Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Subject: rec.motorcycles FAQ of 92.09.01         Part 1 of 5
From: dave.williams@chaos.lrk.ar.us (Dave Williams) 
Date: 2 Sep 92 18:24:00 GMT
Reply-To: dave.williams@chaos.lrk.ar.us (Dave Williams) 
Distribution: world
Organization: The Courts of Chaos * Jacksonville AR USA * 501-985-0059


 This is the rec.motorcycles Frequently Asked Questions list.  It
will be posted near the first of each month.  Please send requests
or submissions to dave.williams@chaos.lrk.ar.us.  (DoD #978, KotF)

 Items marked with an asterisk (*) are new or changed from the
previous FAQ.


*** Terminology:

Q:  I've seen some unfamiliar terms while reading the newsgroup.
    What do they mean?

A:  You think maybe we can read your mind?  Well, here are a few
    commonly-used terms:

        cager           motorist inside a car or pickup
        Denizens        the kind of people your mother warned you about
        DoD             I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you
                        A DoD FAQ is available by emailing:
                        blgardne@javelin.sim.es.com (Blaine Gardner)
        endo            what happens when you get too exuberant with a
                        stoppie.
        FOAF story      "friend of a friend" story - usually bogus
        highside        falling over to the outside of a turn  (bad)
        lowside         falling over to the inside of a turn   (ditto)
        MSF             Motorcycle Safety Foundation.  They teach 'How
                        to Ride' schools, mandatory in some states.
        spooge          any semiliquid nasty substance
        squid           someone who rides far outside his abilities,
                        often to the detriment of himself and his
                        equipment.
        stoppie         a maximum-effort stop where the rear wheel is
                        lifted clear of the pavement.
        WFO             Wide F***ing Open - the normal throttle position
                        for Denizens, squids, and unfortunates on 50cc
                        Honda step-throughs.

*** Riding:

Q:  I've never ridden before, and I'd like to take a course.  Where can
    I find one?

A:  In the USA, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has courses several
    times a year.  To find the next/nearest course, call 800-447-4700.

    Some states may also have their own required courses.  Check with
    your local DMV.

                          =====================

Q:  I've never owned a motorcycle before, but I'd like to buy one.
    What's a good first bike?

A:  Don't let your hormones get the upper hand.  Start small.
    Try to find something short enough that you can touch the ground
    with both feet when at rest.  Experienced riders don't care, but
    it's very comforting when you start out.

    Try to find an older, used machine.  It doesn't have to be perfect
    as long as it's safe.  Registration and (particularly!) insurance
    are cheaper on older or smaller bikes.  If you drop it, you won't
    feel nearly as bad as you would if it was a new ZZX700RRR or
    whatever.

    Once you have some miles racked up, you'll be a lot better at
    deciding what kind of machine you want to buy.  You can sell the
    old one, trade it in, or keep it for a spare.

                          =====================

Q:  When I go around corners, should I lean my head with my body or
    keep it perpendicular to the road?

A:  Lots of people ride either way.  At low speeds it probably doesn't
    matter.  The fastest racers keep their head level no matter which
    way they're leaning.  Keith Code's Superbike school also recommends
    this.

                          =====================

Q:  What's proper behavior for a passenger riding pillion?

A:  ronen@gg.caltech.edu  writes:

    Here's what I tell passengers:

    - Don't think or worry about leaning.  Instead...

    - Sit close and hug me tight.  That way we are essentially a
    single unit---and I control the lean for the both of us.  [It's
    particularly important when carrying a large male; if he's sitting
    back it's like a large weight at the end of a spring sticking up
    from the rear of the bike, which makes it wobbly and hard to
    control.  I explain this to guys to get them over the macho, guys-
    can't-hug-guys thing.  I explain this to women also: since women
    tend to be lighter and have a low center of gravity, when a small-
    to-medium woman sits close & hugs tight, I find almost no noticeable
    effect on handling (though there *is* a noticeable effect on my
    mood :) ]

    - Ignore the things that look like handgrips beside the saddle.

    - If you really want to participate, shift your head to look over
    my inside shoulder in turns---shifting the ~25 pounds of head+
    helmet gives plenty of contribution to the lean.  Otherwise don't
    worry about it, just pick a shoulder and stick with it, switch
    when you get bored.

    - Keep your feet on the pegs at all times!  Don't put them down
    when we stop at a light or anywhere else---I don't want them to
    get mangled when I start moving.

    - You may want to stand up on your pegs a little when we stop,
    to keep from sliding forward on the seat.

    - Let me know if you're uncomfortable with freeway speeds or
    extreme leans or lane-splitting or whatever.  [I try to not to
    terrify newbies.]

    - Open or close your faceshield as makes you happy.

    - Enjoy!

    The above works for me, riding a standard-style street bike ('83
    Nighthawk 650).

    I imagine things might be different for sport or touring bikes.

    [comment: Looks quite complete. Probably the most important thing
     is not to get a case of the red ass when hauling a newbie - it
     can be scary as hell back there.  Also be wary when carrying
     experienced riders, as they may shift their weight to "help"
     you without thinking about it.]

                          =====================

Q: What is lane splitting, and why would I want to do it?

A: Lane splitting is when you ride between the lanes of traffic.  This
   is legal in some states, not forbidden in others, and illegal in
   still others.  It can be an enormous time-saver when the freeway
   turns into a parking lot at quitting time.  Some people - including
   some motorcycle magazine editors - advocate lane splitting and have
   done so for years.  Others, thinking of how erratic the average
   cager is already, prefer not to take the chance of being creamed
   when someone changes lanes or opens a door to dump a spittoon.

   Some people make a distinction between lane splitting and lane
   sharing.  The same comments apply.

                          =====================

Q: I'd like to ride along with several friends, but I'm afraid we'll
   get tangled up or run into each other.  Are there any rules for
   riding in groups?

A: There aren't any formal rules.  Some states permit riding side by
   side, other states require you ride staggered.  Unless you're very
   familiar with who you're riding with it's a good idea to ride
   staggered.

   In most states, groups must stop individually for stop signs or red
   lights.  It's bad practice to ride through a red light even if you're
   in the middle of 200 riders.  Large group rides sometimes have police
   escort; if so, follow police signals.  Sometimes it's hard to
   differentiate "blow through this red light" from "there's a wasp up
   my sleeve."

   Generally, when riding parallel, the bike nearest the shoulder has
   right-of-way.  It's assumed that the inside bike can crowd the
   divider and any oncoming traffic, while the outside bike may be
   facing a ditch or stepped shoulder.

   When riding staggered, the bike in front normally has the right-of-
   way.  You can see the guy in front just fine; he has to use his
   mirrors to see you.  By assuming you can take care of yourself, he
   doesn't have to worry about collision if he has to dodge a pothole
   or armadillo.

   Remember, when you're riding in a group, you only have *half* a
   lane.  Worn pavement or crosswinds can make it difficult to keep
   your mirrors or bodywork out of someone else's space.

                          =====================

Q: What is countersteering, and why would I want to do it?

A: That's a complex subject.  Ed Green (egreen@laser.East.Sun.COM)
   has submitted a mini-FAQ on the subject:

   How do motorcycles turn?
         by Ed Green, a recognized non-expert in the field

   A frequent topic of discussion, and the source of much confusion,
   on rec.motorcycles concerns the mechanics, and underlying physics,
   of how motorcycles turn. It would seem that such a basic maneuver
   should be well understood by all motorcyclists. Surprisingly, many
   experienced riders have no idea how they turn, they probably never
   think about it. Many others have very definite ideas about how
   they turn, which are likely incorrect. Even among the elite and
   erudite Denizens, there is considerable disagreement as to the
   mechanics involved with both leaning a motorcycle, and actually
   turning one. Outlined here are the four major theories of motorcycle
   turning which came out of a recent flame war, er, discussion, on the
   subject (hopefully presented somewhat objectively).

   To begin with, motorcycles, at greater than parking lot speeds, must
   lean to turn. This is part of why they are so fun to ride. The four
   predominate theories of turning are evenly divided between leaning
   and turning, thusly:

   1. Leaning (including countersteering)
      1.1 Gyroscopic Precession
      1.2 Steering-induced Roll
   2. Turning
      2.1 Camber Thrust
      2.2 Steering Geometry

   1. Leaning
      Many people assume one leans a motorcycle by shifting body weight.
      While it is possible to induce lean in this manner, the quickest,
      easiest, and most controllable method of leaning a motorcycle is
      by counter-steering. Counter-steering is a technique whereby the
      rider exerts pressure on the *inside* handlebar (left for a left-
      hand turn, right for a right-hand turn), to lean the motorcycle in
      the desired direction. This is in effect steering the motorcycle
      the "wrong" way, from the point of view of operating a tricycle,
      thus the term "counter-steering." THAT it works is undeniable, and
      can be proven easily with a short ride. Both the rate of
      transitioning to the lean (how quickly the bike leans) and the
      degree of the lean (how far over it leans) can be controlled by
      the rate and degree of pressure applied to the grip.

      HOW counter-steering works is debatable. The two leading theories
      are gyroscopic precession and steering-induced roll.


(continued)