Resend my activation email : Register : Log in 
BCF: Bike Chat Forums


uphill and downhill

Reply to topic
Bike Chat Forums Index -> General Bike Chat
View previous topic : View next topic  
Author Message

kawashima
World Chat Champion



Joined: 03 May 2005
Karma :

PostPosted: 07:39 - 30 Oct 2005    Post subject: uphill and downhill Reply with quote

I am not good at downhill cornering at all. I must kill speed as slow as walking speed at downhill hairpin corner. I feel fear of tyre slip.
(I can't go quicker than family car at downhill)
But I can go quickly at uphill corner. Do you have any tips of practice?
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

strag
World Chat Champion



Joined: 08 Oct 2004
Karma :

PostPosted: 09:18 - 30 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

It sounds like you are not selecting the right gear to me. I don't know what you ride but, when you are going uphill you are likely to be in a higher gear and putting load on the engine, therefore using engine braking. Try going down a cog or two and using the engine to control your speed going downhill.
____________________
carbon bling
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

Black Knight
World Chat Champion



Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Karma :

PostPosted: 09:49 - 30 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Changes in elevation is something I really strugle with too. I can never judge my speed quite right.
Hopefull a few trackdays will help me correct this. Roll on summer!
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

kawashima
World Chat Champion



Joined: 03 May 2005
Karma :

PostPosted: 10:00 - 30 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

I ride W650. I try to use more engine brake thanks.
What I could do with LS125, I can't do enough with W650.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

Zimbo
World Chat Champion



Joined: 09 Jul 2004
Karma :

PostPosted: 17:34 - 30 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

I shouldn't go too mad, your fear of slip isn't totally unjustified. Cornering downhill will make your front tyre push wide far more easily than it will going on the level or uphill!
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

veeeffarr
Super Spammer



Joined: 22 Jul 2004
Karma :

PostPosted: 17:42 - 30 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not sure, but going downhill would mean you have less grip on the back tyre? This in itself would be a good indication that you need to go slow on these types of corner, I can imagine extreme camber on downhill corners too so I would be extra careful.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

mr.z
World Chat Champion



Joined: 04 Feb 2004
Karma :

PostPosted: 18:01 - 30 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Where on the corner do your brake? too early/too late?

When you are braking for a corner (especially downhill) it loads the front suspension and the tyre, this will unbalance the bike and it will feel unstable, the trick to smooth safe cornering is for the suspension to be balanced as you enter the corner, so get the speed you want to be going before your start turning or leaning, then give it more power when you leave the corner..

Geting the bike in the right position on the road (you do drive on the left yes?) is very important too, if your turning left then get over to the right, this way you dont have to turn on such a sharp angle, you also get a better idea of the road ahead to get ready for the next one!..

This explains allot better...

Quote:
Holiday Riding Tips 1 - Dealing with hairpins (a new occasional series)

One of the questions I'm regularly asked via the website is how to deal with hairpin bends in the mountains. They're not actually all that tough once you've figured out the right technique but if you get it wrong, things can get a bit messy.

Hairpins are all about "slow in". Like any bend you should make sure you get the speed adjusted upright before you start to turn, because upright you can still give them a firm squeeze if you are going a bit too fast. There's no run-off if you are facing a cliff and if you over-shoot the other way you'll be needing a parachute. So it's particularly important when going downhill you are confident with the brakes, but it IS possible to enter hairpin too quick going uphill too! It's a good idea to practice using the brakes firmly before you leave, particularly if you are going to be two-up and loaded with gear.

Between hairpins try to get the best view you can, looking either up or down, partly to see where the road actually goes and to judge how tight the bends are, but also because you might spot other vehicles like coaches or lorries which might need a lot of road in a hairpin and are best avoided.

Particularly going down hill, you need to give yourself time to pick your line and set the bike up to turn tight, so get on the brakes early and positively. Get your gear selection done early. Going uphill, you'll need to get the power back on whilst still upright to drive through - if the engine feels like it's about to bog down, slip the clutch rather than try to change gear mid-turn because the bike will stop dead - don't forget that the steepest part of the turn is usually half way through and on the inside of the turn.

Take the widest entry line you can that is safe, and don't turn in too early - like any bend, an early turn-in tends to push you wide on the exit. You need to follow the outside of the corner and only turn into the hairpin when you can see up/down the next straight. If you are apexing a hairpin mid-turn, you are cutting into the corner way too early - misjudge it and you'll be running wide with no margin for error.

Don't put the power on hard too soon. Though you need to turn uphill on the power, too much too soon will push you wide. Get the bike upright and pointed where you want to go, and only then twist the throttle. You may need to have the back brake on going downhill to stop yourself running wide on the exit before you switch to positive acceleration. Try to minimise gear changes - it's one thing less to do - let the engine rev and you'll get good drive going up and good engine braking going down.

Couple of other tips...

...if you are nervous about hairpins, getting the first few wrong will make you nervous about the next few. So take your time to get the first ones right.
...don't follow the rider in front, but ride your own ride. If you copy the guy ahead and they get it wrong, so will you. You'll also have a poor view.
...don't try to outride the locals. They'll know where the nasty bends are.
...watch out for buses and trucks. They'll need a lot of room to turn, particularly on narrower roads. Keep well clear and give way by stopping well back from the bend if necessary.
...remember you're dealing with bends. That means polished surfaces, rippled tarmac and fuel spills.


____________________
>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website You must be logged in to rate posts
Old Thread Alert!

The last post was made 20 years, 342 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful?
  Display posts from previous:   
This page may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set.

Post new topic   Reply to topic    Bike Chat Forums Index -> General Bike Chat All times are GMT + 1 Hour
Page 1 of 1

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum

Read the Terms of Use! - Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group
 

Debug Mode: ON - Server: birks (www) - Page Generation Time: 0.06 Sec - Server Load: 0.8 - MySQL Queries: 13 - Page Size: 54.87 Kb