Newbie Riding Question

[unicorncomputer]

I have only been riding since Mid July 2012 - about 1000 miles though. One thing that has be a little uneasy at times is the cracks or filled cracked that go the length of the road. Sometimes if I don't have a choice and ride on or slowly cross them, it feels like the bike skips or slides over.

My first question : is this normal or is there something not set right with tire pressure or shocks.

2nd Question : if this is normal, is it just my newbie-ness that causes me to feel unsafe or is there a legit concern. some of the roads around here have deep corners with these cracks in them.

As always - thank you in advance.

Steve

Long live XS11.com

[Bonz]

Those would be "tar snakes". In a straight line the bike should be pretty good in terms of stability, the bike might wander a bit worst case but no worries. If your tires are not hard as rocks from age, tires inflated to correct pressure and shocks are decent and your fork isn't a rigid front end, then it's not the bike, per se.

Going 'round corners and running over them can make the front end slide a tad or the rear squirm, I've had it happen as have many, many other riders. Other than the feeling you are not used to, it's part of the deal with any bike, really.

Keep in mind, the physics of a motorcycle want to keep it upright and going straight. Even if the bike slips a bit, the bike will naturally want to return to a state of equiliibrium so it's just a short moment.

Keep a steady and light but not white-knuckled grip on the bars, let the bike have it's way, like riding a horse. If you fight every bike movement with a counter input, it's gonna be really tiring mentally and physically.

The XS is a large bike with 30+ year old design, yet for it's day it was a well mannered bike by most counts. Even though newer bikes might go around corners with more stability and feel, the fact is a tar snake is a tar snake and what you are feeling will happen just as much with one bike as another.

[GLoweVA]

Keep in mind, the physics of a motorcycle want to keep it upright and going straight. Even if the bike slips a bit, the bike will naturally want to return to a state of equiliibrium so it's just a short moment.

That's the gyroscopic effect of the wheels. I learned that once at one of those kids science museums, they had this huge weighted wheel that once you got it going around and around, it wanted to stay that way no matter which way you tried to move the thing. A few years later when I started riding, I found out that the bike's wheels worked the same way. It really wanted to right itself, that's also why when we steer, we have to push down on the side that we want to turn toward.

[unicorncomputer]

Thank you, I guess I am still learning to have to trust that the bike isn't going to fall over.

This is basically the answer I was hoping for. I still don't like it on the corners so much, but have started to get used it it otherwise.

I have to say, that I am really enjoying riding, wish I hadn't waited so long to start.

[Bonz]

It's really hard to get one to fall over. But wheel it around the garage enough and it just might...

[BA80]

Those tar snakes do feel a little strange until you get used to different road conditions. If you get on a concrete highway with the lines in the concrete that go with the road you'll find out that they are no where near straight and the bike will squirm like you have a low tire.

Speaking of handling, like Bonz said the XS is pretty well mannered but it's heavy and needs to be strong armed at times. It WILL do things you don't think it is capable of if you just let the bike do the work. Just when you think you've pushed it as far as you can you'll get into a spot where you have to ask more of it. Let the bike take care of it because it can.

[motoman]

Those tar snakes do feel a little strange until you get used to different road conditions. If you get on a concrete highway with the lines in the concrete that go with the road you'll find out that they are no where near straight and the bike will squirm like you have a low tire.

Speaking of handling, like Bonz said the XS is pretty well mannered but it's heavy and needs to be strong armed at times. It WILL do things you don't think it is capable of if you just let the bike do the work. Just when you think you've pushed it as far as you can you'll get into a spot where you have to ask more of it. Let the bike take care of it because it can.

Bias-ply tires allow that to happen on the grooved concrete. Not the least bit noticable if running radial-ply tires. That gyroscopic effect, putting side loads on the forks is also why a fork brace is needed on the smaller diamater forks associated with these bikes. Also reduces some of the tire cupping, which is usually only associated with radial ply bike tires.

[jjz28]

I hate it when the rip up the road to put in new pavement and also those steel grate bridges. Talking about squirmy.

[natemoen]

Those tar snakes do feel a little strange until you get used to different road conditions. If you get on a concrete highway with the lines in the concrete that go with the road you'll find out that they are no where near straight and the bike will squirm like you have a low tire.

Drive over a metal grate bridge! That is the worst!

[oldyam80sg]

The worst-There is a road that leads to the main road that i must ride on to get home or go the long way around.It is graded and has those grooves in so the water drains off better. They were also made that way so people slow down but they don't.I lost 2 co workers years ago who decided to race in the rain.They hydroplaned and flipped 3 times and came to rest in a rock pile.So naturally i don't like the road but respect it enough to slow down.And at the end are the tar snakes mentioned but they are the least of my worries.

[Bonz]

The only annoying characteristic of my 80G is the way it absolutely detests going over concrete interstate sections. The bike bucks and heaves at each seam to where it's freakin' annoying. My 80SG does it to some extent, but not to the extreme of the 80G.

What's interesting is the 80G is the better riding of the two bikes overall in my opinion, but just doesn't do well on the concrete slab.

I recall reading in one of the period tests that concrete slab roadways gave the XS "a bad case of the staggers", and I cannot agree more.

Anyway, that's for newbie info in case you ride some concrete slab and feel like you are on a bad cruise ship in rough seas. It's more or less the norm.