Scraping Floor Boards Part 2

I've been admiring Dan Lunds avatar pic. (how he's leaned over really far) I ordered the "ride-like-a-pro" DVD and practice the manuevers semi-regularly. I can perform tight U-turns and circles and such but still have never scraped the floor boards. Maybe Dan can give us some tips on how he does it?

[Idaho]

I frequently scrape my boards but not at low speed. Just put it in a corner, push down on the handlebar and roll on the throttle.

[finky]

Scrape mine regularly as well also put a couple of good scrapes down the length of my pipes
the other day definately way to far over not a good feeling when the pipes touch down and the floor boards come up so far you have to lift your foot.

[blowndodge]

I was surprised at how far I had to lean to scrape. But scrape both side I did!

[ringadingh]

Ive done it twice, both times caught me by surprise.

[biscuitsngravy]

I've done it twice now too. I guess it touches the floorboard first so you don't ride the sides of the tires and get the whitewalls all dirty.

[Todd]

Don't look at the bottom of my V&H baggers either...there are some scrapes there and on the bottom of my floorboards

[trip]

First time I scraped was at Deal's Gap......scared the crap out o' me on the first scrape. Other than scraping on roads in the Texas Hill Country and some in Arkansas, I haven't scraped much. The wear in the middle of my back tire can attest to that.

[trip]

I've been admiring Dan Lunds avatar pic. (how he's leaned over really far) I ordered the "ride-like-a-pro" DVD and practice the manuevers semi-regularly. I can perform tight U-turns and circles and such but still have never scraped the floor boards. Maybe Dan can give us some tips on how he does it?

That video and others like it, taught me how to do tight turns, U-turns and quick S-turns, Wolfy. I can safely say that I can do a quick turn confidently now.

[dantama]

Wolfman, I found out how by stumbling onto a motorcycle cop practicing in a parking lot by himself. I pulled in and watched and was amazed. He was very approachable and taught me how to do tight turns.

I went home to practice, and couldn't drag the floor boards all the way around, I decided it was my bike. Saw him again and told him how it went and he got on my bike and did just fine (I rode his police road king and dumped it, but that's another story).

Once I knew that the bike would do it, it gave me the courage to go further.

The way you do it is a combination of using the friction zone of the clutch to moderate speed, and a little bit of rpm, and perhaps some rear brake. I go through a row of parking lot spaces (two rows that face each other), and I zig zag down it turning on every other line. Essentially a full Uturn using two spots.

As I start to move into the first one I pull in the clutch, rev the engine perhaps double idle rpm, then use the clutch to moderate how fast I go. I lean it way over for each turn and hold it there. The key is this; every time you feel like your going down and have the instinct to jab your foot down to hold you up, let a little more clutch out (throttle is held steady). The little bit of forward drive will pull you back up enough to lose the I'm going down feeling. Do that each time the reflex to jab a foot down happens.

Eventually you can do a whole row of parking lot stalls hitting every other painted line no problem.

I can turn my 1600 Nomad doing a 180 degree turn inside two lines that are 17 feet apart. It took me 19 feet on my 1500 nomad, don't know if I got better, or if there is a difference in the bikes.

Sometimes when learning it is a little easier if you drag the rear brake a little, once you learn and are comfortable, it's not needed.

I find being able to do tight turns very useful. For instance, going down a country or canyon road that isn't very wide and wanting to do a uturn. If you do the turn, back up, turn.....you are exposed to a possible car coming around the corner longer. If you can slow down, whip around and be gone all in one motion, you're not exposed to the danger of an oncoming car as long.

[socwkbiker]

I've scraped mine twice so far and every time it surprises me too. Looking forward to hearing Dan's advice.

[dantama]

I've scraped mine twice so far and every time it surprises me too. Looking forward to hearing Dan's advice.

Our posts passed while typing.

I miss the nuts on the bottom of the 1500 floor boards. I got some hardened nuts to replace the acorn nuts, and went through about 10 sets of them. On the 1600, you wear through the actual floorboard.

Here's a larger photo of the avatar photo, and a photo in a regular corner.

I've been admiring Dan Lunds avatar pic. (how he's leaned over really far) I ordered the "ride-like-a-pro" DVD and practice the manuevers semi-regularly. I can perform tight U-turns and circles and such but still have never scraped the floor boards. Maybe Dan can give us some tips on how he does it?

This is old news to a lot of you, but I used to scrape floorboards on my Roadstar Silverado all the time.....

I only scraped on the Nomad once................. right before the shiny side wasn't up anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ::) :'( :-/





<marquee>Shut up BD</marquee>

[Top Cat]

That sure looks like fun Dan, but I don't think I will ever get that far over on purpose
If it happens it will be as Nico said, just before the rubber side goes up

[dank]

That sure looks like fun Dan, but I don't think I will ever get that far over on purpose

I agree. Dan's skill as a rider is is admirable and clearly far beyond mine. But nonetheless, the seating posture and suspension of this bike were not designed with sport riding in mind. I think that is evident in the picture. Going hot through the corners is always a thrill, no question, but the price of getting it wrong is just too high, and the margin of error on this bike for that type of riding is very small. (Yep, that thinking confirms it. I've officially become an old fart!)

I haven't scraped mine yet other than at low speed.