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Roddy

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  1. Honestly I'm not sure if it's at 40/60. I would guess that it isn't quite there but there is an increase of speed nontheless. What I do know is, that I could be better with getting on it sooner after getting on line.
  2. Hotfoot. I really appreciate you going to the effort of posting all of that and giving me some things to work on, and of course Ill take all your comments on board and try them next time Im out on track. The best upgrade is always the squishy bit in the middle. Bouncing on the front end has the forks extending back up in under a second. I would think that its in the ballpark. I have a GPS receiver working with Racechrono on my phone and I have a camera on the tank which records my speedo, so I can see that Im increasing speed after turning (except for the double apex where the speed drops a little before I start my roll on again). Thats a good point about fast sweeping turns and throttle roll on. I find even rolling on into a the fast sweeper, the speedo still drops slightly before rising. The speed drop is actually more pronounced than indicated on the speedometer due to the smaller radius of the tyre at the edges. Unfortunately I wont be able to get out again till March. Im eager to incorporate your suggestions and experimenting with reference points and were Im looking, as well as getting onto that throttle nice and early.
  3. Hotfoot, yeah you go where you look but I'm not really correcting my line. I wouldn't call it a a steering input. I'm having to provide constant pressure (pull on the inside bar - so in effect trying to stand the bike up, not counter steer into the kerb) when I'm tracking my line through long corners and even when rolling on. Left and right turns are the same. It's not lots of pressure....just a little. If I let go, then the bike feels like it'll basically ride off it's wheels. Lnewqban. I have ridden bikes that need a constant push on the inside bar to stay in a lean and only become neutral with an aggressive hang of position, even at low lean angles and speeds. As I understand it....and I don't really understand it a lot. It has lots to do with the geometry...specifically trail.
  4. Yeah. I think throttle control may be an issue but I'm not actually having to change my angle of lean after the initial steering input. The bike doesn't really want to run a tighter line because of a lack or mid corner speed. Hotfoot, yeah you're right. I'm focusing on the inside kerb. One of the corners I'm experiencing this is a double apex and I'm using the distance from the kerb as a reference between the 2 apexes. I do stop my roll on there momentarily but even after I start rolling on again, I'm still having to pull the inside bar. I am applying the throttle control rule as I understand, but maybe not enough? Yep. There are other riders that roll on faster towards the second apex. I'm working up to it slowly. The other place is a long high speed sweeper where I'm rolling on going into and through it and I'm also using the kerb as a reference until it opens up and I can see the exit. Still have to keep some pressure on the bar there. I understand what happens when you get greedy with throttle roll on. The bike runs wide and you have to roll off and re point the bike for the exit or drop your upper body for the hook turn. I guess the age old question is how much roll on is the right amount. It just feels like it would need a lot more gas to make it neutral. Going a little wide isn't a problem but losing rear traction at steep angles of lean and over 1G cornering force is something I definitely would rather avoid. The bike is perfectly neutral at lesser angles of lean on the street but I can also be more aggressive with my roll on at those angles. It's a bog standard 2006 GSXR 1000 and 29psi front and rear. Thanks all for your insights. Love this forum.
  5. I'm having a bit of an issue with my medium to fast speed sweepers. I'm finding that I'm having to pull on my inside bar to stop the bike leaning in further once I get on my chosen line. I know the obvious answer is to load up the rear and roll on faster than what I'm already doing, but it feels like if I do that, I'll either start running wide off my line or start getting to the edge of rear grip since I'm already over 45 degree lean. I'm locked in enough to be able to release all pressure on the bars. That's what I'd like to do, but it feels like I'd need lots of throttle to get the bike to track the line with no handle bar pressure. Is it just a matter of throttle control?
