Start the week topic

[Steve H]

Spotted this thread on another forum. The question was

"What does good handling mean"

The responses were quite varied, some of which I wouldnt have expected. Whats your definition of "good handling"

[Andy M]

To me, it's riding without any behaviour that would make you want to modify what you are doing. For example:

XT600E: 55 mph, 30 plus MPH cross wind, leg out on the upstream side (uncomfortable), bars oscilating slightly, wished the trucks would slow to 40 and/or I wasn't 30 miles into a 300 mile day.

F650: Same place, more wind, sits happily at 80 while I listen to music.

In these conditions the F650 handled much better than the XT. I'm sure on certain levels of mud or sand the opposite would be true (never found them) and I'd be pretty sure that the XT's "poor handling" was down to the 21" front wheel and high mudguard (could be wrong) that were such an advantage when it came to off road tyre choice and so on.

It is a very subjective thing IMHO.

Andy

[Richard]

Hard to fall off unintentionally.

Does it for me.

What always annoys me is the way the comics sing the praises of the 'new' bike over the 'old' model.  Witness the new 675 Daytona, once praised to the skies for its handling, now criticised in the Telegraph motoring section on Saturday in favour of the 'new' 675.

Grrrrr.

Richard

[Andy M]

Isn't that just marketing? Favourite buzz words are new and improved. New gets you customers who are going to buy but might go for another product. Improved gets repeat business.

When you ask how they improved it and they struggle due to the fact that it's basically the same thing, you fall back on what's hard to quantify. Improved handling and up to date styling are press speak for test bike set up specially and was drawn after last years model and therefore comes in a new colour. The handling thing is a better line because some chap with a few thousand quid in his pocket and a three year old perfectly good bike in the garage can use that one to convince whoever that he should get the new one. The same guy isn't going to tell his wife he needs a new bike because the colour's a better match for his eyes.

The car and truck people have hit on an idea of using things that can be quantified. Look at all the adverts about low emissions and NCAP rateing. It's good unless you are middle performance, middle price, at which point they go back to "best handling in it's class"  If that Daytona was the quickest or lowest insurance group I think the handling thing would get a back burner.

Anyone been to a press launch recently? Do they still hand out the ready written articles on memory stick so the hacks can just cut and paste? It saved so much hassle when one launch blurrs into another and they can't remember which one had improved performance and which one improved handling!

Andy

[guest40]

I suppose its when you are cranked right over in a bend, good line and all going well when you spot the dip in the surface where a truck has lost its load or the road collapsed under its weight and its smack on the line near the exit of the bend. Going around the back is a sure way to chuck it away in the gravel, and cutting in closer an option, but could redefine your exit point or slide you out. But you are still going pretty hard, so you hit the dip and and after a small shudder find youself still on track...

"Yes" on the MuZ, but not on the Silverwing.

[Steffan]

Richard and Kurt seem to have summed up my thinking, I suppose a bike that doesn't get ruffled within the limits of my skill.

Andy, my old Tenere was like that but I found that once you got used to it it was like tillering a boat and as secure as you like. My 1100GS by contrast was completely impervious to all conditions. Even falling off was done with usual BMW sophistication. Bust the bike a bit but I was unmarked. Actually to be honest it was a brake hose, a scrape on the cylinder head and busted indicator but then changing indicators on that bike was a big deal. Oops I appear to have digressed.

OK, like I said, what they said.

Steffan
PS as I have no intention of buying a new bike and my talent could not use it's potential fully anyway; I never read press reports anyway.

[Steve Lake]

Who said 'good handling' had to be related to bikes.....why, only last night in bed, I said to SWMBO..'thats really go....









I'll get my pyjamas.....

[robG]

Handling......I have over the years owned some fine handling machines ,and still do. Approach a bend at speed , that's any bend at any speed on my XS11 and you enter into the realms of adventure biking . However press on with a Kawasaki 500 triple ,game on I say .

Modern bikes do little for me as I will soon exceed my ability way before the plastic fantastic does.Thumper wise my old XT as a fine machine as is my current RS .

Its all relative really.Any one call fall off anything , no matter what Mr Boring Bike journo says in their latest road test of the latest Itchyfani 1200 .

Rob .

[Steve H]

Handling......I have over the years owned some fine handling machines ,and still do. Approach a bend at speed , that's any bend at any speed on my XS11 and you enter into the realms of adventure biking . However press on with a Kawasaki 500 triple ,game on I say .

Modern bikes do little for me as I will soon exceed my ability way before the plastic fantastic does.Thumper wise my old XT as a fine machine as is my current RS .

Its all relative really.Any one call fall off anything , no matter what Mr Boring Bike journo says in their latest road test of the latest Itchyfani 1200 .

Rob .

Rob, I think you are right, I prefer finding a bikes limits, and riding round them, rather than my own.

 

[Steve Lake]

well, to be serious for a mo...............me and my srx6's seem to be ideally suited.....i think, with the srx's well set up, (suspension,tyres, mild tune) I find that our limits are about equally matched....my bottle runs out just about the same time as the srx starts to get outside it's 'operational envelope'
(I find my sons Morini 31/2 sport exactly the same in that respect) and whilst ones approach to a track day is totally different to a days rideout......the track bike of course is totally different too, but in my srx track bike....i find extreme happiness as of course my more agressive and extreme style on the track is equally matched by the uprated srx track bike.....status quo maintained.
Took my Sons yamaha plastic missile up to hull a few years ago.....boring ride......exceeded the speed limit almost everywhere (unwittingly on occasions) and found i was very liable to get myself into all sorts of difficult (for me) situations...the bikes ability far exceeded mine....

[guest24]

I had a Yamaha RS200 two stroke twin that really let you know when you hit its tops speed of 70mph, especially if it involved curves. I consider that good handling as I knew exactly what it was doing and could ride appropriately.
Likewise my SRX250, SRX400, CB350S, CBR600; however, not my CD200 Benly!

To me handling is judged by a perfect 'like on rails' experience, its more a knowing whats happening experience and that includes small slides, squirms, wobbles etc.

[guest18]

Used to think that "good" and "bad" handling were just other peoples opinions and that bikes just handled differently and you had to get used to the different styles/techniques required... then I road a Kawa KH triple... 

My good god that is a horrible handling thing!!

[guest40]

yeah, Smudge. The original Hi triple handled extremely well. 1st  you put it in gear, pulled up at the first corner, alighted then walked it around the corner and got back on and wont straight until the next bend, while dragging the back brake to keep the front wheel down. Fantasatic crossing the Nullabor, but not so good on the Great Ocean Rd.

[robG]

My good god that is a horrible handling thing!!

Kawa triples are fine Smudge ,you just need a sense of humour !

The 400 is lovely but my favourite is the 500 .Absoloutlely rabid at times but so smooth. The acceleration , for its time was great , still good today in fact .You can put up with the wobbles and I embarrassed several 350LC jockys who thought it was a 250 !!

Rob .

[Steffan]

Personally I miss the smell of 2T in the morning.

Steffan