TWISTIES

[Mazo EMS2]

There are so many aspects involved in getting through twisties quickly that it's difficult to adequately assess why someone isn't doing as well as they think they should. The machine, in this case the Spyder, is just one aspect.

As with everything in life, you cannot excel beyond the weakest link. If that is the machine you're riding then that is where the improvements need to go. But the rider is also a huge factor.

The things I commonly see are;

1- Braking late and Hugging the inside line going into the turn. It's the natural thing to do and will get you into a lot of trouble every time. You must always start from the outside line, apex to the inside line and then accelerate going out of the turn as you fade back to the outside line as you exit the curve.

2- Looking right in front of your Spyder and looking where you DON'T want to go. Instead, you need to look well ahead of where you are and focus on where you WANT to go.

3- Trying to keep up with a better rider. Not riding within your comfort zone. Basically, getting in over your head.

All of these issues come very naturally. What comes naturally is usually the exact WRONG thing to do. Without understanding the dynamics of a curve and how it needs to be systematically approached. Going faster may well be a very bad idea.

Don't get me wrong. I am no expert. I've just spent a bit of time studying the techniques needed to do it right. And they make all the difference in the world.

Most comments are pointed toward the bike, when in actuality, your position on the bike, and where you're looking are very important. Ron's #2 points that out. Don't try to keep up if you don't feel comfortable. The last thing ya wanna do is wreck your Spyder, or your body....It'll come with experience.....just keep looking as far down the road as you can, and your arms will steer you there

[AY4B]

Maybe its just me but it doesn't sound like a good idea to tell someone who isn't comfortable on curves to put their feet on highway pegs.

Using highway pegs on a spyder takes some getting used to. Its not like a motorcycle. You have to ease into your own style. Personally I have bad circulation in my legs and if I can just give them a job rather than letting them stay in one spot they stay fresher longer. A wide stance is better than a narrow stance for control but you have to be able to brake if needed without thinking about it. I don't take every curve the same. I try different things and just have fun with it. On a curve I personally like outside leg on peg, inside leg on floorboard hugging the spyder and leaning in as needed. I am not a speed racer, just out having fun and staying in my comfort zone.

[Richardv]

Maybe its just me but it doesn't sound like a good idea to tell someone who isn't comfortable on curves to put their feet on highway pegs.

Highway pegs are not designed to be standing on. They are just a foot rest. And one will be more stable and better positioned on the driver pegs for negotiating the twistties. Not a good advise.

Richard

[AY4B]

Also its important to gain confidence in your spyder that you can steer it hard and it will respond. That just takes a little time.

[asp125]

Baja Ron summed up the recommended way to tackle a corner. There are other factors too. Make sure your tire pressures are correct. When I adjusted our GS tire pressures to what most forum members agreed on, it helped the Spyder hook into a curve. Also, I find the Spyder faster through the corner if you are not trail braking to the apex unlike a bike. I have found faster corner speed by braking till you start turning in, and accelerating through with plenty of body english. I found if you trail brake to the apex, it wants to understeer.

[AY4B]

Highway pegs are not designed to be standing on. They are just a foot rest. And one will be more stable and better positioned on the driver pegs for negotiating the twistties. Not a good advise.

Richard

Wherever you plant your foot on a spyder, you have to use it for control. On a motorcycle it is just a foot rest. On a spyder you need to use your legs(and arms too). When I said you could stand up on the peg I did not mean like if it was standing still all your weight is on the peg. What I meant was you can shift your hips a little to the inside while you lean and straighten out the outside leg on the peg almost if you are standing but of course you are sitting but for a moment you feel like you are standing on an outside wall. All you are doing is countering the inersha that is pulling your body to the outside by aligning up your body to the lateral G force. It sounds complicated but your sense of balance does all the work, you just react. I know this is going to sound weird but once you figure it out, you go from riding a spyder to being a spyder. This is coming from a person that spent around 20 years repelling down buildings cleaning windows.

[Highwayman2013]

[QUOTE=edmarble;1161969]I transitioned from a fast motorcycle that I drove quite hard in turns. I now have a 2014 ST Limited that by comparison initially felt very insecure in hard cornering. What instantly got me over the hump was going to a big empty parking lot and flogging the heck out of the machine. I drove it up to good speed and repeatedly cranked it very hard into corners until I realized that under normal hard riding, the only way it was leaving the road was if I drove it there. The other thing it did for me was make me realize that by keeping both feet firmly planted and by stabilizing my inside let against the seat, the stability control would intervene long before there was any sense that I would get thrown off the vehicle. I now have over ten thousand miles on the machine and am very comfortable driving it up to its limit in curves.

