To Scrape Pegs/Boards Or Not To Scrape?
#52
02-19-2013 | 12:35 PM
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 515
Likes: 3
From: Tipp City Ohio
About a two years ago, a couple guys from our club went to a track day to see what they could learn about going even faster in the corners on our bikes. They passed on to me some practices that allow me to lean my body more and bike less and thus take the corners at good speed with a bigger safety margin.
Faster through the turns with less lean angle on the bike.And yet,they still lowside occasionally.I learned a long time ago,if something starts scraping,to push my body further into the turn allowing the bike to still turn but in a more upright position.
I usually lead a sharp turn with my upper body.Many of us here probably do it and don't even realize it.
#53
02-19-2013 | 05:24 PM
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,082
Likes: 10
From: Long Island, NY
Just like becoming proficient at slow speed handling and practicing braking techniques are important skills, so is being able to understand how far you can safely lean your bike into a turn. Without touching down your peg/floorboard you can't fully understand how far you can actually lean your bike.
I'd argue that practicing full leaning (and scraping) is as an important a skill as learning efficient braking, swerving, and acceleration techniques. At least in my experience it's worked for me.
Ride safe and have fun.
I'd argue that practicing full leaning (and scraping) is as an important a skill as learning efficient braking, swerving, and acceleration techniques. At least in my experience it's worked for me.
Ride safe and have fun.
There is a fine line between courage and stupidity. Running out and scraping your boards just to scrape your boards is not an indicator of manhood or courage. It is an indicator of the feeling of invulnerability that comes with young age or an indication of a lack of brain cells. There is taking risk for the sake of risk and there is taking risk for the sake of fun. The former is motivated by a reckless indiference. It is usually associated with youth. It sometimes results in being granted full memebership into the Darwin Award Hall of Fame.
#54
02-19-2013 | 05:48 PM
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 151
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
Just like becoming proficient at slow speed handling and practicing braking techniques are important skills, so is being able to understand how far you can safely lean your bike into a turn. Without touching down your peg/floorboard you can't fully understand how far you can actually lean your bike.
I'd argue that practicing full leaning (and scraping) is as an important a skill as learning efficient braking, swerving, and acceleration techniques. At least in my experience it's worked for me.
Ride safe and have fun.
I'd argue that practicing full leaning (and scraping) is as an important a skill as learning efficient braking, swerving, and acceleration techniques. At least in my experience it's worked for me.
Ride safe and have fun.
I respect the preferences of those who are more cautious and yet enjoy riding. But I want to be as skillful as I can, so I can ride as fast as I can. I too argue that it takes risk to find the limits of traction. Hopefully we are not probing those limits in ways that endanger the lives and property of oncoming traffic or bystanders.
Scrape on!
#55
02-19-2013 | 05:54 PM
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 538
Likes: 3
From: Florida
Just like becoming proficient at slow speed handling and practicing braking techniques are important skills, so is being able to understand how far you can safely lean your bike into a turn. Without touching down your peg/floorboard you can't fully understand how far you can actually lean your bike.
I'd argue that practicing full leaning (and scraping) is as an important a skill as learning efficient braking, swerving, and acceleration techniques. At least in my experience it's worked for me.
Ride safe and have fun.
I'd argue that practicing full leaning (and scraping) is as an important a skill as learning efficient braking, swerving, and acceleration techniques. At least in my experience it's worked for me.
Ride safe and have fun.
#56
02-19-2013 | 08:58 PM
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 65,054
Likes: 49,089
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Silly me I always thought the chicken strip on the side of a tire was there to be used ................. Then again I deliberately upped my ground clearance almost 2 inches and funny thing hasn't tossed a spark since while getting most of the side of that tire .
Know your bike , know your limits , live longer & spend less money .
Know your bike , know your limits , live longer & spend less money .
#57
02-19-2013 | 09:16 PM
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 6,895
Likes: 4,845
From: Midwest
Might as well buy a new truck and ride it through a parking garage and get as close as you can to the ticket window so you scape the sides of the doors. You can keep getting back in line and even rock the truck back and forth and keep scraping. This will teach you how much clearance you have on each side.
I would think that if you often find yourself scraping parts while riding, either your suspension is too low for the kind of riding you do, you are on the wrong type of bike for what you like to do, or you are taking corners too fast and your luck will run out one day when something grabs and sticks, or all of the above.
Last edited by MiniWolf; 02-19-2013 at 09:32 PM.
#58
02-19-2013 | 09:40 PM
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 11,609
Likes: 7,084
From: SoCal / AZ
^^^Boards on my lo are cheaper than a rear tire, and last longer. When they get worn to the point that I don't like the way they look (You really don't notice the damage unless you look under the boards) I will replace them. Not a big deal to me.
#59
02-19-2013 | 10:53 PM
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,082
Likes: 10
From: Long Island, NY
It sounds like you've got it all figured out, but I would urge you to take a look at this video. Putting a few scrapes in your $100 pegs or floor boards may just make you a better rider and save your *** one day, as well as your $14,000 bike.
I have no idea what roads you've ridden, but if you ever ride on many of the CA canyon roads, Tail of the Dragon, Million Dollar Highway, Coronado Trail, Cherohala Skyway, BRP, etc, regardless of the bike you're on, there will be times when you will find yourself in a max lean. That's not the time to first find out what you or your bike is capable of doing.
Like I said earlier, good luck and enjoy the ride.
I have no idea what roads you've ridden, but if you ever ride on many of the CA canyon roads, Tail of the Dragon, Million Dollar Highway, Coronado Trail, Cherohala Skyway, BRP, etc, regardless of the bike you're on, there will be times when you will find yourself in a max lean. That's not the time to first find out what you or your bike is capable of doing.
Like I said earlier, good luck and enjoy the ride.
If it happens it happens. But I would rather not damage parts on a $14,000 bike on purpose. The idea of practicing intentionaly scraping your bike on the pavement is one of the most assinine things I have heard on the forum. IMO, of course. To each their own.
Might as well buy a new truck and ride it through a parking garage and get as close as you can to the ticket window so you scape the sides of the doors. You can keep getting back in line and even rock the truck back and forth and keep scraping. This will teach you how much clearance you have on each side.
I would think that if you often find yourself scraping parts while riding, either your suspension is too low for the kind of riding you do, you are on the wrong type of bike for what you like to do, or you are taking corners too fast and your luck will run out one day when something grabs and sticks, or all of the above.
Might as well buy a new truck and ride it through a parking garage and get as close as you can to the ticket window so you scape the sides of the doors. You can keep getting back in line and even rock the truck back and forth and keep scraping. This will teach you how much clearance you have on each side.
I would think that if you often find yourself scraping parts while riding, either your suspension is too low for the kind of riding you do, you are on the wrong type of bike for what you like to do, or you are taking corners too fast and your luck will run out one day when something grabs and sticks, or all of the above.
