Triumphrat

Tbirdnz

Just seen this on a government motorcycle safety site:

Cornering at safe speeds is easier to live with if you're riding a powerful bike, because acceleration helps regain cruising speed quickly once you're through. Low-powered bikes create the temptation to carry more corner speed than is necessary.


I've never really given this much thought, I've always considered I can corner faster on my bigger cc capacity bike although lightweight low-powered bikes are no slouch going around corners either.

Overall I tend to ride the different bikes I've owned to the best of mine and their ability, I suppose I may feel safer on the bigger bikes.

I can only suppose to the above is that a low-powered bike tends to be ridden 'flat-out' and as such is at the extremes of its handling.


Anyone any views on the above 'safer riding' statement ?


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Ride on !

skiTTles

By this logic a cruiser with low ground clearance would be safer to ride through a corner than a sportbike since you are forced to slow down due to the design of the bike.

That dog won't hunt.

saphena

It sounds like something conjured up in a brainstorming session in some ministry of non-bikers.

Big bike, small bike, whatever - I ride according to the terrain and conditions. I can't imagine me deliberately riding too fast merely to get somewhere a few seconds earlier.

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bengomez

I think your right.... big bike or such small bikes are the same for me, i ride for just enough speed for such places... it depends on the high way situations....

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Razzoo

I think the engine size is a red herring...
Light weight bikes tend to handle pretty good, and good handling bike coaxes you into taking corners quickly. A bad handling or heavy bike may cause you to slow down in the corners (because it will scare the crap out of you). I once had a '64 Yamaha YD3, and that was the effect it had on me.

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ModernMuseum

Sounds like something someone made up as a 1-up to sport bikes.

Lame.

When I go into a corner on the highway, I'm thinking about the safest speed to take the corner safely, not the greatest speed I can manage to pull out of the corner.

HiDesert

It all depends on how you define 'necessary.'

saphena is right. This smells like the product of a hand-wringing session to me.

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odie

"Powerful Bike" VS "Low powered Bike"
A powerful bike might be complete with better tires, shocks, brakes and a better CG. This will enhance the corning ability for the rider. I read somewhere that most riders go into corners too fast and then not being set up properly for the exit acceleration speed. Because during the turn they see that they are to fast and have to slow down when in fact they should be accelerating their way out of the turn if the entry speed was right.
Maybe the higher powered bike with better equipment helps eliminate many accidents that might of happened on the lower powered bike with lesser equipment. But whatever happens its the rider who twist the throttle. The bike does what it is told.

odie

HiDesert

That's easy to diagnose; did you power through your last turn, or did you do the "won't this twist any further away from me?" If (1), you don't have the 'going into corners too fast' problem. If (2), one wonders if you produce ink when startled.

Seriously though, if most riders went into turns too fast, I think the accident rates would be even higher than they are. But that's just an off the cuff response.

__________________
'You've never been lost until you've been lost at Mach 3.' -Paul F. Crickmore (SR71 test pilot)-

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TheMojoRider

I think most self induced crashes in a turn is when the rider is exiting a corner.