What does Handling mean?

[Stu]

I've got 2 bikes & I can easily come to a conclusion about which is better for fun, speed, acceleration, noise, economy, comfort, looks etc. but I don't know which handles better
What I mean is completely excluding the tyres which give you different levels of grip, turn etc. (tyres are a function of what you put on the bike, not the bike itself)
What does handling give you? is it just a matter of comfort by absorbing bumps?

Originally Posted by Stu

tyres are a function of what you put on the bike, not the bike itself

You could argue that everything bar any flex in the frame is a function of what you put on the bike. After market suspension etc.

define:handling -> A general term covering all the aspects of a vehicle's behavior that are related to its directional control.

i always think of it as how well it goes round a corner

[fizzwheel]

To me its a combination of things.

How well does it stop

How fast does it turn in response to my input through the bars

How stable does the bike feel whilst I'm turning, braking or accelerating

How does it cope with changes in road surface, potholes, bumpy roads, over banding etc

How confidence inspiring the bike feels when I'm riding it

I'd say tyres definately come into handling. The wrong PSI makes a huge difference to handling, as do squared off tyres. All sorts of things affect the handling of a bike; suspension (front and rear and its settings, if it's adjustable), flame flex, riding position, weight, weight distribution, size/angle/type of bars, the bike's geometry, size of wheels/tyres: All sorts of things. Anything that alters how the bike moves or how you are able to make it change velocity.

[admin]

You need a definition of bad handling. You guys are lucky these days. Most modern bikes handle pretty well. Back in the 70's we used to dream of good handling. I had a Suzuki GT750 back in 1976. Rollout the throttle off halfway round an quick bend and the bike would go into a tank slapper. It never threw me off but i scared the c**p out of me.

[Stu]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

To me its a combination of things.

How well does it stop

How fast does it turn in response to my input through the bars

How stable does the bike feel whilst I'm turning, braking or accelerating

How does it cope with changes in road surface, potholes, bumpy roads, over banding etc

How confidence inspiring the bike feels when I'm riding it

Y'see I would say at least 90% of that is down to the quality of your tyres.
I'm sure comparing say the latest 600SS's there is a difference in their handling that is not a function of the tyres thay are running. It's just I'm not sure I would be able to identify what it is.

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by Stu

Y'see I would say at least 90% of that is down to the quality of your tyres.

After riding my GSXR and SV both shod with Metzler Z6's I'd have to disgaree. Tyres do make a difference to the way the bike feels, but the way the bike feels to ride isnt soley down to tyres alone.

Its quite handy having had the same tyres on both bikes because then you have a level playing field to be able to compare the suspension, chassis, steering and brake characteristics.

[Stu]

Ah, so the better suspension is clearly doing a better job of keeping the tyre in contact with the road?
I guess I need to have that defining comparison. But at the moment I am comparing a tired old Ninja with issues, to an SV with GSXR suspension and newish tyres (D220's) and the SV is winning.
I did notice and appreciate the legendary front end of a ZX7R though

[ophic]

Some would say its whatever goes round a track faster, assuming the same engine, rider, and overall weight etc.

For me its whatever i'm used to.