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06-14-09 ride 456 miles & 536 observation


Uncle Punk

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I have seen a lot of talk about 536 on here since I joined and finally had the opportunity to ride it this weekend. I'm going to make a short story long because I am currently not working so I have plenty of time to kill.

I didn't organize this ride and no one who rode with the group belongs to this site except me so I didn't make it public on here. I was just a tag along with one of the two guys who put us all together. Three of us rode from Lorain to Mansfield and met up with five more riders for some southern Ohio road action. By the time I made it home I had traveled 456 miles for the day and had a blast.

536 is a serious road that can and will bite you. We had eight guys in the group and two went down on 536 both of them in the same corner. No one was hurt and both of them were able to finish the ride with no mechanical difficulties, their bikes just aren't a pretty as they once were.

Three of us in the group have varying degrees of track experience and one guy is a very experienced street rider who is able to ride a quick pace right along with the track guys. I mention this only to explain my thoughts on how valuable I find track time if anyone is going to be out riding at a quick pace on these back roads. I did my first track day in 2005 and thought I could ride prior to that. I would have oh shit moments that would send me into panic mode and I would end up doing everything wrong to recover. I crossed the yellow line a few times a year and not at a really fast pace, I just didn't have the proper skills or understanding of what to do. I now ride at a faster pace, much more relaxed and SAFER. I can say that I haven't crossed a yellow line in four years until Sunday. In my mind that's the same as a crash it was stupid and I am beating myself up over it. I not only put myself in danger but if someone had been coming the other way I could have harmed them from my own stupidity. I didn't go down only because I didn't give up but I wasn't in control enough to stay in my lane.

I really like 555 and have been hearing that 536 was even better but I kept thinking it couldn't be. It is definitely more challenging. 555 is longer and I haven't experienced any got ya places on it like 536 has. We rode across 78 east from 83 which is a nice road but it kind of lulled us into high speed mode. We get to 536 and start down it heading toward the river. Whoa, this is a fun road, we all stop at the stop sign, the group is all together and we make the turn to the right up hill. I am riding in the second spot at this time, so the three riders with track experience are riding up front. We come up to a 15 MPH right hand turn should be no big deal but not so fast this stupid thing is a decreasing radius turn compounded by the fact it starts to go down hill as it gets tighter. First guy touches the yellow line on exit, I cross it completely and the third guy low sides on the road and ends up in the hay field. The first guy and I check up, I stop and the fourth guy gets up to me and asks if I am alright, why are you stopping? He never saw the third guy go down in front of him. While we are having this interaction around comes the fifth guy and the six guy stands his bike up and rides down into the hay field. Not one rider following the guys that went off knew it had happened. If you look at the pictures you will see there is not too much distance from the stop sign to this curve but this road is so curvy it had separated us by then. No real damage to either bike or riders, they rode them out of the field and on to the road for us all to continue on for the rest of our day.

My new favorite road is 255. It has new pavement but not too new to be slippery. Be careful out there guys and if you can work at getting to a track day. I know the locals to this road can offer more information but this is what I experienced on it my first time. YMMV.

I know it didn't happen without pictures but I don't think one was taken all day. Here are some pictures of the route I took that day and of the turn I am referring to. Because I can't figure out how to get text between pictures I will try to explain them now.

1. My entire 456 mile route

2. 78 to 536 to 7 to 255 to 800

3. Overview from stop sign to 15 MPH turn

4. Closer Arial view of turn showing decreasing radius

5. Road view approaching turn

6. View looking back to exit of turn

1. My entire 456 mile route

picture.php?albumid=453&pictureid=4405

2. 78 to 536 to 7 to 255 to 800

picture.php?albumid=453&pictureid=4406

3. Overview from stop sign to 15 MPH turn

picture.php?albumid=453&pictureid=4407

4. Closer Arial view of turn showing decreasing radius

picture.php?albumid=453&pictureid=4408

5. Road view approaching turn

picture.php?albumid=453&pictureid=4409

6. View looking back to exit of turn

picture.php?albumid=453&pictureid=4410

Edited by EagleCock
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UP,

536 is a fun road , but can definitely result in a scratched bikes. The turn in your 3rd and 4th post is a decreasing radius 15mph (going south) that has claimed many bikes.

It's nice to see someone else on this board who isn't put off by 400-500 miles of twisties in a day. Perhaps we can get together for a ride this summer...

