When you are riding and you bend down behind the windscreen will this affect your control of the bike?

In MSF they tell you to sit up right while riding so I just wanted to know if it will affect how you control the bike.

Also if you ride with no helment how do you keep the bugs from going splat on your face? (This is a real question I really want to know)

Thank in advance

Originally Posted by newbieJan07

When you are riding and you bend down behind the windscreen will this affect your control of the bike?

In MSF they tell you to sit up right while riding so I just wanted to know if it will affect how you control the bike.

Also if you ride with no helment how do you keep the bugs from going splat on your face? (This is a real question I really want to know)

Thank in advance

What they teach you in MSF is for riding on the street at relatively low speeds. Counter-steering won't really work at high speed canyon carving for instance. It's perfectly ok to hug the gas tank if that's as low as you want...reduces the wind buffeting and keeps you in attack mode while cornering.

As to riding without a helmet, be ready to be

Originally Posted by dudeonguitar

What they teach you in MSF is for riding on the street at relatively low speeds. Counter-steering won't really work at high speed canyon carving for instance. It's perfectly ok to hug the gas tank if that's as low as you want...reduces the wind buffeting and keeps you in attack mode while cornering.

As to riding without a helmet, be ready to be

Okay that make sense....

I don't plan on ever riding with out a helmet... In TX you don't have to and I see so many with out it I was just thing how do they keep the bugs off

Off topic, but I'm curious. Did they make you drain the tank for your move?

Originally Posted by dudeonguitar

Counter-steering won't really work at high speed canyon carving for instance.

That sounds like misinformation. Doesn't the bike countersteer at any speed above parking lot speeds? If not, how else is it steering?

What they teach you in MSF is for riding on the street at relatively low speeds.

Not necessarily. Riding on the range is at relatively low speed or they couldn't find big enough places to put the ranges.

That sounds like misinformation

Yes, it is.

Originally Posted by newbieJan07

When you are riding and you bend down behind the windscreen will this affect your control of the bike?

Also if you ride with no helment how do you keep the bugs from going splat on your face? (This is a real question I really want to know)

Thank in advance

If anything I would have to say it increases your control. The reason you lean down in the first place is to increase aerodynamics and because at higher speeds it is easier to control the bike when the wind is working for you instead of against you (literally).

As far as bugs go, I just spray my face with bug spray; the bugs avoid me all together. Make sure you keep you eyes and mouth open though for that extra protection.

Oh and @dudeonaguitar on the "counter-steering doesn't really work at highspeeds" comment...

There are only two ways to steer a motorcycle. Turning the handle bars and counter steering. Whether your realize your doing it or not, even if you are leaning completely off the bike in every turn and keeping it upright, at some point you will need to exercise some degree of counter steering. That being said, if counter steering does not work at high speeds...your only other option is to turn your handle bars (assuming your not on a perfectly straight road, and not changing lanes). Let me know how that goes for you.

Originally Posted by Azweepay

Off topic, but I'm curious. Did they make you drain the tank for your move?

Yup they sure did.. it wasn't too bad it was much easier then I thought it was going to be...

Originally Posted by Nicklovin

your only other option is to turn your handle bars (assuming your not on a perfectly straight road, and not changing lanes). Let me know how that goes for you.

a disastrous wreck, i'm sure. to resist countersteering can only cause trouble as far as i know.

[QUOTE=Nicklovin;621564]If anything I would have to say it increases your control. The reason you lean down in the first place is to increase aerodynamics and because at higher speeds it is easier to control the bike when the wind is working for you instead of against you (literally).

Okay I was worried if I did it I would be able to see or control the bike correctly... But what you said make sense to me... I don't go over 70 cause Im not use to all the wind...

As far as bugs go, I just spray my face with bug spray; the bugs avoid me all together. Make sure you keep you eyes and mouth open though for that extra protection.

Kool.. When I was seeing people with no helmet I was thinking of the big bug on my helmet on ther faces or a rock hitting them in the face...

Originally Posted by newbieJan07

Okay I was worried if I did it I would be able to see or control the bike correctly... But what you said make sense to me... I don't go over 70 cause Im not use to all the wind...

Kool.. When I was seeing people with no helmet I was thinking of the big bug on my helmet on ther faces or a rock hitting them in the face...

Part 1 of my response was good info. The only issue you'll experience with hugging the tank is the 650R is caught between two styles of bike, Super Sport and Touring. Hence its official name "Sport Touring". That being said, because of the way the stock handle bars are designed, you may experience issues reaching your clutch/front brake levers unless you rotate them upwards. Also, because the stock handle bars come up the way they do, your arms will be on odd position with your forearm and bicept creating more of an 45 degree angle instead of a 90 degree angle like it should be.

Part 2 of my response was me having a little fun. Those guys who ride sport bikes w/o a cruiser/touring style windshield and anything short of a full face helmet are taking bugs to the face. There is no way around that. I myself ride with my visor up a decent amount of the time, and every now and then I kick myself when I catch a large bug in the cheek, or a small annoying one in my eye...or one time a bee stuck in the ear slot, inside my helmet.

You can also steer the bike with your knees/hips - I've been playing with this a bit, slaloming back and forth in my lane using only inputs from the knees and hips - you have to sort of twist/torque your hips and push into the bike with your knees as you do so, with a bit of "english" on it - the bike will steer this way, and can make quick direction changes - I read somewhere they said that you can't make the bike turn at speed without handlebar input but this is not true..

or one time a bee stuck in the ear slot, inside my helmet.[/QUOTE]

I would have freaked out... I blink like crazy when a bug hits my helmet so a bee would make me pull over and do a crazy dance on the side of the road people will think I am crazy... lol...

You can also steer the bike with your knees/hips - I've been playing with this a bit, slaloming back and forth in my lane using only inputs from the knees and hips - you have to sort of twist/torque your hips and push into the bike with your knees as you do so, with a bit of "english" on it - the bike will steer this way, and can make quick direction changes - I read somewhere they said that you can't make the bike turn at speed without handlebar input but this is not true..[/QUOTE]