Left Turns/Curves Still a Problem For Me....

[Buckeye Chuck 54]

I owned a BMW K1200LT with a Hannigan trike conversion. It took about 2 miles and I was totally comfortable riding it. But it wasn't the bike I hoped. I felt every little crack in the road and it was eating front tires, two tires a month. I bought a new '14 RT-S in June 2014. My insurance agent owned a 2012 RT-L. He told me it took him about 1000 miles to get used to riding it. He was right. At first I slowed for every corner and turn. It took me more than 1000 miles but those corners and turns I used to slow down for, now I speed up. The Bajaron anti sway bar helped even more.
Rural country roads are great as learning how to gain confidence. Interstates are dangerous places to learn.
Take your time. It won't take long and you'll be loving to get on it and ryde!
Did you ride motorcycles before buying your F-3? If so then you already know the F-3 is a totally different ride.

As a side note, after my insurance agent saw my new pearl white RT-S, a week later he traded in his '12 for a new RT.
Buckeye Chuck

I'm a new ryder, having my F-3T for only 10 days so far, and I've put only 300 miles on it at this point. I have not gone on the freeway and 99.9% of my miles have been on rural country roads.

Although I've gained confidence and experience with each ride, I find that I still have problems with left-hand curves and turns, both trajectory and throttle-wise. (Right hand turns/curves are fine). It seems that perhaps 50% of the time, I feel that I'm being thrown to the right and out of control when I'm heading left.

These are what I think may be contributing to the problem:

1. Lots of crowned roads, leaning to the right even thru left curves.

2. Loss of control (somewhat) of the throttle as the RH moves farther away from me. (Perhaps too much reach?)

3. On both left and right turns/curves, I lean into the turn by putting pressure on the outside peg. However, when I put pressure on the right peg (during a left hand sweeping curve), I may be pressing on the brake pedal as well.

These are all just guesses on my part, but nevertheless I get a bit nervous when approaching a left-hander now.

Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this, whether it's a riding technique or an adjustment/add-on to the F-3 to try?.

Things that come to mind are a) a laser alignment - but the Spyder tracks well on smooth non-crowned roads as far as I can tell, b) BajaRon sway bar, or c) Try moving the bars closer to me (Via F-3's U-Fit system) - Might any of these help address the problem? Or do I need more miles under my belt before trying any of these?

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. I feel that I'm getting better and more confident at ryding, except for those left-handers!

Thanks!

[Bob Denman]

Chuck,
Did you tell your Insurance Agent about us?

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

You are still missing the point of the Original Post. I give up.

Question : is the purpose of the Threads where the OP asks questions and seeks opinions ..... for everyone to repeat over and over the same thing that was already been said ( which happens a lot because most posters DON'T read other Posts here ). And I was commenting on the REPEAT VIDEO that you re-posted ..... Mike

[Pirate looks at --]

Try standing on the inside peg. That's where your weight needs to be, especially for left turns on a severely crowned road.

Sorry Pete but I totally disagree. The OP has the right idea. You should be looking at this with a push, push, pull technique. Push with the outside hand, push with the outside leg, and pull with the inside hand, while leaning your upper body into the turn. This will keep the inside wheel from lifting ont the ground and keep preasure on the outside wheel to help it push your through the turn. I might add that you can do this with having a tight grip on the bars, just a little bit of preasure. As others have said just get out and ryde a lot more, after a while you can do it in your sleep.

[greybeard]

You are still missing the point of the Original Post. I give up.

Pete I hope you mean that because you've posted some really bad misinformation on here. Hoping that readers don't take your posts to heart

[Lew L]

I usually try to do a handstand on the bars through shape turns. I do have to correctly weight( or pressure) the outside bar though

This thread has caused ================= Kaos

BTW::: the Joker symbol means----- I'm joking. I know sarcasm is the lowest form of humor but I'm good at it.

[Commander]

Ride, Ride, Ride, that is the best teacher. A young lady, who was an MC instructor gave me some great advise. 1. If you can see beyond the turn, look past the turn and your mind will tell your body what to do and 2. Don't look where you don't want to go. Don't keep looking at your front wheels to see where you are at. Focus on your ride. Everything else will come in time....

Good Luck and Be Safe.

[Pirate looks at --]

Pete I hope you mean that because you've posted some really bad misinformation on here. Hoping that readers don't take your posts to heart

I agree with you on this Greybeard. Bad advice is worse than no advice at all. To the OP, again the best advice is work on your technique, pay attention to what the "long time ryders" 50000 plus Spyder miles, have to say, and it will get better. Also go out to a vacant parking lot and practice the "correct" techniques in a safe environment!

[greybeard]

I agree with you on this Greybeard. Bad advice is worse than no advice at all. To the OP, again the best advice is work on your technique, pay attention to what the "long time ryders" 50000 plus Spyder miles, have to say, and it will get better. Also go out to a vacant parking lot and practice the "correct" techniques in a safe environment!

was just an average rider for 3 yrs. until I spent 3 days riding the twistys around Maggie Valley behind some really good riders. My skill level went up 100%. lean to the inside push the outside bar. One other thing-- if you are so afraid of flying off a crowned road you need to get rid off the spyder
Paul

[geoshmo]

After riding more than 120,000 kilometers on 5 different Spyders, my technique for left turns is to pull with left and and push with right, at the same time leaning into the curve as far as needed to fell comfortable while applying pressure to the right (outside) foot peg and I also tuck my left knee into the side of the tank, then I look through the curve and around she goes.

