It's NICE to be able to LEAN over WITHOUT dragging stuff...
by: oldchopperguy - Nov 12, 2013 14:03:25 GMT -5
Post by oldchopperguy on Nov 12, 2013 14:03:25 GMT -5
It seems like a small thing, but... I wonder how many riders find their scoots drag the center-stand or other "parts down-under" when cornering?
Five years of riding my Xingyue 150 got me used to knowing that any "enthusiastic" cornering was likely to drag parts... And anything beyond very gentle leaning around a multi-lane surface street, keeping up with fast-moving traffic through a turn, would easily lift both wheels off the pavement. THAT can quickly make you a lot friendlier with the car next to you than you'd like to get!
A month of riding my current "new" old Kymco 250 has proven to be interesting! I gingerly "explored" just HOW far I could safely lean through a turn, and so far, have not been able to get anything to drag. VERY good! Apparently, the design tucks the lower parts in a little closer than the Chinese 150... Maybe because it's an early "touring" design (but still very similar to the standard 150 in general) and designers anticipated the need to safely lean over at highway speed, through sweeping curves.
Happily, it seems like I could almost drag the handlebar-ends around curves... (well, not really... at least not recommended!) before anything would scrape. It's a little thing, but it makes general riding much safer, and more confident knowing within reason I can lean over enough to accelerate with traffic around turns without catching anything on the ground. In rush-hour traffic, THAT is a real PLUS.
Dragging parts when cornering is not something I've seen posted about often, but I wonder how common it is. I believe it's a LOT more common with scooters than with motorcycles. It's good to worry only about slippery spots while turning, without having to be concerned about "high-centering" and lifting the scooter-tires off the ground too!
My old 150 truly DID need to be kept pretty "vertical" around turns to keep from dragging. Was that just me, or do others notice the typical 150 being a little too close to the ground?
Ride safe!
Leo in Texas
Five years of riding my Xingyue 150 got me used to knowing that any "enthusiastic" cornering was likely to drag parts... And anything beyond very gentle leaning around a multi-lane surface street, keeping up with fast-moving traffic through a turn, would easily lift both wheels off the pavement. THAT can quickly make you a lot friendlier with the car next to you than you'd like to get!
A month of riding my current "new" old Kymco 250 has proven to be interesting! I gingerly "explored" just HOW far I could safely lean through a turn, and so far, have not been able to get anything to drag. VERY good! Apparently, the design tucks the lower parts in a little closer than the Chinese 150... Maybe because it's an early "touring" design (but still very similar to the standard 150 in general) and designers anticipated the need to safely lean over at highway speed, through sweeping curves.
Happily, it seems like I could almost drag the handlebar-ends around curves... (well, not really... at least not recommended!) before anything would scrape. It's a little thing, but it makes general riding much safer, and more confident knowing within reason I can lean over enough to accelerate with traffic around turns without catching anything on the ground. In rush-hour traffic, THAT is a real PLUS.
Dragging parts when cornering is not something I've seen posted about often, but I wonder how common it is. I believe it's a LOT more common with scooters than with motorcycles. It's good to worry only about slippery spots while turning, without having to be concerned about "high-centering" and lifting the scooter-tires off the ground too!
My old 150 truly DID need to be kept pretty "vertical" around turns to keep from dragging. Was that just me, or do others notice the typical 150 being a little too close to the ground?
Ride safe!
Leo in Texas
