adamsys

Yes, that term came to my mind as I read the article, too. In the field of human factors and ergonomics proprioception is understood to mean the ability to sense limb position. This is what is at work when you close your eyes and touch the tip of your nose with out having to feel around. This sense is considered to be under the category of touch. This has relevance in the sensing of lean angle, especially. Changing direction and speed are fundamentally just the sensing of force. But, at steep lean angles then the knee touches the tarmac and proprioception comes into play where your body position tells you your lean angle with much greater precision that the sense of force alone. Regarding your use of the word "meditate" which I think is totally appropriate. I find that the psychological aspect of riding a motorcycle at speed around a closed course to be so illuminating about one's inner self as to be rather profound. This is the thing that is most difficult to explain to a non-motorcyclist when they ask "why do you do it?"

I have a feeling they are setting up the suspension to rebound quickly so the wasn't much resistance from the shock. He obviously had that thing compressed deep into the suspension travel because there was a ton of energy returned in a burst!

Is it my imagination or has his rigid foot peg touched down and unweighted his rear wheel? Looks like his body weight is far forward, no?

WOW! I've only heard of maybe 3 or 4 of those guys and I consider myself to be pretty "cluey." I've only been to NZ once and that was for our 'southern hemisphere' wedding. (How about that sky at night: completely alien constellation!) I understand Burt Monroe's grandson was in attendance at our wedding but that's all I got. Don't those Kiwis really know how to have a good time!?

<giggle> Exactly my point! BTW: I'm married to a Kiwi grrl....

I think it stands for Daytona Motorsport Group or something like that. Its the organization that bought Pro racing from AMA. Yeah, I read a bunch of stuff online about it. (Roardracing World, Superbike Planet, etc.) They were trying to get rid of 1000 cc bikes because they are too fast for American tracks but the manufacturers flipped out. Then they decided to go with a "Literbike" class with the rules worked out for 2009 Superbike previously but it will be a support class for "Daytona Superbike" premier class. The later is basically Formula FX as we know it today and will have much higher purses than the "Literbike" class. "Literbike," as I understand it, will allow less modifications than Superbike today but more modifications than Supersport. The idea is to keep costs down. I'm not a big fan of Formula FX. I think Daytona went lame when they went to FX. In fact, I wasn't pleased when they went from international formula one specs to superbike specs. Daytona totally lost its international best-of-the-best feel, lost its attraction of fastest teams in the world, and lost a great deal of its prestige in the process. I watch the race every year but its more of tradition than excitement for me. I worry that the same thing is going to happen to AMA Pro racing as a whole. New Zealand has a great little domestic racing scene but nobody cares except the Kiwis! We'll see... ...I guess its still in flux at the moment.

Honestly, most of the Superstock 1000 Cup races are nearly as exciting. Even the one from last year at Silverstone in the rain was good. I think B-Boz is right about suggesting the DMG use the same classes as World Superbike. How would anybody here in the states know if they never see those races which I think is a real shame. (Although I think DMG got it right by including the rider in the minimum weights) I've been watching that bit of Corti over and over again analyzing his body positioning...

I've been watching the Superstock 1000 Cup races on the internet and have been very impressed. Here is a bit of the last lap from this year's Valencia race to illustrate my point. Claudio Corti demonstrates amazing balance. He also illustrates why that's not enough on its own.

I have 8000 miles on my 2007 R1 (USA model) and I love the bike. I've been riding a LONG time but this thing is a beast like I've never been on before. If you are up to a challenge, I'm still trying to "man-up" to it, then go for it. It could be dangerous but its your throttle hand!

