Honda
Leaning vs. Filing
Question: I have a question for you Mr. Curmudgeon. I'm a long time rider of cruiser bikes. I love riding in groups or by myself. Saturday, I visited one of Southern California's more popular bike hang outs. It's interesting to see bikes of all brand and types line up together in front of the restaurant most weekends.
One thing I soon noticed was the topic of many of the conversations that had to do with fast riding on twisty roads. It did not seem to matter what these riders were riding, sport bikes or cruisers. There was no shortage of talk about how the rider would throw his bike into the many twists and turns. Seems a standard set of measurements of aggressive cornering are those little nibs around the outside edge of the front tire. I walked back to my bike and immediately noticed that my tire still had those little things around its edge, even after a quite a few miles.
There is no way I'm going to join the ranks of those all-out sport riders, but I don't want to look like a wobbling novice either. Does the Great Curmudgeon have any advice to share with folks like me who love riding but avoid the fast cornering practiced by many?
One thing I soon noticed was the topic of many of the conversations that had to do with fast riding on twisty roads. It did not seem to matter what these riders were riding, sport bikes or cruisers. There was no shortage of talk about how the rider would throw his bike into the many twists and turns. Seems a standard set of measurements of aggressive cornering are those little nibs around the outside edge of the front tire. I walked back to my bike and immediately noticed that my tire still had those little things around its edge, even after a quite a few miles.
There is no way I'm going to join the ranks of those all-out sport riders, but I don't want to look like a wobbling novice either. Does the Great Curmudgeon have any advice to share with folks like me who love riding but avoid the fast cornering practiced by many?
Answer: You have come to the right place to seek ways to impress those sporty bystanders with your cornering skills. If you don't have one already, head down to your local hardware store and get yourself what is called a "bastard" file--a widely-used moniker for a very rough file. If your bike has foot pegs all you need to do is find those little metal spikes that stick down at the ends of your pegs and give them a couple of good filings. If your mount has floorboards, you can give them a couple of brisk whacks to the outside underbelly with the file.
As you should know, scrape marks on one's pegs are considered a sure mark of manhood. If you want the complete fix, just take that same file to the outside edge of your front tire and gently grind off those little nub thingies. Don't go crazy and overdue it with the rasping activity. Skillful application of these "adjustments" will end any snickering looks from those curious racer types.
As you should know, scrape marks on one's pegs are considered a sure mark of manhood. If you want the complete fix, just take that same file to the outside edge of your front tire and gently grind off those little nub thingies. Don't go crazy and overdue it with the rasping activity. Skillful application of these "adjustments" will end any snickering looks from those curious racer types.
The response to your question will be posted in this section of our website
