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  1. Great Vinny, thanks for that. I told you, but not sure I put it up here, but the last time I used both of those products I got an honest 1-2 in improvement in commuting mileage, and on the Mustang that's significant.
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  2. Glad I could join the crew and help you out on this one … 😉
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  3. I can appreciate the idea of watching top riders ride and figuring out what to do for your own riding. The only problem with that, I've found, is I still cannot ride like Marc Marquez or my all time hero, Valentino Rossi. But, when it comes to foot position there are some basics with the human body and physics that to apply. This may be contrary to or agree with some, either way, they are basic. When we move from side to side or forward and backwards, the ball of the foot is always our first point of contact unless you are doing it VERY SLOWLY. Flat footed moves require anyone to put their whole foot down and then transfer most of their weight onto it and the entire body is swaying side to side. Try it and see what I mean. Moving off the ball of the foot, we stay in balance and distribute our weight more evenly and we do NOT have to swing our body mass over and we do NOT have to change our balance point for the entire body. Does that mean the arch and heel methods are wrong, NO, it does not but it does point out which is the most efficient, strongest, most in balance way of moving our entire body. OK, what does that have to do with riding, pretty much the same forces apply to it because we are also lightening up our torsos, off the seat or lighter in it, in order to move relatively quickly as we must do in any series corners, like esses. Using the ball of the foot also gives anyone the most powerful lift position using the calf muscle. So what? Well, if you are using the method of locking your outside leg into the tank by wedging your inner thigh into it with an up press at a slight angle to engage it, which anyone can do, you have the most powerful engagement possible with a body. That's an advantage. Rather than trying to squeeze the tank, scissors style, where you do not have nearly as much power, your legs will get very tired, very quickly. Not to say we don't use that, we do, just enough to get engagement on the tank and YES grip material, as there is on many Moto GP bikes these days, helps. They often use some clear or slightly milky grippy plastic stuff. But what's the point in locking onto the bike to begin with? Using whatever method, locking onto the tank as your stable point on the bike has other advantages which become more difficult using the arch or any other part of the foot which lessens the "calf power" from the ball, being your base. Additionally, locking onto the tank is in line with the center of mass of the bike and the rider. That's an advantage because it is the part of the bike that moves the least, no matter what the bike is doing, as opposed to, for example, using the bars as a stable support point for your body mass. That alone is a huge benefit, you aren't being thrown around by the bike's movements. In addition to that, having your leg locked onto/into the tank in that fashion is the most stable position for your body's mass because the leg is connected to the pelvis and your body's center of mass is located in the cradle of your pelvis. So, your balance is maximized, your are the most agile, most powerful and the most relaxed you can possibly be while still maintaining your position and stability on the bike. Any sport or fighting discipline has that as the most basic goal for mobility, strength, balance, control, movement capability. And, aside from all of that, you can be the most relaxed when your core center of mass is stable. Resting your legs when you aren't using them, like the straightaways, is fine. That you have to move your feet is part of the game of cornering, no doubt about that. No doubt about it keeping the feet off the ground dragging holes in your pricey boots. No doubt that you aren't having to stabilize yourself by some other less efficient method. Having said all of that, which is inarguable, you might point out that Mick Dohan, musti time world champion, didn't have the body position that nearly every other rider has, these days. Also, you might also consider that GP bikes are, usually, more adjustable than your average street based bike and can be adjusted for different riders. Back a few years, one of my students had the opportunity to ride Danny Pedrosa's Honda Moto GP bike which is set up for a rider who is I believe 5'1" and my rider is 6'. He said it was nearly unrideable for him. All things considered, the base line for body position that is my definition is: Harmony with the motorcycle, freedom of movement on it and precision control over it, with the minimum necessary effort. Comments welcome. Keith
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