so close to losing it.
 

I was having a very good fast ride, perfect conditions over the welsh mountains, no cars and I was in the groove. I had the gf on the back and we were having a right blast, untill it almost ended in falling off the edge of the mountain.

We came up to a 90 degree slightly downhill right turn, tipped it in, everything just felt perfect, toe slider scraping, then down goes the peg and alice's toe slider on the back!!

Next second, the front end lets go and I thought that was game over as we would have gone off the edge of the mountain. But somehow, I think because the peg and our toes were down I managed to push hard on the bars, regain grip and make it round the corner.

It was the single most exhilerating experiance of my biking life. Ive never got the peg down with a pillion on and Ive never pushed so hard that the bike cant keep up. She loved it too.

This brings me on to a question, do I need better suspension to ride this hard 2 up? I know I could do with grippier tyres (Z6 on at the moment) but I cant afford the limmited miliage they offer as the bike is my only transport.
All supension is stock on the bike and I think I might have finally exceeded the bike in ablity! :p

I have a GSXR1000 shock and I think I should get some new springs/oil as I cant afford the initiall outlay for the front end swap. Should this give me more room to push the bike?

I just love the engine and dont really need more power, although better brakes would be nice, so I dont really want a different bike.

Any sujestions of what my next steps should be, other than to slow down :p

Re: so close to loosing it
 

Hang off more.

Increasing ground clearance is good. Fit a longer shock. Fit some rearset riser plates.

Dunno how you managed to get her toe to scrape! MYCs feet aren't anywhere near. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj5yeahoaTI

Re: so close to loosing it
 

Whether you modify suspension to make the bike handle better or not, I would suggest that sooner or later, you will pass the limits of it's or your capability and stuff it big time. Sometimes you just have to slow down a little and leave a bit in reserve.

Re: so close to loosing it
 

to me that sounds like an off you managed to mirically save ,

Re: so close to loosing it
 

My kidneys could not take the pounding from my pillion riding like that! Top box and all.:smt062

Re: so close to loosing it
 

Usually if a peg goes down and you try to turn tighter, it jacks the back wheel off the floor and you crash. Lucky save.

Re: so close to loosing it
 

I hate to sound negative but I'd cool off riding like that on a mountain! Get a sports bike and a track if you want to go further than pegs and edges of tyres.

Re: so close to loosing it
 

Pillion toe sliders down?

Either you're going out with Charlie Chaplin or you're nuts dude, seriously, if you want to find the bike's limits do it on the track, I hate be "that guy" on his soapbox but what would you say to Alice's family if you lost control with her on the back while being a bit of a nob, you walk away but she smacks her head on a kerbstone and dies on the side of the road? Then all it takes is someone you overtook a mile back to come forward and say they witnessed you riding like a nob and you're up in court defending yourself against a Death by Dangerous Driving charge, followed by prison time, loss of license and criminal record. It's just not worth it on the public road when you can have so much more fun pushing it on the track

As for upgrading the bike, I wouldn't bother, by making the bike more capable you only increase the speed at which you'll be going when you find the limit and stack it - save the cash and get yourself a summer of trackdays, or if you're feeling flush another bike to use on the track and a summer of trackdays.:cool:

Re: so close to loosing it
 

Phew, glad you're here to tell this tale!!!! Go easy with precious cargo on the back my friend. You on your own, fair enough its your life in your hands but please take it easy as a slightly slippier surface might have us having a thread saying RIP to you both and none of us want that!

I appreciate you didnt do it on purpose but please go easy mate.

Re: so close to loosing it
 

I usually do hang off alot more but with the pillion on the back it is harder to shift the weight about.

I think I stood the bike up as aposed to tightening up the turn as I was through the apex. but it all happened so fast and I didnt do anything conciously.

She got her toe down because her heel was on the peg, not her toe like mine was. She was just very excited that she got her toe down lol. Its hard to ride slower espically when she keeps telling me she wants to go fast. But I think you lot are right, ive got to calm and keep us alive. LW - I know, I would be so deverstated if that happened, and I know you are right, but its hard sometimes to be restrained.

But the irony of it was that the corner felt like the best corner ive ever taken, it was just so smooth and everything felt in harmony, I guess thats why it went so far over!

Ive never done a track day and I think I should asap and get a track bike, but funds are tight. my bike has 0mm chicken strips on the front and about 0.5mm on the rear

maybe I will limit myself abit now when riding 2 up. I hope I didnt come accross as cocky or anything like that, I dont ride that fast when there is trafic around.

