A bunch of questions from an experienced but uneducated rider...

[MaxwellsDemon]

Hi y'all. I've been driving in Bangkok for about a year now, i got a license, no problems, a couple of close calls/bumps but nothing I would call an accident (yet). Like most I could ride a bicycle, and upgraded to a twist-and-go and found it pretty straightforward. That said, I know that in the west there is a LOT more necessary education on safety, etc, before you can get your license.

Now I've moved to Koh Phangan with my manual Yamaha Spark, and am encountering some issues that I'd like to get some advice on.

- The roads here are all concrete and are noticeably less grippy than asphalt, especially when just a little wet. Is there anything I can do, either to my driving habits or to the bike, to avoid losing traction?

- Quite often here (2-3 times a day) I find my back tire slipping, usually when there's some sand on the road but also in little cracks and painted lines... again, anything I can do to avoid that, or how to recover properly? I haven't fallen over yet, but it definitely is scary and gets my heart racing and I want to be able to deal with it if it gets bad.

- How much traction is "enough" when cornering at speed? Is there anything I can do other than practice to improve my confidence on sharp turns? How do I know I'm not gonna lowside?

- I've toyed a lot with trying to increase my mileage (safely) and just have a technical question about the way the engine runs - generally, higher gears = lower revs = less gas = better mileage, right? But if I try starting from a stop in 2nd or even 3rd gear, it works, but I twist a lot more and it feels like I'm using more gas to chug the bike into comfortable revs... if that makes sense. But is that still economical? It feels (only feels) like I'm using more fuel when I'm clearly underreving, even at speed (30 km/h in 4th gear or something).

- Another tech thing; I notice throughout each gear's range that, below a given speed, it runs but seems to struggle a tiny bit, then it hits that given speed (at 2nd gear around 45 km/h) it suddenly gets a breath of life and revs nicely and there's a jump in acceleration... should I be concerned about this at all? Should I be aiming to upshift/downshift at that turning point?

- How bad is it to ride the clutch in ideal conditions (ie straight, slightly downhill road, no traffic, etc)?

Thanks for the help in advance!

P.S. sorry if these questions are a little hard to understand, it's kinda weird describing "feeling the engine" when you drive but that's what I feel.... :/

[Gsxrnz]

Concrete is less grippy, especially when wet. That's physics. Use good quality tyres and keep them correctly inflated.

Sand/Cracks/paint on the road. That's also physics. Avoid them.

Traction - if in the dry on a good surface, you'll be lucky to outride your tyres (if in good condition). In the wet or sand on the road, adjust speed and lean angle as appropriate. You'll know you've low sided when you're sliding down the road - best to avoid that. Sometimes you get a warning feeling, but if you're pushing the envelope on sand or in the wet, it won't give much time to react. Be conscious of the wet and sand when braking. Use different braking techniques for different surfaces. A bit more rear brake in wet/sand, a lot more front brake on good dry surfaces.

If the engine sounds like it's struggling because you're using too high a gear, then it's struggling. If you have to over twist, the engine is labouring, consuming excessive fuel, and generally being put under pressure. Use the gears (that's what they're their for) to ease the load on the engine and get the performance it's designed to give.

If you want to corner better, learn about apexes and the general physics of cornering. Try the slow in, less lean, fast out theory as a starting point. Late apex on good surfaces with clear vision, early apex with a wide exit (less lean) and poor surface.

Why do you want to ride with the clutch disengaged? If you think it's saving gas, it's not. It's generally an unsafe practice unless you're coming to a halt, or changing down and wanting to skip one gear.

[liddelljohn]

on wet , slippery or poor roads use back brake before using front brake that was taught in UK test for many years

[noahvail]

Concrete in Thailand is similar to that in Florida - it has a higher limestone content, and when wet, that will wreak havoc at speed. Throwing out the clutch is dangerous because your rear wheel may seize up a bit or reduce your braking potential when you throw the clutch back in. Neither of those are conducive to maintaining your good health.

[DualSportBiker]

If you speak Thai you can join the Storm riding academy courses in Phuket. They are well run and the instructors are qualified.

Read" Twist of the wrist 2". Learning to lean in so the bike is straighter than when you are inline/neutral will help in the wet...

Sent from my LG-P714 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Commander Tamson]

Why do I get the feeling that this is a troll. If the OP's understanding of his bike's dynamics and engineering is so low, I would advise he leaves the bike at home. Or warns everyone in advance, particularly me please, of when and where he's practicing.

On the other hand, if he is indeed genuine - he needs a mate whose already an experienced rider to chum him. Isn't that how most of us learnt the basics and how to ride?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Commander Tamson]

on wet , slippery or poor roads use back brake  before using front brake that was taught in UK test for many years

And at low speeds! One of your first priorities OP is to learn the proper use of your front & back brakes

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[thrilled]

The lighter the bike less traction you will have.I hate those hills starting out from the full moon party area going toward bantai,songthala.If it rains hard I would take A songthew.

[MaxwellsDemon]

Thanks for all the tips, guys, much appreciated.

Something else I forgot to ask about; recently (the past few days) my temperature warning light goes on for a few seconds when I first turn the key, before starting the engine, then turns off quickly. It never came on before in the 9 months I've had this bike, and so I'm worried. When I had the coolant flushed/topped up, the light went away but 5 minutes later when I started the bike again it came on. The two other thai shops (including a Yamaha service center) I visited said nothing to worry about, it takes you from A to B. I'm just worried that I might be slowly killing the engine if I keep driving, and I do want to be able to resell the bike. It never comes on while driving, just when I turn the key. Any ideas? :/

[macknife]

Thanks for all the tips, guys, much appreciated.

Something else I forgot to ask about; recently (the past few days) my temperature warning light goes on for a few seconds when I first turn the key, before starting the engine, then turns off quickly. It never came on before in the 9 months I've had this bike, and so I'm worried. When I had the coolant flushed/topped up, the light went away but 5 minutes later when I started the bike again it came on. The two other thai shops (including a Yamaha service center) I visited said nothing to worry about, it takes you from A to B. I'm just worried that I might be slowly killing the engine if I keep driving, and I do want to be able to resell the bike. It never comes on while driving, just when I turn the key. Any ideas? :/

That's just normal. perhaps you just never noticed it before.

[MaxwellsDemon]

That's what they told me, that it was supposed to be like that but I had never seen it light up before and I definitely would've noticed it, it's pretty hard to miss. I know for sure. It came on first after about 600km in 24 hours in the hot sun, so thought that might have something to do with it.

[stoli]

I am just wondering why someone riding a motorbike would have a great cause for concern on how to save fuel, since they use so little. I hope this is from an environmental perspective and not from a cost standpoint. Bikes are cheap to operate & maintain.

[ll2]

what i see, you need new tires. Get better quality tires with a good brand name like michelin etc and dont trust and push your bike too much as it is a semi automatic scooter so dont expect too much.

They are designed for economy in mind not for fun at curves.

Also, you can take off at 2nd gear on wt roads so your rear tire do not slip.

at curves, normally your front tire has to provide you a feedback but do not expect it much on these small bikes.

good luck and please no overconfidence.