abs

[rdbandkab]

I really could have used ABS Saturday!    (have to get my days straight..)  Saturday was MD, Sunday was OH.
We were plodding along some nice flowing country roads in MD Saturday...probably 45-50 mph(72kph), when all of the sudden we crest a rise only to reveal a tight, right hander on the other side.  And it was coming up fast ! It felt like I had 50ft to get things in order,  but in reality, it was probably a tiny bit longer.  The only saving grace, for some going faster than we were was that it had a side road shooting straight off the main road..  Think race track runoff..  Which is fine and dandy if there are no cars coming in the opposite direction.
We made it around the turn ok...albeit to some nervous laughter between the two of us.   "Did you see a sign for a turn?!!?....I didn't see a sign for a turn!!", being the main theme of the conversation.
With the forks probably heading towards full compression, and the accompanying shortening of the wheelbase,  I swear my front tire left a long, faint black mark!   
I'm rethinking my stance on not modifying the suspension on the B, it being an older bike, but I'm thinking that stiffer springs(at least) would have helped out in this situation.  Probably a damper kit if doing things properly.  And since we ride 2up almost exclusively,  a heavier shock spring wouldn't hurt.
I like the farm land roads, with their nice flowing turns and undulating straightaways, but I'll have to remember that signage might not be top priority for the Dept of Transportation and you also never know when livestock will be crossing on the other side of the hill!

richy

[lucian]

Standard ABS is no good in a corner. Don't ask how I know. Cornering ABS maybe, not sure on that.  Never good to come off a rise and into a turn too hot. I'm glad you had the composure to hang in there and push through it. Most bikes with decent rubber will take more corner than we think, if you don't panic and do something foolish. I'd rather have sticky tires than ABS on a bike you want to push hard through the corners. 

[Lannis]

you scared me, I thought this was going to be an exercise thread ....

The Ohio side of the Ohio River is loaded with that sort of thing ... roads with very steep fall-offs from the top, with a 90-degree turn right behind it and NO warning that it's coming.   I hate those ... you get into a rhythm and suddenly it's panic time while you "explore the limits of traction" as the racers say ....

Lannis

[fotoguzzi]

I really could have used ABS yesterday! 
We were plodding along some nice flowing country roads in MD a couple days ago...probably 45-50 mph(72kph), when all of the sudden we crest a rise only to reveal a tight, right hander on the other side.  And it was coming up fast ! It felt like I had 50ft to get things in order,  but in reality, it was probably a tiny bit longer.  The only saving grace, for some going faster than we were was that it had a side road shooting straight off the main road..  Think race track runoff..  Which is fine and dandy if there are no cars coming in the opposite direction.
We made it around the turn ok...albeit to some nervous laughter between the two of us.   "Did you see a sign for a turn?!!?....I didn't see a sign for a turn!!", being the main theme of the conversation.
With the forks probably heading towards full compression, and the accompanying shortening of the wheelbase,  I swear my front tire left a long, faint black mark!   
I'm rethinking my stance on not modifying the suspension on the B, it being an older bike, but I'm thinking that stiffer springs(at least) would have helped out in this situation.  Probably a damper kit if doing things properly.  And since we ride 2up almost exclusively,  a heavier shock spring wouldn't hurt.
I like the farm land roads, with their nice flowing turns and undulating straightaways, but I'll have to remember that signage might not be top priority for the Dept of Transportation and you also never know when livestock will be crossing on the other side of the hill!

richy

good thing it wasn't a deer or herd of cows over the rise..  so what happened yesterday?

[rdbandkab]

oops...Saturday was the exciting day...
Thank goodness I was able to get most of the speed scrubbed off before getting too far into the turn.  Probably a bit of trail braking going on though.  She felt a little squirrelly!  And I should update the rubber at both ends of the bike. 
We come around turns or over crests to see ducks, dogs, deer, foxes, and even a few bears crossing our paths during our travels.  The bears were mostly a product of riding in VA.  On one of our trips to Big Stone Gap, VA, a momma bear and three cubs stopped us on rt 160 between Cumberland, KY and Appalachia, VA.  I think I
 need a helmet cam with a remote on the bars to capture some of the stuff we see.  Although, in that instance I was more worried about the turning radius of the Stelvio.  Luckily she just stared us down and got the cubs across the road and back into the woods.
LOL..  No six pack here....somewhere under a layer of fat maybe...