G'day Bob,



19 Feb 97 08:37, Bob Lawrence wrote to Keith Richardson:



 BL>   My first bike was a Royal Enfield 3-speed 160cc? (not quite as

 BL> powerful as a Victa) with a top speed of 50 mph, and that was a very

 BL> comfortable bike that cornered particularly well. I slid the back a



LOL.... at that low speed you'd just about have to TURN the thing to

take a corner... this is a far cry than LEANing it through a corner.



 BL> few times, and the front ONCE. Once was enough.



How the fuck did ya manage to slide the front?    The only time I've

ever done that is by locking up the front wheel by braking too hard,

but only a moron would use the front brakes on a corner.



 BL>   Compared to that, the Honda was incredibly fast but uncomfortable.

 BL> You sort-of crouched on it, and it was awkward in corners keeping



Modern bikes have improved a lot since those days... the seat is a lot

lower, most of the weight is down low to reduce the centre of gravity

too.



 BL> your balance, but I never found it particularly dangerous. If you

 BL> leant too far you scraped the foot rests and the stand, but bikes are

 BL> dangerous in corners!



Try riding something a little more modern...  my bike is just over

10years old now, and not once have I managed to scrape the pegs.. If I

ever got it down that low I'd have to scrape away a portion of my

handlebars too.



 BL>   In those days (early/mid-60s), there was a big rego break at 250cc.

 BL> The standard 250 could do about 70mph but with an acceleration that



The 250cc rego break is still there... as is the limitation of

learners only being allowed to ride 250cc or less.  It was a good idea

in its time, and I guess in most ways it still is, but modern 250's

would leave a 30yo machine for dead...  For accelleration some of them

will even beat my 650 :-(



 BL> but the Honda worried me and I soon worked out I'd end up like Peter

 BL> under a truck, so I sold it.



Rule#1 when riding.  Truck always have right of way. :-)



 BL> track. There are some corners where a bike is great (the flip-flop),

 BL> and where a bike *feels* great (a long sweeper), but the car is

 BL> faster in the sweeper. It's only flip-flop esses where a bike is

 BL> superior.



I've felt safer taking any particular corner at a higher speed on the

bike than any of the cars I've ever owned.  I must admit I've never

driven a formula-one racer though - I understand these hug the road

like nothing else on earth.



 BL>> I can do that on a PUSH BIKE, you idiot! Next, you'll tell me a

 BL>> push bike can out-corner a car! ROFL!



Depends on the corner....   I know of some corners that are simply too

sharp for any car to take without having to reverse. ;-)

When was the last time you saw someone on a pushbike doing a 3 point

turn?  



 BL>   You're trying to take the argument away into the boonies in an

 BL> effort to avoid the simple reality: a bike is slower than a car on a

 BL> racetrack or the highway, and it loses it in the corners. When they

 BL> raced Group C against Superbikes (at Amaroo), the bikes were actually

 BL> *faster* on the straight, yet managed to be 5 seconds slower a lap.



'Course, the skill of the rider/driver has a lot to do with this too.



 KR>> well just rock up and claim your $100 then we'll see how the

 KR>> rest of your argument stands up



 BL>   I'll bet you $100 you can't stick your head up your arse. Go on.



I can.  If I send you the photo will you send me the $$$ ?



Cheers,

Rod



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