Thread: Getting power out of a harley

Originally Posted by rugerman

The trouble with riding at 100% on the road, is sooner or later you come around the corner to gravel on the road or someone pulling out of a driveway and your off to meet ya maker.
I like going around corners so aren't too keen on Harleys Got a 1250 Bandit at the mo and it's got all the grunt I need. Bit on the heavy side though.

In Ozstralia it was roos and bloody galahs not to mention tractor drivers.

Yeah I used to ride with some people from the kiwibiker forum, but they always seemed to want to be racing everywhere so gave them the flick. Came around the corner on 1 ride over the Wairarapa and a bunch of sheep on the road. 1 guy 2 up couldn't stop and had a ding dong into them. You have to ride like the bastards are out to get ya, cause sometimes the tin tops are.

Lol BenTard, I had a loaner bike that was a bit like that. It was a 1800 Suzuki Boulevard with a huge flat car tire on it. Scraped the footpeg going around a roundabout. Felt like shit up on the edge of the tire. Not my cup of tea

Yeah never really understood the whole giant wide flat tyre thing, but each their own, on the other hand have had a few different tyres that were almost "V" shaped and would make the bike lay on its ear quicker than expected especially if just taking it easy

Originally Posted by rugerman

Yeah I used to ride with some people from the kiwibiker forum, but they always seemed to want to be racing everywhere so gave them the flick. Came around the corner on 1 ride over the Wairarapa and a bunch of sheep on the road. 1 guy 2 up couldn't stop and had a ding dong into them. You have to ride like the bastards are out to get ya, cause sometimes the tin tops are.

Lol BenTard, I had a loaner bike that was a bit like that. It was a 1800 Suzuki Boulevard with a huge flat car tire on it. Scraped the footpeg going around a roundabout. Felt like shit up on the edge of the tire. Not my cup of tea

I’ve also ridden with a Kiwibiker crew, we all knew each other and the various riding skills/styles etc, never had any issues.

But then again we were (a) older and (b) had many years of riding experience (some of it track)

Unfortunately I once went on a large charity ride with randoms - hoo boy, THAT was an experience never to be repeated!

Passing on blind bends, riding two metres behind the bikes on front, three abreast, undertaking etc etc.

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

I’ve also ridden with a Kiwibiker crew, we all knew each other and the various riding skills/styles etc, never had any issues.

But then again we were (a) older and (b) had many years of riding experience (some of it track)

Unfortunately I once went on a large charity ride with randoms - hoo boy, THAT was an experience never to be repeated!

Passing on blind bends, riding two metres behind the bikes on front, three abreast, undertaking etc etc.

You should never do those...

Originally Posted by rugerman

Yeah I used to ride with some people from the kiwibiker forum, but they always seemed to want to be racing everywhere so gave them the flick. Came around the corner on 1 ride over the Wairarapa and a bunch of sheep on the road. 1 guy 2 up couldn't stop and had a ding dong into them. You have to ride like the bastards are out to get ya, cause sometimes the tin tops are.

Lol BenTard, I had a loaner bike that was a bit like that. It was a 1800 Suzuki Boulevard with a huge flat car tire on it. Scraped the footpeg going around a roundabout. Felt like shit up on the edge of the tire. Not my cup of tea

I thought that those big fat car tyre bikes were only sold to the 'expert' motorbike riders? I see a lot of them even have signs attached to their backs and long handelbars for more 'control'.

The Suzuki SV1000 appears to be a nice weekend cruiser - very smooth and quite reasonable output at 120hp. Friend was bragging about his awhile back, then next time I see him he's got a broken arm and heaps of gravel rash....

Sold my last bike couple of years ago - just a little offroader. Have been playing with something a wee bit safer - sort of a four wheel equivalent...

Originally Posted by mudgripz

The Suzuki SV1000 appears to be a nice weekend cruiser - very smooth and quite reasonable output at 120hp. Friend was bragging about his awhile back, then next time I see him he's got a broken arm and heaps of gravel rash....

Sold my last bike couple of years ago - just a little offroader. Have been playing with something a wee bit safer - sort of a four wheel equivalent...

Attachment 150441

Was watching some youtube clips of turbocharged 350z's today, 700hp+, damn impressive, beating some pricey machines, probably not ideal for keeping ones licence though

If ya wanna go light and small but still feel the need to pull 9 sec 1/4 miles, these may be the ticket.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2hgK-wZ1XA
Not too good on the corners though

Originally Posted by XR500

If ya wanna go light and small but still feel the need to pull 9 sec 1/4 miles, these may be the ticket.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2hgK-wZ1XA
Not too good on the corners though

Hell yeah.... I want one of those for my work hack... might actually arrive at work with a smile on my face

Originally Posted by XR500

If ya wanna go light and small but still feel the need to pull 9 sec 1/4 miles, these may be the ticket.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2hgK-wZ1XA
Not too good on the corners though

Very cool and probably the essence of biking.

Originally Posted by XR500

If ya wanna go light and small but still feel the need to pull 9 sec 1/4 miles, these may be the ticket.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2hgK-wZ1XA
Not too good on the corners though

And they always appear to be wearing 'sneakers/sandshoes'

I have nothing to say about 350Zs and licences.. Nothing.

Hey @257weatherby what is 'trail braking'

Originally Posted by stevodog

Hey @257weatherby what is 'trail braking'

Real trail braking is a race only thing, if you do it in the real world, you better understand just what you are doing.

When you reach your braking marker, you shut the throttle, use the rear brake to begin front end compression and then go to the front brake hard, (maybe 2 tenths of a second between them) (at this point you have already transferred your body position) you tip in at your turn marker still hard on the brakes, at this point you begin progressively releasing the front brake as the lean angle increases (you don't ask a tyre to hold lean, turn and stop at the same time, you must trade the competing pressures and find the optimum balance between them or crash) - just before the apex you have nearly full released the brakes and are already actively standing the bike up and beginning to open the throttle to drive it out.

Get it wrong and you tuck the front and crash, it is a delicate balance. The job of the rear brake in this, on approach, is to preload the front so the extreme brake effort you suddenly ask of the front doesn't get you out of shape, as you have already shifted you body position, you can use the rear brake to help step the rear wheel out ( backing it in, some do, some don't) because it can help to gets you turned faster, after attaining the turn geometry you want you leave the rear alone, its job is not to help you stop, only to turn! on the way out of the corner, the rear brake is used to help keep the front down so you can get maximum acceleration, front comes up on the gas, you lose time modulating the throttle to control it, brake is faster and less clumsy, you simply keep it pinned.

Not sure I've explained it well enough, but it is what it is.