How\'s about some advice then?

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Todd you're right. I've been stopped twice by cops who wanted to charge me with "failing to come to a complete stop."

I just ask them if they want to see me do it again and they back off.

At this point I'm pretty sure our Toronto cops are more reasonable than the ones a lot of you guys have to deal with.

 

[sherm]

Gee, it only took nine replies on this topic to get around to bashing cops. On most topics it takes twelve to fifteen.
Turbo, just call your mean and nasty catch-all "COPS". It should really bring ou the best in us.

Sorehead, the one thing that improved my slow turns the most was looking into the turn (mentioned by Cisco). I had the bad habit of fixating on obstacles to avoid and was always lousy and uncertain in the slow turns. Once I concentrated on looking into the turn my performance improved tremendously.

 

[OB_blitzn]

an empty parking lot is a good place to practice the slow speed turns,looking far into the turn really helps

 

[OB_Hapo]

...gee, Sherm, no one was realy bashing any cops...just pointing out a fact of life...BTW, Sore Head, (note to Big Dog...is not "head" one of them four letter words? I mean, sore? Head? the FILTHY conotation is obvious! Or is it just me...), you should definitly grock to Sherms's word, he speaketh the truth other wise...in fact, no one has any realy BAD advice, so much as pay attention to where you are and all before you mess around...

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

What Hapo said, except for the Head thing.

There is no Bad Head. Good Head sometimes leads to Sore Head, but it's still Good Head.

 

[OB_maui]

Another good technique is visualization. When you practice any thing weather it's making slow turns, a trip down the drag strip, or opening a door. Get a mental picture of what you want to do before you do it. Do a complete run through at least twice. Leave no detail out. Once is not enough. A teacher I once had, who had mastered physical movement taught me this (Shinichi Suzuki Sensei, Hachidan). But that's another story...

 

[OB_maui]

Visualization works good with the head thing too.......

 

[OB_SoreHead]

How about one of you eternal bikers giving me some tips to improve my riding on this specific bike.

I came to the Busa after only 2 years on bikes and they were Harleys. Job and the
like never suited me getting a bike prior to this. It's good in ways as I think I'm
probably safer by being a little more sensible (I said a little ok).

I took an advanced rider course and seem to be doing ok (countersteering etc) but I'm having problems in slower or tighter turns. I'm my own worst critic and have been told I'm a lot better then I'm allowing myself but I just don't feel confident especially when there's a car ahead that's speeding up and slowing down eratically. I think it's also down to the weight of the bike.

Any advice on the best way to take slow corners smoother and better would be most welcome. I know I'm not the only newish rider to opt for a Busa so maybe it will help more then just me.

(P.S. I have no problems with sweeping bends or faster corners)

 

[OB_jr7501]

Congrats on your new bike!!! From Harley to Busa, man, you've come full circle. As to advice. All you need is seat time AND ride within YOUR LIMITS. You will improve your skills. Take it slow. Hopefully, you're doing the common sense things like full leathers, boots, full-face helmut, etc.. A book you may want to pick up is: Sportbiking: "The real world" by Gary Jaehne. This is well written and truly is "real world". I've been on bikes for 30 years and still learning how to ride. Sounds like your off to a good start w/ your safety course. Good luck!

[This message has been edited by jr7501 (edited 11 October 1999).]

 

[OB_Cisco San Jose]

SoreHead,I ride both Hayabusa and Harley's and they both are handled the same way.On tight slow conners I usually push down on the handle depending on which direction I'm going left or right and feather the gas,I also look in the direction that I'm turning.Keep practicing and you'll get better on the Hayabusa on slow conners,as for cars that speed up and slow down I usually don't follow them,I don't follow people that are talking on the cellphone or yelling at their kids in the car.Rainy days I do not follow eighteen wheelers or big trucks,I try not to follow any vehicle that is to big to look around it for danger,or I try not to follow a car or vehicle to close cause you might not see the brick,wood,hole or large rock that the vehecile might pass over.I do not stop in the middle of the roadway at a stop sign due to the oil,raditator fluid or other slippery stuff that might be on the road,and I always look at my review mirror when I'm at a stop light or stopped in traffic and I'm the tail person in the pack.Good luck.

[This message has been edited by Cisco San Jose (edited 12 October 1999).]

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

SoreHead, I'm assuming you're talking about 3-15 mph maneuvering around town.

