Thanks in advance for the replies which I expect to be of high quality!
BillZZR600 wrote:Thanks in advance for the replies which I expect to be of high quality!
Nothing like expectations of quality. LOL
I am at work at the moment, and about to head home, so I will attempt to answer and or agree some of your points later when I am able, assuming the very high quality Mr RMR doesnt get to you first
In the mean time can you answer me a qualifying question.
In general when riding along a sc NSL road, at or around the 60 limit, what gear do you usually find yourself using?
I generally pootle along in top [6th] gear unless there's a particular cause to be in a lower gear. I probably tend to use too high a gear in most circumstances to save petrol, but also because changing speed gently is nice and easy in a high gear where I don't have oodles of spare power / engine braking.
7db wrote:Incidentally, my understanding of fuel consumption is that it makes nearly no difference which gear you are in. The thing that affects fuel consumption most is how much braking you end up doing over the course of a journey. Do all your slowing on acceleration sense alone and watch the fuel economy soar.
7db wrote:Incidentally, my understanding of fuel consumption is that it makes nearly no difference which gear you are in. The thing that affects fuel consumption most is how much braking you end up doing over the course of a journey. Do all your slowing on acceleration sense alone and watch the fuel economy soar.
BillZZR600 wrote:I generally pootle along in top [6th] gear unless there's a particular cause to be in a lower gear. I probably tend to use too high a gear in most circumstances to save petrol, but also because changing speed gently is nice and easy in a high gear where I don't have oodles of spare power / engine braking.
Well this sort of points to the answers to your own question .
With little or no engine braking when shutting the throttle, you are having to use the brakes more, to loose speed, (probably compressing the front forks and transferring too much weight forward and off the rear driving wheel) but at the same time as you loose that speed you will find that you are in a Very wrong gear to gently power (balanced) through the bend and accelerate away from it.
This will necessitate furtherrushed downshifts,
BillZZR600 wrote:which because your engine speed is already low will require great care and or multiple changes to avoid locking up (even momentarily) the rear wheel, further destabelising your machine.
BillZZR600 wrote:But ultimately I suspect you will either end up entering the bend too fast and trail braking into it, or almost coasting without power and unable to follow a controlled line.
BillZZR600 wrote:Try running in a much more responsive gear (this will vary machine to machine)on your Divvy600 say 3rd or 4th for those kind of speeds (My own in 3rd runs at approx 30mph at 3000rpm and 60 at 6000 with a redline of over1200!!!) with plenty of engine braking but also with almost instant power available on light throttle openings. this will mean that you have much more time to
BillZZR600 wrote:1 get your info on the bend.
2 adjust if necessary your positioning
3 reduce your speed (if necessary) by more effective engine braking/and gentle use of brakes (Gently OFF BRAKES BEFORE YOU TURN IN)
4 if needed, Select an apropriate lower responsive gear for your speed, on 1 change (or if needed a double downshift with either a bliped throttle or sustained revschange, (and slip out, not dump the clutch)
5 On a gently opened to fixd throttle, hold the line and drive through the bend, only opening up as the bike comes more upright as the bend opens and away you go into the powerband, without having to change mid corner.
BillZZR600 wrote:Oh and Sam,
yes unlike a car you do indeed have a sequential gearbox therefore technically you cannot Block Change and go from 5th to 2nd without going through the intermediates (whether you actually engage the drivetrain or not) but the secret which all us bikers strive for is to be in the gear, one above, or one below the one we are actually about to need.
SammyTheSnake wrote:Three posts in a row in one thread, sorry!
Just a note to say my copy of "Motorcycle Roadcraft" has just arrived and I'm reading through it. First glance is very encouraging, so I'll come back to this thread when I've read the relevant sections of the book!
Cheers & God bless
Sam "SammyTheSnake" Penny
BillZZR600 wrote:have a look at the section on tyre grip trade off and machine balance in cornering, and you will see why it is usually advocated that you complete any braking/speed reduction well before the turn (point three in the 5 point "system") before selecting the apropriate gear (point four)
tip: you may already be in it if you have allready got your speed right in a responsive gear for negotiating (and exiting) the bend or hazard
BillZZR600 wrote:But like I say to everyone who gets a copy of roadcraft, its a
1:Read it
2:Try,it ( go back to stage one and repeat)
3:Do it
BillZZR600 wrote:and unless you suffer from insomnia and looking for a non ingested cure, NOT bedtime reading
BillZZR600 wrote:PS you dont have synchromesh on your Bike gearbox
SammyTheSnake wrote:I do see the logic of avoiding trail braking, it just seems so tempting to maintain the speed for that extra few feet.
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