Any Motörbike riders here?

sinbaadi · November 2022

Kittyfrisk said:

As @Haych says, I wouldn't get too bothered by it. It is an explanation of what you do anyway.
A bit like applying physics topics such as gyroscopic rotation when referring to how the bike handles going round corners...
https://auto.howstuffworks.com/motorcycle4.htm

The "it's all gyroscopes" thing has been disproven many times, in many ways, as the primary steering factor. By far the greatest influence on bike lean-angle is the act of steering the contact patch out from below the centre of gravity.

robinbowes · November 2022

Re: counter-steering...

Most of my early riding was offroad (schoolboy motocross racing), plus a 50 when I was 16, then a 125 at 17 (I also took my Dad's BSA A7 twin out when he was away, but shhh, don't tell him)

I found it really useful to understand some of the theory behind riding when I got a bike again a few years ago. It helped me improve my riding considerably.

I agree though, it's something that you do intuitively to a degree.

R.

Kittyfrisk · November 2022

sinbaadi said:

Kittyfrisk said:

As @Haych says, I wouldn't get too bothered by it. It is an explanation of what you do anyway.
A bit like applying physics topics such as gyroscopic rotation when referring to how the bike handles going round corners...
https://auto.howstuffworks.com/motorcycle4.htm

The "it's all gyroscopes" thing has been disproven many times, in many ways, as the primary steering factor. By far the greatest influence on bike lean-angle is the act of steering the contact patch out from below the centre of gravity.

You are actually agreeing with my point

Don't over think things that people say that sound scientific.

Corvus · December 2022

Image: https://corvusguitarworks.com/images/misc/harley-sky-700.jpg

Brrr ... went out the other day, following unknown roads and generally wandering. Was cold and the cold wind made itself felt. Most of me was OK bar the icy strips down my chest through the jacket zip, but hands were too cold - anyone use or has tried heated gloves? I am tempted by the idea.

Dominic · December 2022

Nice Scoot ......can't beat the SandS shorty on there ........those pipes must sound good but I just can't hack them anymore myself ......ok for 5 minutes but then they just annoy me .......I'm guessing around '96......883 to 1200 conversion ?

Corvus · December 2022

Cheers, it's a Dyna 1340, '97. Yes the pipes were too loud stock, I fettled some removable baffles in there that's quietened them a fair lot. Still quite loud so going to add some fluff wrap and see how that goes. It now runs loads smoother in most revs as a bonus, less overrun popping too.

TheBigDipper · December 2022

Just a little comment about countersteering. IIRC, theCalifornia Superbike School used to have a bike just for countersteering deniers. It had two sets of handlebars, one normal, one fixed. If you wanted, you were invited to take a fairly safe bend with lots of run off and just use your body weight to make the bike lean rather than the steering. No-one could get the bike round the bend using the fixed bars and all ended up just going straight onto the tarmac runoff area.

but, at speed, the amount of countersteering is tiny and unconscious for most of us.

jaytmon · December 2022

Corvus said:

Brrr ... went out the other day, following unknown roads and generally wandering. Was cold and the cold wind made itself felt. Most of me was OK bar the icy strips down my chest through the jacket zip, but hands were too cold - anyone use or has tried heated gloves? I am tempted by the idea.

I have heated grips now, so don’t use heated gloves any more but I did buy a pair of 30seven ones that are battery powered and have the heating elements on the back of the fingers. Pretty effective for when I didn’t have heated grips, you just have to remember to charge them.

Also tried the Gerbing ones on display at the show - the gloves are bulky but the level of heat was pretty nuts. Really warm. They also have an insane heat mode that requires a secret button sequence to unlock along with a disclaimer that if you burn your fingers it’s your own fault.

TL;DR yes they work!

Haych · December 2022

TheBigDipper said:

Just a little comment about countersteering. IIRC, theCalifornia Superbike School used to have a bike just for countersteering deniers. It had two sets of handlebars, one normal, one fixed. If you wanted, you were invited to take a fairly safe bend with lots of run off and just use your body weight to make the bike lean rather than the steering. No-one could get the bike round the bend using the fixed bars and all ended up just going straight onto the tarmac runoff area.

but, at speed, the amount of countersteering is tiny and unconscious for most of us.