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Nice write-up, thanks. Can we emphasis pre-riding the road at a more calm pace to scout it first, to see how it goes? Before hitting it hard? I've heard a few say it's better to hit these roads hard going North, uphill, rather than South, downhill.

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Riding miles is all we can do if we want to find nice roads to ride. Check out the rides section. I did 375 miles on 5-23 with guys from here. I did 350 mile on 5-30 doing the Coshocton ride. Hit me up some time if you’re available. My next two weekends are booked though, not motorcycle related either.

We made a whole lot of mistakes. Riding across 78 at a fast pace without any problems is something we should have forgotten. Everyone was revved up. On the slower back roads when they make a safe recommended speed its closer to the truth. I would have liked to go back up the road but didn't suggest it after what had happened. It changed the mood of the ride from that point on.

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Rusty, it wasn't my ride to post, I didn't know the route, pace, stops, how many riders, leader’s ability to not get lost, etc, etc.

Inya, I know what you want to say but on this road he had nothing to do with it, in fact he was way in the back close to bringing up the rear. He was not responsible for the pace of this ride and I wasn't either. I rode fourth spot until we got to this road and never lead all day.

Justin, I have seen a few posts about people going to ride this road soon and I thought I would give a fair warning about it. Now that I know about this turn if I'm leading a ride I will slow the pace just like Adam did during the Coshocton ride on his got ya corners. We got lucky with no real damage but waiting for a life flight kills the day for everyone on a ride. Riding a little slower in spots and making it home is way more fun.

Can't a moderator fix the multiple picture posts for me?

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Inya, I know what you want to say but on this road he had nothing to do with it, in fact he was way in the back close to bringing up the rear. He was not responsible for the pace of this ride and I wasn't either. I rode fourth spot until we got to this road and never lead all day.

Oh I know he had nothing to do with this..I stated that above. I was just being a smart ass since he gets 'blamed' for everyone going down all the time...which in reality isn't his fault.

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There might have been three turns with gravel in them but none were a surprise because you could see it ahead of time. There was some gravel right in the middle of the lane on straights in weird spots nothing to worry about just odd to see it there.

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I almost crossed the yellow line on my first run ever of 536 and I was alone. What saved me is the fact that I just leaned my bike over even further, at a pretty slow speed and got through it just fine. In some places, the recommended speeds are pretty accurate, even on a sportbike. Personally, Rt.26 destroys 536 any day of the week...

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Thanks for fixing the post for me GGrreegggg. Tod (With one d.)

Jnor, Where are all the other 255 lovers out there? Why aren't more people talking about it? Nice new pavement, few intersecting roads or driveways, what’s not to love? When I make it down there to ride the roads again 255 will be in the route.

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Oh no you guys don't I can't make the next two weekends, no fair going without me, knock it off, stop, laaaa, laaaa, laaaa laaaa. I can't hear you.

Okay, I guess I don't own the roads, you may go without me. Have fun, be safe, and come home to tell the stories.

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Now that I know about this turn if I'm leading a ride I will slow the pace just like Adam did during the Coshocton ride on his got ya corners.

im a natural born killer... i mean leader

very nice write up. after riding with you at coschocton and following you for a few miles down a really good stretch, I def would love to tag along next time you plan on riding this route, just to stare at the cute ass one more time!!! yummmy big boy!

wow gregg little TMI

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After reading a ride report about someone going down in the curve that was the subject of my OP in this thread does anyone think I should make a shorter OP in an original thread about this curve? I know sometimes I don't read a post if I open it and see all them words. I am trying to get a thread that more people will read; this curve will take people out. Hopefully we can prevent as many people from here as possible from getting bitten by it. Okay, maybe now that I'm not working I might just be a post whore.

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Last weekend we stopped at this particular curve just to ride back and forth to take photo's. I think the best thing to do is ride the entire road at a moderate pace on you first pass then turn around and increase your speed to your own comfort level. Personally for me I noticed there are many more "speed bumps" on 536 then there was last year.

DSC00130.jpg

DSC00156.jpg

DSC00260.jpg

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Not to sound flippant, but I didn't think it was all that tough of a road when a few of us did it a couple of weeks ago. There's tons of roads around that are much more technical than this one. I thought it flowed rather nicely - no almost complete stop, 5 mph turns or anything. Didn't appear to be all that difficult of a road.

Maybe all of the talk on here kinda psych's some riders out a bit?

I just didn't like the shit surface - rougher than squirrel shit in a lot of places.

Edited by Earache
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