  6. I don't think tyre pressure has ever been an issue before but, possibly with a slight increase in entry speed and a slightly faster flick, it may have become one. I have always run the recommended 36f 42r on the street. For the track I drop them down to 31f 29r. I'm already getting a bit of triangulation on my front tyre running 36psi.....any lower pressure and the tyre will be destroyed on the sides long before the rear, with still plenty of tread in the middle. I could drop the rear a bit but the cheapskate in me wants to keep the wear down as much as possible. Not keen on having to replace the tyre every 4000-4500km. As it was, I would have been lucky to reach 5000km had I not gotten the puncture. I guess that's pretty standard mileage for sticky tyres though. I went to the track last weekend and I haven't been able to replicate (thank goodness) the stepping out of the rear. Knocked off over 2 seconds and had zero traction problems all day. I was a bit apprehensive before the first session but after half a lap, all doubt was gone and my confidence was back to 100%. Also managed to get rid of some of the triangulation on the front. I do love these tyres (Dunlop Sportsmarts), and the rear is the same (size and compound) as the previous one that got a puncture. The only difference was that the tyre was barely scrubbed in. Each edge of the tyre would have touched pavement only several (??) times. Still working on body position, but I'd like to think that I stay pretty still, if a little bit crossed up, before turning in and through the corner. I did, however, watch some footage of myself from another riders bike and I noticed that I was shifting my weight as I tipped in. That footage was from almost a year ago though.......something I should keep an eye on nonetheless. Yeah that's something I found I was doing, keeping some throttle on going into corners. This only happens when I'm not attacking the exits of previous corners and don't have to slow down for the turn entries. I was very conscious of this the second time the rear stepped out, so I'm pretty sure I can rule that out. Wise words guys. Thanks. Although I may have to leave this issue somewhat unresolved as I'm not too willing to do any experimentation on the street and the track seemed to have yielded no answers. I will however take your advice and drop the rear pressure by 4 or 5 psi.
  7. I think I’ll have to go a step or 2 back on this one and work back up to it. Getting more locked in and keeping a loose grip. My track day this weekend has fallen through so I won’t be able to see what’s going on in a safe(ish) environment. It’ll have to wait for next month. In the meantime I’ll tone it back a notch. The corners were linked with short straight bits. The corner in particular had a very slight right hand arc to the turn point which I basically straight lined (staying in my lane of course). I really do appreciate all the input though.
  8. I don’t think I had changed anything about how I was riding. I guess it’s possible (though unlikely) that I went in a bit quicker than usual and possible (very likely) that my lack of technique is finally rearing up it’s ugly head. Twice in 2 successive rides is a bit worrying. Probably coincidence that it’s a fairly new tyre as it already had been put through at least 30 kms of spirited cornering. I haven’t done the CSS yet. They don’t run it South Australia so it would entail a family holiday interstate to get access to the school. Definitely something I want to do. Hopefully in the near future.
  9. Ambient temperature was about 25 deg C. The tyres were plenty warm. I had been cornering for the last half hour without any loss of grip. I was off the seat a good while before tipping in. Just checked my pressure again. It's just under 40PSI...2 lower than I would normally run on the street, but still 10PSI higher than track pressure...so if anything I should be getting more grip at the expense of a tiny bit more tyre wear. No leaking fluids that I can spot. Both times happened with this new rear tyre on and since its the same tyre as I had on there previously I can only think that the tyre isn't scrubbed in enough.
