Can you balance without touching?

On a sport/sport tour/standard bike, I can only balance for a second or 2 while stopped. At 0mph, I would think it has quite a bit to do w/ the CoG, tire profile, etc... (and skill, apparently!)

Isn't balancing @ any speed because bike's front tire actually makes very minute oscillations side to side when rolling? (e.g. makes a *very* shallow "S" down the road...not enough to be perceptible). It becomes less of an impact the slower you go...which is why you start using left/right steering inputs to balance at very slow speed. And when you're totally stopped, you have to repeat this balancing act by only shifting your weight slightly left/right. I believe that gyroscopic is not the primary reason for balance (from what I remember reading).

You guys that balance bikes for 5+ seconds when stopped: you carry a tight rope (high wire) balancing bar w/ you? You belong in the circus! :tongue:

 

Have you seen those guys on the trials bikes, or even a bicycle,,,, insane. Sure they deflate there tyres but still.

 

Yes, I agree that bicycle riding, especially technical mountain bike stuff improves one's balance but that the motorcycle has a different scale going on. I have slowly gotten better at balancing the VFR. I can sometimes manage a few seconds. But to answer the other question: usually I stop with the right foot down (a holdover from the road biking). Sometimes both feet if it will be a long stop. But I am confused with what LGN001 said...I do the OPPOSITE (lke SCraig)...I put the right foot down on flats and on hills put the left down (with the bike already in 1st) so that I can have the right foot on the rear brake so that I don't slide backwards when I let go of the front brake and before I can ease the clutch and gas it.
As far as putting the foot down, yes, most police can get you for not putting the foot down. I have been hasseled by them on bicycles. If one is present I always do an exaggerated "foot down, look both ways" and then take off. I hate being stopped. I have been ticketed for running a stop sign on the bicycle on a deserted street. Kinda cheesy to bust my huevos for that I thought.

Balance is everything in life. Without balance we have nothing...ah, GOOD KARMA! :smile:

 

Probably because I said it exactly backwards... :redface: :smile:

What Nungboy says.

 

No worries!

Sneppah ot em lla eht emit! (Happens to me all the time...spelled backwards!!!!)

 

Huh? ("Huh" spelled backwards...)

Sorry! My sense of humor is my best feature, and occasionally my worst feature. The determining factor is usually my sense of timing, or my occasional complete and utter disregard for socialized behavior.

But I save my best behavior for the gang here. Really! Well, most of the time. Ok, some of the time...

 

I can stop and balance long enough at a stop sign. Traffic here is very bad and in stop and go traffic that is all I do unless it will be a prolonged stop. A lot of the time though I will put both feet down. I like to get the rest and stretch or let the boys hang loose for a sec. Other times I put the left foot down and hod the bike with the rear break and let go of the bars if I am at a long light.

 

Anyone remember Arte Johnson on Laugh-In??? I can't even reach the ground on both sides (flat-footed) on mine!! Just the balls of my feet, however I can balance for a few seconds. 3 or 4 rides ago went with a few "young guys" from from work on a day ride, and we had to turn around on a street, the sides of which were gravel, and full of holes. I went to put my foot down - right over I went! It was too funny! Just a few scratches and a bent clutch lever, but I was just grateful I had someone to help me lever it up!!

So I am taking growth tablets, so far they're only working width wise, not height wise!!!

 

To stop, balance, and go is my only goal in life...

 

You bring up a good point, it is the holes and the gravel in life that tend to get us, you can have everything in control but some gravel that causes your foot to slip can cause a bad scene. A hole can do the same. Here in Tucson we have lots of both. In the dark it is worse. Watch where you plant those footsies.

 

First of all, on my course in 06, I was taught to only put the left foot down. The right should stay on the brake.

I my day "Stop" means a complete cessation of movement in the wheel. As far as I was concerned, where your feet are makes no difference and this should be the definitive argument if you dispute a "Fail to Stop" ticket based on not putting one or both feet down. Mind you, there may be legislation in your state/ province that requires you to put one or both feet down. Know the laws of the land and if you decide not to comply, don't bitch about the ticket.

As far as being able to balance...no problem. I can keep both feet up indefinitely and the bike stays put. But the ground keeps going sideways Go figure.

 

Randy, I think what you call "sideways" might not be sideways for the rest of us...

I think I'll pencil in some time on my schedule to worry about you a little bit. :smile: And then I'll worry a lot more about myself, just to be fair.

 

When I come to a stop at a stop sign, I dismount and either put down the center or sidestand, then I take it off the stand, remount, and ride away.....slipping the clutch at about 9,000 rpms. :strong:

 

I wondered who that guy was...:lol:

 

I never realized anyone else did this. I do it all the time. I never time it but I stay still long enough to be sure that I am at a complete stop. I have done this for a while and it is a challenge.

 

I do it all the time. kinda a fun challenge, trick is to come up real slow like then you just pause. then bam! your off, yea be interesting what a cop would say. next time I'll count seems like a good 5-6 seconds at the least also depends on the road. also do the creep where you do a roll up very very slow never really stopping, thou you'd be hard pressed to tell it's that slow.

 

I stop all the time with out putting my feet down. The old MSF Basic Course used to have an exercise where you had to come to a complete stop & then accelerate away without putting your feet down. I took this course in 1992 & am not sure when they took this out. I do know we don't teach it now.

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2:

 

Why you using pencil. Planning on erasing your time to worry 'bout me? I thought we were bros. That's OK though. I will still worry about you. So will everyone else....with cause !:team2:

 

Oh yeah? Well, you just wait 'till I figure out a snappy comeback....

You..., You..., Why I oughta...,

:smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:

 

Hate to head to negativetown on everyone, I am usually the fun guy with posts about beer and stuff.....but I am having a real hard time believing dudes that say they can stop and not put thier feet down for 5 seconds or greater. Are you serious? C'mon?!! Is the motor running?

I pull up to the gates at Ft. Bragg damn near every morning, meeting a line of trafffic close to a mile long. Everyone has to stop and present thier ID to the guards. Stop and go for 30 minutes, and if we are rolling slowly, I can get away with not stepping down indefinitely. If we stop, I can hold for one second, maybe two and thats about all.

If you say you can FULLY stop and balance a running VFR for 5 seconds, and can prove it....then prove it. post a video. Then I will shut up, and even publically acknowledge my relation to monkeys.

Til then, I am calling :bs:. Hey, now theres a handy smiley!!

Carry on.