I had an interesting learning experience last weekend and I would like some input on what I may or may not be doing wrong. First off let me say that I ride an 1999 R6 and I am 6'4" tall, 195lbs. I know I may be a little big for the bike but I love the damn thing. I have been riding for almost 5 years now. I live in KS so twisties are hard to come by around here but I recently took a vacation into the Ozark Mountains in Missouri and decided that I would load the bike up and take it along.
I know the back roads through much of the Mark Twain national forest and I knew they would be great for a sportbike. The roads have very little traffic, many curves and elevation changes. I knew of a great road about 25 miles long between Walnut Shade and Chadwick Missouri that had just been resurfaced last fall. (Highway "H" for anyone interested in a good ride)
I take off on a beautiful afternoon (Mid 80's and clear) and never did I feel like I was riding beyond my ability. I had 1/4" chicken strips on the back tire and I knew this would give me a chance to reduce them and improve my riding skill. I rode the the trip to Chadwick pretty hard and fast but well within my ability just to make sure the road was clear and there were no obstacles to contend with on the way back. I stopped for a drink just prior to heading back via the same route.
This time I open it up a little more and I am having a great ride. Right hand curves are more comfortable than left to me ( I'm not sure why), but I am handling both very well. I'm sitting with my toes tucked up as high on the pegs as possible for a 6'4" guy since I 'm not shifting, 5th gear is handling the ride just fine. Then I lean right into a decreasing radius turn and it happens,
I drag the toe of my boot and scare the hell out of myself. I thought that I would run out of tire or I would drag the peg prior to dragging a toe but that wasn't my experience. I didn't almost lose it or anything but all I could think about is what if my it had caught more of my boot and it pulled my foot under the peg. Irrational??? You tell me.
Anyway, I have looked into new rearsets but they all seem like they would exacerbate my problem. Right now I have to sit as close to the tank as possible to get my knee's to fit the contours of the tank properly. If I sit centered on the seat, my knee's are wide at the top of the tank and make the bike much harder to handle. All the rearsets I have looked at move the pegs back (good) but also move them up (bad for my situation). I can't bend my knees any more than I was when I was riding.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
I know the back roads through much of the Mark Twain national forest and I knew they would be great for a sportbike. The roads have very little traffic, many curves and elevation changes. I knew of a great road about 25 miles long between Walnut Shade and Chadwick Missouri that had just been resurfaced last fall. (Highway "H" for anyone interested in a good ride)
I take off on a beautiful afternoon (Mid 80's and clear) and never did I feel like I was riding beyond my ability. I had 1/4" chicken strips on the back tire and I knew this would give me a chance to reduce them and improve my riding skill. I rode the the trip to Chadwick pretty hard and fast but well within my ability just to make sure the road was clear and there were no obstacles to contend with on the way back. I stopped for a drink just prior to heading back via the same route.
This time I open it up a little more and I am having a great ride. Right hand curves are more comfortable than left to me ( I'm not sure why), but I am handling both very well. I'm sitting with my toes tucked up as high on the pegs as possible for a 6'4" guy since I 'm not shifting, 5th gear is handling the ride just fine. Then I lean right into a decreasing radius turn and it happens,
Anyway, I have looked into new rearsets but they all seem like they would exacerbate my problem. Right now I have to sit as close to the tank as possible to get my knee's to fit the contours of the tank properly. If I sit centered on the seat, my knee's are wide at the top of the tank and make the bike much harder to handle. All the rearsets I have looked at move the pegs back (good) but also move them up (bad for my situation). I can't bend my knees any more than I was when I was riding.
Any thoughts or suggestions?