Morning all.
As is the case I am constantly learning wonderful things about the Magna.
This weekend I discovered that if you bank hard enough left you can fold up the left foot peg and "trap" your boot between it and the shift lever thereby dragging your peg and boot too!
I also learned that down shifting and popping the clutch will cause the rear tire to break traction briefly. This came in really handy as I was a little hot in a turn and the momentary slide for the rear wheel turned my front end and pointed me perfectly for the pull out. That was a lucky curve... Of course I was being safe and it only meant the difference between a great turn or hitting the stripe on the edge of the road. I generally try to stay in MY lines...
And lastly, as I was scrubbing my bike after the weekend rides and from the rain ride a couple of weeks ago I noticed a hose unconnected at the base of the tank. I am 99% sure it is the hose that is suppose to connect to the tank and I forgot to connect it after I removed the tank to clean the air filter last time. What is the consequences of leaving it off until I remove the tank again?
On dirt bikes we lock up the rear tire in corners for the same reason you did the clutching on the Magna to give you the same affect. In dirt on a 300 pound less weight bike and off the road is far different than on the street. I have locked up my rear tire on the Magna to slide around if I am about to over shoot a turn-in to say a convenience store or messing around, seldom though as it's far different dumping a Magna than a dirt bike.
I think the small tube you are referring to is the tank vent tube, not a problem but also not a problem to reconnect. You can do it by feel, remove the rear tank bolt and feel for the metal vent tube under the tank on the right ride, grab the rubber line and slip it back on, no need to remove the tank.
Thanks for the reply. I will attempt it by feel and if not it will wait until spring...
You will have to left the rear of the tank.
Troy, I would take the couple of minutes to reinstall the tank line. Its for the tank vent if I am understanding your post correctly. Some have reported ill performance with it disconnected. Dont understand why really as it simply vents to the atmosphere...
Yes, I would prefer to reconnect than leave it hanging, simple to do also.
I don't know if this ever really happens, but it seems possible to me that a full tank of cold gasoline could expand enough from engine heat to blow a little out the vent tube. If this happens, it would be much better to dump it on the ground than on top of the battery, rear cylinders, and spark plugs... :shock: :shock:
Lawrence brings in the practical advise as usual..
Troy, although the slide worked out well for you this time, IMHO sliding the rear tire in anything but a straight line is dangerous. It is not a good approach and should not be repeated if at all possible.. By sliding the rear tire while at an angle, once it stops sliding, it can grab hard and "high side" you off the bike..
On racing Crotch rockets they have what's called a "Slipper clutch". This advanced clutch is to help prevent exactly what you experienced except for the bad results.. It is designed to not let the rear tire slide by heavy downshifting to maintain rear tire traction especially going into corners.. Now if companies spent lots of money designing something like this, they must have had a good reason, don't you think???
It sounds like you still have a few things to learn, as we all do... I heard a motorcycle instructor once say that before he got trained, he though he had 20 years of experience of motorcycle riding, but it wasn't true.. He had one year of motorcycle riding repeated for 20 years..
I would highly recommend you purchasing "Ride like a Pro" (http://www.ridelikeapro.com/).. It will give you quite a number of techniques to improve your riding abilities and hopefully (with practice) help keep you vertical.
As for trapping your boot, this means you were running too hot into the corner you were taking.. Scraping the peg is OK, even good, but going far beyond that is again dangerous.. I'm sure, just a little further and, you would have drug one of your exhaust pipes on the ground... This is bad, but not because you will damage the exhaust pipe (although the sparks will look cool to the guy behind you!!!). This is dangerous because as the pipes hit the ground it is going to lever your rear tire off the ground and spin you out in a "Low Side" crash...
So in one ride you put yourself in position for both a low side and high side crash..
I know it MAY sound like I'm chastising you some, but you need to understand how close you came to having a crumpled/road rashed Magna and who knows what might of happened to you!!!
I just want to keep you safe buddy..
I also have been known to push my Maggie pretty hard (remember my brake issue on the dragon a few weeks back??) and I almost did not negotiate a hairpin turn well enough, but by the grace of God, I did make it.. I had to quickly rerun one of the techniques that is taught in "ride like a Pro" to remember what keeps me out of such situations.. I was fine after that..
I'm glad you came out alright on the ride you spoke about, but make it a learning experience and you will be a better rider for the rest of your "long" life!!!
If you have chosen to read this far.. I have a special treat for you.. Here is a Video Link (http://motorcycling.speedtv.com/article/jerry-pallodino-ride-like-a-pro-safety-tips/jerry-pallodino-ride-like-a-pro-safety-tips/jerry-pallodino-ride-like-a-pro-safety-tips) of Jerry "Motorman" Paladino explaining some of his "techniques" "from ride like a pro" for you, to give you an idea what the video is like!!
Here is another treat for you.. A video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlMbFlPzS24) of a guy who leans too low, starts to "low side" the bike then in saving it, "High sides" off the bike.. This is the problem.. One second your doing just fine, then a milli-second later you are flying through the air with the greatest of ease.. BUT sometime you wind up more like George of the Jungle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fB0tv31-ys)... Now I'm REALLY dating myself!!!
Quote from: hootmon on October 24, 2010, 08:19:24 AM
As for trapping your boot, this means you were running too hot into the corner you were taking.. Scraping the peg is OK, even good, but going far beyond that is again dangerous.. I'm sure, just a little further and, you would have drug one of your exhaust pipes on the ground... This is bad, but not because you will damage the exhaust pipe (although the sparks will look cool to the guy behind you!!!). This is dangerous because as the pipes hit the ground it is going to lever your rear tire off the ground and spin you out in a "Low Side" crash...
Troy helped pick me up off the shoulder and cliff at MOOTMAG7 just out of Leakey a few miles. This is precisely how I hit the wall...
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid71457653001?bctid=30166245001 This might be a better short video on cornering.
I agree we all need to practice our riding techniques over and over no matter how many years of riding we have. Scrapping hard parts can unload your grip to the road as many of us have learned the hard way... I certainly have.
Troy keep yourself and the tropical bird suit off the hardsurface so we can scrap some pegs in Eureka Springs!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM6mFtBFMFM
Now Ride like a pro has some good lessons but if you ride a little more on the edge the Twist of the Wrist books are great there is such a thing as a "controlled slide"
Quote from: roboto65 on October 25, 2010, 12:39:08 AM
there is such a thing as a "controlled slide"
Allen - You are absolutely correct.. However.. there is a difference:
Being on a $100K Crotch rocket with Special race tires on a professional closed race course and performing "controlled Slides"
VS.
Being on a $3500 Magna Power Cruiser with street tires on a public Highway and performing UN-"controlled slides"..
Can it be done.. .Sure!!! consistently on street tires on a public Road.. I doubt it...
When I come out to Texas, I want to go with you to the "three Sisters" and see how Control Slide are done on the Valk!!!
Gnaw.... Too nice a paint job!!!
Everybody who knows me knows I ride safe. I push my limits as hard as I safely can which is only a fraction of what Bob and Curtis can do and I know it. But one day, with LOTS of practice.... :lol:
Thank you for the links and I will certainly be watching them when I get home.