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Static balancing needing some tips.


lonewolf
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Hi there been practicing static balancing in my garage. Some days are good others just can't get the tech right. I struggle to get up on pegs bike tips over. If I lean bike against something I can get the balance right. I also find I lean the bike over a little when I have bars turned to get the bike balancing but when bike starts to go over further I can't  get it back up to balance even by sticking my leg out. Any tips woukd be appreciated. 

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It took me a long while and I am still not very good if I am honest.  If you are really struggling let the tyres down a bit and it is easier.  As you get the hang of it pump them up again.  I used to put the tront tyre up to a solid object at a slight angle then pull the bike upright with the bars.  At first I could get the tyre 10-15mm off the object but after a while it all sort of comes together.  Lots of practice, often and not for too long.

Sometimes looking at the wheel is best sometimes looking into the distance.  Try both, alternate.  It will come eventually - took me about a year.  When the engine is running it is easier so more time you can practice with the engine off the better.  I find it easier pointing down on a slope - no idea why.  I try to stop - if on a trial and need to balance - when pointing down on a slope...

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Like Chris I lowered tire pressure to near 0 on both tires.  I think I put the front at like 2 psi and the rear at 0, then once I was able to do it consistently I added 2 psi to the front and 1 - 1.5 psi to the rear then spent time on it tell I felt really good and then repeated tell I ended at something like 8 front and 5 rear.  I know that isn't riding pressure but I found that it really helped me to get it better and then from that point on I would run riding pressure when practicing and had a much better time when doing it out riding after that. 

Good luck. 

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Hi Thanks for the tips. I can get it sometimes & keep it there for a minute or so just not consistently & when it starts to go I can't get it back even by sticking my leg out. I'm only doing about 30mins a night most nights so I don't get sick. I'll try the tyre pressure trick also.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Your first post exactly matches my situation. Hard tyres on concrete (mine's even worse: laminate) and a dead engine are all making it more difficult and when you start you want to make it easy. I still can't do it with any consistency in the garage but I find I'm just about OK out in the real world. I try to make sure that every time I stop the bike, I hold balance for a bit before getting off.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I took a clinic last year where it was described to me that you want your weight distributed 50/50 ideally when on the pegs to balance the bike, which makes sense. As soon as you have more than 50% to one side, you are going to tip. When you get on the bike, one foot on the peg is 50%, and the opposite hand with the bar turned toward that hand is the other 50% to balance the bike while you bring your other foot up to the second peg, at which point you transfer that 50% to that foot. Look at a point about 10 feet or more in front of you, not directly at the ground in front of the bike. I like to practice with the bike running and slip the clutch a little if I feel my balance starting to go off, or turn the bars if I feel weighted too much to one side. Hope that is helpful, sorry if it's confusing. 

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  • 1 month later...
  • put a crate or something either side of the bike so you don't have to step up, step down, step up, step down. Makes it heaps easier to keep at it when you're starting out.
  • rest the front tyre on something to the side. Can start with a wall and progress to just a little pebble. It's surprising how something quite small can make a big difference. A bit of 2x1 timber can be a lifesaver, or a brick. Turn onto it to get your balance, then turn the wheel off it.
  • Don't focus on how long you can balance, get balanced then do something from which you have to recover - turn the bars the other way, close your eyes, anything. Balancing for minutes is pretty useless in a trial, but recovering your balance is essential.
  • Focus on balancing with turning movements of the wheel, not so much rocking the bike. Both are useful but turning the bars is more fundamental.
  • Weight forward gives corrections more "impact", weight back is more stable once you've actually got balanced. Play with it. For a long time. A really long time.
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  • 3 months later...

I gave up on trying to static balance on concrete for the same reasons you stated.  I just started practicing it with the engine running on a slight downhill slope, and rather than eventually putting a foot down, I'd let the bike move to help me out, then stop again.  Whenever I'm practicing obstacles or sections with a group of riders, I always will try to stay on the pegs while waiting, not focusing on my balancing, but rather focusing on what's going on with the other riders or looking ahead at the section/obstacle - helps to start making balancing become automatic.  I've gotten much better, and just integrated it into my riding rather than practicing it alone for hours.

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