Uncomfortable cornering

[Pirate looks at --]

Well

I've only got 800 miles on the bike and it is getting easier all the time. But the old grey mare (and reflexes ) ain't what they used to be. Lots of good folks giving good advice here. This bike does take some time to get it right.

I am sure that if you could just figure out how to shut down the nanny, you wouldn't have any trouble at all!

 

[loisk]

nanny - invisible hand

Everyone talks about the nanny, and I just accepted that it would keep me safe - well, it does. And I now know what it feels like when it kicks in - taking a left hand corner (your right hand corner I guess) and wanting to pass a slower vehicle at the base of a big hill where I know it's 2 lanes for a short while, off I went --- next thing it was like a big invisible hand was slowing me down and I thought the engine had cut out for a moment, then off I went. Well you don't know me but people who do won't be surprised that the next time I was at that corner I just had to test it out to replicate what had happened and wouldn't you know there was that invisible hand again -- so I'm very happy with my nanny! Now, at that corner, I just wait one extra milli-second before flattening it and the nanny is happy with that.

 

[109spyder]

I'm also knew to the spyder and corner thing, sure is a workout
I took my wife for an hour ride and she woke up with sore back muscles just from leaning into the corners lol

 

[cmungen]

Handling

You are overthinking this cornering / handling thing so much; you're making my head hurt!
just drive the thing!!!!

 

[Roadster Renovations]

I'm just trying to find out what happens when the "limits" are exceeded and the Nanny may be a good learning tool for that. But I want control when I know what the limits are. When I went from driving a Mini on street tires to a light formula car on sticky racing tires, I was uncomfortable for a long time and I crashed some cars. But if I had tried to race with a Nanny in control, I would have been at the back of the pack rather than in the top five (or better) where I usually was. I don't want to drive the Spyder at that level. I just want to know the handling characteristics.

When I first got my Spyder one of the first things I did was to take it over to a BIG parking lot with no cars. I then proceeded to accelerate hard and make a hard right or left turn. It took a little while, but eventually I was getting 12-18" of wheel lift off the ground and then the nanny would kick in. This allowed me to learn the parameters of what it would control. I tried hard braking and also hard braking in turns. I think the nanny is outstanding watching over us, but in braking turns she does the best. Combining the yaw sensor (stability control) and the ABS (anti-lock) brakes she monitors and lets you ride up right to the point of loosing control, then takes over.

Learn her ways and you will see she is a guardian angel for us.

 

[109spyder]

So I guess it's normal for the motor to cough and splutter when on two wheels going around a
Roundabout?

 

[flaggerphil]

I've only got 800 miles on the bike and it is getting easier all the time. But the old grey mare (and reflexes ) ain't what they used to be. Lots of good folks giving good advice here. This bike does take some time to get it right.

Yes, it takes some time to get used to. I started feeling comfortable after 1000 miles or so...and that after many, many years on two wheelers. Give it time.

And I really don't know why you'd want to shut down the nanny. That's one of the things that keeps something that big and heavy safe.

 

[Peter Aawen]

So I guess it's normal for the motor to cough and splutter when on two wheels going around a
Roundabout?

Only if you are on 2 wheels cos you are trying to feed in too much throttle; haven't pressed hard enough on the outside foot or transferred enough upper bodyweight over to centre above the inside foot peg/board; &/or if you are just trying to feed steering to the wheels too much too quickly... :sour:

Any one of those or all three can make the nanny try to 'keep you safe & with the rubber side down' by cutting power when that inside wheel gets light & starts to lift a little, but if you can get the balance of power, steering, & weight transfer right & hold that balance in the sweet spot as you make the turn, you'll probably be able to carve thru the roundabout a helluva lot faster... even if it is with, or possibly even without the inside wheel lifted!! :thumbup:

Ease off a little until you can 'feel' the balance point of all the control inputs & how they effect the 'lift' of that inside wheel, & then work on identifying which of those inputs mentioned above you can improve on to let you carve the turn better; then spend some time practicing & improving your Spyder Ryding skills (IMO they are different to 2 wheel skills & race car driving skills, but are also sort of a mix of those skills too!) The nanny will let you drift the rear around a corner/roundabout at speed if you get the balance right, but the moment things start to get untidy, she'll either brake one or more wheels or cut power to the drive wheel... or possibly do both/all!!

Spyders really are unique that way, and IMHO they take far more skill & effort to get the absolute best from than either a car or a m/bike, but in doing so they can provide far more fun too - and if you don't want to work that hard they can also be a very easy & phenomenally gentle ryde too!! hyea:

 

[Dudley]

I've only got 800 miles on the bike and it is getting easier all the time. But the old grey mare (and reflexes ) ain't what they used to be. Lots of good folks giving good advice here. This bike does take some time to get it right.

You say you're and "old grey mare" and your reflexes aren't "what they used to be"? And you want to disconnect the nanny. Go ahead! If you haven't learned anything in 70 years, we can't teach you anything anyway.

 

[POD KonB GA]

One suggestion is to take a 3 wheel course, ours was geared to the spyder and the instructor rode one and pushed us through the course hard enough for nanny to kick in, and the anti-lock brakes just to begin to activate. After riding 2 wheels for many years, I too was nervous in the beginning on 3 wheels, that course helped me immensly to feel just what the bike would do and it's capabilities. In many areas it's mandatory, in Idaho it's only suggested but everyone that took it has learned a lot. [emoji106]

Completely agree. I was fortunate enough to have a 3WMC class offered within the first month of owning my RTS. Ryding it the almost 700 miles round-trip and participating in the class was probably the best thing I could have ever done. I pushed it hard during the class so I could purposefully, yet safely, wake up Nanny. I learned a great deal about my bike in that class and on that trip. I highly recommend everyone taking it!

