NEWHD74FAN said:
I have to disagree with this statement. The term "counter lean" implies leaning opposite of the turn. I think you mean counter pressure on the outside peg. But this is not always the case. When I've got the puck on the ground, my inside foot is also used to control the lean angle. The type of lean used by racers has been called many different things. But, it is NOT used to correct an ill handling bike. A bad setup is just that, a bad setup.
The technique is used to keep the bike's tires in correct contact patch. A racer leans to allow the bike it be more "upright" in the corner. Upright being a relative term. In the apex of the corner you displace your weight to help the bike turn and to keep the best contact patch. The more you lean the tighter the bike is able to turn while maintaining a contact patch.
If you watch a racer, you will also see them leaning off the bike as they exit a corner, the bike is straight up, the rider is leaning off. This allows you to get the bike on the center of the tires and apply the power quicker. You can get more power to the ground with the bike straight then when it's leaned over in a corner.
Trust me, you don't want to lean, hang off, get deep (or what ever phrase you would like to use) when a bike is not handling well. This can cause anything from a front-end tuck to a nasty highside get-off and I've experienced both.
It can be used to compensate for low ground clearance. But leaning is more about contact patch and getting thru a corner at maximum speed. Ground clearance is not usually a problem on a race bike. But it is with most Harleys. And yes, I do lean off my Road King. Looks kinda funny and you really can't press the footboards like you can with rear-sets. But I still use the technique to hustle thru the corners. And I like rubbing hardparts on the tarmac. And I ALWAYS know when it's going to happen. No surprises here.
Here's the "but" that goes along with this. Sure, so you can do a little hanging off. But don't you think folks should have the skill set to perform emergency avoidance and stopping techniques before they start leaning off their bikes?
I know, I know. Sleddog on the soapbox again. Here we are talking about advanced rider techniques and yet 99% of the time emergency or avoidance techniques are never practiced. We don't talk about it, so therefore we don't pratice it. Most of the time we're more interested in looking cool and being part of the pack. It's the "well, the other folks I ride with don't pratice this stuff so neither will I because nothing is going to happen to me" attitude
Maybe someone can put up a poll and we can see just how mnay members practice this stuff and when was the last time they did. The folks I ride with usually want to hit a paking lot to pratice at least once a month. We turn it into a tailgate party. Kinda like our own advanced riders course competition.
It seems that once folks get on the road, they have a "bubble of fearlessness", idea that it won't happen to them. That there is no reason to practice that stuff because they did in a the riders course and know how to use it.
Your heart should NOT be skipping a beat while riding. To me that means you were unprepared for the riding situation.
To paraphrase a statement from my military past. "You train like you ride, and ride like you train."
Sleddog is now off the soapbox.... Thanks for listening.
Hey Hobbit... Having chicken strips is from those that don't know how to corner.
The Road king has 'em, but the tires are new, there'll be gone by Sunday afternon. :bigsmiley11:
