Really daft questions about riding a bike
Discussion
Never ridden a bike before, but its late and my curiosity has the better of me...so please forgive the daft questions..
Do bikes have perfect centre of gravity - in so far as does it take as much effort to lean a bike to the left as to the right?
Is there a difference between the throttle respone times of a bike that is chain driven or one that is belt driven?
and in all seriousness say you are riding at 100+ leptons how do you manage to read the road ahead. Its hard enough in a car in traffic but how do you guys manage to read the road far ahead enough to brake in time
and talking of brakes are bike stopping distances anything like cars?
I remember reading a while back that there were plans to fit bikes with airbags - has anything come of that?
and finally... does your wet gear actually keep out the wet - I can imagine nothing more miserable than trolling along in heavy rain with wet feet!
And one last last question my cousin has a v-max that I had the pleasure of hearing him start up recently - wonderful sound. It had a tiny tiny faring on it - one with an odd name that looked no bigger than a pyrex bowl! I have seen a few bikes around with these on - do they actually do anything to stop you getting thrown off backwards?
I know, daft questions but I am rather curious...
Do bikes have perfect centre of gravity - in so far as does it take as much effort to lean a bike to the left as to the right?
Is there a difference between the throttle respone times of a bike that is chain driven or one that is belt driven?
and in all seriousness say you are riding at 100+ leptons how do you manage to read the road ahead. Its hard enough in a car in traffic but how do you guys manage to read the road far ahead enough to brake in time
and talking of brakes are bike stopping distances anything like cars?
I remember reading a while back that there were plans to fit bikes with airbags - has anything come of that?
and finally... does your wet gear actually keep out the wet - I can imagine nothing more miserable than trolling along in heavy rain with wet feet!
And one last last question my cousin has a v-max that I had the pleasure of hearing him start up recently - wonderful sound. It had a tiny tiny faring on it - one with an odd name that looked no bigger than a pyrex bowl! I have seen a few bikes around with these on - do they actually do anything to stop you getting thrown off backwards?
I know, daft questions but I am rather curious...
drivin_me_nuts said:
Never ridden a bike before, but its late and my curiosity has the better of me...so please forgive the daft questions..
Do bikes have perfect centre of gravity - in so far as does it take as much effort to lean a bike to the left as to the right?
Is there a difference between the throttle respone times of a bike that is chain driven or one that is belt driven?
and in all seriousness say you are riding at 100+ leptons how do you manage to read the road ahead. Its hard enough in a car in traffic but how do you guys manage to read the road far ahead enough to brake in time
and talking of brakes are bike stopping distances anything like cars?
I remember reading a while back that there were plans to fit bikes with airbags - has anything come of that?
and finally... does your wet gear actually keep out the wet - I can imagine nothing more miserable than trolling along in heavy rain with wet feet!
And one last last question my cousin has a v-max that I had the pleasure of hearing him start up recently - wonderful sound. It had a tiny tiny faring on it - one with an odd name that looked no bigger than a pyrex bowl! I have seen a few bikes around with these on - do they actually do anything to stop you getting thrown off backwards?
I know, daft questions but I am rather curious...
Yes i think its safe to say they lean to one side just as easy as the other.Do bikes have perfect centre of gravity - in so far as does it take as much effort to lean a bike to the left as to the right?
Is there a difference between the throttle respone times of a bike that is chain driven or one that is belt driven?
and in all seriousness say you are riding at 100+ leptons how do you manage to read the road ahead. Its hard enough in a car in traffic but how do you guys manage to read the road far ahead enough to brake in time
and talking of brakes are bike stopping distances anything like cars?
I remember reading a while back that there were plans to fit bikes with airbags - has anything come of that?
and finally... does your wet gear actually keep out the wet - I can imagine nothing more miserable than trolling along in heavy rain with wet feet!
And one last last question my cousin has a v-max that I had the pleasure of hearing him start up recently - wonderful sound. It had a tiny tiny faring on it - one with an odd name that looked no bigger than a pyrex bowl! I have seen a few bikes around with these on - do they actually do anything to stop you getting thrown off backwards?
I know, daft questions but I am rather curious...
Between belt or chain i could not answer as i have only ever had chain driven.Chain driven is instant and i can not see belt driven being any different.
In heavy traffic at 100mph or more you are risking death easy as that,as anything can happen.However on a less congested road its safer but there will always be a risk and the faster you go the more this increases.
Are brake stopping distances anything like cars.Normally there better.A bike ways a lot less than a car and depending on the bike ie sports bike etc they have superb brakes which will stop a lot qiucker than most cars.Some bikes even have abs now.
Wet gear does actually keep you dry as well.