I was never a denier, but after I heard about counter steering I had to try it for myself, if you know what I mean.

I got up to a decent speed on a straight road and gently nudged the bars forward on the left side - essentially pointing the front wheel to the right. Immediately the bike veered left. Tried it the other way by nudging the right bar forwards and the bike veered right.

Quite an odd thing to think about, and to see in action, but the physics does not lie.

As for heated gloves, I've not got any myself, I have a thick pair of winter gloves which seem to do a good job of keeping the cold out. I have heated grips, too, but don't use them often. I agree that heated gloves seem like a good idea, how practical they are is something I cannot answer.

And given my propensity at losing stuff, I'd be gutted if I bought an expensive pair of heated gloves and lost one.

What about bar mitts? A lot of people swear by them - I think I'd find it a bit alien at first not being able to see my hands and what they were doing, but you don't need to so I think I'd probably get used to it.

TheBigDipper · December 2022

Corvus said:

Brrr ... went out the other day, following unknown roads and generally wandering. Was cold and the cold wind made itself felt. Most of me was OK bar the icy strips down my chest through the jacket zip, but hands were too cold - anyone use or has tried heated gloves? I am tempted by the idea.

My bike has heated grips, which are great for chilly summer evenings if you find yourself still out but with just summer gloves. For winter, I use a Keiss heated vest (inc. arms and neck heating) that means my heated core doesn't shut down blood flow to my fingers and toes. I don't need to layer up as much, either. It's great.

Kittyfrisk · December 2022

Some good suggestions here.
I think the cold hands thing might be made worse by having bars that are raised higher than usual on touring type bikes.
Your circulation will struggle to maintain blood flow to your hands when they are above the level of the heart.
Looks great though... I wonder if that's the origin of looking cool ?

sinbaadi · December 2022

Bikes feel way more agile when you realise that pushing the "wrong" way initiates the turn, and if you do it with some intent you can really make them change direction much more quickly than if you're essentially only doing it passively.

No bike in my garage at the moment and mad keen to get hold of something but don't want to finance anything unless it's an electric bike that will save me hundreds of pounds in fuel on my commute each year.

Used bikes still seem expensive to me.

jaytmon · December 2022

+1 on the heated vest. I have a sleeveless BMW one, definite game changer but does require power outlet on the bike.

thebreeze · December 2022

Was speaking to someone only today about heated gloves @Corvus. They do sound good I have to say. His view was go for the best quality, expensive leather ones so you’ve got the feel as well as the heat/comfort too. Heated grips help but they don’t stop my fingers getting too cold no matter what. His gloves were attached to the bike battery via some sort of connection like a charger and then a wire into his jacket, then gloves.

AK99 · December 2022

jaytmon said:

+1 on the heated vest. I have a sleeveless BMW one, definite game changer but does require power outlet on the bike.

Yeah - have heard good reports about the heated body-warmers. I have a friend who initially bought one for golf but then also found it really good on the bike. As far as I know his one is powered be a small enough rechargeable lithium type battery which fits into one of the pockets. A neater solution than having to wire it to the bike possibly.

TheBigDipper · December 2022

AK99 said:

jaytmon said:

+1 on the heated vest. I have a sleeveless BMW one, definite game changer but does require power outlet on the bike.

Yeah - have heard good reports about the heated body-warmers. I have a friend who initially bought one for golf but then also found it really good on the bike. As far as I know his one is powered be a small enough rechargeable lithium type battery which fits into one of the pockets. A neater solution than having to wire it to the bike possibly.

My Keiss jacket draws 7A but lasts all day riding on the bike (obv wired, not batteries) Battery powered ones aren't as warm, and might only last 2hours when it's really cold. And it's not a vest. There's heat all the way down the arms and round the neck - no snoods required. I did work with another instructor who had a battery-powered jacket for winter pad work, but she swapped to a wired one for road rides.

