Bendy stuff

[Keithy]

So what am I supposed to be doing here?

Day out for a rip and basically I’m ok riding along bits I know but I’m not confident when it comes to bendy bits where I don’t know where the road is going to go. I have no idea how much lean I have and what is a safe way to learn.

I do 100+ miles and get the feeling I know what I’m doing and 400 yards from home and trying to go 270 on a roundabout and the throttle is on and off like a whore’s drawers.

Having near terminal ‘car brain’ the throttle response catches me out all the time, I struggle to manage it because it feels so on/off. So that a roundabout goes...

Approach
6th gear
70mph
‘Car brain’ - back off and coast
Throttle off
Zero progress
Cars up your bunghole
Throttle on
Lurch forward
Panic, kick down a couple of gears
...and another
Prepare to stop
Look for a gap
Pray you are in second
Accelerate into the gap
Off the throttle as it’s all going a bit quick
No progress
Back on it
Lurch forward, quickly
Everything is speeding up and you are on a feckin’ roundabout
Off the throttle
Zero progress
Back on it...
Lean looks a bit severe
Off the throttle...

FML it’s depressing.

So what do I need to do or practice?

[davebike]

read "roadcraft" you want the bike version or the IAM how to be a better rider
When we are out of lockdown take post test training IAM ROSPA Bikesafe or a pro instructor

Basic game plan is lose speed befor a bend either engine brake or brakes select gear for bend lean in and apply a little power when you can see the exit more power !
bikes like any rear wheel drive do not corner well off power
____________________
Dave
NC750Xdct + others at work !
davebike1@gmail.com

[ThunderGuts]

As above; we could spend all day with typed instructions but a day or even a half day with an instructor would provide more use than reams of typed responses on here.

Roadcraft is good and worthwhile, but an instructor will tell you when you're not doing something quite right, even when you think you are; it can be quite difficult to accurately assess everything you're doing yourself as you're riding.

Assuming you're going to carry on riding between now and any instruction (if you decide to get any), just try to be smooth and plan what you do. Don't fret about cars being held up by 10 seconds if that's what it takes for you to take junctions/bends/roundabouts that bit more slowly. Lurching around on the edge of (or over) your comfort zone isn't going to do your confidence any good and might result in worse.
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TG.

[arry]

It's just noobie nerves is all - you'll get through it.

Focus on general principles and practice them in areas you feel safe and confident.

The chances are if you're on / off the throttle a lot in a roundabout, it's because you've let your gaze go down to the road right in front of you rather than being positioned on the bike correctly, with nice funky chicken loose elbows, and your head positioned out where your right hand mirror is and staring down the road as far as you can see in the direction you are wanting to go in. You'll be amazed how little things like looking through the corner make the corner far, far less scary.

[wr6133]

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

Roundabouts are rarely truly round so don't necessarily expect to have constant lean and constant throttle there. A birds eye view via Google Earth can be informative if there's a local roundabout you keep 'getting wrong.'
Keep riding, it'll come.

[ThunderGuts]

[TaffyTDM]

All as above, typed stuff isnt a patch on observations. What jumps out at me though is i wouldnt be in 6th if anticipating a roundabout, i would be probably holding 3rd or 4th depending on the gearing.

[doggone]

Much more important on a bike to go down through the gears well in advance of tight bends (and fun too).
You want/need to be balancing throttle against your angle of lean to progress smoothly on your chosen line.
It sounds impossibly complicated but with experience you don't even think about it.

Try to read up on counter steering and experiment in a safe quiet place.
i.e. push the bars on the inside of your turn forward and down to initiate a positive smooth lean and turn.
Getting this into your muscle memory early on will pay dividends in many situations later including lightning fast lane changes to avoid others not seeing you.

[Keithy]

[Tdibs]

You really just want to be setting the throttle when entering the roundabout. Even if you go a little slow, keeping it set and the whole maneuver smooth is most important, gently accelerate out the bend, you want to be aiming to not have to make adjustments during the turn.

You want to just be smoothly working down the gearbox while smoothly applying your brakes as you come to a stop. I would honestly say, the bloc shifting comes later when it does not become something you have to think about. If you go down each gear, using the engine braking to help you, you are less likely to get caught out with the on/off throttle.

Like anything though, it just takes time and practice! Dont overthink it too much.

What bike are you on?
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Previous : 09 Vanvan 125| 02' Sv650s || Current: 1999 Xj600n | 1992 DR650 RSE | 2005 Fazer 1000

[Easy-X]

There are certain bends where a car could approach, go round and exit all at 50mph. On a bike the same bend might be 50mph approach, 40 round the bend but 60 on the exit. Don't get hung up on riding/driving to someone else's pace (i.e. the tailgater behind) save that for the race track.

The ideal is brake into the approach and accelerate to get out with the minimum of coasting in between. What speed/gear you should be in for an unfamiliar bend is just something you have to build up to with experience. Rome wasn't built in a day and all that
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[TaffyTDM]

[stinkwheel]

A motorcycle throttle is an anlogue control, it's not just on or off, it should be in constant, smooth motion while you are cornering.

Try watching this, just remember he has a quickshifter so doesn't need to close the throttle for gearchanges.
https://youtu.be/QI96DsI0fPM
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[hellkat]

Fuck.
Do you really think all that stuff in, like, a 5-10 second space

I'm certain I had moments like that - dropping from third to second gear to turn, and then stalling on the junction at Vauxhall Bridge springs to mind.
Nerve-wracking.

Even now, admittedly, if I am on bendies in the countryside, i'm fairly rubbish cos i don't ride much out of urban areas.
But when I do ... I'm proper rubbish

If it helps, all that stuff does eventually become unconscious.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[Keithy]

[hellkat]

[Easy-X]

I take this corner at 'vroommmmm' and that corner at 'VROOMMMMMMMM' (no rev counter on the Rebel!)
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Bhud]

High rpm, if not stuck in traffic, or in heavy traffic in town, or filtering past a line of traffic.

[Pete.]

[ThatDippyTwat]

Time, practice.
At least you know it's not quite right, and you're looking to sort that, usually noobies think they're Rossi and are at the top of Mt Stupid on the Dunning-Kruger curve. Don't overthink it, don't hard-force it and go wildly out of your comfort zone. It'll come.

If it helps, I'll rag the absolute snot out of small light bikes (Crossers, Motards, smaller 250-ish road bikes etc), but I baby my lardy viffer around as I learned and have most experience on tall, light bikes that need to be manhandled to get the best out of them. We all have areas we can improve on.
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'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[kolu]

[Easy-X]

The main thing is: you're not driving a car With 4 wheels you can pick any speed and adjust it with brakes and throttle at any time round a bend - you could stop dead if you wanted and it wouldn't matter (guy behind might have another opinion of course!)

The upside of the bike though is when you get a corner right it feels like something beautiful. And outside of a race track that's not something you get with a car
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter