| Author | Message | ||
     M2nc |
Okay, the spec sheets says that the Uly has 39° soft contact lean angle and 43°R/40°L hard contact. My question is what part of the bike hits after the pegs? After a weekend on the mountains I drug the foot pegs pretty good on the right side and just did get it on the left. The peg tip is quite sharp now but looking at the pictures from Zeephoto and Killboy I do not see anything in the ballpark after the pegs. I was wandering if this "Hard Contact" is with the side cases mounted. I did not have the side cases on for this reason and I hit the right side foot peg hard enough four times to kick my foot up. I kept leaning with not thing else scraping. Any ideas? | ||
| Birdmanrh |
It's the brake pedal on the right and the shifter on the left. After that you will get to the cast joint that holds the pegs on and start to lever the rear wheel off the ground. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Better you guys than me. You forgot to mention that the soft parts are biological in origin. | ||
| Xbimmer |
+ 1. Guess I'm a wuss... | ||
| M2nc |
I've drug the shifter on the M2 before and just adjusted it up to get out of the way. Plus I was thinking about Firebolt pegs on the Uly. It would move the pegs up about an inch. If you adjust the shifter and the brake pedal accordingly wouldn't that gain you more lean angle? I just wonder how much. | ||
| Birdmanrh |
I double checked today and the kick stand hits first before the shifter. | ||
| Windrider |
BadWebbers, Just an interesting side note here on the subject of Buell Ulysses lean angles. I went riding a couple of months ago with another Buell XB12X, a Suzi GSX1000 and a Honda Gold Wing. Diversity for 2 wheelers poster ride.  One interesting observation from both of the Buellers and the GSX rider was that the GSX had to lean over farther than the Buells to take the corner at the same speed. It was really quite noticeable. Another surprising fact was that the Wing could really scoot through the corners. The Gold Wing rider would touch down on every corner and I was flat impressed at the speeds that he could achieve through the twisties on that big flying sofa. I have always thought that the big Uly seems to be more straight up than other bikes that I have ridden on the same twisty roads and this ride kind of confirmed my suspicions. Ulys make windy roads seem straighter. Happy Trails, WindRider | ||
| M2nc |
The kick stand hits first. Okay, but is that at the 40° lean angle listed? I need to get one of those lean meters. WR - Now that you mention it I can almost see that. Though we are talking about lean angle, the fact that the Uly is so tall, the arc length per degree is much longer since the radius is longer. I wonder if that longer radius and arc length mean that you get the same affect with less lean because the lever action is in you favor. It may also be one of the reasons the bike does not track so straight at higher speeds. Not complaining, but I can lane change at 60mph with only my knees. The bike is very reactive. | ||
| Chadhargis |
You guys are indeed brave. I've never touched any part of my Ulysses down and I don't ride slow by any stretch of the means. I've ridden with a fellow Uly rider who says he's hit his pegs, but I don't, so go figure. All that said, I am a big body position advocate. I firmly believe in moving your body mass forward, down, and to the inside of the turn. When riding fast, I'll do the "cheek sneak" and rotate my butt off the seat to the inside. Due to the geometry of the Uly (and I suppose all Buells), they respond very well to body input. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't countersteer, I simply move my mass to the inside of the turn which allows me to go around a turn at a given speed using less lean angle that if I were sitting bolt upright on only countersteering. This not only keeps parts off the ground, it keeps you on the meat of the tire and gives you a safety margin should you encounter something unexpected and have to turn in more. Here's a quote from former AMA Champion Reg Pridmore concerning corning on a motorcycle. “. . . when approaching any curve, be sure your body is always on the inside of the turn . . . just pointing your knee in the direction of the turn makes turning easier. Rotate your hips around the tank . . . your body weight is applied downward on the inside peg and sideways against the outside of the tank with your leg to help lean the bike.” “Countersteering may still be happening, but you are no longer pushing consciously on the bars. You are using your entire body to steer, not just your arms.” Feels funny when you first start doing it, but after you get used to it, you develop the habit of body position. Remember, "chicken strips" and worn pegs doesn't necessarily mean you are riding faster than someone with a quarter inch of virgin rubber on his tires and showroom perfect pegs. It could mean you aren't using the proper riding posture in turns and your scraping unnecessarily. | ||
