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Old 08-23-2018, 06:07 PM   #61
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Model: Tiffin Wayfarer 24 BW
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A buddy of mine had the H2 with one-piece Egli bodywork, and three Dencos hanging off the cylinders.. It cost him some bottom-end response; but made everything right, when it climbed up onto those pipes!
A truly scary bike!

I actually got my start on the street, with one of their little 250cc two-stroke triples...
Not much power; but it was sweet!
(And it lit the fires!)

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Old 08-23-2018, 07:50 PM   #62
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"The key for me has been drafting."

BINGO!! This is a common practice of mine. Stay back just enough to get the "pull factor" but not so close as to piss him off (and make sure your headlights are adjusted correctly). On the long haul, especially at night, they know what you're doing and most don't mind. I've gotten as much as 12.9 MPG instant readout for a considerable number of miles doing this.
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Old 08-23-2018, 08:16 PM   #63
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How close are you when you try and draft off of the RV/Truck in front of you?

Im always afraid to be too close and not have enough reaction time.

Plus if they have a blow out I'm going to drive right over (or Into) the re-tread and might cause damage to the RV (front end/gril/rad) or underside.

What about rocks being thrown up into your windshield? Has that ever been a problem?

I love the Idea of drafting but saftey comes first.

Sound like you can gain about 1 mph mabye 2 with drafting?? This is very interesting.
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Old 08-23-2018, 08:24 PM   #64
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I’m not sure why they should mind someone drafting them as long as it’s not so close that it’s dangerous (i.e. — too close to brake in emergency).


I don’t do it because I’m usually traveling faster than most trucks. And even without drafting, I’ve gotten too many windshield rock chips from trucks ahead of me.
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Old 08-23-2018, 09:13 PM   #65
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Yeah same here. I like to have open road in front of me when I can. I feel safer plus less chance of rocks hitting windshield.
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Old 08-23-2018, 10:32 PM   #66
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While it's undeniable that drafting helps; always remember to maintain a safe following distance ( two to three seconds...)

Which is kind of a major Buzz-Kill...
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Old 08-24-2018, 12:31 AM   #67
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Like anything else there are times to do it and times not to. I will not run tight to another vehicle in any event. Getting right combination of lead truck and traffic/wind conditions is not always easy. The double trailer rigs seem best overall. Longer rig moves turbulent area further back to give reasonable gap. Some of the aero rigs have turbulence way too close. Need time to react.

I always stay away from trucks when approaching areas with a lot of exits. People seem to enjoy pulling into lanes without a clear opening. I have had to brake very hard a few times when a car flies by on left pulls in front and nails brakes for exit. I was surprised Vegas did not slide tires on that one. Everything in upper cabinets was forward. We keep dog tethered to couch and she was fine.
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Old 08-24-2018, 12:55 AM   #68
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Muggs View Post
Like anything else there are times to do it and times not to. I will not run tight to another vehicle in any event. Getting right combination of lead truck and traffic/wind conditions is not always easy. The double trailer rigs seem best overall. Longer rig moves turbulent area further back to give reasonable gap. Some of the aero rigs have turbulence way too close. Need time to react.

I always stay away from trucks when approaching areas with a lot of exits. People seem to enjoy pulling into lanes without a clear opening. I have had to brake very hard a few times when a car flies by on left pulls in front and nails brakes for exit. I was surprised Vegas did not slide tires on that one. Everything in upper cabinets was forward. We keep dog tethered to couch and she was fine.
I've found our Axis to have excellent brakes (rather reluctantly). If I stomp on the brakes it stops on a dime much faster than I'd expect it to (of course yes this is accompanied by all the banging and rattling of everything in the cabinets and the bathroom cabinet opening spilling its contents all over and slamming the mirror into the door further putting chips in the mirror...sigh...so I drive to minimize the necessity of the emergency stop).
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Old 08-24-2018, 06:18 AM   #69
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2 to 3 seconds following distance is ok for a car, add a second or three for an RV or when towing..
The heaver the rig..the longer it takes to stop..
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Old 08-24-2018, 09:23 AM   #70
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In heavier traffic, where proper distance matters the most, there is a practical limit you can follow due to other drivers.

At highway speeds, even 3 seconds is about the length of a football field, and I seriously doubt you can leave a gap that long in heavy traffic before a few drivers move into that space. At that point you’re slowing down to open gap (which won’t stay there for long anyway) or end up following closer than you want.

Sadly, other drivers can prevent us from driving as safely as we may want. We’ve all seen 18-wheelers following by a mere 100 feet (about 1 second) be cut off by aggressive drivers.
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Old 08-24-2018, 11:48 AM   #71
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Quote:
Originally Posted by saddlesore View Post
2 to 3 seconds following distance is ok for a car, add a second or three for an RV or when towing..
The heaver the rig..the longer it takes to stop..
Yup!
I'll bet that it would be VERY interesting; if we got to see some actual stopping distances from 60 mph...
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Old 08-24-2018, 12:29 PM   #72
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I want the open road ahead of me, lots of space behind vehicle in front of me for stopping and stone avoidance and please don't fill my gap.


While the Axis is amazingly good at stopping and the automatic braking system in the dinghy is a must for me, lot's of space is my best friend.
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Old 08-24-2018, 12:43 PM   #73
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PAtrailtrimmer View Post
I want the open road ahead of me, lots of space behind vehicle in front of me for stopping and stone avoidance and please don't fill my gap.


While the Axis is amazingly good at stopping and the automatic braking system in the dinghy is a must for me, lot's of space is my best friend.
It's difficult to maintain a safe following distance at times, because it's often filled by those who can't stand following an RV, requiring us to back off to increase our following distance. But the space behind is not under our control. Fortunately most vehicles have a shorter stopping distance than us, so I only get concerned with the big rigs hug my bumper (What bumper?).
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Old 08-24-2018, 01:34 PM   #74
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I just slow down, let them go around me, and take my time...
There's no need to be in a rush to get to your next accident.
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