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[daveinva]

When I first got my Spyder one of the first things I did was to take it over to a BIG parking lot with no cars. I then proceeded to accelerate hard and make a hard right or left turn. It took a little while, but eventually I was getting 12-18" of wheel lift off the ground and then the nanny would kick in. This allowed me to learn the parameters of what it would control. I tried hard braking and also hard braking in turns. I think the nanny is outstanding watching over us, but in braking turns she does the best. Combining the yaw sensor (stability control) and the ABS (anti-lock) brakes she monitors and lets you ride up right to the point of loosing control, then takes over.

Learn her ways and you will see she is a guardian angel for us.

This, X100. Don't know what the Nanny feels like? Ride in an ever-tightening circle in an empty parking lot until it engages; you'll be in a safe environment for it. You don't need to go fast-- 15-20 mph is *plenty* to get it to kick in. It'll feel weird the first few times, but eventually you'll appreciate what it feels like, and how to react.

Out on the road, take a sharp corner fast enough, you'll experience the same feeling. I find that letting off the gas a bit and straightening out the bars is enough to settle the Spyder down and continue on your way. Meaning, don't FIGHT the Nanny-- adding more throttle or pushing the handlebar harder when it engages *won't* make it stop; precisely the opposite. At best, you'll become one of those riders on the forum who swears the Nanny is evil, when in fact she's just misunderstood; at worst, you'll risk an unnecessary accident. A relaxed grip on the bars and throttle, a zen attitude, and you can "surf" the road on a Spyder (knowing where your motive "track" is also helps-- a reverse trike likes to take a different line than a car or bike, especially when the Nanny is cutting out power at one of your wheels).

Bottom line: with practice, the Nanny is no problem at all. In time, you'll learn to read the roads you ride and know how your Spyder can handle them. Shoot, you should have seen me at the Dragon a few years back-- riding around those corners with the Nanny chirping, my Spyder felt like a pinball bouncing at the sides of the machine. :2thumbs: It didn't slow me down a lick, because I know *when* my Nanny likes to kick in, so I'm prepared for when to let off the gas and kick out the rear wheel a bit.

Best of all? Practicing riding a Spyder is fun! :thumbup:

 

[Professor]

I've only got 800 miles on the bike and it is getting easier all the time. But the old grey mare (and reflexes ) ain't what they used to be. Lots of good folks giving good advice here. This bike does take some time to get it right.

At 800 miles, I was still slowing below the marked speed for most curves and still feeling uncomfortable. It just takes time for your neurons to adapt to the different sensations. I have a bit over 3,000 miles on my RT now and the fun factor just keeps growing.

Lots of good suggestions have been given. The one that helped me the most is pressing down on the outside peg/board. But the real key is just time in the saddle. Relax and just ride. Your skill and comfort will just naturally increase.

 

[SAMBILLIE]

As a nubi i find it easier to accelerate into a curve with either pushing the opposite hand or pulluing on the side of the curve while leaning in and having knees push in against tank. I only run into trouble if i dont move my haead around the curve

 

[Bob Denman]

Yup! I do just about the same thing... :thumbup:
Weight the outside floorboard, and bring my knees in against the tank.

 

[SailnDive]

You say you're and "old grey mare" and your reflexes aren't "what they used to be"? And you want to disconnect the nanny. Go ahead! If you haven't learned anything in 70 years, we can't teach you anything anyway.

For sure I could not wheel thru logging roads in rallies at night or run motokannas or open races with the same skill as I did when I was 30. But the hours that I've spent, with a lot of sideways motoring, gives me a leg up on those that have never experienced a controlled hand brake turn or front end throw. We used to run timed events on a dirt track that was really designed for motorbike racing and we were sideways almost the entire way around that half mile track. Do enough laps around that track and your "out of control" feeling soon becomes "in control" but sideways. When I get to that skill level with the Spyder...I'd rather be in control than the Nanny. When I jumped off of the 800' New River Bridge, where it is 8 seconds from, leave the platform to impact with the river, I really wanted to be in control...Not a computer. But, different strokes for different folks.

 

[PaladinLV]

My biggest fear when I am trying to ride quickly through the twisties is taking a tight turn at a good clip and finding an oncoming car in MY lane.

Sounds like you'd feel right at home out here in NV

AJ

 

[Mr. White]

Air pressure is important. Put 25 in front tires (30 in rear) and see how it goes....too firm, let 2# out and try again...you will find your sweet spot. Mine is 25 on Mr. Cognac....it was 22 on Big Red 1, my 2011 RT-S. Try it, you will like it.

:spyder2:

 

[dlby]

Takes about 2500 milesfor me to getusedto it after 52 years on two wheels

But now its gravy

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I497 using Tapatalk

 

[cmungen]

Youre getting great advice!

You are over thinking this situation! Just engage your common sense, read Doc's comments and ride the dam thing until you allow yourself to get comfortable.
By the way; all of this is in the owners manual and the cd.

carl

 

[RTJERRY]

Just lean out and toward the inside handlebar while powering thru the turn. Rear tire may slide a little bit that's when the fun begins.:yes: