On 6/12/2012 1:01 PM, Vito wrote:
> "Tom $herman (-_-)"<""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI$
southslope.net"> wrote
> | Vito wrote:
> |> Odd you would quote a man who thinks the world is ruled by aliens who
> live
> |> in volcanos
> |
> | It's not? ;)
> |
> | Cite? A Google search returning nothing.
>
> An article in a bike rag said Kieth was a Scientologist.
While disturbing (probably is true, since if would most likely have
removed if libel <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Code>, it does not
by necessity invalidate his theories of motorcycle riding, in particular
those that have been verified by others independently. After all,
several billion people in this world believe in a sky god from some old
Hebrew legends based off the mono-theism created by Amenhotep IV (aka
Akhenaten).
> |
> |> and that counter-steering, vs leaning, makes a bike corner.
> |
> | I think you misunderstand. Counter-steering is necessary to make the
> | bike lean enough to steer. Rider weight shift alone mostly makes the
> | bike wobble in a straight line.
>
> No, I understand very well.
> |
> | Is this a blatant lie?
> |<
http://www.superbikeschool.com/machinery/no-bs-machine.php>
>
> It is a mix of truth and falshood based on the authors limited experience.
> You note that your Elite " is only 254 lbs. wet" . Please understand
> that, until recently, 254# is heavy for a race bike. SWMBO's MT125 R
> Hondas and TZ 125 Yammies weighed over 100# less than that and the TZ250
> that blew the fairings off the fastest F-USA bikes at Willow a few years
> back weighed about 250#. IIRC the F1 500s were not a lot heavier.
> Moreover, most of that weight is carried very low. So, as you and kieth
> admit, weight shift plays a significant part in tipping them over into
> cornering attitude.
>
Most of the weight on the Elite/Lead 110 is carried low, except for that
"squishy bit" on top of the seat. Of course, the small diameter and
narrow front wheel makes a difference, since experience indicates a
smaller diameter front wheel and/or narrower tire decreases the tendency
of the bike to want to stay upright in a straight line.
And as Lee Parks points out, at speed, the rider hanging off the bike
also makes the bike want to turn by asymmetrical aerodynamic drag.
Certainly, a slight push on the grip on the far side from the lean is
needed to continue riding in a straight line, when hanging off the bike.
> OTOH, the transverse 4's (UJM's) carry so much weight so high that it is
> impossible to make them lean even with a good dose of counter steer.
> "Steady Eddy" Lawson used to actually bend the bars on his Kaw UJMs doing
> so and unbelievable "hang off" riding styles became the rule. So Kieth is
> right within his world of UJMs.
>
Well, bungee-cording a bag of cat litter to the seat of the Elite does
change the handling noticeably. If I had a fat pillion, I think I would
have to upgrade to a Silver Wing.
> Trouble with counter steering is that it makes the bike lean by steering
> the front tire out from under the dynamic CG of the bike. This is an
> extra load on that tire when it can least be afforded (entering the
> corner). It also makes the bike rotate around a line thru the CGs, instead
> of the tire contact patches, tending to farther unload the tires at the
> worst of times. So, in short, it should be viewed as a necessary evil
> that we have been forced to adopt.
>
Well, there is deliberately setting up for a corner, and then there is
taking evasive maneuvers to avoid the pothole you see as you crest a
hill, etc. A good shove on the handlebars in the direction you wish to
go is the only way to make a very rapid turn.
> Look at your CBR600F4i, deemed one of the better handling bikes today.
> Find the head gasket - the joint between the cylinder and head. Now
> imagine if you could take everything off the motor above that line - the
> head, cams, valves, chains, et al, and replace it with a simple
> inch-thick aluminum water jacket. Then imagine it making over 200 HP. Be
> quite a bike wouldn't it. In fact, as good as it is, your CBR handles like
> that bike would with a car battery taped on top of the tank! Betcha Honda
> would love to build it for you, but they cannot. It'd be against the law.
Funny thing is my NT700V turns in about as quickly at the CBR600F4i, and
the Dullsville is by no means a "mass-centered" bike (the 150mm width
rear tire likely helps turn in). And the Elite with its soft suspension
(I can bounce it up and down while riding, which is rather entertaining
at night) changes direction much faster than either of them.
However, the F4i is certainly better handling in that it is much more
"composed" when pushed than the NT700V, or the Elite which starts to wallow.