...… loaded on our '85 …... Coming up 321 from Greenville, NC back when a 2 lane road, leaned over in a right hander, squirrel run out and greased the road, front slipped out, I thought we was gonna get creamed by oncoming car but tire regained grip, "Oh Sh..t" we both said.


Stop up road for a few moments.

'Bout as "skeert" as I ever been on a bike.


Once met a empty flat bed log truck in WVa near Hawk'sBill, …. as we met I saw the jug of saw / bar oil come off the bed to land in my lane, splat …. was a left for me, a sweeper …. so I was able to straighten up enough to not go down, but the rear wiggled. Buddy behind me aways back saw it, said he nearly stopped, it just happened so fast.
 
#10 ·
I see you are from Scandinavia, what part do you do your driving in? I've never been there but in the Pacific NW part of the USA, on the coast we get a lot of rain and the terrain is hilly to mountainous. Our roads have a lot of curves and we have a lot of hills to negotiate. For me, the most important thing for wet riding is tires and it is more important than rain gear. I try to use soft rubber tires with a tread pattern that will move the water out from under the tire's contact patch. The other thing is to slow down and maintain extended room from the traffic. You will need additional stopping room. If you ride frequently in the rain I suggest practicing stopping in the wet from about 30 MPH. That will give you a feel for your bike's traction. I ride a 1972 CB450 and a 10985 GL1200. I prefer the GL in the wet. It just feels more stable and planted in the wet.
 
#12 ·
In my youth I was a year round rider and ran metzelers on the 1100. In the wet they are confidence inspiring. The rear would last for about 6,000 miles. Now I'm old (65) and ride mostly during fair weather. The 1200I has Michelin Commander II. They have been in the wet a couple of times and work OK. I haven't pushed them like I did back in the day.
 
#15 ·
I want you to try something and practice it when you can like out joy riding. I push the handle bar the direction i want to go I know it seems crazy but iI was taught this in a advanced riding class. Say your going around a left turn push the left handle bar a tad forward this changes the pitch and makes the bike corner more. There is no better thing except slowing down for traction though.
This evening me and the guys really opened things up for about 60 miles of extreme curves several times I though to myself one slip up and Im done, but wasnt my time I guess I never really noticed all the bumps and dips in that road until today though. Some actually gave me a bit of a wobble under 70. Things mellow out for me from about 70 -100. After 100 small bumps give a lot of vibration, that road is a 120 max for me because of the vibration. As I got closer to town the road does get better so those that can top out for about 5 miles, I usually get about 140 with wind. I really dont notice slipping in any corners unless its gravel or wet with something, only thing that causes me to pucker is when my shoe sole catches at the edge of the floor board on the pavement and pulls it off. So remember 50% of all motorcycle wrecks speed is involved other aspect is most folks dont see us. Going fast doesnt really save a lot of time either The top 4 of us where at the meeting point about 15 minutes quicker than when the last guy rolled in. My advice is only go as fast as your angel can fly, and ride more everyday and with that you will get better on that bike and Yes I am the guy most people want to cuss out. One last piece balance your tires either with Dyna beads or Air soft BB's... This is a life saver at higher speeds. Ok, enough rambling good luck.
 
#24 ·
I want you to try sour tires either with Dyna beads or Air soft BB's... This is a life saver at higher speeds. Ok, enough rambling good luck.
Hey, cheers for the write up. I am counter-steering already, but I will double check the tyres are balanced ok :) As for scraping, every cruiser Ive had will scrape going around a roundabout or through corners. I thought they were designed like that? By that I mean, that the peg or floorboard that flips up is the first thing to scrape and acts as a warning.
 
#16 ·
I push the handle bar the direction i want to go I know it seems crazy but iI was taught this in a advanced riding class. Say your going around a left turn push the left handle bar a tad forward this changes the pitch and makes the bike corner more. There is no better thing except slowing down for traction though.

that is a requirement for good riders, and we all do it by instinct, even though at slow speeds we might not notice it.


I notice every time though, with the flat profile of a car tire on the rear.
don't push on that left hand grip, and you just might not go left.
 
#17 ·
Re-learned a lesson on the 1000 yesterday. Anything that might reduce traction is greatly multiplied by moisture. On ramps and exit to highway near truck stop? Over-filled diesel and rain might as well be ice. Leaves? Wet leaves slip on each other, not jyst under your tires. Moss, mold (other things that make the road green colored)? Bit me yesterday coasting down our (quite steep and long) straight concrete drive. Yes, drop (at least) 25% below normal speed for curves, but some things might best be avoided when wet if you would avoid them on ice. I'll be taking my other drive that gets sun and doesn't grow green slime.
 
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