Very few riders can go slow well, and it's a very learnable skill that pays off all over the place from jockeying around gas pumps to busy intersection corners.

My advice is to ALWAYS resist the temptation to take your feet off the pegs until it's absolutely necessary. Turn tight and slow, feet up, just for fun. Take pride in staying feet up in crawling traffic when other riders are dragging their feet like crutches. Every time you come to a stop sign, try to stop the bike completely and then go, without putting feet down.

This will improve your slow speed cornering confidence immensely.

 

[OB_FalconCOP161]

Gee todd,,I never gave a Coupon to a biker rolling through a stop sign,,but with you I'll make that exception. you ever in Bergen Co NJ ??

161 ®

 

[OB_ROR]

Tight turns work better if you can accelerate a little bit through them rather than coasting and for sure not braking. So get your braking done early - which also helps you stay well behind erratic cars.

Then look through the turn, even if you can't quite see where the road is. It's amazing how good your cornering line will be if your focus is way on down the road. The bike just seems to put itself where it needs to be. Moving your head to keep it level with the road helps too, but it can really strain the neck muscles on the tight twisties.

 

[Guest]

Hi Sorehead, I too learned on cruiser style bikes many years ago and then "graduated" to sportbikes about three years back.

I think that I also understand your problem. Very tight cornrs were my problem too, still are I suppose. I was quite comfy in a higher speed corner, the bike feels stable and you just have to hang on and go with it.

On low speed corners I felt wobbly, and when I recently did an adavnced course I realised that I had been riding in 2 modes; fast proper riding, and a stupid "wobble around the tight corner like it is a driveway" mode.

In the advanced couse they taught us to lean off the bike at high speeds (we all know that), BUT also at low speeds (under 15mph - most street corners and intersections) you lean the other way. I mean lean the bike over, but YOU make an effort to stay up on top of it.

The instructor did an impressive demo on a big 1100cc BMW, he got on, laid it over until the peg was almost touching (with him stood up on top of it), gunned the throttle and spun around in tight circles doing about 20mph!! I couldn't believe it! Looked like a circus act.

Then they set up a very tight course with little witches hats, and we did laps around it and it was great fun! First time I had ever enjoyed leaning my bike right over at "parking lot" speeds.

Since then I made a conscious effort to fix this weak area in my riding, and it is amazing how much I have improved (or how BAD I must have been!)

Just try (only in slow corners, u-turns, intersections etc) leaning the bike under you but staying up on top of it. Almost instantly it feels "right" and you have more control and confidence. Hope this helps.

 

[OB_Buffalo]

Sorehead, good luck in the slow tighter stuff, we do ride a bigger bike. Real good advice from both Dirty and TLR. Push the bike over and stay on top of it. Let your body weight and balance act as a gyroscope. The more you do it ,the better you get at it. I also ride as slowly as possible in parking lots (deserted) to improve my low speed handling and do a lot of U turns and figure eights, feet on the pegs. Practicing the stop without putting your feet down and then taking off at stoplights is a good drill. I rarely have to put my feet down any more. Good luck.

 

[OB_Hapo]

Its a good idea to put your foot down in the real world...for one thing, it takes practise too, you will have to do it, and it lets all know that you have come to a complete stop...be shur you keep your head UP and looking where you want to go...don't snapp your head down to look at the ground if you wobble or somthing...is that where you want to go? This is harder than it sounds and is a key element in the Advance Rider course and in gaining the "composure" you feel a lack of at slow speeds...also, the bike IS a bit heavy and longish, a bit of a hand full...a question of balance...

 

[Guest]

Around these parts you would probably get nailed for failure to come to a complete stop if you didn't put at least one foot down at a stop sign. Even if you did actually come to a stop with your feet up the wallet vampires would try and use that as an excuse to issue a road tax.

 

[OB_BUDDHA]

As for the car speeding up and slowing down in front of you.Just stay away...
stay back a good 30ft and begin to set yourself up for the pass,and when the time is right pass the **** out of the stupid cage.Lifes too short to deal with shitty drivers.

 

[OB_JohnnyB]

When you gas it in 1st & 2nd, get forward and down!

 

[OB_SoreHead]

Whoa. I was off the computer yesterday afternoon and this morning and already that many replies.

Thanks for all the advice. I'll take it all in and see how I get on.

I think I'm being a bit hard on myself but better that then being too cocky and overdoing it.

Thanks again.