What Gear Should I Be In for These Corners

[No Worries]

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/1638/lookoutswitchbacksge8.jpg

I can get up to 50mph or more between these switchbacks on Lookout Mt., but the hairpin turns are 15mph. To come blasting out of the curve, especially going uphill, you have to be in first gear. Most riders unfamiliar to the road won't downshift to first before the curve. Then they find out it really is 15mph. You are leaned way over, you're in second gear, the engine is at idle, and you open the throttle and get bogged down.

Do you downshift to first in the curve, wait until you straighten up, or just give it more gas hoping the revs will increase sometime? I've done all three. Braking from 50 for the switchback is unnerving enough, but shifting down to first while blipping the throttle, leaning heavily, and looking up and around the curve adds to the thrill. Several times I wish I had a gear indicator.

Sport Rider magazine has an article on gear selection for curves: http://www.sportrider.com/ride/RSS/146_0803_powerband_gear_rpm_range/index.html, but I think they confused horsepower peak with torque peak. I like being below the torque peak, and smoothly roll on the throttle when going quickly around a curve. Any wheelspin from too much torque would be like hitting sand in the corner.

[NONE_too_SOFT]

full suit of armor.

shit i dont like taking any corner that hard in first. too much of a chance of blippin the throttle, fuckin up the suspension, and sailing over the bars.

[itgirl]

full suit of armor.


:lol: that's the first thing that came to my mind when i read the title.

[Trip]

me likey

[DLIT]

If I get caught behind a slower rider mid-turn, I'll downshift so I won't get bogged down.

[Dnyce]

no help here, but that road looks sweet

i just found out over here highway 243 is sweet too

[Mr Lefty]

fuck I dunno... I probably wouldn't shift... can't remember what my bike will do in first... course she's geared down so probably like 35 :lol:

[Phenix_Rider]

Is it just the camera angle, or is that first "U" (from the bottom) way off camber?

Those are really 15 mph actual? Look like second gear turns to me. Of course, my bike actually has some low end. But, depending on the grade, I might still get bogged down. Cutty's 1125R would be incredible there! Twins FTW:dthumb:

[Mr Lefty]

I'm gonna say it's camera angle... he's shooting from above... so it's probably + camber if anything...

damn that road looks sexy... any more shots of it?

[smileyman]

If I am rolling at all I don't like first. Too much chassis pitch to be smooth on and off the gas...

[Gas Man]

no gear... go naked!

[dReWpY]

looks to be a 2nd gear road, then again 2nd is good money for 30 to 70mph

[pickle.of.doom]

If it was a track, you would probably change your gearing to make 1st or 2nd gear work well in those corners, depending on the speed of the rest of the track.

What about coming out in 2nd but slipping the clutch some to keep the R's up and not bog down?

[marko138]

looks to be a 2nd gear road, then again 2nd is good money for 30 to 70mph
Clearly you didn't read where NW said those are 15mph curves.

[Rider]

Clearly you didn't read where NW said those are 15mph curves.

On corners that are posted 15mph I do at least 30...

[marko138]

On corners that are posted 15mph I do at least 30...
Sorry, Valentino. I forgot you were a world champ.

[Rider]

Sorry, Valentino. I forgot you were a world champ.

Please..... You better than that. Posted corner speeds are very conservative.

[marko138]

Please..... You better than that. Posted corner speeds are very conservative.
He didn't say they were posted 15...he said they are 15. Big difference...and he probly knows since he rides them often.

[Rider]

He didn't say they were posted 15...he said they are 15. Big difference...and he probly knows since he rides them often.

Cant argue with that.

[pickle.of.doom]

Yeah there needs to be more accuracy with the old speed recommendation signs for corners... some will say 30 and you can take them at 60 easily, some say 30 and you will eat shit at 35...

[Phenix_Rider]

Yeah there needs to be more accuracy with the old speed recommendation signs for corners... some will say 30 and you can take them at 60 easily, some say 30 and you will eat shit at 35...

:lol: I rode some turns yesterday that were marked 40 and the cagers were doing 35. I was going 70 of course... Concrete kneewall on one side and UPS truck on the other. Bit hairy.

There are some nasty ones nearby though, that would be OK if they were flat. The roll/camber and several elevation drops mid turn make them extremely challenging. They're marked 20-30, and I'm lucky to hit 35-40. Very blind turns- even if there were no trees hanging over the road, you couldn't see the lower part of the turn for the drop with the hill in between.

[NONE_too_SOFT]

Yeah there needs to be more accuracy with the old speed recommendation signs for corners... some will say 30 and you can take them at 60 easily, some say 30 and you will eat shit at 35...

you also have to understand those numbers are for cars, which take up the entire lane, and have a tighter turn than us bikers whom and go from outside-inside-outside and make a generally sharp turn for a car a no brainer on a bike.

[No Worries]

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/1638/lookoutswitchbacksge8.jpg

Take a look at the hill slope between the two farthest switchbacks. This road is steep. Mountain riding is different from canyon riding, just like riding uphill is different from riding down. Even though the road is steep, not banked, and extremely tight, you have to have constant throttle through the curve.

Some riders come in too fast, hit the brakes and lose momentum in the curve, because they are so steep. That can often spell disaster. Much better to come in slow and go out fast. That's why I like to be in first gear. Insures a slow entry and fast exit.

One of the hardest maneuvers I've ever done is a U-turn on a steep, narrow street. These switchbacks are similar. You have to enter at 15mph, but depending on how leaned over the bike is, you can accelerate out smartly. By leaning way off the bike, the bike is more upright. That means I can start twisting the throttle sooner than a bike that is still leaned over.

And these are the lower switchbacks on Lookout Mountain. The upper ones are even tighter.

[Cutty72]

Is it just the camera angle, or is that first "U" (from the bottom) way off camber?

Those are really 15 mph actual? Look like second gear turns to me. Of course, my bike actually has some low end. But, depending on the grade, I might still get bogged down. Cutty's 1125R would be incredible there! Twins FTW:dthumb:

Probably 2nd and just let the bitch pull.

But 1st would work too, it winds out to about 65.

[No Worries]

On our ride up Lookout on Sunday, I asked my friend Dean what gear he uses to accelerate out of the switchbacks on his 2006 GSX-R1000. He uses 2nd gear. First gives him wheelspin. I had to use 1st to keep up with him, but that's what i always use.