Just curious, how far can you lean a Valk before she slides out from under you?

[Fritz The Cat]

If you're ever faced with either leaning her over of crossing over into oncoming traffic, how far angle wise will she lean without sliding? Assuming clean dry pavement.

[old2soon]

LOTS of variables play into this equation. We have pictures on this forum with certain riders dragging hard parts. I have drug hard parts but NOT to the level of some riders here. By some riders-think SmokinJoe and Reb and some others. Pulling a figure out of the air-one day in a corner you lean 39 degrees and you get home O k-the next day-same corner you lean 31 degrees and they are picking your machine out of your anal orifice. Again-too many variables for a pat answer. I know-not much help. RIDE SAFE.

[Oss]

The answer on oil is no lean at all   Same with ice  at least my experience

I had not thought of how far can I lean in clean dry pavement as I know so many who lean much farther than myself and scrape pegs with no issues, its just where do I hit the end of my comfort zone

As far as crossing the line, that is a question of speed and watching where you want the bike to go

Dont target fixate

The fat lady can dance, lets just leave it at that and have fun riding

[HayHauler]

I use the pegs as indicators.  If I go a little deeper than the pegs, my rear turn-out pipes start to drag.  Soon after that, the peg on the crash guard drags and the ole sphincter will pucker and I back off.

Scraping hard parts will put you down.  Scraping pegs is just fun.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Paxton]

You can lean as far as you want but just before you bite the dust!  

[czuch]

Carumba!! Here I really try not to drag pegs. Theres just no decent shoulder to support off pavementing. Also, nothing here is green. Theres sand and ball bearing size rocks everywhere.
These are the dirtiest roads I've ever been on.

[Skinhead]

About this far (maybe a smidge more, right Mark?)

[alph]

my front foot pegs have wear marks on the mounting brackets.  i got that from riding with TurnBoy John on US 129 in Tennessee.  so if you "think" about the angle, think about laying your cycle on it's side till you rest on your engine guard!!

[cookiedough]

Under normal road conditions,  I think the pegs and other parts will drag/spark before being able to tip on over.  I have hit my footpegs while taking a corner scraping just a tad before and felt I could've leaned over even further comfortably. 

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

[..]

My response is do you have the sag set correctly?
https://www.google.com/#q=setting+motorcycle+sag

Do you use your upper body whilst cornering so you can keep the bike upright?

Too many riders push the bike down into a lean whilst attempting to keep their upper body vertical. Wrong.

Then one can discuss lean angle and dragging pegs.

YUou can let the footpeg on a Valkyrie fold all the way up whilst going around a "flat" corner.

Off camber corner is not desireable.

Overly on camber can be undesireable as well if an overly enthusiastic angle of attack is attempted.

So many variables.

You can scrape the pegs on a Valkyrie doing full lock slow circles. But of course you would have your body weight completely opposite to going around a bend at speed.

So many variables.

Many riders on roads like Deals Gap crash because they simply give up and stop leaning thereby going off the road.

[Sircharles]

Just a thought,
When I was younger, better, and considerably thinner, I would push my R100RS as far as I could and often past what was comfortable. That I lived is easily as much a factor of luck as any skills actual or perceived.
I bought my Valk new in 97 and for a time hot dogged it too, but slowly I matured.
I now ride more often and slower. I take my time getting places and only open it up when I have a decent chance to know what is lurking around the corner. The street is more crowded now and is populated by a far more distracted driver than existed back when. The Valk handles extremely well for a "cruiser" and will usually give the rider everything he asks for. As mentioned before, the expenditure of traction depends on many variables, but when you have used 100% of yours, it's over. Simple.
Ride to the level you enjoy and be ready for the consequence of your choice.
For me, it's a more majestic pace now. 

[..]

This is a worthwhile read.

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/flashback/122_0911_the_pace_nick_ienatsch/

[Raverez]

Read somewhere if you want to know the max lean angle. On flat pavement , hold bike straight up, have second person hold a piece of plywood flat on floor against the wheels and slowly raise it until it touches a part of the bike. Measure angle of plywood.

[..]

Read somewhere if you want to know the max lean angle. On flat pavement , hold bike straight up, have second person hold a piece of plywood flat on floor against the wheels and slowly raise it until it touches a part of the bike. Measure angle of plywood.

That doesn't take into account if tire pressure is off.

How much the suspension is compressing whilst leaning.

How worn out the forks/rear shocks are.

Remember each end can be compressed at a different amount on a less than perfect surface.

[Otus]

Just a thought,
When I was younger, better, and considerably thinner, I would push my R100RS as far as I could and often past what was comfortable. That I lived is easily as much a factor of luck as any skills actual or perceived.
I bought my Valk new in 97 and for a time hot dogged it too, but slowly I matured.
I now ride more often and slower. I take my time getting places and only open it up when I have a decent chance to know what is lurking around the corner. The street is more crowded now and is populated by a far more distracted driver than existed back when. The Valk handles extremely well for a "cruiser" and will usually give the rider everything he asks for. As mentioned before, the expenditure of traction depends on many variables, but when you have used 100% of yours, it's over. Simple.
Ride to the level you enjoy and be ready for the consequence of your choice.
For me, it's a more majestic pace now. 

