Made two mistakes on one corner but still pulled it off.. - Page 2

**flitecontrol** · 07-14-2010, 04:40 PM

Good point, GearJammer. All riders should stay within their skill level and progress as skills and comfort increase. And don't panic the first time you do drag a peg; it doesn't mean the bike is going down or can't handle the lean angle. Just something to let you know you are getting closer to the edge of the bike's performance limitations.

JunkyardDog · 07-14-2010, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GearJammer

I might get lambasted for saying this, but I feel a sense of responsibility considering that this being a Rebel forum, there's a LOT of new riders with limited riding experience under their belt.

Is the subject of "peg-scraping", especially the ENCOURAGEMENT of peg-scraping an appropriate subject ? No offense, Jerry, I've read a lot of your posts and there's no question that you yourself are very knowledgeable in both wrenchin' and ridin' skills and I most definitely don't mean to embarrass you. I also firmly believe that you have only the BEST of intentions in wanting to pass along that type of knowledge.

But to encourage peg-scraping where a good portion of the readers are literally just learning to ride could get people KILLED.........I dunno, man, something about this doesn't seem cool......My .02 is that riders should develop their basic riding skills and get those nailed down before jumping into something that could land their names in the obits.......We've all lost friends over the years due to motorcycle related accidents. Do we really want to encourage something that could very possibly add to those statistics ???

Absolutely agree with you. It is NOT something a brand new rider should rush right out and try to do. You need to work up to it. You need to ride VERY conservatively at first, until you get a good feel for the bike. The reason I recommend all riders EVENTUALLY learn how to drag the pegs, is that knowing how to do do can prevent an accident. Many riders, especially new riders, have the idea that the bike will not lean over very far without going down. This is not true, but it is easy for a new rider to have this perception.

As I stated, many of the crashes we have on the local mountain roads (I like the loop from Mesa to Payson, Payson to Show Low, then through the Salr River Canyon, and back through Globe, Miami, and Superior, back to Florence Junction. Great motorcycle trip) Anyway, a lot of riders crash on these roads crash because they got into a turn a little too fast, were afraid to lean the bike over, and ran right off the road. Learning to lean the bike over would prevent this.

Many riders are told not to be afraid to use the front brake, because it will throw them right over the handlebars. And if you grab it suddenly with a death grip, it will do exactly that. But the front brake is probably the most important control on the bike. Used properly it can, and probably will at some point save your life, or at least prevent a serious crash. But, it is something that does take some time to learn how to modulate it properly. A new rider will soon develop a "feel" for it. Fortunately the Rebel has one of the best front brakes of any bike I've ever ridden, very linear, not grabby, quite capable of locking the front wheel if you squeeze it hard enough, but also easy to use effectively without locking, which will put you face down on the pavement pronto.

Dragging the pegs (or more accurately put, learning to lean the bike over close to as far as it will safely go) is something else that can and will prevent a serious accident. It is NOT something for an absolute beginner though, they should not even be in a situation where you would need to lean over that far. It is something you learn as your riding skills improve over time, just like using the front brake.

One more thing, as I think I stated already, this applies to a stock Rebel, as designed by Honda. If you have bolted something on, like crash guards, that severely limit lean angle, or if you have lowered your bike, as so many do, eliminating most of the ground clearance, proper riding techniques go right out the window. You have a bike that will ALWAYS have to be ridden slowly and carefully, and is probably an accident waiting to happen in a panic situation. I would not and never have modified any of my bikes in such a way that it decreased lean angle. Jerry.

**GearJammer** · 07-15-2010, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JunkyardDog

Absolutely agree with you. It is NOT something a brand new rider should rush right out and try to do. You need to work up to it. You need to ride VERY conservatively at first, until you get a good feel for the bike. The reason I recommend all riders EVENTUALLY learn how to drag the pegs, is that knowing how to do do can prevent an accident. Many riders, especially new riders, have the idea that the bike will not lean over very far without going down. This is not true, but it is easy for a new rider to have this perception.

As I stated, many of the crashes we have on the local mountain roads (I like the loop from Mesa to Payson, Payson to Show Low, then through the Salr River Canyon, and back through Globe, Miami, and Superior, back to Florence Junction. Great motorcycle trip) Anyway, a lot of riders crash on these roads crash because they got into a turn a little too fast, were afraid to lean the bike over, and ran right off the road. Learning to lean the bike over would prevent this.

Many riders are told not to be afraid to use the front brake, because it will throw them right over the handlebars. And if you grab it suddenly with a death grip, it will do exactly that. But the front brake is probably the most important control on the bike. Used properly it can, and probably will at some point save your life, or at least prevent a serious crash. But, it is something that does take some time to learn how to modulate it properly. A new rider will soon develop a "feel" for it. Fortunately the Rebel has one of the best front brakes of any bike I've ever ridden, very linear, not grabby, quite capable of locking the front wheel if you squeeze it hard enough, but also easy to use effectively without locking, which will put you face down on the pavement pronto.

Dragging the pegs (or more accurately put, learning to lean the bike over close to as far as it will safely go) is something else that can and will prevent a serious accident. It is NOT something for an absolute beginner though, they should not even be in a situation where you would need to lean over that far. It is something you learn as your riding skills improve over time, just like using the front brake.

One more thing, as I think I stated already, this applies to a stock Rebel, as designed by Honda. If you have bolted something on, like crash guards, that severely limit lean angle, or if you have lowered your bike, as so many do, eliminating most of the ground clearance, proper riding techniques go right out the window. You have a bike that will ALWAYS have to be ridden slowly and carefully, and is probably an accident waiting to happen in a panic situation. I would not and never have modified any of my bikes in such a way that it decreased lean angle. Jerry.

Thanx very much for offering this well thought out and very well written clarification, Jerry. Please understand where I was coming from.....

Your first sentence in your first post:

"What you do need to do is practice dragging the pegs on your Rebel, if the pegs are still in the stock location."

Then this one:

"If you are not dragging the stock pegs, you are not using your motorcycle to it's full potential."

Was reading your post, in the Newbie Lounge no less, and thought to myself "Oh, man, some new, impressionable, young rider is going to try this and get themselves killed!" (and none of us wants that blood on our hands)

But you came thru here with this clarification post and that's solid of you, Jerry. Peg-scraping is an advanced level skill developed over years of clear headed, focused riding and even then, you & I know that even seasoned riders who like to run the twisties hard sometimes find ourselves in those moments when we say "Whew! That was a CLOSE one!".........Remembering an old saying here: "There's Old Riders and There's Bold Riders, but There's No Old, Bold Riders".

Thanx again, Jerry, you restored my faith in the right on individual that I know you are! Ride Safe.......

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