Chicken strips

[tkwish]

Ok it was quite a generalisation but I'm sure you get my drift

[Slaninar]

Not all hairpin bends are blind corners as a matter of fact were I am most are open view.

Exactly. Unfortunately, where I live, most are. Only on motorway exits can you see far enough.

[Hedgetrimmer]

There are a couple of everyday factors that maybe alter confidence between left and right hand corners. One is the road camber. This will affect the way the cornering feels from one direction to the other, and will be different, obviously, comparing eg UK to Continental riding. Also, on the road anyway, you often have effectively less room to lean into right-handers (UK) as you can easily end up leaning into the opposite carriageway and so must be more careful about your lines in a right hand corner, taking into consideration the width of the road and the proximity of oncoming traffic. This is not so on left handers, where you are leaning away from oncoming traffic.
 
Valid points? 

[Oldgit]

wonder if I will have chicken strips on my baby.

Details johns new machine 029

johns new machine 029

[Hedgetrimmer]

wonder if I will have chicken strips on my baby.

Details johns new machine 029

johns new machine 029

Very small bike, very small tyres - pigeon strips?

[JZS 600]

Right hand bends, start off as far to the left of the road as you can, then you get a decent view round the bend and away from oncoming traffic. Opposite for left handers, get on the centre line as long as there is no oncoming traffic and tip in. It really works!

[Hedgetrimmer]

My point is, you have a wider sweep for left handers, assuming you're not about to stick your head in a hedge! On right handers, you often have to limit that left to right space.
Camber means you're already effectively on the side of the tyre before you even lean on a right hander, whereas on a left hander, the bike is effectively more upright for the same radius of bend. As per the old banked tracks and Daytona etc, centrifugal forces drive you into the surface as you corner on a left hander.
 
Of course, I have to be a bit different  . Because of a reconstructed shoulder and having less extension in my left elbow, I tend already to be seated slightly to the left, simply because of less reach available with my left arm to the bars. This actually helps me with left handers, as my weight distribution is already favourable for them. Makes right handers a bit more work for me tho'.

[Punkstig]

Yeah, you do have valid points Nick, not forgetting because our roundabouts are taken clockwise the majority of riders will feel more comfortable turning right, because they turn that way more.
I tend to lean the bike further over on the left but I'm comfortable with both directions!

[dazza]

The one thing that always plays on my mind when going into a left hander is the chain lube that finds its way on to the edge of my tyre. Purely psychological as it never seems to affect grip but is always on my mind.

[Dead Eye]

I'd never thought of that before... hoping it doesn't play on my mind now :P

I think I prefer left hand bends - the reason is that, in the UK at least, there isn't any oncoming traffic at the apex :P

[red98]

better on lefties....as on approach iam riding on centre line and not in the gutter with all the crap 

[Grahamm]

I find right-handers more difficult because although I know I should be positioning to the left for view, I'm worried that if I drift wide by mistake I could end up in the hedge. I'm getting better with practice, but I'm still better at left-handers.

[Hedgetrimmer]

See, chicken strips, as I've said elsewhere, are just a way to put more pressure on yourself. It's not a good idea. Concentrating on improving riding technique is a far safer and more productive approach, confidence being the best measure of how you're doing. But be warned, this has consequences too!
I used to treat my local piece of twisty road like it was my own personal race track, and each time I rode it, I'd try to do it not only smoother, but faster. Well it certainly got so I could go faster along this one stretch of road than just about anybody else. But I paid the price and took it too far, and I'm lucky to be here now. I'm still paying the price of that over-exuberance.
I'm also being a little hypocritical here, as I seem to be headed that way again, but since that crash, I do seem to have a psychological check mechanism which doesn't allow me to go quite full steam ahead. I hope it stays that way.

