I got to thinking about Mr. Dunn's post in this thread, comparing skiing and riding a bike in the twisties being the same; comparing the two does bring out some specifics that once visualized, could assist someone learning to carve twisties on asphalt.Originally Posted by jamesdunn
Skiers, like bikers come in unlimited varieties, but when it comes to coming down a narrow trail, where big sweepers are not possible, two ways to do it;
Very cautious, sliding the rear of the ski around each turn, allowing the inertia of the hill to slow you every turn. After each turn is executed, the ski tips end up sideways, and almost pointing uphill! This type of beginner sking is unstable, unpredictable due to the w-i-d-e turn causing an about face on each turn.
The experienced skier will follow the proper, faster and infinitely more fun way to ski the twisties; keep the tips pointed down the slope, and tilt the edge of the ski horizontally into the hill on each turn, like your skis are a sharp knife, cutting your turn with the precision of a surgeon into the flesh. The faster and steeper the hill, the deeper you stick the blade in the snow, allowing you to control a series of small turns, which the inertia pushes you into each turn. Put aside the poles for a minute, because I don't know how they would factor into this comparison, and we all knows the importance of a pole plant. right?
I followed a guy one time on what I assume was a new ride (er) and watched him turn away from the fall line of the road on each turn, continually set a line to turn (carve) abort, go straight increase speed by inertia, tap the brakes and find another line, again turning his whole body (and bike) sideways to the fall line; it was obvious he was struggling to keep this Harley looking Yamaha out of trouble at that speed, so I backed off to give him the ability to slow down, hope he did.
Each turn he made was not looking into the fall, was not anticipating the next turn where he wanted to go, checking his heavy hand on the throttle with his brakes (danger here, man) and appeared to be looking away from the turn he was executing.
He very well may have been watching the speed versus feeling the inertia+ speed, and instinctively knowing how much throttle produced a controllable fall (inertia).His bike spent more time sideways in the road versus pointing the nose like the ski tips) down the road where he wanted to go.
The fun comes in finding the very limit of controllable speed, coming right up to that limit, then find ways to involve a third dimension/ the lean where the speed can be increased even further!
That's what separates the men from the boys, IMHO, that is. And I announce here that there are many, many who have a better handle on this "Lean" dimension in carving up the twisties; I'm certainly not afraid of the twisties being born a raised in the foothills of Colorado, but I do know and respect my limits, and more importantly, the limit of the road...dirt, branches, squirrel guts, pot holes keep me from truly even approaching "the edge" of speed by increasing the lean past a certain point. I am not risking that edge as I once did many years ago. No speedo needed, just years of letting my brain go on auto pilot and make the decision before I enter each turn as to how much inertia I throttle up into each turn.
I know many feel that to ride a fine engineered machine like a BMW and not seek that limit/that edge is sacrilegious to BMW, but to me? I've tumbled off my mount a time or two in my lifetime by pushig the limits, and on each turn, have made a choice to ride with the boys, with a degree of safety. I am one of the boys. Let the Men fly by; to hell with the squirrels!
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