training and coaching » Tips for RS riding.

I went out for a short run on my new RS yesterday (before anyone asks, yes, it was essential - or at least, for the purposes of the legislation, I had a "reasonable excuse", including checking on the welfare of my younger brother).

As I've mentioned, my previous bike was a CB1000R 4 cylinder naked which, as I discovered when I took it on a short run to run the engine before laying it up, rides quite differently from the RS. I'm finding that the RS benefits from a bit of upper body lean to the inside of the turn to initiate it, which makes things smoother - which seemed to me to make some sense given that the bike's weight is fairly low down?

With that in mind, do any other owners have any tips and experiences from riding the bike that might be useful for recent converts to the church of RS? Less general riding technique, but more bike-specific suggestions to address any peccadillos or characteristics of the machine...

Disclaimer to be applied to any comments on this thread - we're all responsible for riding our own ride and staying within our own safety envelope!

My experience from several boxers . You don't need the brakes. Use 3rd and 4th on the average country bendy road. As you approach a bend just tap down and the engine braking delivers you into the bend at the correct speed. I find the boxer such a quick A-to-B bike because rather then accelerate, brake repeat its all about momentum.

Completely agree with Andy. After 5 air-heads then a K100RS 16v in the last 30 years, I just slipped into riding the RS smoothly and confidently. Never have to consciously counter-steer, but if I rode better with body-lean and footpeg pressure, It would probably be even better.
Had mine for 30 months and 22k miles. Should reach 100k in the next 8 years.

There's not a whole lot to be gained from going to the upper limits of the tachometer through the gears. Likewise let it rev freely if that makes sense, don't bog it down. 3,500 to 5,500 rpm work well (from memory as I don't think about it so much as feel it). Don't rush the gear changes (unless using the shift assist of course. I don't bother most of the time) and holding a little throttle up and down can help with smooth changes (a no no with shift assist). Engine braking is huge and can be used to good affect. As with all motorcycles and light touch on the bars with body weight carried through the core (knees gripping tank on downhills and braking) and a little upper body weight shift to the inside into bends works wonders. Balls of feet on the pegs, relax, enjoy. Great bikes.

Zitat von OlieL im Beitrag #1

---

With that in mind, do any other owners have any tips and experiences from riding the bike that might be useful for recent converts to the church of RS? Less general riding technique, but more bike-specific suggestions to address any peccadillos or characteristics of the machine...

Disclaimer to be applied to any comments on this thread - we're all responsible for riding our own ride and staying within our own safety envelope!

---

Right on, Ray! From about 4500rpm up things get exciting. And nothing more fun than executing a turn with almost no pressure on the bars.

Depends on what you are used to. I'd say generally in comparison to most bikes they are relatively heavy, low and long. But its a user-friendly machine and not extreme in any way. Plenty quick if you want to press on and the 1250 engine makes it all very easy.

Zitat von Ray B im Beitrag #5

---

On this forum - we're timid as church mice. No one's going to offer an opinion.

As I've noted elsewhere, once broken in, this bike loves high RPMs, engine braking, clutchless downshifts, and throttle-on in turns (i.e., in general, get the braking done before flipping into the turn and on the gas).

---

Two little tricks that I use that are 1200 specific and suit me . Number one , if I have to stop for any length of time at traffic lights I will kill the engine . When the lights change I restart , in gear , with the clutch pulled. It saves that awful crash into first , or sitting for ages with the clutch pulled. Number two , I change into second as soon as I can and use the torque , only revving it in the higher gears.

This is worth a read if you have some time, gives some insight into why various techniques work (e.g. conscious countersteering)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_...rcycle_dynamics

Personally, I find trail braking to be very effective in cornering. Just as a tip, you have to be a bit softer on the brake lever on this bike because of the linked braking. You are applying brake to both wheels, which can come on a bit suddenly.

Countersteering is a tricky topic to teach. While, it's easy to demonstrate the initiation of the lean, the harder part is training the body to lean into the turn to minimize bike lean angle. Often, the new rider will quickly understand the concept of countersteer, but then ends up riding the curve in a "crossed up" (rider CG outboard of the bike CG) fashion. In my limited experience, instructing the new rider to push forward and bend the elbow of the inside arm achieves the desired countersteer and body position for the turn.

Mmmm. Difficult one for me.

I have been a professional motorcycle instructor for the last 25 years on road.
Counter steering is done generally on a race track in order to get the machine to become unstable thereby helping it to tip into a corner. It works, of that I've no doubt.

However, in my experience when someone tells me they're going to demonstrate it to me it is invariably done incorrectly and is a dogs dinner.

For example - they're concentration on getting the counter steering correct us so great that they actually fail to look at the hazard ahead and realise the vision is increasing and can therefore add more power.
Or, the other one I constantly see is they can corner accurately and quickly on roads they know because they know exactly where the apex is, but on unfamiliar roads they end up taking the bend on a line resembling a 50p piece looking for an apex.

So, in summary; ride it smoothly. Smoothly doesn't just mean gearchanging. It means everything- use of throttle, brakes, any input you need to do.
Fast is smooth smooth is fast, and if you think you need to start to counter steer just consider your speed.
Are you perhaps being a little too 'enthusiastic' ?
I will now stand back.

Afraid I agree with RR on this, for road riding I don't think there is a place for deliberate counter steering.

I believe there is a very slight amount of counter-steering applied through the natural process of leaning into a corner. This is natural and in no way comparable to the application of an excessive opposite steering input, to my mind this is akin to hanging off like a gibbon to get your knee down whilst barely leaning over.

Gain all the information you can on the approach to a corner, look through it as far as you can using the lines of hedges, telegraph poles etc and adjust your speed accordingly, ride through it in the appropriate gear and as soon as it starts to open up, get on the gas.

But I am an old fart so what do I know