Learning the twisties 2 up

[hifiman]

Yesterday I took the bike with the wife on a great ride here in N. Ga. Thought it would be a great chance to try some real twisties and get use to how the LT takes them with two up. Amazed at how well it did. Couple of things I noticed. I have the lowered floor boards and on a couple of sharp curves the side of my shoe made slight contact with the pavement. I figured thats a good way to let me know I need to back off a little before scraping floorboards. The twisties on Blood Mountain can be extreme. I also noticed while declining I was in 2nd gear a lot using using the RPM braking instead of the brakes. I found myself using the rear brake lightly when needed on some of the extreme curves. I hope its ok to let the trans. work that hard? Is there any pointers one could suggest or am I doing it right? I might switch back to OEM pegs when mountain riding though. Easy enough. What a fun Machine!!

[kk610lt]

Sounds to me like you are doing pretty well. Engine braking is the way to go. My LT has linked braking I believe (02) so it dosen't matter which lever you go for. I am a big front brake user in most situations anyway. The best thing is to practice twistie riding when you can. I live in the mid-west with a lot of flat roads w/not many curves, so when I go to the east or west I take it easy for a while until I get my "sea legs" back.

[ibbones]

I also noticed while declining I was in 2nd gear a lot using using the RPM braking instead of the brakes. I found myself using the rear brake lightly when needed on some of the extreme curves. I hope its ok to let the trans. work that hard? What a fun Machine!!That's the way I slow the bike every time. At red lights or stop signs or twisties.

[OU812]

Brake pads are cheaper then a clutch or gears. The LT sure feels different then a boxer on the engine braking. But hey, it's an LT. And surely handles much better then any other "bagger"! ;)

[justlookin]

I found the same thing with my lower running boards. I love them, but I scrape them hard when the roads start to get a little twisty. The LT is just too fun to have to go slow just to keep the running boards from digging in.
I also hit my foot first, then the board. I am going out west this summer, I'm planning on keeping the boards on thru Nebraska, & the first half of WY. Then off they go, and I'm putting the original pegs back on.
I was told not to brake in the curves, if I could help it. Not only for control reasons, but to keep weight off the front tire. Supposed to help with "cupping" of front tire.
I try to get the braking done ahead of time if I can.

[rab1967]

Let's see if I can remember this,
You should enter a curve at such a speed that you can either maintain that speed or accelerate through the curve. Braking in a curve is a no no.

This was what the MSF taught a while back.

[pickerbiker]

Let's see if I can remember this,
You should enter a curve at such a speed that you can either maintain that speed or accelerate through the curve. Braking in a curve is a no no.

This was what the MSF taught a while back.

Just remember, tires are stupid. They can only do one thing at a time, either brake or turn, but not both.

[ArthurKnowles]

When I brake to a stop, I use a combination of engine braking plus front, and rear brakes. When braking in a downhill run, I generally don't unless forced to. Instead I just use the appropriate gear to maintain my speed and when slowly lowering the throttle use engine braking. Not only does this method allow you to maintain better control it often prevents the crash that occurs when a panic brake (oops, I'm going to cross the line, etc.) action occurs.

The worst thing you can do in a sharp corner is hit the brakes as that will stand you up right freaking now unless you coutersteer heavily. Better to use engine braking and just lean in to it more to safely make it through the turn.

[paalao]

When I brake to a stop, I use a combination of engine braking plus front, and rear brakes. When braking in a downhill run, I generally don't unless forced to. Instead I just use the appropriate gear to maintain my speed and when slowly lowering the throttle use engine braking. Not only does this method allow you to maintain better control it often prevents the crash that occurs when a panic brake (oops, I'm going to cross the line, etc.) action occurs.

The worst thing you can do in a sharp corner is hit the brakes as that will stand you up right freaking now unless you coutersteer heavily. Better to use engine braking and just lean in to it more to safely make it through the turn.

I am with you on all this except using foot brake when inside a turn. mostly becouse it may get the back to slip, yes I am thinking a system without integral brakes like I had before. Some BAD experiences, 17 crashes some 20 years ago in a 10 year periode, gave me a pattern NOT to use.

I am also amazed at how much the engine brakes when you return the trottle.

Now I am comming into the turn with engine brakes and when i see the road is clear I use power to have a nice running curve, all depending on the angle of the twisties. I do get a lot of the twisties where I live. :)

[ArthurKnowles]

Wow! 17 crashes in 10 years. You got a lot more courage than I do, or you seriously like to ride! I've had 3 that I can remember, but probably that total is more like 5 (assuming I forgot something minor), and out of the 3 I remember, only one was caused by my misjudgement. The other two I hit a piece of debree on a blind corner (tried to avoid, but clipped the edge of the wooden 4 x 4) and the second a women ran a red light and clipped my front end (turned my forks in Ss).

I've never lost it in a curve. Aside from the one above and even there I didn't lose it, just ran to the edge of the road and thought it best to go off the edge. Mistake. The peg hit the edge of the road and jammed my knee. Swelled to the size of a grapefruit before I could get home and seek treatment. I do not trail brake (use the rear brake alone to maintain a line in a curve), as I don't need to do so. I don't push it that hard.

I've never taken a formal riding class, but have learned a lot by reading, practicing, and doing. So far it has worked for me. I'm hoping to take a MSF advanced class soon with my daughter so might pick upa few things. Even if I can't say I agree with all teh MSF philosophy and those that I disagree with will not be used (like sometimes just using the front brake in a panic stop or not covering the brakes when you think you may need to stop suddenly, etc.).

BTW: I rode a BMW F800ST today as a loaner vehicle while the dealer worked on mine. It has little engine breaking capability. Surprised me quite a bit. Tourqey little beast and great for lane splitting and the twisties, but you really have to run it hard in the right gear to get any engine breaking effect at all.

[MikeERideWNC]

I've dumped bikes in curves. Usually it was from the rear tire loosing traction when my knee puck touched down.

As for the LT lean angle, it will lean over until the passenger foot pegs drag.
Then the rest of the solid metal object are really scrapping the pavement.

If you think 129/Blood Mountain is bad.
Get off the main highway and explore the secondary roads.

[paalao]

Wow! 17 crashes in 10 years. You got a lot more courage than I do, or you seriously like to ride! I've had 3 that I can remember, but probably that total is more like 5 (assuming I forgot something minor), and out of the 3 I remember, only one was caused by my misjudgement. The other two I hit a piece of debree on a blind corner (tried to avoid, but clipped the edge of the wooden 4 x 4) and the second a women ran a red light and clipped my front end (turned my forks in Ss).

I've never lost it in a curve. Aside from the one above and even there I didn't lose it, just ran to the edge of the road and thought it best to go off the edge. Mistake. The peg hit the edge of the road and jammed my knee. Swelled to the size of a grapefruit before I could get home and seek treatment. I do not trail brake (use the rear brake alone to maintain a line in a curve), as I don't need to do so. I don't push it that hard.

I've never taken a formal riding class, but have learned a lot by reading, practicing, and doing. So far it has worked for me. I'm hoping to take a MSF advanced class soon with my daughter so might pick upa few things. Even if I can't say I agree with all teh MSF philosophy and those that I disagree with will not be used (like sometimes just using the front brake in a panic stop or not covering the brakes when you think you may need to stop suddenly, etc.).

BTW: I rode a BMW F800ST today as a loaner vehicle while the dealer worked on mine. It has little engine breaking capability. Surprised me quite a bit. Tourqey little beast and great for lane splitting and the twisties, but you really have to run it hard in the right gear to get any engine breaking effect at all.

I thought it was worthy a tread of it own so you find it there, now go confess for everyone to see :) hehe