How aggressive can I get with saddlebags?

[wheatonFJR]

the normal order is pegs, pipes, bags, ditch, ambulance.

Yes, I can confirm the first 4...fortunately for me, item #5 on that list was "ride bitch back to the motel".

 

[Silver Penguin]

Okay, mommy Penguin. Now who wants to go roar up Palomar?

LOL! I was way behind you guys. Richard was probably onto his second fag by the time I caught him up.

 

[mcatrophy]

... aren't combating two opposing forces as much (lateral and normal force)...

Erm, the forces are the same. You're still accelerating the same mass round the same corner at the same speed (lateral force), and the total weight is the same (normal force).

You can argue that the shape of the footprint is different because you're on a different part of the tyre with your bike's reduced lean angle.

You might even have shifted the weight forwards or backwards a little, which would alter the share of the forces seen by the front and back wheels.

 

[boomerang]

For me, I have found that I am much faster and smoother through the twisties if I just hang a cheek over the side and keep the bike more upright.If I do the lean thing,then I'm slower and have more of a feeling that the bike wants to push it's way through the turn. Especially in tight decreasing radius turns.

Also,when leaning the bike in like that,I have had the front end slide a few inches before hooking up.( SCARY ) Tar snakes suck !

If you do manage to lean in far enough to scrape the bags and stay upright,,,,,,,,,,,,,,PLEASE send video.

 

[dcarver]

The whole chicken strips thing is BS.

Thank you, Jeff, for confirming what I always thought. Best quote EVER on the forum. Second best???

the normal order is pegs, pipes, bags, ditch, ambulance.

So sez the guy riding with a freaking flat-assed CAR tire!

 

[BackintheSaddle]

Focus on keeping the bike vertical and put yourself into the corners. As your experience and skills develop, you SHOULD be using less and less lean angle, NOT more and more. The whole chicken strips thing is BS. Don't try to use lean angle, try your best NOT to use lean angle.
If you are heavily loaded or rider weight in excess of 200 lbs., you may find that you scrape the center stand feet in dipping corners, much earlier than pegs. But as posted above, the normal order is pegs, pipes, bags, ditch, ambulance.

I don't understand. I thought too often riders understeer, insufficient lean angel causes riders to go wide on turns. Am I wrong? Isn't it the faster you go through a given turn, the greater your lean angel needs to be?

I'll try to explain...hopefully someone else can come along with a better explanation:

If you keep the motorcycle perpendicular to the road, and lean yourself to one side, the weight is shifted, and you will start to turn in that direction. Likewise, if you lean to one side and wish to keep going in a straight line, you have to lean the bike to the opposite side.

Now, let's take an example of a right turning corner. If you keep yourself directly over the top of the bike, you will have to lean the motorcycle to the right enough to maintain a proper cornering radius. If you lean yourself to the right, the bike doesn't have to lean as far to maintain that same radius. Subsequently, the tires aren't leaning as much either. The advantage, of course, is with the bike more upright, you wind up with more effective clearance, but more importantly, you maintain better traction on the tires as they aren't combating two opposing forces as much (lateral and normal force).

EDIT: Was able to dig up this link which has diagrams/pictures: https://soundrider.com/archive/safety-skill...ing_unglued.htm

Good article, Scott. Thanks!

 

[cdc]

Just bought a FJR and it is my first bike with saddlebags. Does anyone know when I lean will the saddlebags touch the ground first, or will my footpegs touch the ground first? Also if I do scrape the saddlebag (assuming that is possible) will it cause me to crash or will it just scratch my shinny finish? Any advise would be much appreciated.

Were you serious or just want to create a 'dialog'?

Just asking...

 

[Bustanut joker]

Friday!!!!

I get outa bed in the A.M. and have to wonder..

Shall I drag my balls to the pisser or should I infact tuck them in me pocket thereby avoiding stepping on em?

I'm older ya know..

Dood ....yer a tool playing the homos here.. If you hit the bags it's way too late.

Kerist you can see that by just looking at the fat cow..

:jester:

 

[FJRScrewball]

Focus on keeping the bike vertical and put yourself into the corners. As your experience and skills develop, you SHOULD be using less and less lean angle, NOT more and more. The whole chicken strips thing is BS. Don't try to use lean angle, try your best NOT to use lean angle.
If you are heavily loaded or rider weight in excess of 200 lbs., you may find that you scrape the center stand feet in dipping corners, much earlier than pegs. But as posted above, the normal order is pegs, pipes, bags, ditch, ambulance.

I don't understand. I thought too often riders understeer, insufficient lean angel causes riders to go wide on turns. Am I wrong? Isn't it the faster you go through a given turn, the greater your lean angel needs to be?

