Bumpy curves

[gnorthern]

I bought a 2016 F3-T in October. After 1400 miles I thought I was feeling comfortable on curves until I retried some curves near my house that are bumpy. I still find my weight getting tossed around, screwing up my trajectory and getting me real nervous. I probably rode these curves 40-50 times on a conventional motorcycle and have no recollection of feeling nervous.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for the responses.​

 

[Easy Rider]

Any suggestions?

Thanks for the responses.​

Have you read the other recent (and some older) threads about wandering and an unstable ride feel ?

What I get from all of those discussions and some additional seat time on various different roads is:
The Spyder is NOT a motorcycle.
Much of the different feel is not "fixable" no matter how much time and money you throw at it.

I personally am pretty comfortable now.......except with strong wind gusts and unusual road conditions like you describe.
I have resigned myself to the fact that I likely will never be as comfortable with the ride as I was on 2 wheels.

All I can suggest is to ride that section of road more often at varying speeds until your body gets used to it.

Lean into the curve when possible.
Keep a light grip on the bars.......that goes along with trying NOT to over-react.
Looking farther down the road helps too.

 

[asp125]

Seat time. There's a completely different dynamic with two front wheels connected by linkages; same as in cars. Bump steer is a fact of life with Spyders. No amount of alignment or sway bars etc will prevent that. Two wheeled cycles have a simpler geometry that only allows compression and extension in one plane.

The only "fix" is to have proper body position and relaxed hands and elbows. Relaxing helps absorb the wiggles in the handlebar and not fight the bike.

I've ridden your coast between Depoe Bay and Cannon Beach, beautiful ride but those frost heaves and mid corner bumps! :gaah:

 

[gnorthern]

I've ridden your coast between Depoe Bay and Cannon Beach, beautiful ride but those frost heaves and mid corner bumps! :gaah:

So you have an idea of what I am up against, except the roads near my house are worse.

It is not like wind.​

Keeping a loose grip is very counterintuitive for me when I am worried about being thrown from the bike, which I have worried about a few times. If I am turning left, leaning left, and pressing against the right foot peg, to have the right wheel jump up from a bump I can hardly see is startling.

From what I have read I am considering a Baja Ron sway bar for high cross winds. However it seems like that would make this problem worse by reducing the amount of shock that can be absorbed by the front wheel.

 

[gnorthern]

Bump steer is a fact of life with Spyders.

Also thank you for giving me the words to look up in search. I never thought of "bump steer" in my first attempt.

 

[Chupaca]

Little checking.....

Check your tire pressure especially if you are running car tires. The higher the pressure and or plus the number of plys the bouncer and Skippy the rough road corners can be...:thumbup: