quduoheng
Member
Clips from 2 reviewers showing the potential problem with limited lean angle.
Is limited lean angle posing a safety risk?
- Thread starter quduoheng
- Start date
Clips from 2 reviewers showing the potential problem with limited lean angle.
Luis
Well-known member
Touring and Cruiser bikes (almost) always will have a limitated angle. Or the boxer engine or the crash bar or the saddlebag… lesson number one: know your bike.
In our bike, the next limitation after the foot peg will be the cylinder head
In our bike, the next limitation after the foot peg will be the cylinder head
Mr. Efficiency
Active member
limited what? 
Now I have a long torso, so there is a lot I can do with lean angle, but knowing how to ride your motorcycle I guess is a safety issue. I scraped my footpegs twice on my test ride (and it was a 200 mile test ride) and haven't scraped them again. and I will tell you, even relatively speaking, I ride fast. You have to know your bike, know how to turn it and know its limits.
Now I have a long torso, so there is a lot I can do with lean angle, but knowing how to ride your motorcycle I guess is a safety issue. I scraped my footpegs twice on my test ride (and it was a 200 mile test ride) and haven't scraped them again. and I will tell you, even relatively speaking, I ride fast. You have to know your bike, know how to turn it and know its limits.
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D
Deleted member 1344
Guest
I'm over 60 and don't roll the throttle like I used to. In addition I quit adding Vance and Hines or Cobra pipes to my bikes. Aging eventually gets everyone and it is no fun, but alas, no problem with limited lean angle on my R18B.
D
Deleted member 1344
Guest
Speaking of lean angle, my R18B leans much more than other bikes when on the side stand. So I park it on a 2 by 6 short block of wood.
Every vehicle ever made comprises of compromises, right? Our bikes are big and heavy, great for long stable highway rides but won't do offroad or lots of lean angle. Light adventure bikes are great for offroad and have a ton of lean but may get blown around on the highway. Is riding the latter a safety risk when riding on the highway? (Some people will say getting blown around doesn't actually happen and it's not a problem... and that's in fact my exact point).
I think people use having a lot of lean angle as a safety blanket, I am guilty of this as well. As @Luis said, it is very useful and perhaps even crucial to learn our bikes and also our own skill level to be safe on the road. I think that's the most important vs what we are riding.
I've had my R18 Base FE for nearly 2 years but traded it in a week ago for a TC. Setting aside my terror of dropping the bike, I went to a weekly cone camp in the area. I still can't do 10% of the things others are doing but I've gotten a lot more comfortable with the bike and that reduced my fear. (Not tooting my own horn here... in the 2 years I've had the Base model, I didn't go to the cone camp once!...).
I think people use having a lot of lean angle as a safety blanket, I am guilty of this as well. As @Luis said, it is very useful and perhaps even crucial to learn our bikes and also our own skill level to be safe on the road. I think that's the most important vs what we are riding.
I've had my R18 Base FE for nearly 2 years but traded it in a week ago for a TC. Setting aside my terror of dropping the bike, I went to a weekly cone camp in the area. I still can't do 10% of the things others are doing but I've gotten a lot more comfortable with the bike and that reduced my fear. (Not tooting my own horn here... in the 2 years I've had the Base model, I didn't go to the cone camp once!...).
nielsm
Well-known member
I’ve tried to get my R18 Classic to scrape. I regularly ride thru twisties 20-30MPH over the limit. I managed to get it to scrape once…. in a roundabout where I really tried to do it. If you have the suspension preload set correctly, I’ve found it has a lot more lean than you’d expect in an 800lb bike. But many left the preload in the shipping position and therefore the bike sat much lower and scraped much easier.limited what?
adamchandler
Well-known member
I take my GS into corners about 20 miles and hour faster than the R18. Once you learn how far you can push the bike over, you adjust. as for 'safety concerns' the majority of the bikes in North America are cruisers with low hanging hard parts.
I ride motocross, mountain bikes, crotch rockets, and my R18B. The R18 has plenty of lean angle for what the bike is designed to be. A cruiser. IMO at least
My R18 has much more clearance in the curves than a softail Harley and neither has the clearance of my RT I have all three. You have to ride within the limits of the bike as others have stated. Another common problem for some folks is failing to keep the suspension loaded when leaning the bike. If you come off the throttle or brake in a curve you will drop the suspension and reduce the clearance which could cause parts to connect to the road surface. MSF teaches the correct technique for navigating a curve is slow-look-lean-roll on, the roll on throttle in a curve is to keep the suspension loaded (high) to provide the clearance to lean around the curve. Slowing down to the entrance speed for the curve is to make surge you can increase the speed in the curve to keep,the suspension loaded.
