Another "ah hah" moment, kinda dumb but oh well

[AwwsChwA]

So I'm toolin' down the freeway on my way to Sunrise Highway (my favorite twisty road here in San Diego), and I'm changing position on the bike periodically just to stay comfy during the 50 mile trip there. Anyway, I shoulda known this all along, and I'm sure I did know it, but I answered my own question as to why the bike is so much easier to control when your body is down low over the gas tank as opposed to sitting more upright.

Big frikking "duh" moment here, I know, but I figured I'd post it in case tehre were some people who were curious or who hadn't thought of it before. Anyway, when you're maneuvering the bike from side to side and you're sitting more upright, the bike will react very slowly becuz you're fighting an opposing rotational moment of your higher center of gravity above the bike's center of gravity. With your center of gravity lowered down onto the bike (body over the gas tank), the opposing rotational moment is far less. That's my little ah-hah moment, I can't believe it took this long for me to figure it out, but hey...ya can't win 'em all.

[Karonic]

http://www.r6messagenet.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=90562
Ok im a moron #2

[dakh]

The rotation moment thing doesn't sound convincing to me. Can you elaborate a bit?

I thought it's mostly because you're likely to have your hands more relaxed and the weight distribution is more towards the front when tucked in.

[AwwsChwA]

Originally Posted by Karonic

http://www.r6messagenet.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=90562
Ok im a moron #2

lol..yea yea, rub it in

What can I say, when yer hot yer hot.

[AwwsChwA]

Originally Posted by dakh

The rotation moment thing doesn't sound convincing to me. Can you elaborate a bit?

I thought it's mostly because you're likely to have your hands more relaxed and the weight distribution is more towards the front when tucked in.

No, it's very much related to what I was saying. You've probably noticed this too without realizing it (just like I did).

For example, if you're riding down the freeway while sitting up and you feed quick inputs into the clip-ons, you'll notice that the bike will flick back and forth underneath you, but will ultimately keep goin straight and just sorta rock right-to-left underneath you. However, if you're down low over the tank with your toes on the pegs and your knees against the tank and you feed the same quick inputs into the clip-ons, the bike will dive very sharply right-to-left and will change position very quickly.

It has to do with the inertia of your own center of gravity. If you're sitting up high then your own CG doesn't wanna shift around if it doesn't have to. The closer it is to the CG of the bike, the more you and the bike behave as one object with one center of gravity, thus reacting to changes much more quickly.

[fjman]

Well yeah, that's the application of body english coupled with countersteering. Interesting that you really need both, right?

[AwwsChwA]

Originally Posted by fjman

Well yeah, that's the application of body english coupled with countersteering. Interesting that you really need both, right?

Indeed It's amazing how certain things are always in the back of your head becuz maybe we read them or hear them, but they never really click and become usable skills until we discover the use first-hand.

[Nas19320]

It could also be that your forearms are parellel to the ground when crouched making your control on the clip-ons much more efficient. Instead of sitting up and having your arms at an angle.

[dakh]

Originally Posted by AwwsChwA

Indeed It's amazing how certain things are always in the back of your head becuz maybe we read them or hear them, but they never really click and become usable skills until we discover the use first-hand.

Wait, you're supposed to lean the upper body into the turn just before you feed the input to the handlebars don't you? Which means that the overall bike's CG is moving to the side more when you're sitting straight up, not less.

[not that I can sit straight up on my bike at all - it's just not possible with pegs so far and handlebars so low]

[AwwsChwA]

Originally Posted by Nas19320

It could also be that your forearms are parellel to the ground when crouched making your control on the clip-ons much more efficient. Instead of sitting up and having your arms at an angle.

This is a good point. Probably also a factor. Still, the two CG's being closer together is very much a factor of quicker maneuvers. Trust me, go out and try it for yourself. With your body higher up (sitting up), you'll notice that the bike will still dart from side to side when you steer, but it won't change direction nearly as much. It will simply flick from right to left underneath you while your body stays pretty much centered over your line of travel. When your body is lower, the bike will change direction much more willingly. No need to repeat any more of what's already above, you get my point. Try it, it works