| Jim_sb |
I too like my body upper body forward, down and on the inside of a corner. I keep the balls of my feet on the pegs (except to brake or shift) which enables me to easily rotate my hips from side to side using my legs in the twisty bits (both recommended techniques at the Schwanz and other schools). Only problem I've had is the Uly footpegs point downward so even with the balls of my feet on the pegs I have stuffed the toe of my boot into the asphalt a few times. But with the Uly's short wheelbase it is really carving when that happens. The hardest part is trying to 'unlearn' all that when I'm on my dirt bike. Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Bosh |
"It could mean you aren't using the proper riding posture in turns and your scraping unnecessarily." Or it could mean they are also doing the things you said but are just riding hella fast and sharpening their pegs anyway!! Careful out there though guys, it aint a race track. A buddy of mine is walking around on a pretty cool prosthetic leg from immortality syndrome on a motorcycle. That being said.. My pegs are getting sharp also. I usually back off when my boot slider touches down though. (Message edited by bosh on August 25, 2006) | ||
| Dragon_slayer |
Guys, GSX - four across the frame - engine must be mounted higher to avoid ground contact! So, higher CG which requires higher lean angles or more hanging off, which became very popular in the early Superbike racing days. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I've ridden with a fellow Uly rider who says he's hit his pegs, but I don't, so go figure. I'm the victim in question. I have drug both my feet and pegs. I have also since been working much more diligently on body position. My reason for working to better this skill is to increase the margin of error. If I come into a marginally tight turn in full body lean (marginal bike lean), I have several degrees of bike lean to go before trouble and traction loss starts. If I run into a decreasing radius, I have more than just the option to trail brake in a panic. I can lean more or trail brake or both. I also lean more as it gives more meat in the event of unexpected questionable riding surfaces. A patch of gravel once jumped up and bit me in the arse. I plan to do all that I can to prevent the same situation. I am much less concerned about achieving maximum lean than I am about negotiating the turn with the bike not really even noticing that there was much more than a slight bank. I have been known to practice body lean on the upper portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The speed limit is only 50 mph, so I look like a complete goon. I am able though to practice transitions in body position and pre-entry positioning and exit positioning without worrying if I upset the bike a little while I improve. I did have a pack of Harleys come up behind me shortly after I started my run. I didn't notice them at first. They were riding up my ass and probably thinking, who the hell is Ricky Racer here? After a few turns of them showing me a close-up of their front tread pattern, I thought, "ok, let's see if this lean thing makes a difference." The funny thing was seeing 6 HDs in full on lean trying to catch me (at a speed slightly higher than legal limit). I didn't check, but I bet there was a raised pucker in the center of a seat or two. | ||
| Xbimmer |
Hmmm... Trilogy of Tech at work here? Reg Pridmore is one hell of a rider. At C.L.A.S.S. sessions he would often take students for a couple of laps around Laguna Seca, riding double, faster and smoother than most people can ride solo. I don't know anyone who was ever disappointed with the course, some were repeat students. I was bummed when he sold his business RPM Motors, he always treated my brothers and me right. It was a great shop. | ||
| Dragon_slayer |
Hell I say lean the bike to the max! It makes the fall to the ground shorter and the body more in the position to slide! | ||
| M2nc |
