When push comes to shove

Superbikes for Sale | Pigs Pen | January 31, 2011

When you ride a motorcycle you steer left to go right and steer right to go left. It sounds crazy, but it’s true ‘Counter Steering’ as its know, is a revelation when you first discover it, because it allows you to change direction fast and accurately. Many road riders simply use their body weight to tip their bike onto its side to make it corner, which is both cumbersome and imprecise. To understand counter steering, you should know the mechanics. The wheels of a motorcycle act as gyroscopes. While the bike is traveling in a straight line it’s normally very stable. The faster you go the greater the gyroscopic force of the wheels, so the more difficult it is to turn the machine. Cornering is about beating the gyroscopic effect. Now, if you want to counter steer to turn right for example you’ll pull on left bar (or push on the right), which points the wheel in the opposite direction to the one you intend going. The machine then leans over onto the right-hand curved profile of the tyres, making the bike turn to the right. Likewise if you pull/push the bars in the opposite direction, the motorcycle will turn left. The more you pull/push the bars, the more your bike will lean and the tighter it will steer. Peoples first fear about counter steering is that the front tyre will lose grip and they’ll crash. Of course, if you yank really hard on the bars this could happen, but you’d have to be extremely ham-fisted to do this.

83 total views, 1 today

Slam, dunk and go

Superbikes for Sale | Pigs Pen | January 29, 2011

Now for some fun. If you want to make your bike turn really quickly, do so with the brakes. When you apply the front brake, the forks compress and the machine tends to stand on its nose, which effectively gives it a steeper steering angle. Use this to your advantage. The trick is to brake reasonably hard and make your change of direction as you let the front brake off. The forks will remain compressed into the turn, because the front end is loaded with the force of cornering. Once the machine is cranked over, the suspension settles and you can get back on the throttle. Do this enough and you’ll soon discover that you can go from letting off the brake to accelerating very quickly. You’ll also find that because the bike turns quicker, you can enter corners later and more accurately. Don’t start off by being too aggressive. First get a feel for what the motorcycle is doing and as your confidence builds up you can begin to push it harder. The best place to practice is on a race track, where you can pick one particular bend. My personal favourite  is ‘The Hairpin’ at Anglesey. I usually take my Blackbird around there and it’s so much fun doing that with dual brakes.  Quite amusing going into the hairpin with the back end snaking around. Unless you are completely overdoing it, the front wheels will not wash out. Get it right and you’ll sharpen up your riding no end. But for heaven’s sake don’t brake and turn in the wet!

113 total views, 1 today

How to get yer knee down!

Superbikes for Sale | Pigs Pen | January 27, 2011

Well … you stand with both feet on the floor and just kneel down, it’s quite simple really.

Ok you little thrill seekers. I can see that the knee down action you are after involves racing along at warp speed to experience some death-defying cornering antics and scraping your knee sliders over the tarmac.

For us mortal road riders getting your knee down for the first time is one of those unforgettable memories.  I still remember my first time at Mallory park, each pass of Gerards trying harder and harder to get the knee to the ground hoping the track day photographer would catch my moment of glory.

If you’re thinking of taking part in a track day, it’s a technique worth learning. It takes practice and confidence, but in the end it is surprisingly easy to master.

First relax. You want you body to be as supple as possible, so it can flow with the bike . If you’re rigid you’ll bob up and down and supset the suspension. Lean forward and point your shoulder in the direction in which you intend turning .

Second, place the balls of your feet on the foot pegs and lift your weight of the seat (like a jockey). This has two advantages: your legs act as secondary shock absorbers :  and  by placing all your weight directly onto the pegs, the combined centre of gravity of you and your bike is lowered.

Then, as you approach the corner and before you brake, slide your backside over the seat so the side nearest the inside of the corner hangs off the machine.

As you do this, stick your knee out at roughly 45 degrees. Next comes the more difficult bit. You have to corner at a speed that allows the bike to lean over sufficiently for your knee slider to be able to scrape the ground.

.. and if you don’t manage to get your knee sliders scuffed you can always buy a used set from ebay and look the part

137 total views, 1 today

Apple iPhone 4G Bike Mounts

Superbikes for Sale | Product Review | January 27, 2011

A friend of mine bought an Apple iPhone Bike Mount for her motorbike and thought is was the bees knees. My friend is exactly like myself when it comes to navigation, I am sure we are able to get lost on a round-about. So, having the iPhone with it’s sat nav clearly visible in front of us whilst we ride around is just perfect. The case seems quite reasonable and went through some testing, as she had made a 100(ish) mile trip to come and see me. So this little baby survived a light drizzle of snow and some motorway travel, within the speed limit of course. As I don’t actually own one of these yet, I can’t give my own full review. However I can let you know they are a cheap gadget worth taking a look at. Here is a link with full details, should you be interested in having a look. http://www.ultimate-mobiles.co.uk/mobile-phones/apple/apple-iphone-4G/bike-mounts/ua-bike-mount-waterproof-case___420.htm

161 total views, 1 today