Re: so close to loosing it
 

That feeling of absolute harmony and "this is leant over more than I have before" is the last stage of cornering, the one right before the bike just drops from under you and you get road, sky, road, sky, kerb, hedge:o:D

I know it's hard to be restrained, my KTM supermoto is track only, SORNed and uninsured at the moment because I know I haven't got the willpower to ride it sensibly in public. If you're finding that you're getting your thrills from riding (too?) fast on the road then there has to be an attitude shift somewhere, I know my outlook on riding changed dramatically when I had my smash, fortunately I walked away with injuries far less severe than what could have been...

Re: so close to loosing it
 

Ah the joys of adrenalin and near death experiences eh? You can understand why some peeps get addicted to it cant you.

Shavings....Did you ever see that vid someone posted not long ago of those 2 fellas on mountain roads? After you experience today i think you'll enjoy watching that.

Re: so close to loosing it
 

When I got my elbow down on a GS500 in the rain, I thought, I am invincible. Went to do it again, crashed. It was actually very funny at the time

Re: so close to loosing it
 

I was busy reading through this thread composing in my head what I was going to write and then I came to Lone Wolfs post. That is word perfect what I wanted to say. Sorry mate but it's the best advice I've seen in a long time, not what you want to hear but worth every penny.

Re: so close to loosing it
 

This was exactly the thing that persuaded me to sell my road bike and switch to racing. The track is the only place for that kind of riding, not entirely risk free of course but usually a whole lot safer that meeting with a lamp post at 70mph.

My wife Mandi prefers that I use the track, its a dangerous sport but its a more predictable level of risk. Not looking to preach here, but ride like this on the road and its simply a matter of time before it will end in tears.

Re: so close to losing it.
 

Yep, deep down I know all of your advice is right. Ive been riding since I was 17 and have done plently of miles and never had a crash which I guess is giving me false security.

I had a chat to alice about it last night and she said that she would understand if I wanted to go abit slower, even though she dosent want me to. lol. I guess its not the best combination when the pillion likes the near death adrenaline buzz too!

cheers guys, I will sort this before it is too late :)

Re: so close to losing it.
 

Definitely get yourself on track dude, even on the wee supermoto it's a massive freedom to be able to ride to the limit and know that if you do stack it you'll be far more likely to hit something soft(ish) like a tyre wall and not an artic coming t'other way:eek::cool:

Does Alice come on this forum? Would she be interested in getting a license and her own set of wheels? Might divert the notion of going out simply to get your kicks by cheating the reaper to enjoying riding together without the need for speed?:)

Re: so close to losing it.
 

yeah, I would love to try my hand at supermoto, must be such a buzz to have the rear swinging out behind you and struggling to hold the front wheel down. I had a DRZ400E which I turned into a supermoto, which I had for about a week before It was stolen and the gearing was just mental. Im not really a fan of wheelying, but it was near impossible not to, even at half throtle in 1st and 2nd the front would come up.

She dosent come on here, she has little interest in bikes, just thinks they look good and she likes to go for rides on the back. Ive asked her about getting her licence but she said she dosent trust herself on one.

Re: so close to losing it.
 

I guess you hit your limits, and got lucky.

Back off a wee bit and enjoy 30+yrs of fun, or see the grim reaper riding on your shoulder till you're not so lucky.

Better 5 mins late in this world than 50yrs early in the next

Re: so close to losing it.
 

See avatar :-P

Re: so close to losing it.
 

We quite often go up to Kinsham Raceway on the Welsh border, it's a karting track widely regarded as having the grippiest tarmac in the UK, I'm not going to make the next one in the next couple of weeks but there's time for another one or two after that before it starts to get cold and wet. If you can get yourself up there you're more than welcome to come and have a blat on the SMR - kind of like the DRZE but with 50% more power and ~25% less weight:cool:

Re: so close to losing it.
 

why would you even ever say that? fate tempting anybody?

Re: so close to losing it.
 

wow, sounds great :)
thanks alot, let me know and I will be there :cool:

I dont mind, I dont worry about fate lol. I know that I can ride fine, yes I was probably pushing too hard, so I will back off abit.

Re: so close to losing it.
 

I dont belive in fate literally but I do belive in meaning behind the phrase "tempting fate" when I was into the down hill mountian biking, one thing you NEVER did was say "this is my last run" You always always always said "This one then one more". but never did we do the 2nd run.
Reason: You always bin it on your last run of the day.

I aint gonna comment on your riding ability or style, I know nothing of it and Im damn sure if you can ride like that with a pillion your far better than I am anyway, but please dont say you've never had a crash lol I'll not be the only one who chringed when they read that.