Cornering Courage

[Yamerhaw]

Originally Posted by azoomm

Your tires* will always exceed your own abilities.

**this means tires in good condition made for the type of riding you are referring to with all the blah blah blah taken into account. [/small print]

nothing personal, but this is probably not great advice, IMO

[Frostz28]

Originally Posted by jtemple

You guys do make some great points about keeping conservative on the street. I should just pony up the cash and do a couple track days.

Ya you really should. I used to ride REAL hard on the street with a group of buddies, from what Ive seen there are two things that will make you slow down on the street and just enjoy the ride. One is a crash, and two is hitting up the track. Trust me I know the track is expensive, I rarely get to go myself. But my crash was a WHOLE lot more expensive and could have been a LOT worse. Some of my buddies weren't so lucky and Ive visited several of them in the hospital, some for extended stays. I got lucky and didn't get hurt. I was ridin to hard on the street and there was just a touch of gravel on the road and down I went. I was only going about 60 and slid what felt like a mile. I can't imagine how far you would slid doin 100+ and you'd be lucky not to take out a fence or post or something with your body. The street is no place to be putting a knee down. Yes it can be done and all that but really its just to much of a risk. the surfaces are uneven, gravel, rocks, leaves, twigs, dust, animals, water anything can change in a second and then you're in big trouble.

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Frostz28

Ya you really should. I used to ride REAL hard on the street with a group of buddies, from what Ive seen there are two things that will make you slow down on the street and just enjoy the ride. One is a crash, and two is hitting up the track. Trust me I know the track is expensive, I rarely get to go myself. But my crash was a WHOLE lot more expensive and could have been a LOT worse. Some of my buddies weren't so lucky and Ive visited several of them in the hospital, some for extended stays. I got lucky and didn't get hurt. I was ridin to hard on the street and there was just a touch of gravel on the road and down I went. I was only going about 60 and slid what felt like a mile. I can't imagine how far you would slid doin 100+ and you'd be lucky not to take out a fence or post or something with your body. The street is no place to be putting a knee down. Yes it can be done and all that but really its just to much of a risk. the surfaces are uneven, gravel, rocks, leaves, twigs, dust, animals, water anything can change in a second and then you're in big trouble.

Okay,I read this and then I read your sig line.... Sounds like you are tip toeing to me.

[Frostz28]

Originally Posted by TIGGER

Okay,I read this and then I read your sig line.... Sounds like you are tip toeing to me.

LOL ya got me. I don't tip toe on the track! I guess by "refusing to tip toe" I mean I refuse to avoid all unsafe things like riding motorcycles simply to end up dying like everyone else in the end. But that doesn't mean that Im trying to race anyone to death. I just don't wanna end up impaled on some farmers fence! or sliced into layers by a barbed wire fence! Like in that final destination movie!

[fasternyou929]

When I read your question, I tried to think of a track where I've had my knee down at over 100mph. And I can say with a fair amount of certainty that's yet to happen. I think if you have to get your speed up that high, you probably also have to "exaggerate" the turn to get a knee down. In other words, I picture someone really stretching just to get a knee down, not because it's what you need to do to get through the turn.

In that kind of scenario, I'd say your warning before traction loss is going to be slim to none, since you probably won't be in the proper position on the bike. A 100mph high-side where you could be waiting 30+ minutes for an ambulance to arrive is a rough way to find the limits of the relationship you and your tires have.

I'll give the 2340987th nod to doing a track day.