[adeejaysdelight]

If your going into a hairpin bend at a speed and angle as to remove your chicken strips then surely your going to fast as you can't possible see what is around that corner and be in a position to stop if you need to      do if you haven't got strips on normal Road use surely this indicates a Dangerous rider

As with anything, some people are more capable than others. If you are going into a blind bend you should be going at a speed that you KNOW that you can stop in the distance you can see. If you are not abiding by that simple rule then you get what you get (maybe a tractor, broken down can, cow on the road...). However, if you can see, or it is a sweeping bend, why not take it at a speed you feel comfortable? Maybe my speed for that bend is 50 and your's 60 and John McGuinness 130!!! Its not about jumping out of your comfort zone, but exploring the capabilities of yourself and your bike. I have seen the hero blobs on the same bike as me ground right down, so I know that the bike can do much more than me. But I do lots of country road riding and and finding out just what my bike (and myself) is capable of. One of mates is a riding instructor and he say "practice, practice, practice". So don't expect that if you HAVE to lean really hard to get out of a situation and never done it before, to do it well. The guy who has done it 693 times has a much better chance of escape.


Also, I lean farther to the right than left. I have had 2 low sides. One my own fault, the other was diesel from a bus. Both times I went down to my left. Confidence knocked and it is taking me a long time to get it back on that side.  . I know it will come though.

[VNA - BMW Wank]

After my last puncture I got the PR3's fitted.  Had the rear buffed to the edge in about 30 miles.   Well OK, when I say the edge there's a chicken strip about 3 or 4 mm wide, you have to look close to see it.  The front I think you need to chuck it down the road to get it buffed to the edge.  I like to get it done right away with new tyres, a wee run just to buff em in, just in case I forget for a second I've got new tyres on. 

Pegs down?  Only done that a couple of times since I got the K-Tech shock a few years back.   Given up trying to scrape em on my favourite bends.

Practise, practise, practise - maybe.  But if it an't working, you don't feel confident and you keep pushing, well you might come off.

All I can think of, is that's it's down to steering.  That means knowing how steer the bike, and it does take a wee bit of input to get the thou over, especially at speed.  Oh and slow in fast out helps.  You want some power on when banked over me thinks.

I'm better going right than left, I think it's just cos you have a better view going right and a feeling you have more road to play with.

And yup, try not to go faster than what you can see.

[rayburn600]

Quote "So, I guess my question is, what is the point in having a bike like that if you are incapable of using it?"
For me its the extras one gets on a bigger bike. Like better brakes, suspension etc.
Not necessary to use all its got all the time every time.
Chicken strips....I always keep a few mil of them, just in case I need them at some stage. Good to know in difficult situations.
You could also ask the same question to a Jag owner.
Normally they are over 65 ex banker and never had the thing over 70mph.   LOL   
 

[Hedgetrimmer]

All I can think of, is that's it's down to steering.  That means knowing how steer the bike, and it does take a wee bit of input to get the thou over, especially at speed.  Oh and slow in fast out helps.  You want some power on when banked over me thinks.

Yes, learning to use more counter steering than just that which comes subconsciously is very useful. It's actually not difficult to learn, because it makes things feel more secure.
I used to be able to power steer (slide rear end) on my old slab-side GSXR750 on certain bends too, but then started thinking about what-ifs and gave it up - not the most sensible thing to be doing on the road, and I wouldn't really have the confidence to try it now anyway.
 
I also agree that whilst in any given corner, you want a bit of throttle, however little, rather than be off throttle. I apply this to driving a cage too. It helps with grip and keeping control of things.
 

[wickedmonkey]

   
  If you have 90 mins spare try watching this
 
   Twist of the Wrist 2
 
    It a bit cheesey  but the science seems good
 
   Its helped me understand a bit more

Thanks for this. Watched it last night and found it very enjoyable and informative. In fact, I've just ordered it for a friend of mine. Watching it gave me more confidence is my bike and my own abilities. I just need to relax and do what my instructor always told me to do!

[adeejaysdelight]

Yeah wickedonkey, its a great tutorial. Cheesy as hell, but the info is spot on. Just don't try to incorporate all of it at one time