Stopping
While everyone has covered the skill issues, you also need to make sure the following:
- Tire pressure. Having low tire pressure will simply screwup handling at pretty much all speeds.
- Steering Stem adjustments. Make sure your steering stem is adjusted correctly. With the extra weight the big fairing induces, you need to make sure the following:
1. Check the torque on the steering stem buy locking the front brake and push/pull the handlebars vigorously. You should only hear the oil of the forks moving around. If you hear anything mechanical, something is loose. If you feel the handlebars 'pop', then you need to check the steering stem nut torque.
2. (Hopefully you have a stand). Put the bike on a stand so that the bike is level and the front is off the ground. Turn the handlebars as far left as they go and let go. The handlebars should recenter. Then do the same thing to the right. If the handlebars do mot recenter, the issues are either steering stem nut to tight or a bearing is going bad or something is interfeering with turning.
- Brake maintenace (while with low mileage this should not be an issue) if your wobbling only while the front brake is applied, try getting some brake kleen and cleaning the calipars. Dirt and brake dust often cause the front brake to apply pressure unevenly, causing a wobble.
have fun, ride alot, practice the methods in RLAP V.
...gene
- Tire pressure. Having low tire pressure will simply screwup handling at pretty much all speeds.
- Steering Stem adjustments. Make sure your steering stem is adjusted correctly. With the extra weight the big fairing induces, you need to make sure the following:
1. Check the torque on the steering stem buy locking the front brake and push/pull the handlebars vigorously. You should only hear the oil of the forks moving around. If you hear anything mechanical, something is loose. If you feel the handlebars 'pop', then you need to check the steering stem nut torque.
2. (Hopefully you have a stand). Put the bike on a stand so that the bike is level and the front is off the ground. Turn the handlebars as far left as they go and let go. The handlebars should recenter. Then do the same thing to the right. If the handlebars do mot recenter, the issues are either steering stem nut to tight or a bearing is going bad or something is interfeering with turning.
- Brake maintenace (while with low mileage this should not be an issue) if your wobbling only while the front brake is applied, try getting some brake kleen and cleaning the calipars. Dirt and brake dust often cause the front brake to apply pressure unevenly, causing a wobble.
have fun, ride alot, practice the methods in RLAP V.
...gene
In addition to looking straight ahead and using both brakes until almost to a stop put your left foot down with the rear brake still on. The bike will always lean to the left. Don't put both feet down and try to stop with the front brake. Same goes for taking off, get your right foot up on the floorboard and feather the rear brake if you have to start off slow or make a turn fr. your starting postition. Practice slow riding feathering you rear brake and your clutch to get the feel. The Ride Like a Pro is worth the money.
This is interesting to me and I just pulled out my Ride like a Pro IV - chapter 16 (stopping) and chapter 19 (stop in a box section)... Both times the Instructor comes to a complete stop with BOTH feet on the ground.. He never talks about a 'dip' or one foot down... HE puts both feet on the ground just as the bike comes to a stop - therefore in the lasts few feet he is using the front brake.. In Chapt 6, the student does the 'left foot down' routine.
I was always taught - as the the instructor showed..
I was also taught, that IF I created the habit of always stop - lean left - left foot down ...
the day would come that - in that lean - something was going to interfere with that left foot and since I had the habit of 'lean to the left at stop' the bike would just continue right to the ground..
I am a short rider and with short legs - we have very little room for 'bad footing' for us every inch matters...
I try very hard to always stop - straight up and no lean -
Try feathering the clutch, with a small bit of throttle, and rear brake application all at the same time.
This will stabilize your bike as you come to a stop.
Get the ride like a pro video and keep practicing.
This will stabilize your bike as you come to a stop.
Get the ride like a pro video and keep practicing.
I did a little practicing today, and i started stopping a little harder and i was way more smoother so that tells me i was stopping too slowly. I will keep practicing but i think I'm on the right track. Thanks to all for the help!
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bikerdude1903
Hacked, Conversions and Trailering
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Sep 14, 2011 11:25 AM









