Principles of SportTouring

[Twisties]

It's been a long time since we had a general thread summarizing riding technique.  We had some discussion at Torrey this weekend, and I feel like it's time for a new  thread.  I'm no expert, but I'll start.  Just my thoughts.  Feel free to add, disagree, agree, subtract, or discuss  :-).

 

1.  Riding position when in sporty form:

 

a.  Balls of feet on pegs.

b.  Hands light on the bars

c.  Kiss the mirrors in turns (lean upper body forward and into the turn)

d.  Butt back

e.  Look through the turn.

 

2.  Line through turns:

 

a.  On left turns enter near the fog line, apex late, and exit

b.  On right turns enter near the center line, apex late, and exit

 

3.  Turning technique:

 

a. SLPR  (Slow, Look, Press, Roll).  Braking is done before entry (except trail braking on non-telelever bikes... personally, I don't trail brake on telelever suspension).  Look all the way through the turn, lean in and press lightly on the bars if needed, after apex roll on the throttle to pull the bike out of the turn.  For sweepers, just maintain throttle through the turn.

b. Be smooth, don't upset the chasis... this implies an appropriate entry speed.

c.  For sporttouring, ride at 70% of your capability (at the time, on the machine you are on).  You must be able to negotiate the unexpected.

d. Entry speed is not just a factor of the turn radius, always consider your sight line.  

 

4.  Respect:

 

Slow for towns, respect others, and build community.  No loud exhausts.  A personal pet peeve, probably not well accepted in the community, but no headlight modulators or extremely bright extra lights that would distract, annoy, or blind oncoming traffic.  

 

5.  Take care of your machine:

 

a.  Tires are in good condition with enough tread and proper inflation.  Before TPM I checked tires about every 4-5 days on tour, and obviously before setting out.  With TPM I still set tire pressure with my gauge at home, but it's easy to see that nothing is changing often.

b.  Lights, brakes and safety interlocks in working order, mirrors properly adjusted.

c.  Proper oil level.

d.  Shocks, forks, etc not leaking and in proper working order.

e.  Service performed at proper intervals per owner's manual.

 

6.  Loading:

 

a.  Load dense items as low and forward as practical.

b.  Ensure your load is properly secured.

c.  Do not overload your machine.  Remember, if you have custom suspension, your safe payload may differ from OEM specs.  Be sure to count the weight of anything you've added to the bike:  Skid plates, luggage, engine bars, etc.  

d.  Do not obstruct your movement (kiss the mirrors).

 

Ok, that's all that's coming to mind in a quick review.  You guys have at it.

 

[wbw6cos]

7.  Take care of yourself

 

   a.  get proper rest the night before a long ride.

   b.  be appropriately hydrated and fed properly nourished before starting out.

   c.  clear the mind of distractions / issues / drama.  Focus on the ride.

   d.  relax / rest often as safety allows.

   e.  stretch muscles and limber up before ride-off

[9Mary7]

8. Ride your own ride

 a. Everyone is riding their own trophy so treat it accordingly.

 b. In a group, if everybody respects the rider in front of them the ride usually is incident free.

Again, ride your own ride at the pace you are comfortable with and respect your "off" days.

[Twisties]

Anyone want hit on gear?

[Hosstage]

8 hours ago, Twisties said:

Anyone want hit on gear?

This?

 

[6speedTi]

3 minutes ago, Hosstage said:

This?

 

At least they are wearing a helmet. 🤣

[Hosstage]

Just now, 6speedTi said:

At least they are wearing a helmet. 🤣

Safety first!

[John Ranalletta]

5 hours ago, Hosstage said:

This?

 

 

Early on in my riding career, I was impressed by this fact: "At 60mph the road is moving beneath you at 90 fps.  An asphalt road is likely comparable to a 24 grit sandpaper.  You know, like the paper used to for an initial pass on a hardwood floor.  Feel free to show all the skin you're willing to lose."

[Spike]

My general ethos on riding, though its not specific to sport touring .....

 

Your line is a dynamic interaction between steering input, and throttle. You can adjust your line by adjusting steering input or throttle.  The latter of which is very effective, and many times under considered. Want to tighten the line up a bit? roll off a bit. To close to the inside? roll on (which is what you do anyway on corner exit to open the line up).  This, IMO,  can be the best way to adjust line as it tends to do so without unsettling the bike as much as say changing steering input and increasing/decreasing lean. 

 

Lean angle is the result of the combination of your line,  your speed, and body positioning.  

 

For any given line and speed minimizing your lean angle provides the most margin, which means understanding body position and how to lead the bike with your body.

 

The biggest area of margin is provided by riding within your sight lines.  The faster the pace the less time you have to learn about what's in front of you. If you are ignorant of what's in front of you you are ignorant of how to respond or plan for what's in front of you. 

 

When staying together the tail of the line is generally riding at a faster and more chaotic pace than the front of the line. Dont be stupid, ride your own ride.

 

Better yet, dont ride with people who need to stay together. Alternatively, have one or two trusted partners that match your philosophy of riding and share good riding stories with the others over dinner conversations.

 

Deer suck. Sightsee in the early morning and late evening.  Set pace in the afternoons.

 

When was the last time you panic stopped from 70MPH? IT wasn't recent enough.

When was the last time you panic stopped in a turn? It wasn't recent enough.

 

NEVER EVER have more gear on than your passenger. 

Don't do a group ride with someone who does the above. 

 

History has proven that you too can die on a motorcycle.

Which is sometimes not as bad as other outcomes.

 

If your head isn't in it, Stop.  Right now. Pull over. Breath some fresh air.

 

And to quote a dear friend, you are never lost on a motorcycle, only late.

 

 

J
 

 

[9Mary7]

2 hours ago, John Ranalletta said:

fpm

That should be FPS......feet per second.

[John Ranalletta]

1 hour ago, 9Mary7 said:

That should be FPS......feet per second.

thanks.  fixed it

[The Fabricator]

My riding line is to the outside of the turn.  That means on left turns, ride in the right wheel track [of 4  wheeler's tracks], right turns, ride in the left wheel track.  THIS ASSUMES BLIND TURNS.

Reason?  If I see it, I can avoid it.  I can see around the turn further the wider I go. which yields more time.

'It' is -----on-coming vehicle, objects, poor road surface.

Can I go faster with the 'apex' thing?  Probably.

Riding motorcycles means if you ride long enough you will fall down.

[Grouchy]

Yamaha champion school online course. Best $45 dollars I've ever spent on motorcycle related products.