Back roads on a sportsbike

[fliolly]

Do any of you ride the back roads on your sports bike, I'm talking little bumpy pot holed gravel covered only wide enough for 1 car type roads? i ride with mates who have a harley 883 and a monster 600, my Daytona bounces bucks kicks and slides its way round struggling to keep up with the other 2 who are pootling round looking at the nice scenery. i can't keep in top gear and roll out of bends cos even the 883 leaves me standing, after half hour of constant gear changing I'm knackered.
Am i mad to be on such country lanes doing 30mph or am i doing it wrong?

[c_dug]

It is nearly the exact opposite of what a sports bike was designed to do so no surprise it isn't a comfortable experience.

There are a few similar roads near me, I tend to take a longer route to avoid them. Better to stick to twisty B roads than proper full on lanes I find.
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[Paxovasa]

That sort of road would suit the harley even less..

Sounds like you need the suspension set up changed.
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[DrDonnyBrago]

Only for access or by accident.

[Stevie GooGs]

[chris-red]

[L4Isoside]

Have done once or twice on the ninja, wasn't bad but the roads where covered in shit and so some tight corners got rather hairy, felt the front and back slide on to different corners .

Not too bad really but no opportunity to open her up til you get to more open back roads.

[fliolly]

[binge]

I remember going on very long ride out, about 3 years ago on my NC29.
I was riding with a group, me being on the smallest bike.
The other riders were all on newer, bigger sports bikes. K6 GSXR1000's, 06R1's etc.
The chap who was leading the pack, by a LONG shot, was Eamon, who was on an early ZX9R.

One of the roads became very similar to what you've just described.
Loose gravel, stoney surface etc.
I struggled like a C*nt! Really couldnt keep up. I was on and off the throttle and brakes, trying to changed down into corners etc. Extremely hard.

After stopping off at Rye, I spoke to Eamon, and he talked me through the correct way to ride in these sort of situations.

What he told me, was to ride smooth. He hardly touches his brakes, and rarely changes gear on those sort of roads.
He got me to follow his line on the way back.

I think he said he was in 3rd gear on the ZX9, and averaging 50/55mph through the twisty parts.

On the way home, my speed through this section was a lot more consistent, smoother, and I was a lot more comfortable.

You've just gotta relax, and go with the bike.





Ben

[fliolly]

Cheers binge, i know it's not where my bike wants to be but just wanted advice to make life a little easier when i find myself there.

[robbieguy2003]

I've never liked back roads of that sort - or roads with loose chippings down, certainly on a sports bike anyway.

On my 125 they were ok. I find a lower gear works better (1st or 2nd), any higher and you cant really control the bike well, if you let it roll it feels worse.

If you ride these roads a lot, you could soften things up a little but then that'll impact how the bike feels when you're using the suspension and actually putting load on it.

In my mind (i.e. people can disagree, this is just my opinion) the reason it feels crap is because suspension needs some load on it to work properly, the harder the suspension the more load it needs to work well. Your bike isn't taking much load at all so feels pretty terrible. The Harley and Monster wont need as much to get some force and will feel a little more steady.

My preference is staying in a lower gear (3rd I think is too high but my bike is geared quite high), i prefer 2nd otherwise below 30mph and as binge said ride really smoothly, it can be done but you need to get used to the wheels moving around, if you tense up when they move then it wont help much, although that's easier said than done.
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[Stevie GooGs]

Dependant on what size of bike you have staying in a very low gear is going to make things a lot worse, on and off the throttle constantly is not going to help.

I used to have a ZX10R and up here there are loads of single track roads, they are not the best roads for superbikes but you get used to them, like everything else practice.

The one thing i don't like about them (if you have been riding for a while with no oncoming traffic it is very easy to forget about the oncoming traffic).
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[binge]

I think the other aspect of this, is the style of bike you ride, in terms of "what if".


If you was to lowside your shiney sports bike on a gravel road, it'd be fucked.


On the YZF450, I'll happily out ride any sports rider on the lanes, simply because if I throw the bike, the only thing that will happen is the same as what happens every time I take it out.

I get up, walk up to the bike, pick it up, start it, and carry on.

Also if I run wide and end up in a field, it's not the end of the world. I'll just carry on IN the field.

When I had my sports bikes, I rode like a queer because I didn't want to throw it.



Best all rounder I've ever owned...

Bandit 1200.


Would LOVE another.



Ben

[c-m]

If anything your sportsbike should be better at coping with crap bumpy roads than anything else. Sportsbikes tend to have fully adjustable suspension and ride hight so you can set it up for the bumps.

They also tend to have slipper clutches, so less risk of locking the rear on change downs.

More modern ones have launch control and traction control.

[chris-red]

[fliolly]

[G]

[t121anf]

never understood the desire to ride in top gear, when i am out on a blast i tend to only use 2nd and 3rd, both of which see illegal speeds.

4,5,6 are for motorways

[mr.kris]

greenlaneing on sports bikes is fun! me and salty21 took the ZX6R and CBR600RR offroad down some green lanes its fine!
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[Shreddie]

Depends on the nature of the back roads I find... The country lanes I live on are fine for my VFR750 and third or second gear is just fine (can't really go above 50mph) but a few miles away there are some of the twistiest, tightest, steepest gravel coated roads (with grass growing in the middle) I've found anywhere. 10mph 1st gear hair pins, the lot... And they are a nightmare.

Smoothness does go a long way though.

[chris-red]

[neatbik]

https://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q399/beatnck2/07f6bd83-4069-4e67-9447-a7dc12701abe.jpg

Since i got this bike i love bumpy, pot holed, gravel strewn lanes

[imanupstart]

[The999Kid]

yes but its recently been filled in and smoothed over... but its got low fences either side and 2 herds of deer prancing around... so after nightfall its pretty much a no go for bikers unless you like the taste of raw venison
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[John933]

Come and live in Norfolk. That nearly all we've got. back road's and bumpy.
John933
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