1. I have never noticed a diffrence,i did argue with a mate once about early cbr600, he said zorst on right would effect it, i countered with altenator on left!
2. no diffrence, the belt has to have no streach or slack in it.
3.Unless your a riding god or stupid like in a car its all down to experence, parts of the hayes bypass were taken at 140leptons on a vfr750 a few years ago(not big or clever though kids)
4. The hardest bit of riding a bike fast is the braking, throttle you open it and hang on, on the brakes it takes a lot more skill.
There have been a few tests re stopping bikes v cars v trucks, you have to rember that the contact patch of a bike is probably only the size of your palm and when on a sports bike and the back wheel is only just on the road(or not) probably a bit less. everyday use a average hot hatch with abs etc will probably stop a bit quicker as the bike will usually keep a bit in reserve.
5.Honda showed a goldwing with a air bag not long ago,they would be ok in a head on type smack but no good if you slide off in a corner.
6. When i used to be a dispatch rider the worst bit was when the rain would run down the back of your lid and down your neck, waterproof gear quite good, i used to buy a dicent jacket and cheap bottoms and change them quite often.
7. Small bikini farings are better than nothing, but it depends what you want the bike for, i went to gibralata through france with no faring, its hard work at times but if you like the look of your engine why not?
Cheers Ray
2. no diffrence, the belt has to have no streach or slack in it.
3.Unless your a riding god or stupid like in a car its all down to experence, parts of the hayes bypass were taken at 140leptons on a vfr750 a few years ago(not big or clever though kids)
4. The hardest bit of riding a bike fast is the braking, throttle you open it and hang on, on the brakes it takes a lot more skill.
There have been a few tests re stopping bikes v cars v trucks, you have to rember that the contact patch of a bike is probably only the size of your palm and when on a sports bike and the back wheel is only just on the road(or not) probably a bit less. everyday use a average hot hatch with abs etc will probably stop a bit quicker as the bike will usually keep a bit in reserve.
5.Honda showed a goldwing with a air bag not long ago,they would be ok in a head on type smack but no good if you slide off in a corner.
6. When i used to be a dispatch rider the worst bit was when the rain would run down the back of your lid and down your neck, waterproof gear quite good, i used to buy a dicent jacket and cheap bottoms and change them quite often.
7. Small bikini farings are better than nothing, but it depends what you want the bike for, i went to gibralata through france with no faring, its hard work at times but if you like the look of your engine why not?
Cheers Ray
drivin_me_nuts said:
Never ridden a bike before, but its late and my curiosity has the better of me...so please forgive the daft questions..
Not daft at all.drivin_me_nuts said:
Do bikes have perfect centre of gravity - in so far as does it take as much effort to lean a bike to the left as to the right?
If the CoG wasn't central, longitudinally then bikes would have to cant over to track in a straight line. drivin_me_nuts said:
Is there a difference between the throttle respone times of a bike that is chain driven or one that is belt driven?
Drive method makes no appreciable difference to throttle response. Fuel system and engine configuration have much more effect. A bike's cornering is affected by its throttle so good smooth control is crucial. The bike's throttle is incredibly sensitive and smooth - they really put to shame the stodgy fly-by-wire throttles of many cars.drivin_me_nuts said:
and in all seriousness say you are riding at 100+ leptons how do you manage to read the road ahead. Its hard enough in a car in traffic but how do you guys manage to read the road far ahead enough to brake in time
It helps to sit higher - you can see further ahead. You can also move around your lane, from left to right, to get a better view. Riding/driving fast is all about getting as much information as possible in.drivin_me_nuts said:
and finally... does your wet gear actually keep out the wet - I can imagine nothing more miserable than trolling along in heavy rain with wet feet!
Water always seems to find its way in and yes. it can be bloody miserable.drivin_me_nuts said:
Do bikes have perfect centre of gravity - in so far as does it take as much effort to lean a bike to the left as to the right?
No difference on left or right unless you have something like an old air cooled BMW with a heavy flywheel and an ‘along the frame’ crank. These tip slightly left on acceleration and slightly right on decellaration.drivin_me_nuts said:
Is there a difference between the throttle respone times of a bike that is chain driven or one that is belt driven?
No noticeable difference. Even with a shaft drive bike, any difference in throttle response is not noticeable.drivin_me_nuts said:
and in all seriousness say you are riding at 100+ leptons how do you manage to read the road ahead. Its hard enough in a car in traffic but how do you guys manage to read the road far ahead enough to brake in time.
Same techniques as car driving, with lots of forward observation and planning.drivin_me_nuts said:
and talking of brakes are bike stopping distances anything like cars?
Some better, some worse. Bikes are lighter thus have ‘less to stop’ but cars have more rubber on the ground and can apply more stopping power. Most bikes will out brake most cars but it’s not a good idea on a bike to try and out brake the likes of a 911 with a driver who’s trying.drivin_me_nuts said:
I remember reading a while back that there were plans to fit bikes with airbags - has anything come of that?
Nothing new on this that I have heard at the moment.drivin_me_nuts said:
and finally... does your wet gear actually keep out the wet - I can imagine nothing more miserable than trolling along in heavy rain with wet feet!
You’re right, getting wet in rain is not fun. In general, wet gear works, especially the better quality gear but it all leaks eventually! Give any gear a few season and it will start letting the water in. Often, the problem is not the clothing leaking but the ‘joints’ in the clothing. Water ingress often happens around the neck, waist, wrists and ankles where 1 item of clothing is meeting another.drivin_me_nuts said:
And one last last question my cousin has a v-max that I had the pleasure of hearing him start up recently - wonderful sound. It had a tiny tiny faring on it - one with an odd name that looked no bigger than a pyrex bowl! I have seen a few bikes around with these on - do they actually do anything to stop you getting thrown off backwards?
They do help but, in general, the bigger the screen/fairing the better the protection.Hello, here’s my two pence worth…
A bike’s centre of gravity isn’t fixed, it moves as the rider moves around on the bike. It’s one of the reasons riders hang off in corners – changing the centre of gravity allows a higher corner speed for any given angle of lean. In answer to the issue of lateral or left/right imbalances, then yes, changing the centre of gravity by, say, adding a pillion, or overloading one pannier with heavy items will very much have a noticeable effect on handling and change the steering inputs required and the bike’s responses to them. That said, the differences usually amount to tangible but small changes and can be easily adapted to.
Chain/belt drive: a properly adjusted chain in good condition shouldn’t be discernibly different to a belt drive. That said, many chains are neither properly adjusted or in good condition…
Reading the road at speed comes with practice, no matter what you’re riding or driving. Reading the road well is a mix of skill and art, much of which can be learned/taught, but some I think can’t. The faster you go, the more brain power is required for road reading, so the bike control has to be virtually automatic. If you have to think consciously about stuff such as “what gear should I be in?”, “how far can I lean?” or “how hard should I be opening the throttle?” then you’re probably not ready for really, really fast riding.
Modern sports bikes – and some others – can stop very very quickly, but it requires skill and practice. ABS/linked brakes are in their relative infancy on bikes and don’t appear on stuff like GSX-Rs, Blades and R1s (yet). With skill and practice it’s possible to stop not far off a decent car, but a good car will always win out in the end. Remember though a bike can have more options open to it, like nipping through a gap between vehicles (eg on a motorway) rather than ploughing into the back of something.
The only bike with an airbag so far, I think, is Honda’s Gold Wing. Have a look at www.honda.co.uk, follow the links to motorcycles.
Good wet gear can work very, very well, but water will always find a way in in the end, through cuffs, collars, fingertips, boot seams… And once it’s started to get in it can be like the floodgates have opened.
And finally… small fairings can make a surprising difference. Much depends on the riding position and size of the rider though.
Hope all that helps.
...Where in the south east are ya? Bike?Thanks for the advice - it was a real pleasure to read the responses.
I realised a while back that I lacked the courage to ever sit on a bike but they really fascinate me and the idea of being able to ride a machine well - one which literally becomes a part of your consciousness seems like a real pleasure.
But if I ever was to take up riding a bike what would be the one bit of advice you would give to a novice rider - the something to never forget type of advice: what would it be? I see lots of young wreckless kids on mopeds around Brighton and their antics I find truly scary.
Cheers
I realised a while back that I lacked the courage to ever sit on a bike but they really fascinate me and the idea of being able to ride a machine well - one which literally becomes a part of your consciousness seems like a real pleasure.
But if I ever was to take up riding a bike what would be the one bit of advice you would give to a novice rider - the something to never forget type of advice: what would it be? I see lots of young wreckless kids on mopeds around Brighton and their antics I find truly scary.
Cheers
one point about left/right balance:
leaning a bike over at any speed isn't done by simply leaning off
you turn the bars (actually the wrong way, but we'll not get into that) to lean and turn
there have been test examples, put a bloke on a bike with a second set of handlebars that can't be turned, he can't turn the bike
leaning a bike over at any speed isn't done by simply leaning off
you turn the bars (actually the wrong way, but we'll not get into that) to lean and turn
there have been test examples, put a bloke on a bike with a second set of handlebars that can't be turned, he can't turn the bike
black-k1 said:
One bit of advice, (applies to car driving just as much) ‘If you can’t see it/haven’t seen it, you can’t deal with it’.
