trailing throttle

[Raux]

woaahhhhh there, 11 year old tires? mount.tires.NOW.

yeah after i read that i knew at least one of you guys would say something

[Ddan]

You should get the FI  checked just to make sure it's in the ballpark, and +whatever on the suspension.  That year Monster should have an Ohlins shock and adjustable Showa forks.  You can get that set-up pretty decently.

[darylbowden]

You're 225 lbs and the suspension feels stiff?  I may be mistaken, but unless somebody much heavier than you changed the springs, they come spring from the factory for a lighter person that you (so it should feel soft).  I would definitely have the suspension looked at, if you've got 11 y.o. tires, your suspension oil may be just as old and that would be a problem.

[swampduc]

^^^ Won't feel soft if it's fully compressed

[ducpainter]

^^^ Won't feel soft if it's fully compressed

'specially with the way they're damped from the factory. 

[DoubleEagle]

Be sure to clean and lube your chain every 500 miles.

I find that engine braking is a great form of braking .

I ride fast and as I approach a corner I have learned to judge how soon and in what gear to let off the throttle and the best gear for the maximum gear for the right amount of engine braking and have the right rpms so that I can exit the corner w, the speed I want.

All that comes w, practice.

I can ride a stretch of twitsty corners at between 60-85 mph simply by engine braking and down shifing one gear and then accelerating hard out of the exit of the corner .

Then as the road straightens , upshift one gear , then another corner and repeat the above.

Dolph     [moto]

[Grampa]

Try a lower gear wth a higher engine rpm set prior to entering the corner..... rolling on the throttle smoothly after hitting the apex.

[thought]

+1 on learning to be smooth on the throttle...

on my old sv650, the engine braking was more like a speed rheostat... it taught me to be super smooth with throttle transitions or else you would be jerking around everywhere.  compared to that, the monster is super smooth and easy with it's engine braking.

once you get used it, it'll make you an even better rider in general... above all else, being smooth on every control you have tends to be the best choice at all times.

[junior varsity]

My thoughts:

Modifications:
Suspension may feel hard because its not able to damp - its actually 'harsh' because you are way out of the springs range. At 225, I setup my suspension much firmer with stronger springs and now it is much more controllable and feels 'compliant'.

Maintenance:
Check chain tension.
Check throttle cable free play / tension.
Equip new tires. Tires on motorcycles wear out just as fast by simply aging as they do by wearing out (and flatspotting in the middle).
Rebuild/recharge shock - freshen up the oil in the forks - this allows those circuits to work as designed.

The riding techniques suggested above are great ideas to try out. The throttle shouldn't be getting closed during the turn lest you want to widen your line and upset your suspension - perhaps think of it as "as you approach the turn you are off the throttle slowing, begin turning the bike and its constant throttle, rolling on the gas as you exit"

perhaps the greatest suggestion is 'practice practice practice'

[seevtsaab]

Totally off topic, but if the tires are 11 years old, I fear for the belts.
Change the belts, mon.

Enjoy your Monster, welcome to the club, be safe.

[dan miller]

Thanks everyone.  Very good advice.

I have belts, tires, and brake/clutch fluid in hand.  Will be changing soon.  I changed the oil and cleaned/oiled/adjusted the clutch before I rode it.

By "trailing throttle", I meant reducing by around 10% or less. 

As I'm gaining experience with the bike, I'm cornering at much higher engine speeds and a couple gears down from when I first rode it.

I haven't pushed it at all in deference to the belts.  Been keeping it below 6000.  Tires are coming off tomorrow, and the other service - including belts - will be accomplished before it's ridden again.

Thanks again for the input.  Danny

[zooom]

By "trailing throttle", I meant reducing by around 10% or less. 

I used to make alot of throttle oriented mistakes and luckily, I came out of it rather unscathed...what I have learned ( through class instruction at the track and on the street and otherwise) you are generally, either on the gas, or on the brakes...I'll elaborate and others can chime in...

generally due to how a bike squats and adjusts and rebounds...when you are entering a turn, you want to make sure all of your braking is done before you enter the turn so that you transistion the chassis back towards a rear bias of the machine for traction (among other reasons) and it should then be 1 smooth throttle input whether it be a singular gradual increase of throttle as you continue through the entire turn or a small input for to make the turn with a greater increase after the apex when you are comfortable enough to exit it and apply more...either way, chopping the throttle ( or trailing it as you are calling it-which I personally think is the wrong terminology) will release your traction bias of the chassis from the rear back towards the front where you have less of a contact patch and a greater  push of weight now on a portion of the bike that is much less stable...

if you are having an issue mid corner where you are feeling you have to chop or close or "trail" the throttle ( if even a little bit), you either didn't set your entry speed correctly going into the turn and you are too hot or you are scared of the limits of capability and second guessing things as they are happening....whether it be because of judgement or not looking fully through the turn or whatever the case...it seems to me that you should look into working slowly up to speed and get more comfortable as the dynamics of the situation could be very bad if they go awry and keep doing what you are doing...

[dan miller]

Hello Zoom

Thanks. 

I'm comfortable in the first part of the turn, usually squeezing on a little power (due to being conservative) about half way between the turn in and the apex.

In thinking about what's been happening, I suspect that I'm getting on the throttle too hard after the apex.  No problem if the turns are close together, but if the road straightens out and I really "gas it", I feel as if I'll be carrying too much speed at the exit point.

The twisties in my neck of the woods seem be either off camber and/or decreasing radius.  More often than not, both.  lol

I've spent several rides working on max effort braking, and am getting more comfortable with the front brakes.  I adjusted the lever, which helped a lot.  Same deal with the throttle.  It's sensitive, but consistent.

Thanks again, Danny

[RichD]

The sad fact is that there are two issues.  Both me.  Weight and skill. 

Life just isn't fair.  I should be skinny and skilled.  lol  And, rich wouldn't hurt either.

Danny

There are three issues! (only two are you)

#3 is if the fuel/air ratio is too lean:  It will do this!

[Monster Dave]

There are three issues! (only two are you)

#3 is if the fuel/air ratio is too lean:  It will do this!

By "too lean", will that result in the exhaust smelling "rich"?