 Sircharles sounds like a well seasoned and experienced rider to me, never seen him on here before but that just goes to show that he only speaks when he has something to say. I am a less experienced rider and I have a few goals, my mother lives right down the road from the dragon, and I will ride it one day. I need a little more experience on my bike and I'm not going to try to break any speed records. I listen to the people with  experience and try to learn a little.  when I drag my first peg all you guys will be with me.

[Raverez]

Nope it doesnt. But gives an idea how much angle you can lean before something touches.

[..]

Nope it doesnt. But gives an idea how much angle you can lean before something touches.

I know. I'm a pedantic bugger 

[hubcapsc]

Paul (Thumper) had scrape marks on his engine guards. Not fall-off marks, lean-scrape marks...

Frank Smoak almost bit it when he dragged the lowest part of his forward controls, Honda did
a good job of designing what the first parts to drag are...



-Mike

[Big Al of Tennessee]

IF you drag hard parts long enough, and with all the changing conditions you may come across.

Sooner or later you will go down, lucky if it is just down.

High side body launches happen this way.

You cannot let go of the bars fast enough.

There you are hanging between Heaven and Earth, waiting to land.

Bike will be trashed, you will, if you live, be hurting.

So why do it, does it make you the better man. No.

But it just may make you the dead man.


May I demonstrate.

Harley Davidson Lowside Motorcycle Crash	powered by Aeva

[Big Al of Tennessee]

Lean as you will.

But too far and remember, there is no rewind button in life.

Crash Backwards Compilation	powered by Aeva

[Sorcerer]

I had to replace the chrome part under the riders foot peg, ground through it. The guard under the front of the saddle bag got flat spotted on the right side. Stayed on my side of the road but the Valk did give a couple big wiggles. I have had the rear tire break loose a few times in corners while not dragging anything.

[T-Bird]

My bike looks awesome at 10 ft...then the closer you get the more drag marks you see, footpegs, saddlebag rails, and even engine guards.
 I get a woody when mine breaks loose on me and I get her back on course.

[ugelstad]

I like the way the White Harley Bagger, just casually walks away.

[Bighead]

I have had the foot pegs drags several times but don't like the feeling so I try not to do that if possible.

[Fritz The Cat]

I like the way the White Harley Bagger, just casually walks away.

I'm surprised he didn't break his leg.

[Chrisj CMA]

In my opinion, how far you can lean (given perfect road conditions) is a factor of two things.  1.  The way your bike is set up...you lower it, the pegs or add floorboards, and forget about it......you can barely lean far enough to make a U-turn on a football field. 2. Rider skill is a big part too.  If you dont understand counter steer and counter lean, then you will lose control sooner than a rider that knows how to control the bike in a lean with these techniques.

Bottom line you can see if you have room to lean more by looking at your tires.  The margin of tread at the sides of the tread surface that are not worn are referred to as "chicken strips"  On every M/C tire I have seen the Valk is capable of wearing the tire to or within maybe a fourth of an inch of the end of the tread.

If your chicken strips are say an inch or more as I have seen many times, well you have room to increase your lean by learning better technique or adjusting the hardware if thats what is limiting you.

Here is my front and back tire, I have a bit more lean I could get away with

[Big Al of Tennessee]

Kick the Tires(AIR THEM UP TO SPEC), Light the Fires(START IT), keep it on two wheels.

Not the frame.

You will have many years of enjoyment out of your bike.

Try this for a little Boredom Breaker, instead of dragging metal to lesson the weight of the bike.

Swap rides with your friends(BLOKES), and try a different ride for a change.

Works for me.

May keep you with the shiny side up.

[hubcapsc]

Try this for a little Boredom Breaker, instead of dragging metal to lesson the weight of the bike.

Swap rides with your friends(BLOKES), and try a different ride for a change.

Works for me.


This is me on someone else's motorcycle:



-Mike

[Bighead]

Looking good Mike

[G-Man]

I have the peg relocation kit which drops the pegs down an inch.  I also have aftermarket pegs with flints under their tips.  I'm throwing sparks all the time. 

[Hoser]

I don't like to drag parts, but it has happened before, to prevent going off the road.  I don't like to go topsy turvey off the road into the ditch even less.  Hoser 

[Reb]

For me, piss on the variables, depends on what music I'm listening to that day.




I prefer to take it to the edge


So doesn't my Significant other.

[hubcapsc]

I don't like to go topsy turvey

I can deal with topsy turvey, but when stuff starts to get helter skelter 

-Mike

[donaldcc]

Just curious, how far can you lean a Valk before she slides out from under you?
   
  After reading the replies,  I would say "Just far enough". 
 
  Have had a few situations where I needed to lean more to avert catastrophe.  sometimes it is hard to do and not fixate on catastrophe, but every time the Valk held on and came through with flying colors. 

[Daniel Meyer]