I'll try to explain...hopefully someone else can come along with a better explanation:

If you keep the motorcycle perpendicular to the road, and lean yourself to one side, the weight is shifted, and you will start to turn in that direction. Likewise, if you lean to one side and wish to keep going in a straight line, you have to lean the bike to the opposite side.

Now, let's take an example of a right turning corner. If you keep yourself directly over the top of the bike, you will have to lean the motorcycle to the right enough to maintain a proper cornering radius. If you lean yourself to the right, the bike doesn't have to lean as far to maintain that same radius. Subsequently, the tires aren't leaning as much either. The advantage, of course, is with the bike more upright, you wind up with more effective clearance, but more importantly, you maintain better traction on the tires as they aren't combating two opposing forces as much (lateral and normal force).

EDIT: Was able to dig up this link which has diagrams/pictures: https://soundrider.com/archive/safety-skill...ing_unglued.htm

Thanks for posting the link to a great article.

I discovered hanging my weight off the inside on corners many years ago and fell in love with the additional stability and ease in holding my line through corners. I practice it all the time even when cornering at slower speeds where it isn't really necessary. A friend I ride with thinks I'm being stupid or showing off when I do. Thing is, he doesn't shift his weight to the inside at all and sits square to the centerline of the bike causing some big lean angles when cornering. He owns and has read Lee Parks' Total Control book but still doesn't get it.

Screwball

 

[slowpoke]

:mellow:

 

[fastpappy]

I'm one of those unlucky ones who on my way to work the other day didn't have the side case lock fully engaged :dribble: While I was making a tight left I hit a bump which poped open the lid and dragged it on the road way. :angry2: Well the bike has more character now until the winter when I guess I'll get it repaired.

 

[Warpdrv]

That is the best kickstand I have ever seen for the sand..... LOVE IT !!!

 

[chivvalry]

Focus on keeping the bike vertical and put yourself into the corners. As your experience and skills develop, you SHOULD be using less and less lean angle, NOT more and more. The whole chicken strips thing is BS. Don't try to use lean angle, try your best NOT to use lean angle.
If you are heavily loaded or rider weight in excess of 200 lbs., you may find that you scrape the center stand feet in dipping corners, much earlier than pegs. But as posted above, the normal order is pegs, pipes, bags, ditch, ambulance.

Lean your butt not your bike.

 

[madmike2]

the normal order is pegs, pipes, bags, ditch, ambulance.

Yes, I can confirm the first 4...fortunately for me, item #5 on that list was "ride bitch back to the motel".

Or, at least the first 3. Then, as one is sliding on their back watching their FJR sliding on it's side. Uh...er...so I've been told.

One does enjoy leaning BUT learns to shift one's weight when being aggressive. Or, as Momma Penguin says, slow down a bit.

 

[Wind]

Where the bags get bashed up is hitting them on stuff when you don't realize how wide your bike is- like the garage wall!

Voice of Experience????

Have you ALREADY scuffed up the bags on your BRAND NEW BIKE!! Crikey!

Yep, second day getting it in the garage, just touched my truck bumper. Left a big black mark. I sprayed it with "protect all" and it cleaned up perfectly. That was close, thought it was going to be a permanent mark.

 

[bikerkash]

Chicken strips will give you a visual gage of how close to are coming to your traction limits with your riding style. If you are street riding and there is rubber rolling off the edge of the rear tire you are very close to the traction limits of the bike. As you improve your riding style and you can do the same corners with increased speed and see that you and leaving small chicken strips you will know you are improving your riding style and riding with a bigger degree of safety. Riding the bike to it's traction limited, on the street, will lead to a crash sooner or later. The feelers on the foot pegs are the 1st clue you are starting to near the end of the safe lean limits. It also depends on what tires you are running and at what PSI. As you know you can never know for sure what the traction limits are on the street. If you really want to know the limits of your bike and improve your riding take a track school it really a lot of fun

 

[Duff]

Pegs..................pipes............<insert> lower fairing </insert>...........bags
in that order

don't ask how I know :blink: :dribble:

Fixed it for ya. How do I know? Sawed it with my own eyes! :dribble:

 

[worldbound4now]

Pegs, side stand foot farkle, pipes, bags/stator cover... hard to tell but both can be expensive, frame slider (personal experience).

 

[allrider]

the normal order is pegs, pipes, bags, ditch, ambulance.

I already figured I should keep the bags closed. Thanks for all the advise guys. I was just wondering if I need to worry about the bags as I was blasting through some twisties. General agreement is that the bags wont get in the way so lean as I normally would. The pegs are still my early warning signal.

You're right the pegs are the early warning that you should stand the bike back up a tad, and get off the seat a bit. But generaly speaking if your riding at 8 or 9/10ths on the road you may be asking for a Karmic bite in the arse.

Don't ask ...

 

[phroenips]

I think we need a conclusive answer. The OP needs to setup a high speed camera, then push the pig over so we can all see.