[ezcruisin]

By now most of you have probably seen the pics of the riders getting in over their heads on the Dragon and biting the dust (Here's Bartman's post for those who have not http://gl1800riders.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290312 ), and it got me to thinking (dangerous, I know), where is that point of no return?
I realize we have some pretty experienced riders who regularly drag pegs on these kind of roads (and those who say they do), but us flatlanders don't get much opportunity to practice scraping the ole pegs.
So, my question is; what is the margin of error between enjoying a sunny afternoon on the twisties with a rooster tail of sparks flying behind you and picking yourself up from the side of the road after enjoying a sunny afternoon on the twisties with a rooster tail of sparks flying behind you?
Where is the point of no return? Is it over once you're on the engine guards? Can the pegs lift the front wheel and put you there? and do you guys avoid any further leaning once the scraping has commenced?
I usually try to avoid scraping parts and when I do it's usually accidental. I would rather have a good idea of where that line is BEFORE I get there and have some idea of how much cushion I have left BEFORE I need it.
In the meantime I'll be riding those long, strait, hot Texas roads and leave the spark flying to the experts.

 

[Bubba1]

If you are dragging pegs (unless that is your intention) you are not riding a good line and/or you are a little hot for public roads. Think of the pegs as the knee sliders when riding on the track, they are telling you your lean, how much you have left before dragging hard parts and lifting a wheel. Good riders on a bike with good supension can ride quickly with very minimum touching of the pegs unless intended.

 

[31261]

What Bubba said.

No way to explain it I guess. You learn the bike, you just kinda have a feel for it and if you get into a bad line and do scrape the hard parts, you know by feel it is ok or not. Instead of allowing the bike to fulcrum up you shift your weight, or speed up a bit to lift the bike up.

For sure a highway peg stabbed into the road can lift the front wheel as can getting too much of the bikes weight on the front of the frame. It will lift the front wheel. Once that happens you will low side.

No way to explain it, it is just something learned. Generally view scraping as a warning to behave. You are going a bit hot.

 

[DailyRider]

IMHO these bike were built more for 'drag racing' than 'road racing'! they are too big and top heavy for 'hairpin turn' riding and anyone that does it anyway needs to consult a phychiatrist for having suicidal tendancies and for being a phychopatic personallity that is willingly indangering others in the public with no regret for doing so. If people want to 'scrape pegs' they should go to an empty parking lot or a race track! I personally feel that the charge for that type of intentional endangerment should be much steeper than for speeding!

:nojoke:

 

[TXREALTOR]

I agree with Bubba and Kit. Pegs are telling you that you are nearing the limit. We talked a little about this on another thread, someone said parking lot scraping was just showing off, and you need to control your bike at real speed. I tried to point out that dragging and such at slow speeds are a good learning tool. I think we were closer to the same page than we realised, but anyway. Find out at slow speeds. Wrap old carpet around the engine guards and figure it out. You will find your limits, how to get more turn with less lean, you will know when to stop, you will get the feel for a peg scraping,(it can catch you off guard and make you stand up the bike and then the trouble really starts ), and make yourself a better rider in general. Don't forget the braking practice while you are at it. If you have ABS, use it as a tool to help enhance good riding, not a crutch to save your bacon because you do something dangerous.

Check out the Ride Like A Pro videos and practice, practice. It may save you some bleeding some day.

Best Wishes

 

[Rocketman911]

The simplest way to put it is, "A man has to know his limitations"!:thumbup:

 

[Toynaround]

IMHO these bike were built more for 'drag racing' than 'road racing'! they are too big and top heavy for 'hairpin turn' riding and anyone that does it anyway needs to consult a phychiatrist for having suicidal tendancies and for being a phychopatic personallity that is willingly indangering others in the public with no regret for doing so. If people want to 'scrape pegs' they should go to an empty parking lot or a race track! I personally feel that the charge for that type of intentional endangerment should be much steeper than for speeding!

:nojoke:

WOW, REALLY??? :wrong:

 

[wvprez]

I personally believe its a balance between ego and brains. Just MHOopcorn:

 

[dirtdobber]

If you get to the point that your pegs have run out of movement you are asking for trouble. I scrap my pegs often but only a few times when the pegs are folded up and have no more movement, at which point you can reach down with your hand and touch the pavement. I think that is a bit too far. If your not use to the pegs dragging it will scare the **** out of ya especially if you running hard.

I try to stick to where my kuryakyn cruise pegs drags now days.

 

[trekbiker61]

When my pegs drag that tells me "OK you're about to the limit of lean". It's like curb feelers on a car telling you you're close enough to the curb. There's nothing bad or dangerous about it as long as you know your limits. Hopefully when I get a new suspension I won't drag anymore.

