Max wet lean angle

[Waggles]

First a disclaimer! I am in no way suggesting anyone should test the limits of adhesion and I have no intentions of changing my somewhat sedate riding style no matter what ( I like to have something in reserve! ) this is purely for interest and my scientific enquiring mind.

I read an article on that there new fangled interweb thingy that stated a modern BMW sports bike ( dunno the model sorry ) had a 'Wet riding' mode which seriously limited engine power available if the lean angle went to 41 degrees or over. This seems scarcely credible to me or is it just that yellow streak of self preservation down my back? I have never measured what angles of lean I use ( maybe I will try that for interest ) but I am willing to bet I don't get near 40 degrees in the dry and in a road test I saw in 'Bike' where they were pushing sports bikes to the limit in the dry the max they managed was 51.

Now I am sure that at angles less than 40 in the wet if I were to be dumb enough to grab a handful I could easily break traction but the above seems to imply that with a feathered throttle you could seriously crank it over in the wet!! I appreciate tyres come into this a lot too and you would never want to 'max' it anyway due to spilt fuel / mud / leaves / manhole covers etc etc but I am just interested in your thoughts and what YOU do in the wet.

I don't fancy the old way of learning: 'Find a wet roundabout and go round it faster and faster til you fall off, then don't do that again'

[Johnwebley]

99% sure that would be the S1000RR HP4,

 the road version of the WSBK racer that Chaz and Marco used,

 it does have multi level traction control,
but as for leaning it over in the wet,if you have the bottomless pockets,or the skill of Casey Stoner,
your probably able to exploit it,

mere mortals should just admire in awe !!!!

not advisable to try on public roads !!!!

to many solid objects !!!

[matthewmosse]

I used to run and old bmw r80rt, ex plod bike that was in service before rt was released. My mates used to mock it for being an ugly old clunker, until one of them had a pillion ride behind me in Hereford, then they grudgingly admitted it could handle. I wasn't particuarly aware of abusing the lean angle but did take the old Belmont roundabout at 40mph, apparently the lad on pillion realised his face was inches from the road rather than feet, and he rode like a nutter, that was on a damp road. I'm not genrally a fast rider but that bike tended to tempt me to 'make rapid progress' and I did manage to scuff the crash bars cornering - I reacon with more horses on call it might well have needed a limmiter for throttle happy riders, I know I could skid the back end round sharp bends by downshifting - something that would have really upset my jap bikes. Bmw know how to make a bike handle, even back in '78 they knew. Personally I now keep chicken bands on my bikes and take my time a bit in the wet.

[Trigger]

You old boys, i still grind the pegs down on my old CX500. But never put a 16 inch on the back from a CX custom and try it, you will be soon kissing the tarmac. Was out today on my 1985, GSX-R 400 giving a couple of office worrier's a good run.

[Waggles]

John, think you are right with the model. I quite agree such things are not to be tried on public roads, this is a thought experiment as I am not prepared to risk my bike or skin! What it seemed to be saying was it was that it is the power and braking ( as it no doubt had anti lock brakes ) that are dangerous in the wet and not so much the lean angle. This kinda makes sense but 40 degrees??? I know thats a sports bike in every sense and mine isn't but ......

Matthew / Trigger, I have scratched with the best in my day. Got through several exhaust clamps on my original F1 and ground footrests, even today occasionally I find it hard to resist but never in the wet ( then or now ) Guess I am just idly wondering what the limits are in the wet thats all ( as I said I ain't going to change how I ride especially now I'm an old boy trigger!  )

[Trigger]

Waggles, i am no young hooligan anymore. I am an old hooligan now. Had a pull today, and the officer said: You took that roundabout a bit fast, laddie. I was looking through my visor at a police officer half my age. As i removed my lid, i replied:  Who are you calling laddie. He also could not explain what the speed limit is on a roundabout, when the road is a 60 mph limit. 

[Waggles]

Interesting that one! My initial reaction is if the road limit is 60 then the roundabout is 60 too as there are no speed limits on bends ( unless posted ) and its just an extreme bend(!) but what if one road entering the roundabout is 60 and another 40?

Don't think there is a legal max rate of acceleration either 

Most people I know think I am a hooligan too just for swinging a leg over a bike when I should know better! Their loss.

[SteveD CB500K0]

Two or more roads entering a roundabout will never (other than due to a cock-up) have different posted speed limits.

The lower limit (for example on an adjoining road) will be raised and then returned to the lower limit after the roundabout.

If you are on the higher limit road and turn off onto the lower limit road, you expect to see limit signs.

My examiner quizzed me on this during my advanced test..

[Trigger]

Two or more roads entering a roundabout will never (other than due to a cock-up) have different posted speed limits.

 

 

 
[/quote
When were you last in Milton keynes, Steve. I live just outside roundabout city. Yes, we have two or more roads in a roundabout system with one at 40 mph and the other road or roads at 60 mph.

[Trigger]

Opp's that didn't come out right. But you know what i mean 

[mick]

I know this is about lean angle in the wet but check this out  cheers Mick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J73XRDGPcpE

[Johnwebley]

I know this is about lean angle in the wet but check this out  cheers Mick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J73XRDGPcpE

 this is why I adore Moto GP,the best of the best !!!

 WSBK is good,but its like saloon car racing compared to F1,


as Max and Marco,both ex Moto gp champions showed