Dampers

[watchman]

It is a discussion that may become tedious to others but the up to 95Kg is kind of what I had and they are too stiff for me and that is because they generally start at 75Kg and 60Kg.

Sounds like your ready to talk to hagons and as dave points out oil and springs in the front transform the front end

 

[SJC69]

The new version of the 2810 has a more variable and updated adjustment of the damping, regards getting your riding weight, that is you, will all your normal riding gear on, including your helmet and any luggage you usually carry!I got a set for my Trusty Triumph a couple of years ago, they aren't the best but you get the ability of them being supplied to your requirements and are dealing directly with the manufacture, there aren't many others, if any that do that in their price range!

Their WWW site is pretty crap, so if in doubt call them, they are a small business, answer the phone, knowledgeable, very approachable and will give you advice!

 

[hippy]

You mean like a speedway rider with your foot down?

Everyone counter steers when they ride a bike but they dont realise there doing it, if your going threw a left hand bend push the left hand side of the handlebar towards the right only a little you will turn quicker so you dont have to lean over as far

 

[KendalPete]

Everyone counter steers when they ride a bike but they dont realise there doing it, if your going threw a left hand bend push the left hand side of the handlebar towards the right only a little you will turn quicker so you dont have to lean over as far

That right. When you realise you are doing it then you can use it to help lay the bike into a corner. Be careful when exploring this as. It’s very powerful!

 

[Andy from Sandy]

Did we have all of this when learning to ride a bicycle at break neck speed through every corner we took?

 

[KendalPete]

Just ordered a set of 12.5" Hagon 28/20's. £287 inc vat and shipping. I chose those because they are British and come matched to your own weight. The non adjustable ones (other than pre load) are £195 inc vat and shipping.
I've gone up from 11.5 and will measure the seat height carefully before and after fitment.

 

[KendalPete]

Did we have all of this when learning to ride a bicycle at break neck speed through every corner we took?

Yes, you just didn't realise you were doing it and that's why you fell off so much when you were learning to ride a bike.

 

[Andy from Sandy]

So if we have been counter steering from the day we learnt to ride a push bike what is the counter steering that is being pushed here?

If we push left to go left do we stop pushing left? Is the bike in opposite lock all the way through the corner?

 

[Ron]

A very small amount of handlebar movement will give a set amount of bank, if this is enough for the turn, hold steady until it's time to straighten up, so the answer is yes. The bike is in opposite lock all through the corner. To corner tighter( more banking) turn the bars a fraction more. To come out of the turn straighten the bars up.

I don't think of it as pushing or pulling on the bars but as turning the bars slightly left to turn right and slightly right to go left. Depending on bike and tyre profile the effect starts roughly between 15 and 20 mph.

It's caused by the front tyre falling over a little as the bars are turned. So if, while traveling in a straight line, a slight pull is applied to the left hand bar the bike will bank a little to the right as the wheel falls slightly to the right (caused, I think, by the shape of the front tyre) and start to turn right. It doesn't continue to turn harder and harder unless the bars are turned further round, a little movement for a little turn, more movement to increase the angle of bank and hence turn tighter.

This is where the "counter steering" term comes from in that you turn left to go right. There is no need to move your body weight around, you can sit there like a sack of spuds and do the turning with the bars. It's a very sensitive thing, you can increase or decrease the lean angle by a degree or two at a time.

If you try it do it very gently to start with.

I read about it in a bike mag years ago and told a friend about it. Next time we were out on a clear road he started to weave back and forth across the road, he had remembered about it and was trying it out.

If this is not clear enough say so as I'm finding it hard to get something so simple into words without rambling on and on.

 

[Oldguy]

When I had the Guzzi Le Mans, you had to do this deliberately to get the thing round, I never noticed the BSAs needing such a deliberate input.
I have to say I preferred the BSA handling characteristics, especially after the pub --

 

[M&M]

Just back from the mountains of Northern Spain. If you like to hustle a touring model Harley, two up, with luggage for three weeks around the tight and twisting mountain roads (which is my favourite type of riding) then counter steering is, in my humble opinion the best way to do it.
Significant input required on the tighter bends is required as well.
But it's bloody good fun

 

[Andy from Sandy]

I am still at a loss here, sorry guys. I have been counter steering all my life but now some how I have been using the wrong type?

The physics tells us we have to push right to get the bike to fall right into a turn so I must have been doing something right but still folk say I need to counter steer.

 

[FinnDave]

Can a bike go round a corner at anything much above walking pace without putting pressure on the end of the handlebar on the inside of the corner? I see it as simply supporting my weight on the bar as I lean into the curve, which is why people may not realise they are doing it.

 

[DaveB]

Just ordered a set of 12.5" Hagon 28/20's. £287 inc vat and shipping. I chose those because they are British and come matched to your own weight. The non adjustable ones (other than pre load) are £195 inc vat and shipping.
I've gone up from 11.5 and will measure the seat height carefully before and after fitment.

One thing to be aware of when putting longer shocks on the rear is that it increases the tilt angle when resting on the side stand.
I ended up bolting a block of aluminium under the stand foot to counter this as the lean looked a bit alarming.
Doing any job on a Harley seems to end up with you having to do another job...

 

[Andy from Sandy]

And if you jack the back up enough it will have an affect on the geometry of the front forks and handling.

 

[Oldguy]

And if you jack the back up enough it will have an affect on the geometry of the front forks and handling.

It will reduce the trail, making it a wee bit more twitchy but sharper turn in.

 

[Ron]

I am still at a loss here, sorry guys. I have been counter steering all my life but now some how I have been using the wrong type?

The physics tells us we have to push right to get the bike to fall right into a turn so I must have been doing something right but still folk say I need to counter steer.

If you mean that you are pushing the right hand end of the bars and are turning right you are counter steering. I don't think there is more than one type of counter steering.

 

[Gez]

One thing to be aware of when putting longer shocks on the rear is that it increases the tilt angle when resting on the side stand.
I ended up bolting a block of aluminium under the stand foot to counter this as the lean looked a bit alarming.
Doing any job on a Harley seems to end up with you having to do another job...

And don't forget the drive belt will be a little slacker.............another job to consider

 

[Andy from Sandy]

If you mean that you are pushing the right hand end of the bars and are turning right you are counter steering. I don't think there is more than one type of counter steering.

This is the dilemma in that I must be doing this else the bike won't turn the way I want it to. If we are all doing it why are we told to learn to do it?

 

[Redtwo]

I just err.. ride my bikes seems to work ok