tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post1714821377520904932..comments2024-03-20T13:35:46.089-04:00Comments on Life on two wheels: Tuscan Loop - VolterraDavid Massehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346419242154545286noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-15778105795993934272014-06-02T05:47:12.442-04:002014-06-02T05:47:12.442-04:00Brandy you're right we were blessed with perfe...Brandy you're right we were blessed with perfect weather. This was our second trip to Italy in May. The weather is great, not too much heat, and not quite so thronged with tourists. David Massehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09346419242154545286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-12820923415834042812014-06-01T03:44:03.854-04:002014-06-01T03:44:03.854-04:00David, yes I am right handed, but I believe I woul...David, yes I am right handed, but I believe I would have the same problem in tight left curves in left-lane traffic. I am what we call in Germany - politically incorrectly - a 'motion dyslexic', so I have problems balancing the bike in very slow speed. Add to this a hairpin bend with oncoming traffic, and you have a definition of disaster. Sonja thinks I have problems with counter steering, but I am not sure that this is it. I rather do not dare taking tight corners fast, but I am not capable of doing them slowly.Rolandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13905690995109336847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-3145076048333980002014-05-31T17:58:26.804-04:002014-05-31T17:58:26.804-04:00What a wonderful day for friends to ride the count...What a wonderful day for friends to ride the country together. Beautiful scenery too, and the weather looks perfect.Trobairitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03453398807198746434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-85774659074254418572014-05-30T16:27:42.724-04:002014-05-30T16:27:42.724-04:00With the hack, you end up shifting your weight off...With the hack, you end up shifting your weight off of the seat a lot. With right turns, with all of your weight on the right peg, you can still go pretty quickly around turns. As you probably know, if the sidecar wheel lifts, you can slow down and it'll settle right back down. When turning to the left, you need to shift your weight to the rear and left to prevent the rear wheel of the bike lifting up and whatever you do, no braking on hard left turns unless you want to get launched off of the bike. The roll center would be a line from the front wheel to the sidecar wheel. RichardMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04773834892715980735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-10855020076775931752014-05-30T15:42:14.444-04:002014-05-30T15:42:14.444-04:00Thanks Richard, that makes sense, I get it.
Now w...Thanks Richard, that makes sense, I get it.<br /><br />Now with a hack you should be able to make some killer speed in the lefties, but the law of averages will... well, average you out, since the righties will be pokey... is that approximately right?David Massehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09346419242154545286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-46597441136296166782014-05-30T15:35:53.003-04:002014-05-30T15:35:53.003-04:00For a given radius turn, the faster you ar going, ...For a given radius turn, the faster you ar going, the more lean angle you need. You are absolutely correct that the amount of lean is to balance out the centrifugal force trying to lift the bike back up. The higher the speed in the turn, the more centrifugal force to the more you need to lean into the turn to counteract it. By shifting your weight off of the seat into the turn, you are changing the CG of the bike+rider from the centerline of the bike towards the center of the turn. Everything else being the same, the bike needs to lean less for the same speed through the turn. Of course this is relatively easy on a bike with the footpegs under you where you can readily transfer your weight from the seat to the footpegs but may be much more difficult on a scooter or with forward controls.RichardMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04773834892715980735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-50069224003086384132014-05-30T14:14:50.113-04:002014-05-30T14:14:50.113-04:00Richard, it was low cal!!!!?. Not even close!
