Ducati Monster Forum

So just for funsies i took my bike on the MSF course to mess around a little.... Got it low enough to scrape my peg/shifter lever and right peg almost to the brake lever..... I really didnt realize how low it was until i stood off to the side and tilted to that point. It might as well have been on its side completely!  Also my boots got a little chewed up in the process.  Needless to say I feel im getting much more comfortable with my lovely Duc...  [cheeky] Ill probably end up getting someone to take some pictures of me doing this again soon.  I think it would make an interesting action pic!

Keep in mind how much your suspension flexes under load.

That's how I wound up with a custom-chamfered BoomTube tip.

Also, if you're over far enough to drag your toes and shifter, pegs etc, you're not far off from dragging the rest of the bike too.

Tank, bars, frame etc.

Get your toes back and hang off!

Welll..... i did have just my tippy toes on and once in a while just pulling my foot off completely ha!

There's a lot one can do to increase or decrease the lean angle of the bike. Scraping bits may be an indication that somethings not right. As noted, incorrectly set up suspension, or chopping the throttle will reduce the available lean. Also and more common is the rider. I'll skim from one of my other posts

We have two photos, form the same turn at similar pace at the track. YOu can see how much more leaned over the fellow in yellows bike is despite the forces from speed acting on both bikes being about the same.

First - good
(https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/288285_195085903952703_1808082044_o.jpg)
Here we see:
- Body inside the centerline.
- Bent/flexed arms.
- Looking through the turn
- Screw-driver hands

Result - even in a tight course with a good bit of speed this fellow has plenty of lean (and traction) left for more speed or dealing with changes in direction, braking, or acceleration.

Now- the bad
(https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/338727_195085933952700_1273673427_o.jpg)
Here we see:
- Body crossed up. Knee down, but shoulders are outside of the bike
- Straight arms

Result - Speeds and line look similar to the fellow in the orange helmet, but this fellow has his bike leaned a lot more. He's reduced his available traction and ability to make changes or accelerate out.

Not trying to be down on you - just make sure that you're not making mistakes or doing something that could lead to an accident if you go past the lean the bike can do.

I feel that i might have misled you guys... lol.  I was talking about really low speed lean.  I mean,  i feel my higher speed lean angle isnt too bad but i was aiming toward low speed maneuvers.  I was leaving the bike in 1st and using big time counterweight to push the bike lower.  Being an MSF instructor, i am trying to improve my figure 8 in a box.  The new regs are 1000cc's or bigger use a 20ft box and 1000cc's and under use an 18ft box.  Its rediculously easy on a monster especially when you are properly using counterweight.  Thus what i am making sure i can safely show what counterweight does for a rider.  Most students are really hesitant to this procedure. 

Totally different story then. I did wonder about the MSF comment, but thought you just had access to the lot where it's held locally and were having a bit of a hoon.

If you're on a DSS monster with stock cans, just keep some tension through the chain when you're doing that. The cans will touch down if you let the rear wallow and the will wear though very fast.

And if you get an action pic - Ive got a thread for body position stuff. It would be interesting to have a good example of tight maneuver counterweight position.

actually this brings up a point.

recently I've been using photo 2 as my style for travelling on back roads with limited visibility around corners. I find I can see further around the corners.
Is this wrong?
When I have better visibility I do use photo 1 as my style.

In photo 2 he's crossed up. Legs in torso out. One would be just as well off (for lean of the bike) keeping both neutral. There's plenty of styles that work, just gotta keep in mind what's going on when. Photo 2 isn't (IMO) keeping that in mind as much as he should.

It's quite common to see SuperMoto riders shift their weight outside and push the bike down - basically the counter weight Anchorism is talking about, but at their race pace. But then again, some Sumo bikes, with the right rider, get lean angles over 70 degrees and pick it right back up. Put a monster or most street bikes that low and you'll have already crashed.

At the track I was using that counter style in some of the real tight stuff, when I got held up by traffic to point-and-shoot my SuMo from apex to apex, chopping off yards in the process - though it really messed up my buddy who was trailing on a 675 - he thought I'd lost my mind until I showed him video of how it worked when I was behind him. Average speed was the same, but I'd close up a yard or two in each bend of a tight section.

Dang... i forgot about this post and didnt notice the replies.  lol.  Anyhow i should be able to get some action pics as i am holding a class this weekend.  It will probably be my last bit of riding before the duc goes into the garage.  And as for the SUMO stuff.... heres a nice video that ive seen where they lay the bike completely down through the corner and pick it back up and keep going..... NUTS!! I was always wanting to get into drifting my old sumo but couldnt push myself to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqKShV-iN5M

He runned over his on foot :D

We were out messing around on the "Peanut" on the MSF range. Didnt get a good pic of dragging peg today. It was a little higher pace than usual.  (http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/486246_4034209100325_1206840532_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/155902_4034066016748_2141739298_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/559046_4034078737066_392268670_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/305560_4034071296880_988262542_n.jpg)
and for TJSILKO heres a couple for him
(http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/550922_4034072656914_18644733_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407647_4034069216828_1104015263_n.jpg)