Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

If you climb right off, with just your inner thigh on the saddle, it's much easier to get a knee down. Having one cheek on the saddle is a common failing. Not that it's a good idea to do knee down on the road. It's just irrelevant to take your C of G to the limit unless you're also taking your tyre adhesion to the limit. I steer well clear of anyone wearing knee sliders on the road.

Well, it was possible to scrub the edge of the tyre without my knee being anywhere near the ground. Fun as it will be to get a knee down, I’m still learning what works for me.

You use less tyre for the same speed if you shift your weight off the inside. Means you can go faster or at least retain a margin to go faster if you want.

How does that work? I can't make sense of it. Brain is tired. Do you mean less wear, or a smaller contact patch, or....?

Less of the tyre, the bike will be more upright.

Have you got a source, with pictures? I love this stuff.

less tyre

I paid for the whole tyre, I will use the whole tyre.

Leaning the bike is moving the CoG towards centre of corner to balance forces. Moving your body over moves the CoG over, so no need to lean the bike so far for same balance.

I'm more one for learning on the bike, but what I've found useful for knee down/body position:

• You are leaning off to keep the bike upright mid-corner, as big lean is dangerous
  
• Inside arm bent, outside arm straight
  
  

Having said that I personally won't try knee down on UK roads with our mouth-breather drivers. Like a lot of people say, doing track days calms you down on the road.

Now I have the car license, I’m inclined to get a minimoto (or midi if funds allow) and get myself to the gokart track one motorway junction away.

Honestly, I have greater desire to minimoto than to do a track day. Maybe it’s the clown-on-a-bike thing. Maybe it’s jealousy and regret than 15 years ago I didn’t get one cheap when I had the chance.

Can totally get that, I know a few people who have gone this route and thoroughly enjoy it.

Can’t remember where I watched it (maybe linked on-here), but there was a ‘review’ of a proper £££ race-ready midi moto. Apparently the bike works and feels good enough that you can transfer actual track skills from the gokart track to the full size track days.

That floats my boat, I must say. At least it did until I saw the price of that particular bike.

Maybe I look for a pit bike to SuMo.

Wow!

https://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/yamaha-rd250lc-uk-numbers-matching-just-5129-miles-stunningly-original/1428110266?utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_ios&utm_medium=social&utm_source=whatsapp

I prefer the price here:

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RDs were ‘selling’ for £200 a number of years ago. I’d love one now - back to my lottery dreams.

Well… there’s something about that price still…

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Low mileage etc. it’s probably a reasonable investment if you don’t ride it.
Saw a pic yesterday - a friend of a friend seems to have an RD and CBX in their man cave amongst a number of other bikes. I drooled 😁

So long as they don’t do what a guy I know has done…. Get a ‘cati and a Repsol rep, then proceed to drop the ‘cati on the driveway when wheeling it out to do its monthly engine start and idle.

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If you’re buying an LC, it’s got to be the 3-fiddy!

Go kart track action is the way forward. It’s just like the real thing but sweatier and sooooo much cheaper.

If that was me I would cry - I would genuinely cry! That’s a nightmare. I’ve been crying about breaking an Apple Watch this week - not really in the same league 😁

Anyone had a seat recovered or made a seat cover themselves? My standard honda one on the scooter is looking shite and could do with a nice leather one.

Yes, I made both synthetic leather and a genuine leather one on the GN125 if I remember correctly.

Synthetic is easier to work with.

I was tempted to order some leather and try and construct a new one from the old one.

Ive done motocross seats before but they have come already made and just needed fitted

Do you have any upholstery places nearby? May be cheaper than you think for them to make one for you. Or at least they may have offcuts large enough to sell you cheap that are no good for furniture.

Oops. A friend of a friend bought a 916 as his first bike, highsided it turning out of his drive and cracked a rib.