[waynerho]

You push down with the foot on the outside of the turn. Everyone is forgetting that this machine has a sway (anti-roll) bar. In a left-hand turn, pushing down on the right peg causes the left suspension to compress, causing the body to roll less.
I've ridden 17,000 miles on my RT in the last 2+ years. I can feel the turn arc tighten when I press down on the right board during a left turn.

[UtahPete]

To the OP, again the best advice is work on your technique, pay attention to what the "long time ryders" 50000 plus Spyder miles, have to say, and it will get better. Also go out to a vacant parking lot and practice the "correct" techniques in a safe environment!

Most of the advice here doesn't seem to address the question the OP posted of how to feel in control on a left-handed curve on an off-camber crowned road, when he feels like the bike is going to pitch him off.

Practicing in a parking lot sure isn't going to do it.

[JayBros]

I'm not an engineer so I can't explain the details but I do ride tight off camber left and right turns in the NC mountains. On normal left and right turns for me pushing down hard on the outside peg or floorboard while leaning into the turn and forward toward the bars counteracts the normal centrifugal force experienced in the turn. In an off camber turn, the road sloping downward and away from the apex, I find pressing down on the outside peg or floorboard is even more important because I am counteracting not only the centrifugal force of the Spyder through the turn but also the outward and downward slope of the off camber roadway. Leaning into and toward the bars is again shifting my weight into the turn, just as in a normal curve. YMMV.

[I-Day]

I will admit I am having trouble getting use to it! After 40 years on two wheels
I'm finding it difficult to learn new tricks! I will say since I bought my 2016 F3 T in April I have only put on 650 miles because of a crazy schedule! I like the idea of going up to the school parking lot!

[UtahPete]

I'm not an engineer so I can't explain the details but I do ride tight off camber left and right turns in the NC mountains. On normal left and right turns for me pushing down hard on the outside peg or floorboard while leaning into the turn and forward toward the bars counteracts the normal centrifugal force experienced in the turn. In an off camber turn, the road sloping downward and away from the apex, I find pressing down on the outside peg or floorboard is even more important because I am counteracting not only the centrifugal force of the Spyder through the turn but also the outward and downward slope of the off camber roadway. Leaning into and toward the bars is again shifting my weight into the turn, just as in a normal curve. YMMV.

That makes sense to me.

[waynerho]

None of you are addressing the question the OP posted of how to feel in control on a left-handed curve on an off-camber crowned road. Practicing in a parking lot sure isn't going to do it.

I was addressing the OP's question. The road camber rolls the body to the outside. Stepping down on the outside causes the sway bar to counter the roll.

[Pirate looks at --]

None of you are addressing the question the OP posted of how to feel in control on a left-handed curve on an off-camber crowned road. Practicing in a parking lot sure isn't going to do it.

The idea of practice on how the machine handles in a safe environment will assist the OP in what to expect, certainly is better than getting him killed by putting preasure on the inside peg/floorboard. Perhaps you need some more practice!

[UtahPete]

The idea of practice on how the machine handles in a safe environment will assist the OP in what to expect, certainly is better than getting him killed by putting preasure on the inside peg/floorboard. Perhaps you need some more practice!

I could always use more practice. The post you're referring to has been removed as I admit it was misleading. But at least I know how to spell 'pressure'

[Pirate looks at --]

I could always use more practice. The post you're referring to has been removed as I admit it was misleading. But at least I know how to spell 'pressure'

Spelling errors won't get him killed either. Having just passed through Utah, I know they have lots parking lots where you can follow your own misleading advice! You have way to much time on your hands to worry about some spelling pressure correctly!

[UtahPete]

Spelling errors won't get him killed either. Having just passed through Utah, I know they have lots parking lots where you can follow your own misleading advice! You have way to much time on your hands to worry about some spelling pressure correctly!

I think when he was running for President with old "I can see Russia from my back porch", John McCain in response to a heckler said "The only trouble with mud wrestling a pig is both of you get dirty but only the pig enjoys it".

[Pirate looks at --]

[QUOTE=UtahPete;1278701]I think when he was running for President with old "I can see Russia from my back porch", John McCain in response to a heckler said "The only trouble with wrestling a pig is both of you get dirty but only the pig enjoys it". [/QUOTE

Glad you enjoyed it so much. Make sure you wash behind your ears as the dirt gets pretty thick. It's a shame that you resort to calling names, even after you admittedly offered horrible, and dangerous advice to someone who is trying to learn how to do it right. In contrast, I offered proper technique for handling any turn, and a suggestion on how to safely get familiar with his new machine. So ryde off into the sunset, and I truly hope you have learned a little about how to ryde YOUR machine in a manner that won't injure you or anybody else you know. I also hope you learned a little about proper manners, it will serve you well!

Peace

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I was addressing the OP's question. The road camber rolls the body to the outside. Stepping down on the outside causes the sway bar to counter the roll.

IMHO ...... centrifugal force is what does this ,not camber ....... Mike

[UtahPete]

It's a shame that you resort to calling names, even after you admittedly offered horrible, and dangerous advice to someone who is trying to learn how to do it right. Peace

I didn't admit to offering 'horrible, dangerous advice'. I admitted it may be misleading to a novice, so I removed it.
But anyway it's been nice talking to you. Peace.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I didn't think there were Road engineers who ACTUALLY designed the roads to be OFF camber ..... maybe they don't in the Northeast because of all the ice we have to drive on ........ Mike

[UtahPete]

IMHO ...... centrifugal force is what does this, not camber ....... Mike

I think you're both right. Centrifugal force in a turn is going to make the bike lean to the outside. When that turn happens to be a left-handed curve on a road with negative camber, as with a high-crowned road, then this force is greater because of the camber. Thus, OP's feeling that he is about to be pitched off the bike in that situation.