Increase lean angle
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
WRONG! Counter-steering works on all bikes, regardless of how big, heavy, slow or fast they are. It's the most fundamental aspect of safely riding any two-wheeler, including bicycles. Riding with both hands on the bars goes without saying. All experienced riders naturally counter-steer.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Hey guys,
I checked my iron 883 out today and discovered that at some point I leaned far enough to scrape the metal right peg off from under my mid mounted controls. I'm actually scraping the exhaust in some turns. I did a track day this summer and I guess it made me a bit too confident leaning my bike... Is there anything I can do to increase the amount of lean angle I can get out of my bike before I start scraping hard parts again? Either way, I'm thinking I'm riding too aggressively at this point...
Thanks in advance,
Jea
I checked my iron 883 out today and discovered that at some point I leaned far enough to scrape the metal right peg off from under my mid mounted controls. I'm actually scraping the exhaust in some turns. I did a track day this summer and I guess it made me a bit too confident leaning my bike... Is there anything I can do to increase the amount of lean angle I can get out of my bike before I start scraping hard parts again? Either way, I'm thinking I'm riding too aggressively at this point...
Thanks in advance,
Jea
Increasing pre-load up front involves adding a spacer on top of the spring, or better still replacing the stock spacer with a longer one. As that involves dismantling the forks, you can improve things by replacing the stock springs with single-rate ones, matched to your weight. A further improvement to consider is adding a set of Intiminators to improve damping and ride quality.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,932
Likes: 45
From: Stockbridge GA
Oh, and another thing, do NOT try to countersteer a motorcycle by pushing on the inside handlebar. Why on earth would you try to turn a 600 pound, 700 pound, 800 pound, 900 pound motorcycle with ONE hand? That's crazy.
Always, and I mean always, use both arms. Relax, lean forward, lean in, and push with the inside arm and PULL with the outside arm.
Always, and I mean always, use both arms. Relax, lean forward, lean in, and push with the inside arm and PULL with the outside arm.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
His whole post is badly written. That part contradicts the first part, which I feel needs to be corrected. This push/pull thing isn't anything we need to do consciously, it happens naturally. The phenomenon of counter-steering is best read about, by way of understanding how a bike steers, rather than setting out to do it.
When I first learned about it myself, as a new rider of just a few months, I went out on my bike and, hey presto, found I was already doing it!
When I first learned about it myself, as a new rider of just a few months, I went out on my bike and, hey presto, found I was already doing it!
raise your suspension. the iron sits on lowered shocks. 13-14inch will give you what you are looking for. you'll be trading the stupid slammed look for a more traditional appearance and more flexibility.
Cruiser
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 230
Likes: 0
From: Orange County, CA
I'm not sure if anybody has mentioned it already, but IMO, the best thing I ever did for my bike's handling was the heavy rate fork springs sold by Progressive along with some new 10w or 15w fork oil. The bike handles sooooooo much nicer than before and it doesn't sag as much when you sit on it. I mean, it feels like a whole new bike and actually handles pretty decent for what it is.
Last edited by starforbrian; Nov 23, 2015 at 12:35 PM.
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Club Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 11,468
Likes: 3,572
From: Idaho
WRONG! Counter-steering works on all bikes, regardless of how big, heavy, slow or fast they are. It's the most fundamental aspect of safely riding any two-wheeler, including bicycles. Riding with both hands on the bars goes without saying. All experienced riders naturally counter-steer.
I did NOT say that countersteering doesn't work. That's stupid. I said that you shouldn't try to do it with ONE ARM, which is the way it's most commonly taught: "Push right to go right, push left to go left".
I said you should always use both arms: to go right you push with your right arm and pull with your left, and vice versa.
Which is how everybody SHOULD do it.
