weaving round corners

[aljaxon]

is there a quick fix to this? i get a wallowing or weaving round highish speed corners.
tia

[keith]

  yes. dont go around the corners so fast !!!

[Winston Smith]

A)  Slow down? .
B)  Choose a lower gear and power through bend.
C)  Countersteer to push front end in harder therefore quickening the steering.
D)  Look through bend to where you want to be.

I imagine the main issue will be to high a gear meaning there is a lack of drive and resultant grip giving a wallowing feel.
By selecting a gear or two lower this will create more mechanical grip through the rear tyre as it grips the road harder due to extra torque created. This also has the effect of forcing the front tyre to grip as weight through transmission is created.  Loading the front end like this creates grip which is what people refer to as 'front end feel'.

The overall result is the bike will feel more as one with you. 

Other benefits mean less need to brake as the bike will accelerate and slow on the throttle.

Lower gear is usually the answer to most handling related issues.

Most folk, particularly car drivers, don't use the rev range on bikes as the high revving is quite alien compared to a care which red-lines at 5-7k revs.  Bikes can/need revving about twice that of a car engine to get the best performance.

Only time I ever engage top gear (or even 5th) is on long straights or motorways.

The 1400GTR needs the front end loading compared to other Sports Tourers to really make it work at it's best.

[aljaxon]

cheers chaps interesting stuff winston but im glad you went into such detail because i may have narrowed down some possible causes, i brake right into corners (a bad habit from my hair raising sportbike riding style ) so  my front end is always very loaded
and im also guilty of riding it like my 2 stroke yam 350  or ninja 600 in that i tap dance on the gearbox and dont just lug around in 5th or top.

i have a helmet cam and once i get my new tyres scrubbed in i will try and record it and get it on youtube

[STX1300man]

Great post by Winston. One of the most common problems I see with IAM Associates (trainees) is running into corners in too high a gear. In fact riding everywhee in too high a gear. You should aim to be in a responsive gear at all times, one that will slow you if you shut the throttle, while still allowing you to accelerate if need be.

Try getting your braking over BEFORE the corner and then drive the bike through. Not violent acceleration, just enough to maintain speed until you see the road round the corner is clear.

If you try to go through a corner, whatever gear you are in, on a closed throttle the bike will want to run wide and wallow.

[patrick]

Great post by Winston.

Agree fully, Winston summed it up in one......... well in 4!

P

[aljaxon]

Great post by Winston. One of the most common problems I see with IAM Associates (trainees) is running into corners in too high a gear. In fact riding everywhee in too high a gear. You should aim to be in a responsive gear at all times, one that will slow you if you shut the throttle, while still allowing you to accelerate if need be.

Try getting your braking over BEFORE the corner and then drive the bike through. Not violent acceleration, just enough to maintain speed until you see the road round the corner is clear.

If you try to go through a corner, whatever gear you are in, on a closed throttle the bike will want to run wide and wallow.

i have tried everything to correct my style of cornering when going very fast but i just cant seem to do it without everything going to pot or ending up going round corners too slow.
when im pushing it i brake late and right into the corner sometimes right up to the apex and then wind the power on as soon as i know i arent going to end up in a hedge etc.

it might be as i open the throttle while already cranked over? i do find it hard to analyze what is actually going on because the adrenaline is flowing my heart is pumping and im like 100 % tuned in to having fun.

IF i go round corners slow enough to take in the scenery and/or think about what is happening then i dont get the wallowing/weaving.
but go faster and its as if the handlebars are going round in circles? and i arent in peg scraping territory either so its not as if im trying to get track day performance out of something not built for it.

i once tried setting up the damping /preload on my zx6 at the roadside and couldnt hardly tell what difference the adjustments were making so i left it all on softest and it rides very well once the initial dive has been taken up.

i know some riders are pushing thier gtr's harder than me by the peg down comments and wondered if they too get the wallowing?

[zedmeister]

I very rerely ride below 4k revs always keep the engine buzzing ready for any eventuality should it occur. Totally agree with all the above, but also your body position has a factor on the handling make sure you are ballanced and relaxed,before you make any manouvre. Keep to your chosen line and keep an eye on the vanishing point.

