Happy Piggy!  By  SylvreKat (Read 3,862 times)

Taking advice from someone so often wrong is a bad idea. Your bike is more stable with feet where they belong. Hanging them off the side doesn't just look bad it is quite dangerous in a street setting. Dirtbikers use that method in very specific maneuvers none of those cross over to the street. You may find yourself with a broken leg or worse some day. The forces in action in the accident you had would have caused you greater injury had your leg been extended. Don't take riding tips off the internet if they don't jive with accepted methods studied out by authorities such as the MSF or displayed by professionals like road racers, you will never be going fast enough to need to drag a knee by the way. I often correct prodigit for just this reason. Though his ideas may seem to make sense in reality they quite often don't.

Okay, I'm relatively inexperienced, and blonder than I am inexperienced. But even I can tell this just doesn't jivey-up.

If the scooter falls, there's no way in heck I'll catch it with my leg, early or not. More likely I'll torque up my knee-formerly-known-as-the-good-knee, or rip to shreds the bad knee (depending which way the bike falls).



The scooter should be MORE likely to fall on your leg if your leg is sticking out there to the side. Less likely if you have your leg where it belongs, 'cause there's nothing to fall on your leg then. Simple physics. My Harley friend who broke his leg in a fall said the same can never happen to me 'cause of the open pass-through design.



Maybe if you're really strong? I can't hold up my scoot if he decides to go down. He's going down, period. 325-some pounds is more convincing than my one leg's strength. And the last bit sounds like he'll be doing this while there's still forward movement, which sounds like an ideal way to seriously pooch knees.

So no offense, 'digit, but no thanks. I'll keep my feet on the floorboards and my knees pulled in tight. And only hang my toosh off the side for a slow turn, like they teach in the MSF.

>'Kat

Yes he is that's why you shouldn't believe anything he says

Thank you, Domindart. And that's all I really do. NEVER during a fast turn, but if I feel it will help me balance then I plant my feet on the ground, at the lowest of speeds only.

Practice in the parking lot and you will be a master in less then a month.

According to the MSF the increased gyroscopic effect from giving the engine a little throttle and feathering the clutch keeping it in the friction zone helps with balance in slow speed manuvering (this is taught as part of the basic rider course). On a scooter without a manual clutch you can apprixmate this by giving the bike a little throttle and feathering the rear brake only as you do not want to bind up the front wheel during slow speed turns which will cause the bike to want to flip over on its side.

If anyone is having problems with their low speed balance the best advice is to check in for a MSF refresher asking the instructors to help you perfect your technique.

rocky, I figure that's the next option, if practise doesn't get me good again.

IF IT EVER STOPS WITH THE STINKIN' RAIN ALREADY!!! Go to NM where they need you, rain! We're pretty full right now, thankyouverymuch! Sheesh!

>'Kat