http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?eventorder?photo=0HH6004L050041&sta rt=0&album=0&adjust=-1&d=0&pphoto=0HH6004L050040 Here is a shot of me on the Dragon. I still have an inch or two before dragging. I only drug on the switch backs. The bike in front of me is Rubberdown on his BMW. The plan was not to go as fast as possible, it was to do the ride without brakes. Riding with minimal brake use, just makes for a smooth, fun ride. If you check out the photos you will also see jlnance on his Black Uly. The day before U4euh and I were chasing Rubberdown down the Snake - US421 out of Shady Valley Tennessee and that was where I drug first. On one switch back U4euh was in front and checked up. Rubberdown was in the middle and he checked up, but I came in with no brakes, while dragging the right peg hard enough to kick my foot off the peg, I saw the two of them slowing in front of me so I rolled off the throttle. As soon as I did I noticed the bike falling over. I was leaned over so far that I had to blip the throttle to stand the bike back upright, then check up. If I am really getting it done, I will hang off the bike. If I am just enjoying the curves with plenty in reserve I just enjoy the lean. Following Rubberdown up the Dragon, I had to change from lean to hang ten, because the pegs were scraping too much. It was a blast, but riding down NC-28 was even more fun. I have never been on a road with so many symmetrical turns. We set a pace and never hit the brakes. From left to right transition, the curves were just perfectly symmetrical for miles and it was just about as good of a ride that I have every had. Mike (Rubberdown) said the same thing. As far as for taking curves on the street, the most important thing is to be able to stop in the distance to the vanishing point. There have been many times I have slowed through a curve only because I can not see what is on the other side. If you know where the left and right sides of the road meet in you line of vision, just keep safe stopping distance to that point and you will be able to react to anything short of SUV coming fast the other way left of center. If that happens, may I suggest the ditch. | ||
| M2nc |
http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/OrderPage.aspx?pi=04RK0076060192&po=193&c= Here is one from Killboy of me hanging off. | ||
| Birdmanrh |
Keep in mind that camber in the turn can help get you closer to the lean angle. That and I get low sometimes because I can, not because I have to.  | ||
| Xbimmer |
M2nc, my No.1 rule for survival also. Never ride faster than I can see. Glad you can enjoy the limits of the Uly! I'm still a wuss I guess...  | ||
| M2nc |
Okay, in the Barn I leaned the Uly on its left side and the bike moved the peg out of the way then nothing else touched for an estimated 5° more before I became worried about dropping the bike so I stopped. I tried it twice and neither time did I come close to hitting anything else when the pegs tough down on the left side. So again I have to ask, are the bags the hard contact? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
No. I think losing a lower leg is "hard contact". | ||
| Birdmanrh |
You cannot get to the pegs with the bags on. Not from what I have been told, not personal experience. (Message edited by BirdmanRH on August 27, 2006) | ||
| Bigdaddy |
I've only ridden one Uly, mine, and have dragged both pegs w/bags attached. G2 | ||
| 2old2bfast |
Keep in mind that leaning the bike over in a "static" environment is never really the same as it is without the suspension compressed. Suspension compression can alter what drags to a slight degree, but will alter "when" things drag to a dramatic degree and the roads being mentioned feature some pretty dramatic positive camber in allot of places. On the hang-off, don't hang-off, body english, etc. etc. school of thought... My experience on the Uly has been really mind altering as I had (eons ago) allot of roadracing experience, and still do track days whenever my calendar will allow on full on sportbikes, but I tend to ride the Uly totally differently. I mean I have always hung off my sportbikes a little more than the average rider does and I burn more than my share of kneepucks doings so, but on the Uly I find it more comfortable to sit up somewhat on the highside of the bike and just keep pushing out the inside bar almost like a supermoto rider would. While I don't have any supermoto experiance myself, and I have the utmost restect for Reg and his teaching, but I think with the new gen tires and bikes out, that the guys with the most extreme angles now are the motard guys that are riding them dirtbike style. The bottom line is that anyone dragging stuff on their Uly (assuming the suspension isn't set to squishy soft) is hauling the mail pretty quickly. Be safe out there, and enjoy an incredible bike while you're doing it! | ||
| Theloftus |
well that would be one way to push the bags closed ..as not to stress the latches...  | ||
| Xbimmer |
Well said, 2old! |
