Scraping the pegs..am I chicken?

[Wamphyri*DFR*]

Originally Posted by ddavidson

Why do I feel like the front tire of the wee is going to wash out on me in aggressive cornering? In the level one race training course I took this summer we used GXR 600's, and now I just don't have as much confidence with the front end of the wee. Is this just all in my head?

Difference in tires/compounds maybe? Is the suspension (sag) set correctly on the strom? Proper suspension set up for your riding style will increase confidence and performance more than any other modification I've ever found.

[Dirt_Dad]

Originally Posted by ddavidson

Why do I feel like the front tire of the wee is going to wash out on me in aggressive cornering? In the level one race training course I took this summer we used GXR 600's, and now I just don't have as much confidence with the front end of the wee. Is this just all in my head?

A fork brace improves the situation significantly.

[The Golden Monkey]

Originally Posted by garandman

And when I took the Total Control ARC, the instructor dragged a knee on a 993 lb Gold Wing while circling inside a 40' circle, without touching any hard parts. There were 3 MSF instructors in the class, btw.

Lets start defending NOTGATT and open pipes next.

I wasn't defending scraping pegs, nor was the instructor, in fact the opposite. The point was that scraping them is not something to be afraid of, but it's also not a sign of being cool and hardcore; it's a sign that the rider's technique could be better.

[Dirt_Dad]

Originally Posted by The Golden Monkey

it's a sign that the rider's technique could be better.

Of course it could also be a sign that someone is enjoying the hell out of their bike.

[janiceclanfield]

Originally Posted by Dirt_Dad

Of course it could also be a sign that someone is enjoying the hell out of their bike.

I'd have more problems with scraping the handlebars than the pegs...

[ddavidson]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've thought about tires and have read about the improvements others get with different tires (I've still got lots of tread on the Trailwings). I do have a forkbrace. I'll have to work with someone on my suspension set up and maybe I'll invest in new rubber earlier than I'd like.

[cavehamster]

Listen, if you are scraping pegs, you need to re-evaluate how you are riding. You either need to back it off a bit to leave yourself some cushion, or you need to learn how to lean your body and get in tune with the bike.

I too feel like it is a personal failing on my part if I scrap a peg, and I've only done it a few times. I can certainly keep up with most of my sport bike friends without dragging any metal bits. Picking a good line, having confidence, and paying attention is what gets you through.

Goto a track day if you really want to find those limits, no need to push it on the street where you can get really hurt.

[Andrew_S]

Originally Posted by cavehamster

Listen, if you are scraping pegs, you need to re-evaluate how you are riding. You either need to back it off a bit to leave yourself some cushion, or you need to learn how to lean your body and get in tune with the bike.

I too feel like it is a personal failing on my part if I scrap a peg, and I've only done it a few times. I can certainly keep up with most of my sport bike friends without dragging any metal bits. Picking a good line, having confidence, and paying attention is what gets you through.

Goto a track day if you really want to find those limits, no need to push it on the street where you can get really hurt.

Well said - the road is not the place to be testing the limits. By the way, you'll find the Wee will keep up with just about anyone on the road in the twisties - I'd say 99 out of 100 riders with sports bikes don't know how to ride them!

[cavehamster]

Originally Posted by Andrew_S

Well said - the road is not the place to be testing the limits. By the way, you'll find the Wee will keep up with just about anyone on the road in the twisties - I'd say 99 out of 100 riders with sports bikes don't know how to ride them!

This is very true. Half my sport bike friends are very good and no trouble keeping up with me, the other half.. well... we just stop at the top and wait for them to show up

I wouldn't know about how the Wee keeps up, what with me having a V and all I'm sure it would be pretty much the same.

Track days are cheap, and they have people there to coach you and help you learn. It'll help your riding on the street a lot, confidence is 90% of cleaning a corner or screwing it up badly.

[desertdog]

Don't forget sand, little pebbles and things that accumulate in the turns, when your carving the turns, (we have had 2 gaurdrail fatalities this year in anza borrego desert) if it don"t feel good, don't do it! I scrape the pegs all the time on my 650 ninja, but thats a low slung rocket, not like my vstrom 1000.