HOSSMAN1
Member
BMW is still racing boxer engines quite successfully. Yeah, yeah, I know, theyre set up differently. But, the fact is, if you are a rider, you're going to ride the pegs. Stock up.
Tomi08
New member
La R18 B et TC ont un angle plus important que la base R18.
car le débattement de la suspension arrière est de 120 mm au lieu de 90 mm.
car le débattement de la suspension arrière est de 120 mm au lieu de 90 mm.
AV8OR
Active member
I agree, the lean angle is steep. Today I was playing with an upright front tire chock I bought, as I wanted (I thought) to store the bike during winter in my garage. I noticed after it was upright for a bit, that it did not fit well in the front wheel chock. I do not think it will safely hold my machine. I played with leaving the kickstand down and putting a few wood blocks unter the kick stand. It all felt wrong. My verdict is the front wheel chock is not fit for purpose (for me anyway) and so I am going to just winter store the bike with the kickstand and a bit of a wood piece to reduce the lean angle more for space than anything.
Mr. Efficiency
Active member
I scrape my pegs on my GS
. Your mileage may vary . I haven't scraped a peg on my R18 since I bought it 
I use a heavy duty front chock (that’s bolted to the floor) to park the bike upright and then slide one of these liftmaster scissor jacks under the bike to lift the rear wheel off the floor and take the weight. Place the two cups under the rear frame. Works an absolute treat. Pic below of the one I bought. Regarding the low pegs I just ride within the capability of the bike and enjoy it for what it is.
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nielsm
Well-known member
The R18 can be pushed far more than most cruisers. When I test rode Harleys and Indians I was scraping at only 5 or 10 over the limit in twisties. So I can still ride the R18 at a spirited pace for a cruiser with plenty of headroom. It’s not a sport bike like my S1000R which has even more headroom, but it’s also not limited to cornering at what the yellow speed signs suggest.I scrape my pegs on my GS
To me, I won’t ride faster than I can see thru a corner and still make a panic stop or turn in case something appears in the road. On the street where most corners have trees or rocks in the middle that is quite a bit slower than one can do at the track. While I’ve scraped pegs on my S1000R at the track, it’s be near impossible to do so on the street.
buellwinkle
Active member
I just installed the BMW brand crash guards on my R18, after a four month wait !!! Now that I can see what I got for my money, it barely exceeds the width of the engine, leaving me to think in a drop it is not likely to give me any protection at all !! It is my fifth BMW and so far I have not touched the engines down on any of them.... jp
quduoheng
Member
Be worry free. They must have done some testing in their little lab.
I tested mine when I still had the Base model.
Personally, I would not have trusted them alone. When I tested those engine bars on the left side... there was literally 2-3 mm between the ground and the fish tail. There was a bit more space for the engine cover but I don't remember exactly. If there is a pebble in the wrong spot, the muffler would get damaged.
I traded the base model in for a TC and I ended up ordering Wunderlich bag protectors and these from ebay:
It's a clamping collar. I was shown these at a local Police Rodeo style cone camp recently. Naturally the ones that fit HD/Indians are 1/3 price of metric spec ones
.In fact I got delivery confirmation earlier today. I'll be installing them tonight.
There are a variety of them. Some are wider. I thought I would start with these and see how they go. Might end up doubling up, not sure yet.
quduoheng
Member
I tested mine when I still had the Base model.
Personally, I would not have trusted them alone. When I tested those engine bars on the left side... there was literally 2-3 mm between the ground and the fish tail. There was a bit more space for the engine cover but I don't remember exactly. If there is a pebble in the wrong spot, the muffler would get damaged.
I traded the base model in for a TC and I ended up ordering Wunderlich bag protectors and these from ebay:
View attachment 6578
It's a clamping collar. I was shown these at a local Police Rodeo style cone camp recently. Naturally the ones that fit HD/Indians are 1/3 price of metric spec ones
In fact I got delivery confirmation earlier today. I'll be installing them tonight.
There are a variety of them. Some are wider. I thought I would start with these and see how they go. Might end up doubling up, not sure yet.
What does this lamping collar do?
Do you find the TC model much heavier on the handlebar compare to the nake R18?