 

[mr. scootinn]

Here some lean angle.. At about minute & 12 seconds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfCucJJt7AU&feature=player_detailpage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfCucJJt7AU&feature=player_detailpage#t=1s

 

[GaryC]

IMHO these bike were built more for 'drag racing' than 'road racing'! they are too big and top heavy for 'hairpin turn' riding and anyone that does it anyway needs to consult a phychiatrist for having suicidal tendancies and for being a phychopatic personallity that is willingly indangering others in the public with no regret for doing so. If people want to 'scrape pegs' they should go to an empty parking lot or a race track! I personally feel that the charge for that type of intentional endangerment should be much steeper than for speeding!

:nojoke:

Wow, just Wow! You obviously have no clue what the bike you are riding is capable of doing.

 

[pagaloomer]

Capable

What the 1800 is capable of and what most riders are capable of can be two different things.
There are those who can drag a part on every turn and those who would nearly have a stroke if that happened.
Those that can do it can't understand why everyone won't, and those that can't do it don't understand why anyone would want to.
To each his own. Riding smoothly, picking the right line, and enjoying it are what makes a good ride.
I drag things occasionally but there are some who go faster than me without doing so.

 

[DailyRider]

Wow, just Wow! You obviously have no clue what the bike you are riding is capable of doing.

Yes I do. I just don't practice on Federal highways like an adolescent 'showing off' becasue I realize in adulthood that there are other people in this world besides me, and my decisions (or stupidity) can greatly affect the lives of other people! I bet (at least I hope) that none of you make a habit of doing 'slides and spins' on the highway in your automobiles and excuse it by claiming to 'improving your emergency driving skills' and 'learning the limitations of your automobiles'!

 

[artmann]

The GL1800 is capable of much higher speeds in curves than most casual riders realize.If you practice the technique of shifting your body weight far to the inside on the curves so that the CG is moved toward the center of the arc, the bike won't need to be leaned over nearly as far at a given speed. If you don't understand what I am talking about, watch motorcycle racing on the Speed channel. Those guys take leaning to the inside (knee dragging) to the extreme but anyone can benefit from the technique. I would not push it to the limit using a car tire as the lateral forces are enough to require maximum traction at a steep lean angle.

 

[osduck5]

Agreed with above statements regarding learning the feel of it. You should practice somewhere safe so that when you hear the noise of something scrapping, it does startle you and cause the wrong things to happen. I have leaned over twice when I knew I had reached that limit because I could feel the front beginning to get light. Kury peg mount was doing the "casual" scrap and the turn tighted and the scrap began to become a grind as well as a more of a "power steering" type feel to the handlebars. Hard to explain but you will realize it! You will know to from the "buck fever" heart beat when its over!:wrong:

 

[GaryC]

That's plain nuts.

Nice!!!

 

[Section168]

The simplest way to put it is, "A man has to know his limitations"!:thumbup:

:agree:

It's never too late?!:shock:

What I want to know if one is running on the darkside does the sidewall on those CTs
have a springback that will save your lowside fail and give you a warm fuzzy feeling before catapolting you over the high side?

Or is it a more of a warm satisfying feeling of perfect flexing no worries let's do that again?

Life is good. Every curve and twist has your fate sealed on the entry and smooth acceleration through your line. G Force is way more fun than sparkies.

So the real question is should a guy always hold on or know when to let go...LOL
video of epic save below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lxwc8IXey8

 

[Toppy]

Honda put the hero blobs on the foot pegs for a reason, being to warn you that you are approaching the lean limit and are about to start dragging hard parts. Kissing the tarmac with the blobs is no problem, dragging hard parts certainly is.

I have only had my wing for 1500klm but I have felt out the limits already, adjusted the suspension, felt out the limits again and now know what I can do in what situations. Will I ride at the limit all the time, certainly not. I will however understand the limits.

The GL1800 is still a motorcycle and will supprise you once you dial into your mind how to ride it. Once I sort the front end out with some better bits and then ballance the ride hight front to rear I will have to recallibrate my understanding of the limits yet again. I may even take it to a track day to do this initially just for a hoot.

Regards

Michael G

 

[kwthom]

<...> Good riders on a bike with good suspension can ride quickly with very minimum touching of the pegs unless intended.

...and then, there's the rest of us mere mortals. :joke:

"what is the margin of error between enjoying a sunny afternoon on the twisties with a rooster tail of sparks flying behind you and picking yourself up from the side of the road after enjoying a sunny afternoon on the twisties with a rooster tail of sparks flying behind you?

Good question, and for most riders, it's too fine of a line to flirt with on a regular basis.

I can enjoy an afternoon of twisties, and not drop a peg on the ground one time. In many cases, if I'm frequently draggin' pegs, I'm actually talking to myself at that point...

I don't know who said it, but it's been 30+ years since I heard it the first time...

"Sometimes you have to slow down to go faster."