That's a sound piece of advice 
To that I would add, never assume that the car driver has seen you. In fact, assume the complete opposite and plan your manouvre accordingly. I've had drivers look straight at me, then pull out on me and later say they never saw me
A lot of useful and sensible info given above.
I can't really identify one single bit of advice, but here are are a few comments that may help, although others may disagree:
1) learn some very basic maintenance, as in a few basic safey checks - chain tension / tyre pressures (bikes are way more sensitive to incorrect pressures than cars) / wheel and stearing bearings etc. Then check these things often.
2) But some decent safety kit (lid, gloves, boots etc) and use them every time. Don't expect denim jeans to do anything other than disintegrate if/when you part company with the bike. I cringe every time I see anyone riding in shorts and flip-flops.
3) Get some training, then get some more etc.
4) Never try to show off to anyone, especially your mates / the cute female over there. Its guaranteed to go wrong and end up painful and expensive.
5) Ride - lots. Experience is (almost) everything.
6) Learn to spot gravel, manhole covers, tarmac changes, overbanding etc. Not usually a huge issue on four wheels but on two its a different story.
Dave
I can't really identify one single bit of advice, but here are are a few comments that may help, although others may disagree:
1) learn some very basic maintenance, as in a few basic safey checks - chain tension / tyre pressures (bikes are way more sensitive to incorrect pressures than cars) / wheel and stearing bearings etc. Then check these things often.
2) But some decent safety kit (lid, gloves, boots etc) and use them every time. Don't expect denim jeans to do anything other than disintegrate if/when you part company with the bike. I cringe every time I see anyone riding in shorts and flip-flops.
3) Get some training, then get some more etc.
4) Never try to show off to anyone, especially your mates / the cute female over there. Its guaranteed to go wrong and end up painful and expensive.
5) Ride - lots. Experience is (almost) everything.
6) Learn to spot gravel, manhole covers, tarmac changes, overbanding etc. Not usually a huge issue on four wheels but on two its a different story.
Dave
You missed out shaft drive - where there IS a difference in delivery. You can get some entertaining torque reaction effects because the drive shaft tries to climb round the diff crownwheel; can cause squatting etc. when you power out of corners. Yu can also get driveline shunt similar to that on a car, which is usually damped on a chain or belt bike. However there's little maintenance of a shaft (or belt) compared to a chain drive.
The best way to appreciate most of what goes on on a bike is just to ride one. You wouldn't expect to jump in a McLaren F1 and do 200 mph straight off; neither would (or should) you expect to be Kev Schwantz first time out on a bike. Few road riders are that good that they could swap bikes with a mate and instantly be as fast or competent on the other bike as on their own.
The best way to appreciate most of what goes on on a bike is just to ride one. You wouldn't expect to jump in a McLaren F1 and do 200 mph straight off; neither would (or should) you expect to be Kev Schwantz first time out on a bike. Few road riders are that good that they could swap bikes with a mate and instantly be as fast or competent on the other bike as on their own.
drivin_me_nuts said:
Never ridden a bike before, but its late and my curiosity has the better of me...so please forgive the daft questions..
Do bikes have perfect centre of gravity - in so far as does it take as much effort to lean a bike to the left as to the right?
Technical answers above, but mentally some people find it different leaning one way or the other. I had a problem with right turns at first - leaning that way felt more "odd" than left. Do bikes have perfect centre of gravity - in so far as does it take as much effort to lean a bike to the left as to the right?
drivin_me_nuts said:
Is there a difference between the throttle respone times of a bike that is chain driven or one that is belt driven?
I've never ridden a belt drive bike, but my BMW shaft drive seems more immediate than any of my previous chain drives. Mind you, 1200cc vs 900cc probably contributes.drivin_me_nuts said:
...and in all seriousness say you are riding at 100+ leptons how do you manage to read the road ahead. Its hard enough in a car in traffic but how do you guys manage to read the road far ahead enough to brake in time
While agreeing with all said above, bear in mind that on most road bikes you're head is much higher up than in a car. This gives a few advantages - better sight lines, ability to see over cars in front, and the ability to look down girls' tops in traffic drivin_me_nuts said:
and talking of brakes are bike stopping distances anything like cars?
I'd say it depends on the bike and the rider apart from road conditions. My bike has power assisted ABS brakes that are simply amazing, but previous non-ABS bikes require experience and confidence to get the most out of them.drivin_me_nuts said:
and finally... does your wet gear actually keep out the wet - I can imagine nothing more miserable than trolling along in heavy rain with wet feet!
With the right gear you can stay pretty dry. I use Daytona GTX boots which are almost totally waterproof. Once in a while I'll get slightly damp feet, but I only notice when I take them off and I have a small damp patch on my socks. 99% of the time I'm warm and comfy.Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff