Lean angles on track - when do you run out of tyre?

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I wouldn?t worry too much about angles of lean. I?ve been riding bikes since I was 16 and I?m still learning each mile I do. You can ride the same bike on the same roads and one day it feels amazing and the next awful because you?re tired or got out of the wrong side of the bed. Always a wide entry in to give yourself a better view round the corner and exit in the middle of your lane so you don?t hit anything head on. Always ride with 25% in hand. Learn to use your back brake. Mid corner, it?s one of the safest ways of tightening your line. Always think every other road user is out to kill you and watch the wheel spokes of the cars sitting at side turnings as a small movement in those gives you a much earlier warning they?re starting to pull out. J

Well said! thanks for the tip on the rear brake
 
I wouldn?t worry too much about angles of lean. I?ve been riding bikes since I was 16 and I?m still learning each mile I do. You can ride the same bike on the same roads and one day it feels amazing and the next awful because you?re tired or got out of the wrong side of the bed. Always a wide entry in to give yourself a better view round the corner and exit in the middle of your lane so you don?t hit anything head on. Always ride with 25% in hand. Learn to use your back brake. Mid corner, it?s one of the safest ways of tightening your line. Always think every other road user is out to kill you and watch the wheel spokes of the cars sitting at side turnings as a small movement in those gives you a much earlier warning they?re starting to pull out. J

Great tips! Agree with all of them. Although it would help if you could actually reach the rear brake on a gen 4 :distracted:
 
DMC12,

Now that's not obvious but easy.... Every Brembo rear master cylinder has a plunger that pushes the master cylinder piston in. First release the small locking nut on the bottom of the plunger. Then there'll be either a clevis pin with a 'r' clip holding plunger onto the foot pedal or normally on standard BMW a little clip that you pull off the plunger shaft then slide the clip out. This allows the plunger to be rotated. Adjust the pedal to the height you wish by rotating the plunger relative to the foot pedal. BUT don't take up all the play in the pedal on depression, else as the fluid heats up you'll run out of travel and the rear brake will lock up. If your OCD about play, take some tools with you to adjust out most of the play once everything is up to temperature. Hope fully these pics will make sense....

BMCylinder547-2.jpgBMW-S1000RR-Brembo-Rear-Brake-Master-Cylinder-Line.jpgs-l300.jpgN
 
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Loads of great comments in this thread.

FWIW, I fully agree that on road there?s no need to chase high lean angle numbers to be ?quick?. You can literally keep up on any rideout and set a progressive pace without going above 40 degrees. It?s all about smooth lines and maintaining the speed, rather than squirt, stop, squirt, stop repeat.

Lean angle figures do certainly seem to vary considerably between models of bike. On my Gen 3 RR, I could easily achieve 50 + degrees, with 60 degrees being the highest I saw on road (totally open corner, fresh set of rubber and perfect weather). On my Gen 4 RR, I found myself seemingly having to try much harder to see 50 degrees lean. On my 2020 XR, I?ve yet to see 50, it?s hard enough getting to high 40?s lol.

I also fully agree with the value of joining an advanced group and doing Advanced training. Personally I like RoSPA, as I subscribe to the view that you should be re-tested. Without going into it, I think the most important thing you?ll take away from advanced training is: an approach to motorcycling that is reflective and self-critical in order to aspire to continued improvement. It shouldn?t ever just be a case of pass a test and then the job is done.
 
Loads of great comments in this thread.

FWIW, I fully agree that on road there?s no need to chase high lean angle numbers to be ?quick?. You can literally keep up on any rideout and set a progressive pace without going above 40 degrees. It?s all about smooth lines and maintaining the speed, rather than squirt, stop, squirt, stop repeat.

Lean angle figures do certainly seem to vary considerably between models of bike. On my Gen 3 RR, I could easily achieve 50 + degrees, with 60 degrees being the highest I saw on road (totally open corner, fresh set of rubber and perfect weather). On my Gen 4 RR, I found myself seemingly having to try much harder to see 50 degrees lean. On my 2020 XR, I?ve yet to see 50, it?s hard enough getting to high 40?s lol.

I also fully agree with the value of joining an advanced group and doing Advanced training. Personally I like RoSPA, as I subscribe to the view that you should be re-tested. Without going into it, I think the most important thing you?ll take away from advanced training is: an approach to motorcycling that is reflective and self-critical in order to aspire to continued improvement. It shouldn?t ever just be a case of pass a test and then the job is done.

Do they teach you to get 2 feet of air in RoSPA?!! That must have been one hell of a humpback bridge!
 
DMC12,

Now that's not obvious but easy.... Every Brembo rear master cylinder has a plunger that pushes the master cylinder piston in. First release the small locking nut on the bottom of the plunger. Then there'll be either a clevis pin with a 'r' clip holding plunger onto the foot pedal or normally on standard BMW a little clip that you pull off the plunger shaft then slide the clip out. This allows the plunger to be rotated. Adjust the pedal to the height you wish by rotating the plunger relative to the foot pedal. BUT don't take up all the play in the pedal on depression, else as the fluid heats up you'll run out of travel and the rear brake will lock up. If your OCD about play, take some tools with you to adjust out most of the play once everything is up to temperature. Hope fully these pics will make sense....

View attachment 5924View attachment 5925View attachment 5926N

This is great - thank you!
 
I have just read this thread and found it interesting, it seems that newer riders 'worry' about lean (?).

I have not got a clue to how far I lean a bike, my Gen 1 had no guage apart from the pegs.

I can only add that increasing lean should be done very gradually to increase your confidence in the grip available.
 
I have just read this thread and found it interesting, it seems that newer riders 'worry' about lean (?).

I have not got a clue to how far I lean a bike, my Gen 1 had no guage apart from the pegs.

I can only add that increasing lean should be done very gradually to increase your confidence in the grip available.

I'm concerned more about crashing than lean angles per se - it's just good to know if the lean sensor can give you a sense of how much left you've got before stacking it!
 
Nothing better than when you get your pace right and front tire starts balling off rubber (if you get what i mean)

You know your going good
 
IMHO the biggest issue with lean angles, for newer or more cautious riders, is being comfortable with leaning the bike as far as you need it to lean in order to make the corner or avoid whatever obstacles might otherwise somewhat ruin your day.
Any fule kno that, on good tyres on a good road surface, if you aren't scraping the pegs, you have still got more lean to play with. However, for many riders, survival instincts get in the way. If you go into a bend which is too tight for your speed at your lean angle (oversimplified), sat at your PC you know that the solution is to add more lean. However, it can be very hard to overcome the instinct to remove speed, often by grabbing the (front) brake, standing the bike up and running straight on into the hedge.
 
Best tip I ever had on lean angles in a turn.... why crash bottling a turn when you may as well crash trying to make it, it's surprising that 99 times out of a hundred you will get around.
 
Best tip I ever had on lean angles in a turn.... why crash bottling a turn when you may as well crash trying to make it, it's surprising that 99 times out of a hundred you will get around.

i remember talking to a bike hire company years ago on a track day and they said the same. they said they wont charge for lowside crashes if you try to make it but if you stand it up and come off on the grass or hit something straight on then they would charge you. they also said there bikes will make every corner if you try. :)
 
i remember talking to a bike hire company years ago on a track day and they said the same. they said they wont charge for lowside crashes if you try to make it but if you stand it up and come off on the grass or hit something straight on then they would charge you. they also said there bikes will make every corner if you try. :)

I think it's all about comfort levels.... That oh shit time ,then make the turn is then the next comfort level and so on.
 
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