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| | | Rush Hour Racer
 
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| This one kept me awake a bit last night.
On the A233, approaching Westerham, there's a sequence of corners on a downhill, with no straight bits to speak off until your at the bottom.
The couple of times I have been there, it's caught me out because you can't really tell it's going to be downhill for a bit until you're through the first corner. I haven't had the confidence to carry through speed because you can't see through the corners, and I'm always worried about a slower car being there, but at the same time, I have never dared to apply brake or shift down because the bike isn't really upright much until your down the hill, so a couple of times I have gone in a bit a panic mode and not done anything, relying on the very little engine braking (not much good as I'm usually in a gear too high, so accelerating a little on the downhill instead of slowing) and "see what happens".
Is it just confidence, or what does one do in such a situation?
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Roundabout Scratcher
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| | Way back in 2002 I lead a run down to the south of France and into Andorra. On the road that leads down into Andorra we switched our engines off and coasted for over 10 miles. The first 4 were steep hairpin after hairpin, a bikers dream. I managed to overtake my mate on the corners on the outside, knee down, no engine. It was an absolute hoot I can tell you. So basically what I'm saying is that it's all down to confidence and experience. You can trail both front and back brake as required, and be surprised just how much power you can put through and still retain grip. Obviously as you should know most of the braking should be done before the corner and then start accelerating at or just before the apex to power out. This gives you more stability. Just keep going down there and practice, practice,practice. |
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Rush Hour Racer
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| driesie (03/09/2008)
This one kept me awake a bit last night.
On the A233, approaching Westerham, there's a sequence of corners on a downhill, with no straight bits to speak off until your at the bottom.
Is that Biggin Hill > Westerham? I ride that road a lot.
As puppy says it's all just a matter of practice and getting your speed & gearing right just before you hit them to give yourself engine breaking and acceleration.
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Roundabout Scratcher
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| For me, even when it's continuous esses on the road, there's always a straight bit in between one corner and the next. They may be very short straights, but it should be possible to take most of your speed off there, in between corners, with the bike fairly upright. I generally try to take off more speed going downhill than uphill, so I can be sure to be on the throttle a little as I'm riding it round the corner (rather than coasting)
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Management
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| puppy (03/09/2008)
Way back in 2002 I lead a run down to the south of France and into Andorra. On the road that leads down into Andorra we switched our engines off and coasted for over 10 miles.
I've seen the video of this and can vouch for it! Awesome stuff!
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London Biker
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| | do you know how to blip the downshifts? you can change down gear without causing a sudden change to the rear you can actually brake in corners and change gears - it just takes practice to do it without upsetting the bike and overpowering the grip of the tyres (you're trading off the amount you're leaning to the amount of brake/inputs you can use) also sounds like you might be going into the corners with too high a gear anyway - if you're in the powerband to exit the corner you'd have the engine braking too and prob wouldn't get the over-run situ you mentioned. maybe work on learning to control the bike more off the gears and engine braking to start with to set yourself up for the corners? some of the articles on here are pretty good http://www.sportrider.com/motorcycle_riding/index.html
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Rush Hour Racer
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| I know exactly the bit of road you are talking about, I go along it pretty much every day and there are quite a few other things that you need to take of account of here. Not just the gradient, cars around the bend and the cross roads for Pilgrim Way just after the road straightens up.
Not sure exactly what gear I am in, but think I usually head down here in third, it's national speed limit so I just head down at a speed that is comfortable.
We'll have to give it a go sometime on a run down to Wessons/Ogris I chatted about.
~JME~
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| | | Rush Hour Racer
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| | Thanks for all the pointers. Yes, it's the Biggin Hill to Westerham road. What's the "blipping the downshift" about? JME, yes, there seem to be a lot of factors there to take into account, and I'm sure as I get more practise and learn "the system", I'll be able to process more and quicker. The fact you can't see through the bends and the road feels narrow (no "runoff") makes it quite claustrophobic.
I'll definitly hassle you when I get back from holidays in a couple of weeks for a ride around there as I'd love to follow somebody through on those roads.
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