STEEPS: any suggestions for maneuvering on steep hills.

[stw]

Where I live there are lots of steep grades in canyons, often with switchbacks and cambered turns, but off-camber turns too. These are great roads for riding but some maneuvering is tricky--slow u-turns, sharp turns at low speed, and any situation where you have to stop on a steep up or down can feel tricky.

My own driveway is a steep drop down to a canyon road rising even more steeply at right angles. So every ride begins with letting out the clutch while braking down hill, then a sharp transition uphill while turning, or a much trickier sharp turn at low speed to go down hill. Throttle control seems critical since you can't put both feet down on these sharp turns on steeps.  So I keep my momentum and get through these situations but I always wonder what I'll do if traffic, or engine kill, or turning mistake, requires me to stop on these tricky steeps.

Even where I can get both feet down on a steep straight, I'm holding the bike with one hand on the brake and if I had to get off pointed steeply down hill the side stand wouldnt hold the bike, of course.  Limited options.

Making some turns amounts to doing a low speed (almost) U-turn on a steep incline, do-or-die because you can't get both feet down if you flub.

Are there methods for dealing with terrain like this that aren't occuring to me? Not really a part of any training I've seen.

One idea I'd like to do someday would be to use a dirt bike off-road for long enough to get used to maneuvering on steep inclines where it doesn't matter as much if you drop the bike.

[Cricket1]

STW-

For slow speed manuevers, dragging the rear brake is the key, even while on the gas slightly at the same time. It really helps to stabilize the bike. Also, remember to weight the "uphill" (right) footpeg if you are making a left hand downhill turn from a stop. If you do not, the bike will drop onto the left side. Don't ask how I learned this!

[cbsnbiker]

My recommendation: take yourself to an area with gentle slopes. Practice your skills there. When you feel comfortable doing things like starting, stopping, and performing u-turns on a gentle slope, then do the same on a slightly less gentle slope. Continue with progressively steeper slopes until you feel comfortable with the skills.

You probably won't accomplish this in one day. That's okay -- it's more opportunity for more riding and more learning!

The MSF BRC briefly mentions hills in the video and classroom, but does not work on it on the range.

Is there an MSF DirtBike School or equivalent available in your area?

More info: http://online2.msf-usa.org/msf/Default.aspx

[Orson]

For slow speed manuevers, dragging the rear brake is the key,

I concur  

practice  

the other thing I might suggest for sharp, switchback is to look where you want to go.

If the road doubles back 180 degrees, make like the Exorcist chick and spin your head on a swivel to keep your eyes on the road.

This "looking where you want to go" method is shown when someone target fixates on a pot hole in the road. Sure enough, the bike heads right for the pot hole cuz, that's what you were lookin' at  

[servicerifle]

On the GS this sorta thing is a breeze, but on a sportbike it is trickier.  It's the kinda place I'd stand on the pegs for, I think.

[UHOH]

... and if I had to get off pointed steeply down hill the side stand wouldnt hold the bike, of course.  

get in the habit of leaving the bike in first gear whenever the kickstand goes down.

[landlover]

This helped me quite a bit, depending where you practice it might help, think it will regardless, well anyway here, http://www.msgroup.org/forums/mtt/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2497

[Kootenanny]

Even where I can get both feet down on a steep straight, I'm holding the bike with one hand on the brake and if I had to get off pointed steeply down hill the side stand wouldnt hold the bike, of course.  Limited options.

A couple of things here.

First, don't stop if you can avoid it (sounds like you already got that part).  But if/when you do stop, try to do so with only the left foot down (I know this can be problematic on a sidehill, but...since you obviously can flatfoot your Bonneville, shouldn't be as much of a problem to you as to those of us who can't flatfoot our bikes).  With the right foot on the rear brake to hold the bike, you don't need that death grip on the front brake (unless, of course, you want to get off--in which case, as someone else said, shut 'er down and put the bike in gear, it won't roll off the sidestand that way).

As others have said, dragging the rear brake during slow-speed manoeuvres will help a lot--and if you get in the habit of keeping the right foot on the brake when stopped, you can transition from moving to stopped to moving more smoothly.  This really helps with starting up a hill, too--hold the bike with the rear brake while you start engaging the clutch, with your right hand responsible only for the throttle.

[stw]

Thanks for the ideas.

Thread made me realize why I need to use my rear brake more and in all these slow speed situations.
 
Guess it needs to be instinctive for my right foot to be there as part of throttle control.

Also, good idea on finding a mild hill to practice u-turns on before trying them out on the steeps.

[DangerMoney]

the other thing I might suggest for sharp, switchback is to look where you want to go.

If the road doubles back 180 degrees, make like the Exorcist chick and spin your head on a swivel to keep your eyes on the road.

This "looking where you want to go" method is shown when someone target fixates on a pot hole in the road. Sure enough, the bike heads right for the pot hole cuz, that's what you were lookin' at  

This is excellent advice. Something all recers do is look through the turn. At racing speeds your mind has to be 7-9 seconds ahead of the bike all the time.

Don't look at the current  corner/apex. Look at the straight section or NEXT corner depending on how far it is. Look where you want the bike to be, not where it's curently at.  Use this technique on the street, dirt or track.

[spd2918]

Practice and experience will take care of this for you.  Try to get into the habit of keeping your right foot on the peg, even at stops.  This will do two things for you:

1:  You will use it all the way to a stop instead of lifting off the rear brake.

2:  You will get more comfortable on uphill take offs (dragging the rear brake until you let out the clutch enough to pull you forward).

[cbsnbiker]

This helped me quite a bit, depending where you practice it might help, think it will regardless, well anyway here, http://www.msgroup.org/forums/mtt/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2497

You have to be careful about stuff on that website. There's a great deal of bad information on there, and they are stubborn about promulgating it.

Disclaimer: I was banned from there a while back, for posting facts and informed opinions.

[doublen675]

Yup, drag the rear brake a bit for stability, but otherwise rely on your instinct and MSF training.  The most basic of things will get you through those difficult corners.  Look through the corner, set your speed, stay off that front brake and slowly and steadily accelerate through the turn.  It's difficult to get over that initial anxiety though.  There's always that one difficult thing for new riders to do.  Just take it slow (Not too slow) and think things through.  You'll be fine.  Or...you'll crash.  

[jfurf]

For sharp switchbacks, definitely get your head turned around and looking as far ahead as possible.

Also, practice being SMOOTH on the throttle. Small inputs are best. A handful of throttle at sandy, gravelly switchback is a bad idea.