An Experiment

[cheferman65]

Just did a very relaxing and leisurly ride out through what we S.Floridians call the "glades".
While cruising through I was playing with my throttlemeister and was riding w/ no hands. If you have ever questioned or thought of body position and how it greatly influences the turning mechanics of your ride, give it a try.
Do it in a safe manner of course (is it really safe to ride w/ no hands at 70mph)
I'm still here.

I'm really impressed how much it does and has put my mind in a whole new place about my riding style.

 

[BBMykey]

Can you pass on anything you learned? In case someone might not want to do it themselves.

 

[micbusathens]

Can you pass on anything you learned? In case someone might not want to do it themselves.

I believe he means the force he needed to make the bike change directions.Indeed theres no way to make Busa turn (without hands on)if your dont put your body to the internal side of a turn.I belive that a greater factor to achieve that , is the push you make with your knee on the tank to force her to change direction.With lighter vehicles with smaller castor angle a simple movement of your head is enough.

 

[riccoh]

i do that a lot and for me it your take a shift of the shoulders to change lanes. Press the left knee move the right sholder back and viola. right she goes.. a bit harder to do from the back seat and don't recomend that one to anybody, I actually stop sliding into the passanger seat ever since my first baby was born 11 months ago ... strickly been using the hump since

 

[cheferman65]

Can you pass on anything you learned? In case someone might not want to do it themselves.

I initiated the turn with actually pressing on the foot peg and shifted weight that way. Followed by slight hip and torso shifting, followed by upper body, head and shoulders.
The sharper the turn the sooner I needed to start. Speed really dictated the timing of the turn in also. This is by no means any new technology, just something that I really never analyzed or dissected. I guess it was spurred on by goofing off and actually seeing if I could do it.

 

[IG.]

I let go of hands occasionally using my throttle lock, and spread them wide like I am flying. It's fun at around 80 - 100, when you pass other cars. You can't really turn the bike without hand input though. I can chanage lane or correct the bike if it starts drifting from the lane I am in, but that's as much "turning" as can be done. Even at that, it's sort of a very lazy turning.

 

[cheferman65]

I let go of hands occasionally using my throttle lock, and spread them wide like I am flying. It's fun at around 80 - 100, when you pass other cars. You can't really turn the bike without hand input though. I can chanage lane or correct the bike if it starts drifting from the lane I am in, but that's as much "turning" as can be done. Even at that, it's sort of a very lazy turning.

I completely disagree with your statement of not being able to turn. I actually did it for quite a few turns without the input from the bars.
That was the whole premiss of my goofing off experiment thingy.

 

[mysql]

body leaning seems difficult without your hands touching anything, but definitely can turn by shifting weight on the foot pegs (pressing down on the side of the bike you want to turn)


All of this flys in the face of the MSF instructor who said you can never turn a bike without your hands.

 

[cheferman65]

body leaning seems difficult without your hands touching anything, but definitely can turn by shifting weight on the foot pegs (pressing down on the side of the bike you want to turn)


All of this flys in the face of the MSF instructor who said you can never turn a bike without your hands.

Give me his name & number. I'll be happy to personally show him it can be done.
We are not talking hard u-turns or really aggressive maneuvers but actually getting the bike to initiate turn in. Most riders do it now and don't even realize they are doing it.

 

[MO-BUSA]

Panther crossing??? do you ever see any???

 

[cheferman65]

Panther crossing??? do you ever see any???

Not often as I would never ride out through there in the evening or at night.
Too many critters wandering about. Unfortunately when you do it's because they have been hit and killed and they are very elusive and shy.

 

[Blanca BusaLess]

hey I recognize that sign
Nice two lane blacktop that road is , eh

 

[MO-BUSA]

Not often as I would never ride out through there in the evening or at night.
Too many critters wandering about. Unfortunately when you do it's because they have been hit and killed and they are very elusive and shy.

thanks i was curious, i would imagine that nightime riding would be dangerous...

 

[Supie]

Counter steering is the best way to corner. Keith Code twist the throttle 2 (The cornering bible) i ride by this and it has improved my riding on any bike

 

[TallTom]

I've ridden like 3 hours straight with no hands. All interstate. Lane changes are simple weight shifts. I don't want to say no problem, I guess if I were less experienced I'd be freakin a little, but no hands riding is kinda easy on this bike. She is about as stable a bike as you will find.

 

[Tufbusa]

Give me his name & number. I'll be happy to personally show him it can be done.
We are not talking hard u-turns or really aggressive maneuvers but actually getting the bike to initiate turn in. Most riders do it now and don't even realize they are doing it.

Apparently you are not the proud owner of Keith Code's dvd "Twist of the Wrist II". Before you get carried away with digging a hole, watch the movie. Keith demonstrates just how little body position has to do with turning a bike. Yes, you can make the bike move gently side to side by shifting your weight. No one will deny that.

Keith installed a rigid set of bars on a bike so no steering input could be made through the bars. He then had professional riders try and turn the bike. Didn't work. The bike could be gently steered with weight tansfer but it was ever so slight. One rider even stood up on one peg placing his entire weight on the outside of the bike and it did little to turn the bike.

Keith's point was, body position and weight transfer has very little input on steering. Counter steering is the only way a bike can actually be turned. There is an exception however. At very very slow speeds you can actually turn the bike with body position. Professional stunt man Kyle Wood is a master at this.

Buy the dvd here: sportbikewrench.com
Use "tufbusa" in the discount code and enjoy a discount.

 

[Spkrdctr]

Gee, old Kieth is still around? I taught him everything he knows......

 

[Pardini]

Keith's point was, body position and weight transfer has very little input on steering. Counter steering is the only way a bike can actually be turned. There is an exception however. At very very slow speeds you can actually turn the bike with body position. Professional stunt man Kyle Wood is a master at this. QUOTE]

I've read Code's books and must admit I'm confused on few points he tries to make. The No BS Bike is one of them. Maybe it's in the definitions of the terms. Saying that counter steering is the only way to turn a bike and body position/weight transfer has very little input doesn't compute in my mind.

Having throttle locks on my bikes and using them often in mountains I can assure you that I can indeed get my bikes around corners without touching the bars. Weighting the right peg and throwing my body weight to the right and pulling the bike to the right with the inside of my left knee against the tank, I can get thru some moderately tight turns at legal speeds fairly easily hands free. I've seen others do it as well, so to say it's doesn't work, doesn't compute. True it wouldn't get me around a track, at track speeds, but the bike will turn with out touching the bars.