How does your bike feel at kneedown?

loply · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Karma :

Hi folks,

Simple question, what kind of texture or front-end feeling do you get when you reach full lean, compared to say 3/4 or 2/3rd of the way there?

When I start to get my bike within 5mm of the edge of the tire, the front feels "skippy", slightly unstable and a bit unpredictable, is this normal and you just need to "ride through it", or should a decent bike remain planted and stable, as it is at lower speeds?

I should point out that it's just a feeling, it hasnt caused any problems per se, other than pscyhological ones.

I'm talking specifically about when I do laps of my favorite knee-down-practice roundabout, which is a third gear 40mph job.
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Yamaha SZR660 Caution to the wind, the throttle pinned!

Gazdaman · I did a trackday!!! Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Karma :

Are tyre pressures correct?

Angle of lean isn't the issue IMO. You can reach full lean at 5-10mph and not come any where near full grip.

Whereas half lean at 90mph might fully overwhelm.

I'd say its in your head, and you've got a lot further to go. What's the surface like?

Get on a trackday I'd say is the answer.

Gaz

loply · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Karma :

My bike can lean more, or should be able to, but the front-end texture just changes a bit when I get near to the edge, it feels bouncy or movey, feels as if it's hardened up. It puts me off.

The tires at good (BT090's).

I was hoping someone would either say "Yeah that's normal, just push through it, the front end won't slide" or someone would say "Whoa! That's wrong, it should still feel stable, your forks are fucked".
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Yamaha SZR660 Caution to the wind, the throttle pinned!

Cillit-BANG · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 Oct 2005 Karma :

Your far better off learning how your bike should feel at knee down on the track.

The roads are far too bumpy and inconsistant to give you an idea from one corner to the next. At full lean the suspension isn't sophisticated enough to cope with the road surface and as a result the front is feeling stuttery. An upright fork compresses from the forces acting upward from the road. At full lean the forces are still acting skyward, but the forks can be up to around 45 degrees away from upright, so will struggle to absorb the smaller stutters. On a track it isn't a problem as its generally smooth and traction is far more consistant.

I spent ages pushing my knee down on the road, but after spending this year riding mainly on the track it now all feels a bit laboured doing it on the road now. When your used to it all flowing nicely and your knee dropping in on a regular basis, to then force it on the road feels unnatural and unsafe.

As advised, £100 spent on a trackday will give you plenty of information as to how your bike 'should' feel. It should feel stable, smooth and natural.

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

Dom_ · Points Mean Prizes Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Karma :

My old rs50 slid all over the palce and was generally crap, my 14 year old cbr400 feels 10x better, feels solid and planted all the way until something grinds out.

Fadel · Trackday Trickster Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Karma :

My old biek used to bounce alot when I was leaning about half. Hated it Sad

loply · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Karma :

I wonder what it is that causes the stuttering feeling then. I know the compression damping fork is quite hard, but if the surface is smooth (which it is) it shouldnt do this.

I think I'll persist with it but not bother too much about adjusting things to fix it, I'll just wait for getting a new bike for that.
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Yamaha SZR660 Caution to the wind, the throttle pinned!