MtB · December 2022

@Corvus ; - Hi Bill, I have kept my hands warm when winter biking by having a decent pair of gauntlet gloves and heated handlebar grips with 2 or 3 heat levels on them - typically Rukka gloves, as they have a plastic/kevlar knuckle and finger protection insert in the glove that staves off some of the cold blast.

AK99 · December 2022

TheBigDipper said:

My Keiss jacket draws 7A but lasts all day riding on the bike (obv wired, not batteries) Battery powered ones aren't as warm, and might only last 2hours when it's really cold. And it's not a vest. There's heat all the way down the arms and round the neck - no snoods required. I did work with another instructor who had a battery-powered jacket for winter pad work, but she swapped to a wired one for road rides.

Yeah - a 7 Amp draw for several hours would need a fairly hefty battery pack. The golf jobs are probably better suited to short runs in 'coolish' weather, than long runs in proper freeze your undercarriage off conditions.

D'ye mind me asking - what kind of cost are the Keiss jackets and wiring kit ?

Haych · December 2022

Mind if I start an alternative motorcycling thread within this post?

Might be taking a week or so in Spain/Portugal by motorcycle next year. I've been invited out by a friend but details aren't available yet so don't know whether I'll be able to go, but I am keen to go.

It would mean taking the Plymouth to Santander ferry and then travelling on the bike from Santander to Marvão, probably via A Coruña, just because I've always wanted to go.

Now, I understand the Spanish have some weird rules for motorcycles, like in-ear comms aren't permitted and any use of a mobile phone is strictly forbidden, even if it's for navigation purposes.

Is that right, and if so, does Portugal have the same rules, or are they different there?

The ban on in-ears will be a serious bummer*, I'll just have to find a way to work around it somehow.

As for motorcycling in Spain and Portugal, is there anything else worth knowing and being aware of before I go, if I go.

* Hearing damage sucks.

thebreeze · December 2022

@midiman1962 may have some tips?

Kittyfrisk · December 2022

Haych said:

Mind if I start an alternative motorcycling thread within this post?

Might be taking a week or so in Spain/Portugal by motorcycle next year. I've been invited out by a friend but details aren't available yet so don't know whether I'll be able to go, but I am keen to go.

It would mean taking the Plymouth to Santander ferry and then travelling on the bike from Santander to Marvão, probably via A Coruña, just because I've always wanted to go.

Now, I understand the Spanish have some weird rules for motorcycles, like in-ear comms aren't permitted and any use of a mobile phone is strictly forbidden, even if it's for navigation purposes.

Is that right, and if so, does Portugal have the same rules, or are they different there?

The ban on in-ears will be a serious bummer*, I'll just have to find a way to work around it somehow.

As for motorcycling in Spain and Portugal, is there anything else worth knowing and being aware of before I go, if I go.

* Hearing damage sucks.

Plymouth Fury by any chance?
Not much room for stashing a bike, but pretty much indestructible & self restoring too...

midiman1962 · December 2022

Haych said:

Mind if I start an alternative motorcycling thread within this post?

Might be taking a week or so in Spain/Portugal by motorcycle next year. I've been invited out by a friend but details aren't available yet so don't know whether I'll be able to go, but I am keen to go.

It would mean taking the Plymouth to Santander ferry and then travelling on the bike from Santander to Marvão, probably via A Coruña, just because I've always wanted to go.

Now, I understand the Spanish have some weird rules for motorcycles, like in-ear comms aren't permitted and any use of a mobile phone is strictly forbidden, even if it's for navigation purposes.

Is that right, and if so, does Portugal have the same rules, or are they different there?

The ban on in-ears will be a serious bummer*, I'll just have to find a way to work around it somehow.

As for motorcycling in Spain and Portugal, is there anything else worth knowing and being aware of before I go, if I go.

* Hearing damage sucks.

I did this trip in October 2022 on a tour - motorcycling in France and Spain is a joy compared to the uk. Portugal in particular has a lo5 of good empty roads .

