How would you handle this?

[mrb]

Just interested in feedback from others on how you would handle this.

On the weekend I went to Queen Mary Falls (some in S.E. Queensland Australia would know) and the road out is single lane bitumen with a heavily domed profile (lots of camber). Not so bad going uphill but not nice downhill. Remeber too that we drive on the left hand side.

I found coming down a very steep road (1st & 2nd gear mostly going up) that right hand hairpin turns with negative camber were hard to negotiate. I was 2 up and all the weight shifts off onto the left hand front wheel (on the low side of the road) with the right hand wheel on the high spot of the road. All the time of course looking for oncoming uphill traffic as it has right of way and its a single lane with few passing spots.:yikes:

By the time I got down my shoulders and neck were painful and I was exhausted. Any suggestions for technique??

 

[SethO]

Just interested in feedback from others on how you would handle this.

On the weekend I went to Queen Mary Falls (some in S.E. Queensland Australia would know) and the road out is single lane bitumen with a heavily domed profile (lots of camber). Not so bad going uphill but not nice downhill. Remeber too that we drive on the left hand side.

I found coming down a very steep road (1st & 2nd gear mostly going up) that right hand hairpin turns with negative camber were hard to negotiate. I was 2 up and all the weight shifts off onto the left hand front wheel (on the low side of the road) with the right hand wheel on the high spot of the road. All the time of course looking for oncoming uphill traffic as it has right of way and its a single lane with few passing spots.:yikes:

By the time I got down my shoulders and neck were painful and I was exhausted. Any suggestions for technique??

I hate to over simplify this but the spyder takes way more to ride physically speaking and I had to take a break after running the dragon with doc and the guys, muscle failure in the parts of my body I can still feel. The next few times up there it got better. I think if you ran it again you would not be as sore or as tired. I would say that the best equipment to counter this would be a aftermarket swaybar that was stiffer and aftermarket shocks, penskes, elkas, or racetech all of which make shocks, the front 2 being the most important.

 

[mrb]

Thanks SethO, I should have mentioned I fitted the Evo sway bar and Stage 3 Elka suspension more than 2 years ago.

 

[Rayelljay]

Yeah...we've got a road like that up Pilot Mountain and those off camber downies...only thing I've found is to be in the right gear so you're not using the brakes and loading up the front end excessively...tire pressures can make a difference too....sidewall flex. A few members have posted very lucidly in the very recent sway bar thread so you will find first class explanations of the Spyder's reactions in cornering.

 

[NancysToy]

Under certain conditions, with a heavily banked, steeply sloped road, the Spyder can get to be a tiring handful, even upsetting Miss Nanny under some conditions. The only cure is to try to endure, and slow down to stay within your comfort zone (or available supply of adrenaline). For some roads, there just is no "correct" technique.

 

[ARtraveler]

:agree: +2

 

[FrankPa]

Driving in Oz...

On the weekend I went to Queen Mary Falls (some in S.E. Queensland Australia would know) and the road out is single lane bitumen with a heavily domed profile (lots of camber). Not so bad going uphill but not nice downhill. Remeber too that we drive on the left hand side.

QUOTE]

I was fortunate enough to spend 10 days in Oz a number of years ago. 5 days in Sydney and 5 days in Port Douglas. I wouldn't drive in Sydney (being a 'left-hander') but I took a chance in Port Douglas. We drove north until the road turned into a coffee plantation driveway! You're correct about the one lane, everyone drives off the side when passing....

Wonderful place and I only turned into oncoming traffic once!!!

(PS- I don't drive in London, either...)

 

[GA-SPYDER]

On the weekend I went to Queen Mary Falls (some in S.E. Queensland Australia would know) and the road out is single lane bitumen with a heavily domed profile (lots of camber). Not so bad going uphill but not nice downhill. Remeber too that we drive on the left hand side.

QUOTE]

I was fortunate enough to spend 10 days in Oz a number of years ago. 5 days in Sydney and 5 days in Port Douglas. I wouldn't drive in Sydney (being a 'left-hander') but I took a chance in Port Douglas. We drove north until the road turned into a coffee plantation driveway! You're correct about the one lane, everyone drives off the side when passing....

Wonderful place and I only turned into oncoming traffic once!!!

(PS- I don't drive in London, either...)

Spent 10 months in Thailand way back in '73. Thanks Uncle Sam. Actually enjoyed the assignment. Got to know some locals who had a right-hand drive BMW, shift with your left hand, wierd! Came back to the states, got my 750 Honda out of a friend's garage......and turned right into the left-hand lane. road up to the corner before I figured out I was in the wrong lane!

 

[docdoru]

On a Spyder RS the right hand sharp turns are more difficult to negotiate than left turns. nojoke

 

[Bob Denman]

Could you maybe have tightend up from being tense about that part of the ride? Sometimes a deep breath and a "The Sun's coming up tomorrow regardless of the outcome." attitude can relax a person just enough to allow them to get through a "puckerbutt" circumstance. :shocked:

 

[chris56]

hi martin - maybe the complete front is too "hard" now - i think for this kind of roads its easier with soft-adjustements ..
greetings from austria

 

[Desert Spyder]

On a Spyder RS the right hand sharp turns are more difficult to negotiate than left turns. nojoke

Why is that Doc? The clutch handle?

 

[pro10is]

...By the time I got down my shoulders and neck were painful and I was exhausted. Any suggestions for technique??

Pain in the shoulders and neck is often more from tension than exertion. This is common on any motorcycle when negotiating difficult or unfamiliar road. Next time try to consciously relax during stressful riding. Loosen and stretch your shoulders and neck muscles. Stay as relaxed as possible. This is a riding technique that takes a while to learn but will help a lot. I used to tighten up while riding and didn't even realize it until I was really sore. I learn the relaxation technique from other riders and it really helped.