First REAL ride in the twisties

[pprider]

so i went out today to some back roads in Va. i was riding down the road and here comes a 15MPH sign i downshift to 1st (ya i felt like a wuss) go about 20-25 getting closer i started to think umm maybe im going to fast for my ability.. then i was like nah i could take this turn at 30-35 in my car 25 should be fine, so i pull through it and i get out of the turn sit it up and was like wow! it felt like nothing. it was so easy. now to some of you guys that may mean nothing but the fact i went through a 15MPh turn at 25 was awesome to me.

i continued to ride for about 45 mins through different roads and twisties, and man that was just pure JOY. i was slow i know, just maybe barely going faster then the cars or the same speed, but man was it fun!

although i noticed when i got hom my hands were tingling like i was lacking blood and my shoulders hurt. i think maybe my riding posture is very good i need to learn to get the weight off my hands.

comments or questions welcome!

[john]

Nothing finer than a road with some nice sharp curves

[pprider]

wow i feel honored John himself answered my post wooot!

[BRB96Z34]

Fun ain't it?  Wish we had something other than flat land up here.  I had the tingling thing too and it went away when I started gripping the tank more with my knees.  You can then kind of support yourself with your legs and not so much with your hands and arms.  This should help a lot.

[Gringostar]

If you ever come to australia, come to cairns (in north queensland) and there is a small towm called kuranda that is 15-20 minutes ride from cairns. To get there most people use the kuranda range. motorbike is my only form of transport (no car license yet) and i go  to cairns for all the action, excitment....etc.  if you ever get a chance, ride it. don't hire harleys though, as most tourists use them and they don't corner well on the range( they're lawnmowers with chrome).
i'm kenny brockelstein and that was my two cents

[pantablo]

25 in a 15 is only the beginning. Wait till you're doing 75-80 in a 25 turn...woohoo.

it only gets more fun the more you challenge yourself.  It is pure joy. The first time I did that (75 in a 25) was on Angeles Crest on my 600rr. The turn is a 180* turn you can see through (no blind corner) and I was hanging off with knee out a bit. It felt like I was floating over the road next to the bike. An amazing feeling.

You will continue to have these epiphanies as you continue to ride. Work your way up slowly each time *just* pushing your comfort limits and you'll be amazed what you can do. Your confidence will grow too the more you do it.

Your tingling hands and sore shoulders were likely due to being a bit tense. Loosen up and relax!

Enjoy the riding!

[Anonymous]

Pantablo, I have to disagree with you here.  You "shouldn't" be going those speeds on the street.  If you want to race then head for the track.  There are too many unknowns on the streets to be pushing it like that.  A bit of sand/gravel, a stick or some leaves and you'd be lying in a ditch.  Even a small bump or a crack can send you flying.  ESPECIALLY on a road you're not VERY familliar with.  

I used to ride like that (in my 20's).  I was crazy like all my buddies were.  They ALL eventually wrecked.  I quit riding after too many close calls (like being so low into turns I was scraping and NOT being able to finish the turn in my lane).  This was on my GS750.  Now I'm 45 and riding a nice mellow GS500 and I still go "kinda" fast, but NOTHING like I used to.  Speed kills on the streets.  The "true" sportbikes shouldn't be ridden to their fullest on the streets.  They're too fast for the roads.  If you're into speed, go to a track and go for it.  If you wreck at least you won't fly into a tree or a guard rail.  When on the street, mellow out a bit.  You can still have fun and live to do it another day.  I know it's hard.  Hell, 70mph on a county twisty road FEELS like I'm doing 20mph sometimes.  It seems SO slow but it's not.  You can get hurt bad if something unexpected happens.  Have fun in other ways, hold off on you turns so you can drop it down low.  Slalom through the dashes in the road.

Just my opinion after 45 years (about 40 spent off and on riding) seeing what has happened to others and my own experiences.

[pprider]

i agree i dont think ill ever be readin 75 through a 25, thats just a bit silly. ive aso watched my friend wreck his bike 3 times in the past 2 years. he has walked away everytime but it makes you think do you really need to push the limits on the street? he used to make fun of his friend because he would only go maybe 50 throught the turns... he always said it was because he had the "family factor" he didnt have the edge to push it that far. now i sit here and look at it and the one friend has no bike because he wrecked it ti the point he cant afford a new one or the insurnace and the "family factor" guy still has his R6 he has had for years. i choose to be friend "family factor" he may not use his bike to its limits but he has fun and doesnt crash. i dunno :dunno: we will see how i turn out ill be around theses boards hopefully for years to come to tell stories


thanks for all the responses!

[pantablo]

Well its all about risk management. You guys dont know the roads I travel. I do these roads on the days I do to minimize my risk. They are deserted during the week when I go. Any other day or any other canyon I am much slower.  I do have the "family factor" which is why I dont push myself or the bike to the limits, far from it. I challenge myself and test myself but never at the limits. That 75 mph turn? I only do it at one turn because I can be sure of the road conditions, in and out of that turn, before entering the turn.

Some days I ride slower and some days I ride 7/10ths pace. I never ride beyond my comfort or skill level and I keep to my lane.  I have a friend who within 10 months of starting out on an sv650 tossed it into a canyon because he was riding over his head. Broke his collarbone and his desire to continue riding. I'm still riding and intend to continue for a long time.

You dont have to be going fast to get caught by gravel or something like that. There have been posts here about people turning left at a light and falling because of road debris practically from a standstill. Its my risk management. Yours may vary.


And yes, I am looking to do some track days.

[edit: my point was that you can enjoy the riding in the canyons when you challenge yourself, as the original poster did in that turn.]

[zlei]

What you did only further proofs that fun can be had at any speed.

[pprider]

thanks guys it was fun! and i cant wait to go out again soon!

[Gisser]

When it comes to riding the twisties, the rider who can carve up the corners at a good clip while maintaining an obvious margin of safety is often the quickest.    

One popular if useless guide for sportriding on the street is The Pace.
http://www.micapeak.com/info/thepace.html

But, the guide which will help you teach yourself to be a better rider is The Vanishing Point Technique.      Bookmark this...
http://home.comcast.net/~alan.s.moore/vp/vanish.htm

The Vanishing Point is a very simple principle which is endlessly challenging nonetheless.  

[Anonymous]

I didn't want to offend anyone.  My point was that if you "push it a little farther each time" you will one day get to that point where you can't hold it through the turn.  You WILL reach the point where your tires just can't keep their grip and you'll crash.  I went out riding after I wrote my reply and I'm not too far from the 70 in a 25!  I routinely do 70 in a 35 turn.  That seems to be where I'm comfortable, doubling the posted recommended speed.  I guess what I wanted to say was:  Don't push too hard on the street.