first step towards bike test + BMW going

Frankly, that's bollocks.

It's about as good a way as you can make a judgement on paper. Which is usually the starting point when you're looking for a new car.

If a car has a 0-60 time of 13+ seconds, I know that even with my foot flat to the floor it wouldn't even outdrag you with your carpet wedged under the throttle.

snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Next time you're round this way, Steve, I'll take you for a run in the

2cv van. 0-60 around 30 sec? Yes. Tedious? Let's see you say that when we're three-wheeling along with 45deg bodyroll...

Of course, there are exceptions. But we're talking about your average modern, everyday driver here.

I mean, I wouldn't have a 200cc Chinese trail bike in the garage if slow stuff couldn't be fun. But I wouldn't want to spend all day, every day, at the controls of something that couldn't out-drag a determined cyclist.

snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Are you refusing that kind offer...? Wuss...

Did I say that?

If I haven't had a drink, CIHAGM? - Haven't driven a 2CV yet, only passengered in one driven by a young girlie at sane speeds.

snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Bien sur...

Depends what you want a car for. There are situations where's I'd take a Passat over a Ka.

0-60 is almost meaningless. 40-110 is a better measure (c:

that's a bit blistered lol

do the lil wheels at the sides come down by themselfs? not clear how it works, don't think i could trust that would feel safer knowing i could stick my feet down

they come down automatically at about 2mph. they dont help cornering other than being a liability as far as I can see.

Thats not blistered. Blistered is when the treaded bit "bubbles" up like a big blister. Thats just a sports tyre used as intended with a bit too much throttle and less than perfect suspension. They feel a bit looser or"gone off" or lacking in grip when they get like that. I dont remember where they were used or exactly which bike but my garage and garden were littered with such things a few years ago. I found that one having a clear out this week. But most of my mates also do that to their sports bike tyres too. Track days, fast back roads, or a few laps at bruntingthorpe do it and wipe out a set of tyres in an afternoon easily. Dont think big sport bikes are cheap to run. Expect way less than 1k miles used like that, or 4 or 5k used like my gran. Actually uses more rubber than fuel... Most of my tyres are the other way around. Drag strips...

They are only used to stop the 'bike' falling over when stopped or driving too slowly to balance. At extreme angles, probably around 50 degrees, the first thing to touch the ground is the lower rear corner of the body. The guy demonstrating it did just that on the 'Gadget Show' last monday. You could see from the onboard camera that it was banking way past 45 degrees. Mike.

But so can any bike with sportsbikes with really decent rubber well able to out handle it.

According to it's designer, it was never intended to be a sports bike. It was a concept he dreamed up to make a m/c that was comfortable, weatherproof, had aircondiioning, and required no special clothing. More like a 2 wheeled car than a m/c. Talking about it, he sounded as if he built it to satisfy a personal ambition to build a bike that was more user friendly. I think he succeded, but I doubt he'll sell many at around £40,000 each. Mike.

Yes, but it means that you can lean over beyond the point at which you'd fall on a normal bike.

I agree that ultimately the angle of lean is determined by grip: angle=arctan(a/g)), where a is lateral acceleration allowed by tyre grip and g is accel. due to gravity. That is the ultimate limit, and applies equally to both a normal bike and the wierdy one. On a normal bike you

*have* to leave a bit of leeway, 'cos if you go over that, the tyre slips, you take a wider radius corner, which means suddenly you are leaning too far and you fall off. On the wierdy bike you can lean over right up to the limit, 'cos if you slide you merely start putting weight onto the sticky-out wheel; you don't fall off.

I can't see the first. The second has been nicely heated - I assume this is relied upon to increase the grip of the tyres?

Well, quite. But in practice if you do lean right up to the limit, you have *nothing* left with which to sort things out if they go wrong.

That may be true.

Even a (girly to Burgerman) CBR600 isn't cheap to run if you cane it. 3500 miles out of a rear tyre was the most I ever managed..

Mike P

No it doesn't. It only has two settings. Up or down. In it's down position it stops the bike falling over at very slow speeds, or when stationary. In it's up position, it never gets anywhere near the ground, unless the bike slides on to it's side. Mike.

No it doesent. It prevents lean. And in any case if the grips gone at this guessed angle it doesent improve corner speed!

Rubbish. In the wet maybe. In the dry it just goes all mushy and theres a soggy feel so you know thats as far as is sensible. And the sportstsbike can lean a lot further than that odball thing due to better stickier tyres rather than touring ones.

On the wierdy bike you can lean over

If the tyre loses grip you are already off or sliding into a hedge regardless of the little stabiliser wheel...

Its actually caused by shitty production bike suspension and a track day... Tyres should heat up to a sticky state and stay like it. That one is over heated and grip suffers (you go slower cos it gets slippy) when that happens.

But thats the point. You DO. The limit on sticky tyres is not a knife edge but sort of "soft". You try too hard and you feel them slipping and you go slower. It not a case of one degree too far and sky ground sky ground etc. Unless you ae on touring or cold tyres. Same as a car. You feel some sliding and a greater slip angle long before they let go completely and you reverse into a hedge. Of course on a greasy oily or wet road or on cold tyres its a lot different and it is sudden...