  10. Hi all, I appreciate you all trying to help me figure this out. Yellowduck, Nope, there was nothing on the road or the tyre. Pavement was clear of painted lines etc. I checked both times. I stay clear of the rear brake everywhere except commuting through town and ride with my toes on the pegs. Definitely not scraping hard parts. I’m not that talented haha (nor would I want to do that on the street). Csmith, I don’t think I was charging. I was riding with very little acceleration out of the turns (enough to transfer the weight but no hard acceleration) and no brakes at all front or rear most of the time. I was keeping a fairly consistent speed through the turns and the short straight bits in between. Hence thinking that I may not have rolled off the gas enough the first time. I was already at a comfortable corner speed well before I turned into the corner in question. No trail braking. The tyre is a standard size 190/50 Dunlop sportsmart and I run the tyres at the recommended pressures on the street. Actually that's a good point guys, I should check them to make sure I haven’t misread my tyre gauge and put in 10PSI extra in or anything haha. It was happening just as I was finishing my steering input. A little way before the apex. Can’t be sure if I had released the pressure on the bar or just trailing it off. Another half a second and I would have been opening the throttle. I'm not entilely certain that I had finished my steering input but I am cetrain that I wasn't coasting on zero throttle at my desired lean. To be honest I didn't have the opportunity to relax on the bars cause I was still steering or just finishing steering.....I was definitely loose on the bars after it started stepping out though. I guess I could have done something weird on the bars just before. Something to be more aware of in future I guess. As for my body position. I know this still needs lots of work. Trying to get on the inside and not twist around the tank....I am improving slowly, but by no means textbook. Hotfoot, you've got me thinking.....It’s actually a fairly new tyre. It was only my 3rd ride out on it in the twisty bits. The rubber had already been scrubbed all the way on both sides but maybe not for long enough or hard enough? I was always under the impression that if the sheen has been scrubbed off that means the tyre is at optimum.......is that right? I always thought that if something was to slide entering a corner it would be the front. Haha....85-90 on dirt. Now that's something. The road I was on has an 80kph speed limit so I wasn't much over
  11. I need a little help with this one cause it's really got me stumped. It's happened twice now and I thought I had it figured out after the first time but after the second....It's clear that It wasn't the issue at all. Not quite a 90 degree left hand bend (I'm in Australia so left side of the road), entry speed was about 85-90kph (53-56mph), Closed throttle toes on the pegs, no brakes...front or rear, flicking onto my line which I have taken countless times before. Committed and confident.....and just as I get to my desired lean to get me to my apex, before I've even started to get some throttle back on, the back end steps out. The first time it stepped out only a little bit, but enough to bite back into the tarmac and bounce me slightly up in the seat, standing the bike up and sending me and the bike to the other lane. Thankfully without any oncoming traffic. Stopped to check if there was anything on the road that I may have missed. Nothing there, Nothing on the tyre. I figured that I just entered the turn with some throttle on, or at least constant throttle, cause I wasn't accelerating hard out of the exit of the previous corners so there was no need to slow for the turn. I ride a k6 GSXR 1000.....Usually pretty low revs. 4-6 thousand rpm, especially if I'm cruising and not attacking the exits, so I guess I'd get a 1000 rpm increase as I get on the side of the tyre in the corners. I thought that as I lent over further I was getting more into the meat of the power, therefore getting more power down and increasing lean at the same time. The second time I am absolutely sure that I had a fully closed throttle entering the turn (having the previous moment in the back of my mind). Also, I'm pretty sure there was very little engine braking cause It was fairly low revs. Around 4500. It was also a much bigger moment. The rear stepped out almost at the exact same point. Just as I was finishing my steering input and before the throttle roll on, but it stepped a lot further. I was slightly off the seat so as the rear bit, my but slid over the seat rather than being pushed into the air which probably saved me from a highside. It lost traction, gained it again abruptly and slid again...after which it settled down......I banged my left knee into the top of the left side fairing as well. It was a different corner but similar to the first incident.....Same stretch of road. I ended up on the other side of the road, braking hard and then running off the road onto the verge and up a shallow embankment. Very lucky it was all clear. No throttle this time so I definitely wasn't adding any throttle and lean. I think I was pretty loose on the bars (thankfully or it may not have recovered so quickly) and basically wasn't doing anything but letting the bike get on line. Hadn't even started my roll on. I got off the bike to check the surface again. It was clear apart from a pretty small crack in the pavement. Nothing I would thought could influence anything. Sorry for the long post but I'm really baffled as to what I might have done to cause this. I'd be grateful if anyone could shed some light as to what could have occurred. Heading down for a track day next weekend, so I'd really like to get down there without doubt in my mind.
  12. Ok, I know this is an old thread but I only read it yesterday and I've been mulling it over in my (slow) brain. Modern sportsbike tyres, especially soft track tyres, develop adhesive properties when hot......think of coming off a track session and running over some gravel. The gravel will get stuck to your tyre......The formula "Force (sliding) = Coefficient of friction x Force (normal)" doesn't apply......does it? You can have a zero or even a negative normal force and an object can remain stuck to something sticky.... I think contact patch is still king....the bigger the better. I'm not a mathematician so please be gentle if I am wrong....hehe
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