Corvus · December 2022

Thanks all re the gloves/warmth, all useful stuff. The reason I ended up wondering about heated gloves is part of the problem is self-inflicted, I've never got on with big winter gloves, so am knowingly compromising there. Partly an old thing I suppose from riding daily in London where you wanted every last factional bit of feel & response you could get.
And most of my carcass is fine, reckon heated gloves would sort it and don't really need a vest/inner layer. I did think about heated grips Mike but wiring HD bars is a faff, it feeds through the bars, needs 1" so less choice etc.

So I've set watches on some quality gloves going on fleabay, see where they end up. Hopefully will snag a pair to try, and could still go for the heater inner layer if I fancy it.

Dominic · December 2022

As an ex-Dyna rider I should have recognised the bike from the battery box but for some reason it looked like a sporty from that front angled shot.Best riding Harley ..I've always preferred the rubber mounted models.

Haych · December 2022

Kittyfrisk said:
Plymouth Fury by any chance?
Not much room for stashing a bike, but pretty much indestructible & self restoring too...

Had to Google that, D'oh!

midiman1962 said:
I did this trip in October 2022 on a tour - motorcycling in France and Spain is a joy compared to the uk. Portugal in particular has a lo5 of good empty roads .

Thanks bud. Anything particular, other than what I've already noted, that I should be aware of - other than to stay on the right?

TheBigDipper · December 2022

AK99 said:

TheBigDipper said:

My Keiss jacket draws 7A but lasts all day riding on the bike (obv wired, not batteries) Battery powered ones aren't as warm, and might only last 2hours when it's really cold. And it's not a vest. There's heat all the way down the arms and round the neck - no snoods required. I did work with another instructor who had a battery-powered jacket for winter pad work, but she swapped to a wired one for road rides.

Yeah - a 7 Amp draw for several hours would need a fairly hefty battery pack. The golf jobs are probably better suited to short runs in 'coolish' weather, than long runs in proper freeze your undercarriage off conditions.

D'ye mind me asking - what kind of cost are the Keiss jackets and wiring kit ?

Of course not. I bought this one 3 years ago (to replace a previous version that I dieted myself out of and no longer fitted snugly). It's a Keis J501, which has been retired. The replacement, the JP501RP, is £200. £200 is what I remember paying in 2019. I've paid more for a pair of winter gloves. It appears to draw less power (5.5A) and the technology has changed from "electric blanket style" wiring (mine) to a thinner "mesh" - which would be nicer to wear and reduces the chance of cold spots between the wires, I suppose and be more efficient.

On my bike, I've got a Canbus circuit with an output socket, but it shuts down if you try to draw over 5A through it. So it's good for charging phones and intercoms, but not this. The jacket came with a wiring kit to charge straight from the battery and I have a little socket poking out from under the seat near my groin/inner thigh. I had a relay installed to stop it from being live when the ignition was off but I don't think many people bother. You can get remote controls for your handlebar and so on, but I never bothered with that. The controller sits in the left hand pocket.

I can ride all day in winter as long as the road surfaces permit it. Even turned off, the jacket is warm. I wear base layers in winter, a long-sleeved t-shirt and then the Keis, with my outer jacket on top. I don't use the outer jacket thermal lining or any other layers. Occasionally I think some heated gloves would be nice, but no more than that. Heated grips just don't work with winter gloves, IMHO.

AK99 · December 2022

That sounds bloody good value - and looking online, they're still available for that kind of money. Must see if I can track one down to see what they're like fit and size wise.

Thank you

chris78 · December 2022

Absolutely swear by heated grips and my hands have lousy circulation.

Being fitted to this currently

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ma16n9f4vzsb1hb/BFACC18D-75F1-4FB5-961D-BBCB210ED909.jpeg?raw=1

Dominic · December 2022

^ dark Stealth ....I had a 1260 S
so bloody comfortable ......Diavel are a great compromise ....handle so much better than you would expect despite 30cm on the rear tyre ( although that can be a nuisance on a B road where lorrys have worn a groove into the blacktop and it's hard to get the back out of the rut

chris78 · December 2022

Coming from a Harley it’s a revelation in terms of comfort and performance.

Sold my 68 plate softail and got that in its place with £4k in my pocket and it only had 2k on the clock on another 68 plate.

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