I recently bought a GTR1000 - great bike in absolute top condition and just love getting it out on the open road. Where I live there are plenty of places
where you can give it heaps both safely and without the intervention of Mr Clod. I'm old and not as carefree (or game) as I was 25 years ago when I rode a
Ducati 860. In perfect safety (to others) I have had the GTR up to 160kph but wasn't game to go further - that day - I'm taking my time. The biggest
problem I have is very low speed cornering, like going around a tight roundabout or doing a uturn on a surburnan street. I find at times the bike weight is a
problem at low speed cornering or turning. Can anyone give me some tips.
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Beginner on a heavier bike
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 oldboy |
Beginner on a heavier bike |
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Posts: 1 (26-Jan-09 9:26 PM) |
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Sebastionbear |
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Posts: 693 (26-Jan-09 9:41 PM) failure to launch
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Hey welcome to the group Oldboy.
The GTR1000 is a heavy bike - with lots of weight up high with a full fuel tank and loaded topbox - and maneuverability at low speeds can be a problem. The headstem bearings can make a difference to the 'wobble' for want of a better word. The GTR is very sensitive to a loose headstem - and it can make slow speed turns a nightmare. Also to be considered should be a fork brace as this again tightens up the front end making turns more surefooted - at high and low speeds. From MCN (UK) "the GTR1000 is top heavy and needs some body-shifting moves to make it turn into tight hairpins, but the overall handling is OK for most people's idea of a touring pace. Worth checking the suspension carefully on any used Kawasaki GTR1000 - the bike can weave if the Uni-Trak linkage is neglected. " Apart from all that - really slow stuff - keep your feet down and perhaps look at some tip-over bars. I fitted a set to Das Boot, my GTR1000 and twice in recent times, loaded to the gunwales it has 'rested' on the tip-over bars during slow speed turns! 
Cheers, Craig PS: Haven't still got the 860 have you? 
When was the last time you just got up and went for a drive? Not to anywhere not for anything, just for drive. You see, motorcyclists do it all the time, so why don't human beings? Jeremy Clarkson |
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vk5zlr |
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Posts: 366 (26-Jan-09 10:00 PM) I Live Here |
I found that putting in a lowering link helped a lot, lowers the center of gravity a bit, and makes my feet sit flat on the ground too. 
There is also a "getting used to it" factor, then it stops being a problem.
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oldboy |
Thanks Craig | ||
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Posts: 2 (26-Jan-09 10:03 PM) |
Thanks for the fed back Craig - I guess the message is slow as you need to! No I don't have the 860. It was my brothers bike on loan to me whilst I lived
in Perth and he worked in Darwin for about six months. When he came back he was going up the road from the Causway to Victoria Park (can't remember the
name - maybe shepperton road) and dropped it as he slid into a Peters ice cream truck!! Three months in RPH with multiple fractures. When he got on it again
he got pushed onto a median strip (Wembley way) and decided (his wife decided) it was time for him to resign as a temporary Australian!! Don't know where
the bike went but I hope the new owner had as much fun as I did on it. In earlier days I had a very early model (late at that stage Honda 750 4.
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SidecarDON |
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Posts: 1031 (27-Jan-09 3:52 PM) 3 wheeler |
Welcome Oldboy there are a few of us here
 what year model do you
have.Your aviator looks like and 86 is that right. Sounds like your in V.I.C . Please enjoy ride safe. Cheers Sidecardon.
Last Edited By: SidecarDON
27-Jan-09 3:54 PM.
Edited 1 times.
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Grey Gentry |
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Posts: 876 (27-Jan-09 4:20 PM) No Apex |
Uturns can be a bugger. I wasn't very good at them until I got some training. Now that I know the correct techniques, and practice them regularly, I feel
much more comfortable on my A1.
Oh and welcome.
Ron
Mildura GTR-AUS #20 The life of a motorcycle rider, giving way, when you have the right of way. |
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Myeeme |
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Posts: 60 (27-Jan-09 9:27 PM) Still Here |
Welcome Oldboy - I assume it's the Goolwa Oldboy. Can't help with the GTR1000 as I have never ridden one. Mines the 1400.
Do check the new members site though - would look froward to meeting you on one of our Wednesday rides. Hope you enjoy the GTR and this forum.
Malcolm (Myeeme) Milne
GTR-AUS member #175 Farrider member #122 IFMR member #204 GTR1400 Black |
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 BobS |
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Posts: 679 (28-Jan-09 10:41 AM) I Live Here |
If you do have an earlier model this small piece of advice won't be of help but I found fitting a fork brace made a world of difference for me on slow
speed turns.
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sirion06 |
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Posts: 1503 (28-Jan-09 9:00 PM) I Live Here |
Welcome Peter, hope all is well in the land of GTR and Real Estate. We liked Goolwa alot and will be back.