Contrary to the advice on this forum, what I wouldn't do is go out and install a stiffer front sway bar. From your profile picture, it looks like you have a 2014 ST maybe Limited. I can only speak to that model, but from my experience, you will only hurt overall performance by increasing the stiffness of the front end. Three wheeled vehicles with two up front and one in the back inherently understeer meaning in hard cornering, if you lose traction, it will be in the front end first rather than the rear end coming around. This is definitely the case with Spyders. By adding a stiffer sway bar up front, you further decrease front traction (because it causes the inside wheel to lift during hard cornering) and increase understeer. This means you have to corner slower to stay on the road and the stability control will intervene earlier. Also, the stiffer sway bar decreases the amount of independent action of the front wheels, so if the road is bumpy, there is more tendency for the vehicle to slide or walk to the outside of the turn. Thirdly, with the stiffer bar and rigid links that people are recommending, you will transfer more energy from the road to your steering components and eventually to your hands, arms, and shoulders. None of these things seem at all desirable to me and they simply do not increase cornering performance.

What a stiffer front end might do is make the front end feel more stable in a straight line and because it reduces some lateral roll, it may feel flatter and more responsive in corners, but don't confuse that with better cornering performance. If there was so much lateral roll that during hard cornering the tire was turning onto the edge of the tire tread or the sidewall, then yeah, you would improve traction and therefore cornering speed by using a bigger bar, but that just isn't the case with these machines. Even with only 15 psi in the front tires and driving to the point where the stability control intervenes, there is no tire wear anywhere but the primary tread surface and my tires, even after 10k miles are wearing dead evenly.

So I guess back to the original issue, I would make sure your tire pressure and shock preload are set to specs and then just practice harder cornering in a safe place and eventually, like I did, I'm betting you will find that these are incredibly well-engineered machines that you can safely and comfortably drive quite hard in the corners. Have fun!

I disagree about the sway bar, my bike has much better cornering performance with the stiffer bar and it has been proven on thousands of spyders.

[clinard]

One that seems to be missing or maybe it was something I learned\was taught years ago as a ridge runner. Go into the curve in the gear you that need to come out of it. This allows you to power out of the turn. Down shifting in a turn because you need more R's isn't a good thing.

[AY4B]

One that seems to be missing or maybe it was something I learned\was taught years ago as a ridge runner. Go into the curve in the gear you that need to come out of it. This allows you to power out of the turn. Down shifting in a turn because you need more R's isn't a good thing.

I was just typing out a post that said the same thing. I try not to over use my brake.

[Bfromla]

First - ride your own ride. You're not in competition.

If you want to go faster, shift your body weight to the outside of the curve.

Don't forget to steer!

Also consider HD buds were trying to out do you for their natural jealousy
Im glad your asking a question & not reporting a crash incident

[SpyderAnn01]

One of the attributes a Spyder shares with a motorcycle is the fact that the rider can affect the center of mass. Dropping your shoulder to the inside of the curve and lowering your upper body will lower the center of mass and reduce roll. This keeps all three wheels planted.

When I road raced motorcycles, I often had my upper body next to the fuel tank on the inside of the curve and my head at the level of the clip-ons. With a knee slider on the pavement this was a very stable and fast way to take a turn.

Yes, if you drop your shoulder and keep your head lined up with your arm it helps a lot. A very wise Spyder owner, Nancy's Toy, used to say it was like you were going to kiss your wrist.

[trucker1]

Watch a super bike race. its pretty much the same style of riding. Just your on three wheels not two. But really just ride your own ride. If you feel safe then that's the way you ride. Pain is bad. Replacing body parts even worse.

[ARtraveler]

First and foremost, you need to ride your own ride. Do what you are comfortable with. When you get out of the comfort zone, bad things can happen, such as crossing the centerline, going into some other vehicles space or going off the road.

The spyder will go 20 mph over posted on most curves. It takes some practice to do this confidently. I do it regularly.

Consider the source of the issue. Nuff said.

[exwinger]

As mentioned above , you need to drop gears before entering the curve and roll on power coming out .If you stay in a higher gear you're gonna get drifting .Higher rpms and a lower gear will help considerably . I always ride Twisties in 2nd or 3rd gear and adjust accordingly .Downshift before the curves and not in the curve.

[Jpquinn]

First thing I have to say is never let others ride your ride by that I mean don't let how someone rides theirs determine how you ride yours. Second taking curves in two or three wheels is a lot to do with the rider, if you're not comfortable going into a curve at the speed you're going it's going to be second nature to start getting off the gas when you're starting the curve. This is not at all what you want to do. For all kinds of reasons. I ride with people on HD's and also with sport bikes yes I have no problems staying with them ever. If curves are what you want to do first stop telling yourself you can't make it, second find a Rd with little to no traffic and curves go into the curve at what you're comfortable with and give it gas as you're entering all the way out of the curve little more as you learn what feels right. You'll soon learn just how the spyder will handle curves. But please ALWAYS remember that when you're out riding if it's RDS you don't really know and you're not sure of the curves slow down and take it at a safe speed. It's easier to catch up on the straight away then it is to catch up in a tow truck and a ambulance. Just always ride within your limits and always remember it's not just your life when something goes wrong, cross that center line and not only might it cost you your life but it could cost a family in the car that was just minding their own business their life to. As for up grades the bajaron swaybar and links are the way to go. Good luck, be safe and ride your ride. I'd have to agree with most of the post already here and take note to bajaron post.