Well logically, if you're sitting higher then the COG is higher, so to get to a given lean angle you'll need to lean over further. I've been used to lower sports tourers and as soon as I get on this type of bike I feel like not only am I leaning more on the same corner, but I want to lean more. I don't think there'll be any grip issues as there's no less tyre in contact with the road, and assuming no oil on the road, gyroscopic forces will keep you where you are. Also bear in mind tyre width: your cruiser may have had a 180, 190 or even 200 rear tyre, so a 140 will feel totally different, as will losing 60-100Kg in weight! My last bike was a Honda VFR1200, and I know what you mean about high speed cornering - that bike could sit on a wide bend at 100mph and feel totally comfortable. I have banked the F700 over quite a lot and would be happy getting my knee down, but that not really what it's about, is it?

 

So it's knee pucks for us F700'ers is it? [] Yes, the cruiser is about 95-100 heavier, has a 170 (it's a small cruiser) and has a 26" seat height. If that. So where I didn't have to lean at all in a bend (or at least didn't feel like I was) I have to do a little more here. I guess I have to break the mental block that my prior habits engendered.

I have found on my ST, that finding that sweet spot for cornering is improving with time. I rode my friend's Harley Bagger last week and it felt very reluctant to initiate a turn, but then held my line nicely. Back on my ST, turns feel very light. One technique I use is to think "Low". As I enter a turn, I envision my position on the bike lower... and bring my head downward, more elbow bend, etc. That seems to provide the needed pressure on the inside bar grip, and the countersteer just seems to happen without any effort.

Yes, the big bikes need a little coaxing to initiate but once they do they just sort of clamp on to the bend. I'll try your technique. I think part of my trepidation is that I will put too much pressure on the bars/bike. I had to wrestle a little with the cruiser and I sort of like dit becuase you knew the limits. Here there's more sensitivity and the inputs need to be a little more sublte. I guess you're saying what the salesrep was saying to me not to do an exagerated lean just sort of a natural countersteer.
It was windy as feck this morning so it sort of sorced me to counterseer with a little more authority. I'm hopeing the wind dies down a bit (it's supposed to get way nicer) so I can sort of focus on this more on the way home. Wind with top cases filled with cr*p on the highway aren't the best combo []

 

I have found on my ST, that finding that sweet spot for cornering is improving with time. I rode my friend's Harley Bagger last week and it felt very reluctant to initiate a turn, but then held my line nicely. Back on my ST, turns feel very light. One technique I use is to think "Low". As I enter a turn, I envision my position on the bike lower... and bring my head downward, more elbow bend, etc. That seems to provide the needed pressure on the inside bar grip, and the countersteer just seems to happen without any effort.

 

The higher C of G doesn't mean you have to lean the bike further, but it does mean that you travel a lot further from one side to the side. I don't know if the F700 geometry is any different, but certainly the F800GS has heaps of clearance, so the limit really is your bravery - you should be able to run with most sports bikes in the swervery, unless you encounter someone who really knows how to ride. You'll eventually touch down the centrestand on one side and the sidestand on the other, but they usually flex a bit so it's more of a warning than anything else.

The steering geometry is so slow, and the C of G so high that you really need to wrestle the bike to pick it up from full lean one way to the other. Counter-steering is good, but I had to throw my weight around as well (an awesome 70kg) to get the bugger around tight winding roads.

 

Modern wide tyres (rear in particular) actually require a bike to lean somewhat further for a given radius turn compared with a narrow tyre, and the higher the CofG the greater the effect. This is due to the contact patch moving away from the centre line as the bike leans. But the F700GS has relatively narrow tyres compared to most street bikes of its capacity, with its 140 section rear.

 

Endless speculation. Go take a track day or a riding school and they will teach you to be comfortable with your bike.

 

Track day would be better. Getting more comfortable with it and getting out of my cruiser habits. It's been 7 weeks (and 1,400 miles) with the thing so I probably just need little more time. I rode around last night in the dark, as the roads are more quiet, and just kept going back to these two or three nasty corners by me (those horseshoe like ramps off roads with 50mph) over and over, and found I just have to gun it a little more then I'm used to and lean her down with a little more authority. Dragging the rear brake came in handy and I was getting more and more aggresive but it started to click. And unlike the curiser, throttling out of a turn does not seem to stand the bike up, so like Ken said a little wrestling up is in order. Though I'm sure it's more with the 800 than the 700.
I was feeling pretty good though after a half hour or so of doing this. But as to holding a curve for a long period of time at 65-70 mph, it looks like it needs to be muscled a little bit more along with the body shift. The weight shift alone doesn't seem to be doing it over 50mph. But I'm doing what Mark suggested and just sort of dropping my elbow down in the direction along with my head (and "thinking low")and this is making it a little easier and more enjoyable.
It's at once a little less secure feeling then the cruiser but allot more fun and versatile: there's only so much you can ask from a cruiser.

Thanks all for your suggestions/advice.

 

True? The front won't give way first? I run a GSXR750 at the track and drag knees all day. I ran my 2013 F800GS on a medium curvy road and felt the front start to give. Went into corners slower and came out faster and had fun. I used up all the front but did not touch the outside of the tire on the back. You can touch the center stand and still have front end traction? The rake/trail is all wrong for that. I WANT it to be true! I looked into the 120/70 conversion for the front for street. Don't sell in the US.

 

Lets talk about trail braking. The 700 has a road advantage over the F800gs due to the front tire. The 19" wheel will turn in quicker than a 21".

I don't remember when I acquired this habit, but I trail brake on almost every curve. Not talking racetrack speeds, just your public road ride.

Trail brake refers to braking later and continue braking into the curve. When you get on the brakes, you compress the front suspension and move the center of gravity forward. Compressing the suspension changes trail so the front will turn in faster.

The way I do it, is first apply some light rear brake and then get on the front. As I go through the curve, I lighten up on the front brake and am completely off before hitting the apex.

It is kind of like a dance, you need to practice.

Here is another difference. These are Adventure bikes, the technique is different between street and dirt. On a street bike race scenario you are hanging off the inside of the turn. On a dirt bike, you keep the COG perpendicular but swivel at the hips to let the bike move under you.

It took a while to adapt, but I use dirt technique on the street or dirt.

 

Been trailbraking my F650GS since I got it. I no longer bother arguing with people who don't understand the principal of it and who say you can't do it. Itsatdm has it correct.
You can easily trailbrake on the F bikes, they handle fairly well, and yes, you can over do the front end and slide it. It will, like the rear will, give you suffecient notice to you that it does not like what you are doing.
Everyone should learn the trailbraking technique and use it to their advantage. Moderately in, fast out. Works fine on the F bikes. The trailbrake technique also aids the suspension in case of mid-corner pavement irregularities that would have cruisers flopping and farting like they had a hinge in the middle.
It only took Motorrad 50 years to reach the handling abilities of the featherbed framed Norton Dominator and the low vibes of the Commando. LOL!

 

Trail braking and dragging the rear brake, all good techniques. Another no no that I do is grab a little clutch at the start of the turn and hold it until the apex to get a friction zone type of stability and letting off doesn't stand you up as much as throttle if you don't want to stand up to quickly. I don't do this on faster turns just sharper ones.
As I re-read my posts on this thread, Its totally different now 3 months later. I got used to the high center of gravity, relative to my past bikes and it no longer bothers me. The bike handles really well and I got used to a little butt shift on long sweepers as opposed to a heavy lean. I have no issues now holding a bend at 70mph comfortably.
And to your point Mike the pavement irregularities don't stand this bike up so easily. Now my speed triple pops up like a top if I hit a little pothole while cornering. It seems to fast in/easier to initiate lean bikes, stand up easier/quicker than our more lean effort required bikes. I find it very reliable.