Not so fast though please, it will keep me awake worrying. Michael here, we met at Woolies in the car park. I had the camera and VOLVO. Regards Michael |
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Woz |
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Posts: 24 (29-Jan-09 5:24 PM) |
I think this is a great question Oldboy. Being pretty new to large bikes myself, this thread makes me wonder if there are some objective measures of riding
skill to provide guidelines for what is average and good in the skills department, given the bikes should be pretty similar. Some that come to mind could be
the diameter of circle ridden at slow speed, safe braking distance from 60km/h (although rider weight could be significant here, I don't know) , length
within which a figure eight can be ridden, slow riding for 30m above a set time without using feet. I remember to pass the Q-Ride course you had to
demonstrate that you could counter-steer either direction by reflex, something that you can only do with continued practice.
With breaking and steering performance of a bike, those with experience will intuitively know if there is a problem, but for a new rider, everything is new but normal to start with, so its hard to know if it is a skill issue or mechanical issue. I know when I took my bike in for the first service, the mechanic said the steering head was loose, he had fixed it and the bike handled much better now. I did not notice any difference, probably because I was riding very slowly and conservatively. Or do you not bother with any private skills practice and just go to a rider training day and get an expert to tell you? |
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Typhoon 90 |
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Posts: 477 ( 1-Feb-09 11:20 AM) I Live Here |
In my opinion, the GTR 1000 is not top heavy. Have a look at one stripped down, everything is down very low with the exception of teh fuel tank. Now, the GTR
is not the only large bike with a large fuel tank.....
Anyway, I think the GTR's heavy low speed handling comes purely from it's very narrow handlebars and poor steering lock. This means you're going to have to use some tricks in low speed riding. I personally shift my hands as far out on the bars as I can, using just the thumb and index finger for throttle and my other three fingerf for front brake if I need it. Mentioning front brake, DO NOT USE IT at low manouvering speeds. It WILL throw the GTR badly off balance! Use that wonderful, massive rear brake Kawasaki generously gave us, it stabilises the bike during low speed riding. It's perfecty O.K to drag teh brake against some throttle too. You have to practice with a GTR if you want to master low speed work, it's not embarrasing to admit it. Go ahead and find an empty carpark and spend some time doing big circles, slowly tightening them and reducing speed as well. Once you are comfortable with circles, move onto figure 8's. These are a great manouvre as they have you transitioning from one turn to another a lot, they're great for sharpening skills. Because the bike is heavy at low speeds, use throttle and brake to help maintain cornering lines. Brake to help teh bike tip into teh turn, power to bring it out. It doesn't take much. The GTR also responds well to fairly hard, agressive initial inputs to the handlebars to help set the bike up into a turn at low speeds. If you fart around with a little here and there on this bike, not a lot will happen, which means panicking and more control inputs. So, the GTR has some low speed deficiencies, namely narrow handlebars and a poor steering lock. We have to work around them, that means looking ahead in teh carpark, planning where you are going. Teh big advantages for low speed work on the bike are lots of torque, a very linear clutch, that big rear brake and a fairly short first gear, which means you don't need lots of revs and clutch slipping to get where you are going. Use the strengths to overpower the weaknesses, and just get out there and practice with the bike. Time in teh seat is teh only real learning too. Regards, Andrew.
"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted
by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."
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Gags 99 |
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Posts: 650 ( 1-Feb-09 7:19 PM) I Live Here |
Welcome Oldboy, as Andrew has said slow speed practice is all that is needed to master the GTR, all the best.
Gags
GTR-AUS #34 1999 1000GTR Ulysses#32852 |
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Gtr Mick |
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Posts: 11 ( 1-Feb-09 8:12 PM) Still Here |
Looking at this video, you dont need to slow down to turn sharp LOL
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=bWaq0zOaAVU |
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Patrickp93 |
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Posts: 288 ( 1-Feb-09 8:24 PM) Still Here |
Welcome and I agree with Andrew after over thirty years on Kawa 9's and trailies the flairing not turning with the stearing threw me for a while and gave a
sense of top heavy but it is just a change of the things that indercate what the bike is doing, the same as when I started on the BMW with the tetra lever
frount ends that don't dive under braking after 30 years of using dive as the indercation of braking affect that was a bit of a learning curve, just get on
it and ride you will settle in very quickly, my dad use to say to truck drivers get in and drive and if you get a hour away and still can't drive it park
it of the road and get a ride home.
Last Edited By: Patrickp93
2-Feb-09 8:16 PM.
Edited 1 times.
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Roger |
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Posts: 22 ( 9-Feb-09 9:34 AM) |
As said in above posts is some good advice but to expand on it slightly, even though I am at times wobbly myself, especially 2 up. When you have to negotiate a
tight low-speed corner work the throttle(engine) against the rear brake, as soon as you pull the clutch in (no drive at all) the bike will want to tip in. As
far as moving around on the seat, move right out to the left on a right hand turn. It's a bit light ridin outrigger on a sailing boat. And yes it does take
practice and concentration. It's really hard when you've been in the saddle for a while and then have to go slow and manouvre. PRACTICE, and if you
have a pillion practice getting her/him to lean with you, otherwise the bike is very top heavy. I practiced with my wife, and when we got it together it was
great to be able to do tight u-ies, but she does tend to dose off on the back and I have to get her attention first and let her know what we are about to do.
We know how to do it, it's just a matter of applying it.
Happy turning, Roger. Red 2009 1400GTR |
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