[Winston Smith]

Just noticed we're neighbour aljaxon!  You have a PM

[STX1300man]

Sorry aljaxon but your reply (two posts above) describes exactly why you are having problems.

You are trying to ride fast and then sort out the problems that causes. Talk of apexing (unless on wide open areas like the fens) is meaningless.

Sort out your riding FIRST so you you are planning what you are going to do. Don't just throw it at a corner and then turn on the gas again. Get the planning and execution right and speed (safe speed!) comes as a result, not as a target/aim.

You may not like it, may think they are all fuddy dudddys, but get yourself some guidence from IAM/ROSPA etc. You'll still end up enjoying your riding, and arrive relaxed and calm.

[Rusty]

It's all in the planning .. it really is that simple. 

[davetherave]

Just a thought here, has your bike completed a few miles ?  we all know how well kawasaki grease (not) the steering head bearings and sorry to say most shocks are built to a price not to a quality, so back on track (sorry for the pun) but I wonder if the head bearings are worn and the rear shock might also be knackered ? any of these sound like the symptons that you are experiencing, on one of my zzr 11's the rear shock failed at 11k and the shocks are known to be a weakness on current zzr14's, are they as bad on GTR's ?

+1 on riding in a gear in which the bike is responsive and not labouring.

+1 on the RoSPA comments, I managed to achieve a gold pass years ago and I think the "system" is the only way to go on the road. 

[aljaxon]

thanks for the comments
i have 2 other bikes and the 1974 rd350 used to act like a fish or as if it had a hinge in the middle
i replaced the plastic swinging arm bushes with phosphor bronze bushes and it will now corner at 100 mph and is rock solid at speeds the gtr wobbles at.
on my zx6r its as if im sat in my armchair in my living room even pushing it to track day limits.
but the gtr has this bad wobble or weave.
i cant believe its bad riding style? and by that  im not saying i am a good rider, far from it but that i would have thought that todays technology would be a bit more forgiving and allow me to ride it ruff arsed and still perform.
or maybe i need to stiffen something up?
i havent looked at the suspension settings front or back and it might just be set too soft or too hard?

i once read bits of that twist of the wrist book and tried applying it while out riding and everything went to pot so i abandoned it all and instead just rode and the smile returned to my face.
i was hoping it was just a setting that i could tweak, i know i should set up my sag (thats if the suspension is even adjustable?)

when it warms up winston has kindly offered to ride with me to see if we can sort it out.

does anyone elses gtr wobble or weave if they are pushing it and not being nice and smooth?

[aljaxon]

Just a thought here, has your bike completed a few miles ?  we all know how well kawasaki grease (not) the steering head bearings and sorry to say most shocks are built to a price not to a quality, so back on track (sorry for the pun) but I wonder if the head bearings are worn and the rear shock might also be knackered ? any of these sound like the symptons that you are experiencing, on one of my zzr 11's the rear shock failed at 11k and the shocks are known to be a weakness on current zzr14's, are they as bad on GTR's ?

+1 on riding in a gear in which the bike is responsive and not labouring.

+1 on the RoSPA comments, I managed to achieve a gold pass years ago and I think the "system" is the only way to go on the road. 

i had to replace the head bearings on my zx6r as they had notched and wanted to stay straight and the symptoms were not like what i am getting. the bike has done less than 10k miles

i just need to know if other peoples gtrs do this if ridden less than smoothly. if i slow down a bit it behaves fine its just if i get carried away.

[nightrider]

If the bike is weaving through the corners I would not though that is was you , sounds like the front is to soft ,or the rear shock has had it , tyres have the right pressure in them , even if you brake right into a bend then flick it on its side it won't weave about unless some thing is not right , I did notice on mine that it  did bounce back up off the brakes ,but since I had Kais suspension services set it up ,it is now spot on ,  you are not far from me so could meet up and have a ride , I ride to Cadwell a lot and the roads are fantastic around there plenty of nice bends to sort it out ,,