Mmm Chicken Strips - Ducati Monster Forums: Ducati Monster Motorcycle Forum

MAPICS · 01-28-2011, 01:19 AM

I have been riding for about 8 months now on my monster 620 (my first bike). I've never been down and am pretty comfortable with my riding skills (I have put a couple thousand miles on her so far). I spend most of my time riding the twisty backroads of NC. On fast turns, I have my head at or past the mirror and my body hanging off the side of the bike. I feel like I am riding through the turn smoothly and getting pretty low, but I still have the classic chicken strips on the side of my tires. Mine are about 1 inch wide. Is this normal? I hate having these on my bike, but I'd rather have visual evidence of being a novice rider rather than a few broken limbs and a not-so-trellis frame [laugh].

Is it possible to lean the bike over any further safely? I am not trying to drag my knee or anything, but knowing that I could lean further will make me feel a bit more confident when taking these turns.

Hekto · 01-28-2011, 02:31 AM

If you don't hang out the bike itself will lean more around the corner. Press your knees into the tank and just corner. When your chicken stripes narrows to the tyre rim, then lean out.

MAPICS · 01-28-2011, 06:52 PM

Good tip! I felt a lot more stable out there today...still not where I want to be but I know it takes time to get there. I also need to find some curves that are safe enough to practice this at a faster pace.

ducman491 · 02-02-2011, 06:05 PM

Go to a track school and learn proper body position and riding techniques. The chicken strips will get smaller with time and experience. Having chicken strips on a street ridden bike is not embarassing it's smart.

philb · 02-06-2011, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ducman491

Go to a track school and learn proper body position and riding techniques. The chicken strips will get smaller with time and experience. Having chicken strips on a street ridden bike is not embarassing it's smart.

+1.

The whole "chicken strips" thing is dumb, just a form of posing or posturing. People at the Starbucks claiming to be hard riders. Spend more time riding and less time worrying about what someone might think of your tires.

A stock Monster without high pipes will ground the leading edge of the muffler before you get to the edge of the tires anyway. This is a bit of an issue on the track, but is not a problem on the street unless you're being an idiot. There's plenty of ground clearance for the real world.

PhilB

daddyducati · 02-07-2011, 11:41 PM

For once PhilB is right. Chicken strips on a street ridden bike are a sign of intelligence and a desire to make it to the next season. Tracks are for racing, streets are for defensive driving and being smart about where and how you ride. If it really bothers you, take some 200 grit sand paper and feather the damn things out. You can then tell your buddies how you were dragging your pegs, passing a semi, on a blind corner, in the fog, and feel like a real hero. I myself have always had 3/4 of an inch of chicken on my tires and feel no shame. I like life.

MAPICS · 02-08-2011, 03:32 PM

Its fairly obvious that riding safely on the street is priority number one. Believe it or not, I am not a bone-head looking for the approval of neophytes. I am merely looking for a more confident and enjoyable riding experience.

The main reason I was asking this is I was not sure it was normal for people to lean more during regular street riding. Its more of an issue of being comfortable knowing that I could lean over further if I needed to and not slide out.

PhilB, I do have high-mount exhaust, so the exhaust dragging wouldn't be an issue if I was trying to race (on a track).

ducman491 · 02-08-2011, 04:07 PM

If you go to a track school you will be a safer rider due to the fact you will know what the limits of your tires are? It rained during my first track day and I'm glad it did. I was stunned at how far you can lean in the rain. Besides, tires that get blue and boogery from the heat are cooler than tires with no chicken strips. The Monster is a really fun bike to ride hard too.

spike_africa · 08-19-2011, 08:47 AM

I know what he means. He feels like he isn't at the full potentional of the bike on the street when going around fun corners or roads. No big deal. I like the idea the one guy said about keep riding till you feel good.

Toker Indy Rules · 08-19-2011, 09:45 AM

Put your bike on the stands and use a 30 grit belt sander on those strips. Not only will it look like Valentino just took it for a ride, but you will have fresh scuffed rubber for the next time you go out yourself. Works great!