Int...Richard, it was <i>low cal!!!!?</i>. Not even close!<br /><br />Interesting technique, but I don't understand. I though that the track in the turn at speed was determined by the lean of the bike, which is determined by counter steer and that body lean or weight shifting is only useful in lowering the centre of gravity and counteracting the centrifugal force that is trying to stand the bike vertical and return it to a straight course. Based on that understanding, reducing the lean angle (which I thought could only be done by reducing counter steer) would cause the bike to go wide in the turn. <br /><br />Maybe I've got it wrong. There are endless debates on this (body position vs counter steer) and a small library of YouTube videos. <br /><br />My personal favorite is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_5Z3jyO2pA&sns=em" rel="nofollow">this one.</a><br /><br />David Massehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09346419242154545286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-63261704757262727722014-05-30T13:39:02.757-04:002014-05-30T13:39:02.757-04:00Bill, you are so right. But it pales in comparison...Bill, you are so right. But it pales in comparison to the <a href="http://billleuthold.blogspot.ca/?m=1" rel="nofollow">2014 Cannonball you're currently doing</a>. Hyder Alaska to New Orleans with the arrival coinciding with Amerivespa. Wow!David Massehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09346419242154545286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-60765614455627145542014-05-30T12:41:50.914-04:002014-05-30T12:41:50.914-04:00Of course, the bruschetta was the low-calorie vers...Of course, the bruschetta was the low-calorie version (it didn't look like it in the picture!)<br /><br />This is looking like a great trip though I must admit to watching the other videos you posted to YouTube in advance of your blog posts...<br /><br />I had similar issues with my brake pedal scraping the ground on right turns. Another motoblogger, ChrisL, suggested that I shift off of my seat into the corner so the bike is more upright in the turn. Works like a charm. No more scraping.RichardMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04773834892715980735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-48234171549649947272014-05-30T07:24:45.954-04:002014-05-30T07:24:45.954-04:00It looks like you had a fantastic trip.It looks like you had a fantastic trip.Bill Leutholdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05344154257118432221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-5169575750557442162014-05-30T05:41:07.733-04:002014-05-30T05:41:07.733-04:00Roland, I'm terrible at identifying movie quot...Roland, I'm terrible at identifying movie quotes but I am familiar with Life of Brian. Totally hilarious. I particularly remember the scene where <a href="http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IIAdHEwiAy8&feature=kp" rel="nofollow">the centurion corrects the guy's latin grammar</a> when he catches him writing anti-Roman graffiti. What a great movie.David Massehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09346419242154545286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-88186884637883826162014-05-30T05:31:11.225-04:002014-05-30T05:31:11.225-04:00Thanks for clearing up the GPS information. I shou...Thanks for clearing up the GPS information. I should look into Navigon.<br /><br />Are you right-handed Roland? Could it be that left-hand turns are harder for left-handed riders and right-hand turns harder for right-handed riders?David Massehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09346419242154545286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-56544995797586594962014-05-30T05:12:56.394-04:002014-05-30T05:12:56.394-04:00Walter, we're back in Montreal and I'd gla...Walter, we're back in Montreal and I'd gladly trade for the grey UK. My recipe for a grey miserable day in London is to take a walk to the British Museum, then walk until the weather has you chilled and miserable, then in late afternoon, pop into a venerable Edwardian hotel for high tea, get a wing chair near a roaring fire, and wash down copious amounts of shortbread and scones with a liter or two of nice hot tea. Ahhhhh.... totally soothing for the soul.David Massehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09346419242154545286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-13443034488134701252014-05-30T04:20:45.692-04:002014-05-30T04:20:45.692-04:00"What have the Romans ever done for us?"..."What have the Romans ever done for us?"<br /><br />Walter, to my total shock and grief I had to learn that "Life of Brian" is not a well-known movie in North America. While living in Canada the only people I met who had seen it were European immigrants. It took all the fun out of quoting the movie...Rolandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13905690995109336847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-70649726880975209432014-05-30T04:16:01.400-04:002014-05-30T04:16:01.400-04:00David, this is a fantastic post as I re-live that ...David, this is a fantastic post as I re-live that day again by reading it! It was really a wonderful trip, and it was so much fun riding with you!<br />As for my riding skills, I must have had a good day, because usually Sonja has some comments on my curves, but this day she was quite happy with my accomplishments. My Achilles heel is turning into very tight right corners where I usually look like a first time rider...<br />The GPS is actually not a TomTom (Sonja's is), but a Garmin Navigon on an iPhone. It does have problems counting exits in roundabouts, too, but it always gives you a little sketch in what direction to leave the roundabout, so you don't have to count but just follow that direction. This works fine in 95% of the cases, the other ones are just plain guessing (plus when we were young we learned to follow these strange signs on the road indicating the cities they lead to).Rolandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13905690995109336847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776318709416054670.post-63678476320667567122014-05-30T03:58:53.180-04:002014-05-30T03:58:53.180-04:00"I now firmly believe that Italian civil engi..."I now firmly believe that Italian civil engineers are incapable of going from A to B, or Volterra to San Gimignano, in anything resembling a straight line."<br /><br />What about the Via Emilia SS9, Milan through Bologna to Rimini? Hang on, maybe that was that Roman engineers?!<br /><br />"What have the Romans ever done for us?" etc.<br /><br />I'm stuck over here at the moment in dull grey England, totally jealous of your wonderful biking trip over there in Tuscany! I was meant to be riding the Via Emilia by now but there's been a temporary change of plan for maybe a month or two.<br /><br />Take it easy and enjoy your motor-biking, David. The weather looks fantastic!Walter Cronenburghttp://motorcyclingforover50s.bravesites.com/noreply@blogger.com