Sorry guys but I've been massively busy and am just getting around to a proper reply (neglecting my commitments in the process...). Anyway, let's have at it: Well, you can't be blamed for that; they haven't brodcasted it here in the states! If I wasn't a sneaky cyber criminal, I wouldn't have seen it either. (I'm not sure if that is a crime on me or the networks!) ABSOLUTELY AMAZING FOOTAGE! Max was obviously NOT using the rear brakes! Because he was braking INTO the corner and leaned over, the bike/rider center of gravity (CG) was to the right of his sole point of contact: front tire and the track. As a result, they (he and his bike) did a bit of a "pirouette" to the right... ...confirming all theory! (I have it on digital video so i should snip that bit and post it on YouTube or something.) The MAN himself! BTW: Its official, I'll see you on May 12 at Pocono. Yeah, its a sweet ride. I clocked 8k on her last year including 2 track days and I still feel like I'm trying to "man up" to her! I drove off the floor with a lojack installed and no haggling in NYC for less than that. I don't know about you but working on the bike myself is a major part of the fun for me. I'm bringing her up to "superstock" spec (with lights) and applying a fresh coat of paint before we hit the road this season. Should be rather beautiful. dude, I think you nailed it. These guys are, after all, world class riders. I should snip a bit from my "collection" and post it on YouTube so we can discuss this from a common frame of reference. It will have to wait a week or so 'cause I'm balls-to-the-walls on an over due project right now. shirking my responsibilities just to compose this reply! In my world, there has never been a fast enough computer nor a fast enough bike! No matter what comes out from Intel, I just up my game until it crashes, HARD! (have't crashed hard on a bike, though... ...can you see my fingers are crossed? Besides, crashing a computer doesn't hurt as much, generally!)

1st: Thanx, everybody, for your opinions. For me, personally, I'll have my hands full just with the basics for the next season. So, yes, I'll be working on using the front brake alone. To be fair, I've found the R1 to be very stable even at 150 MPH indicated. What surprised me is how ragged the lead guys in the Superstock 1000 Cup racers were. Further, it seemed like it was mostly the R1 guys. Has anybody on the forum watched any of last year's races? Did you see what I'm talking about or am I delusional?

Hey All; I've been watching a couple of on-line videos of the 2007 FIM Supersport 1000 Cup races. Since I bought a new R1 and did my first track days on it last season, this series is the closest thing to what I actually experienced. To me, the front runners are a good example of what my bike's potential is. It having said that, one striking observation is how wildly the back end swings around when hard on the brakes during corner entry. What is going on here? Are they using the back brake on the way in? For the record, in spite of the luke warm reception from the American Motorcycle Press, the R1 was the "bike of choice at the moment" (according to the EuroSport commentator). It the states, its all about the Gixxer but it FIM SuperSport, its was all about the Ducati 1098 and the R1. The R1 dudes were always leading, then balled it up and gifted the podium to others. Its too bad that the the 1000's are the "red headed step-child" of motorcycle roadracing... ...the races I watched were very exciting and decided in the last lap and, often in the last corner. Instead we have to watch formula extreme ( how Ironic!) Okay, there are a number of ways this thread can go: A) What's up with treating 1000 production racing like sh*t while the 600's are MAJOR? (Here's another paradox: The "powers-that-be" want to make racing "safer" by reducing the engine size but also think that traction control is ruining racing??? Who is Rumsfeld working for these days, Honda?) B ) I have one of these bike and I endeavour to ride it to it fullest potential. In the quest for lap times, do I have to master the art of rear braking? I accepted delivery of my R1 in February last year. I was out during the day visiting friends and showing it off. Night fell and so did the temperatures. I touched the front brakes and the front end went out in the blink of an eye; I became 'that ass I used to make fun of' and crashed it with 48 mile on the odometer... ...Flash forward... ...My first track day and I was using the rear brakes after decades (DECADES!) of not really using them. I had to learn not to use them again (it wasn't that easier, either) Now, with the observation of world class riders on a bike that is VERY similar to mine, I'm wondering if I need to refine my approach to using the rear brakes? C) Is the chassis tuning of contemporary bikes on the edge of instability? All my heroes: Kenny, The Waynes, Eddie, Kevin, et cetera... ...they didn't seem to go through this kind of gymnastics. Or, is it the reality of DOT tires? I'm open to all opinions and coaching...

I've got the package deal with both Twist books and audio CDs, Soft Science book, an interactive CD and a DVD. Believe it or not, the best of it is audio CDs! I haven't finished reading Twist II but I've heard it almost every work day since I got it. Just let it loop in the background. There's a ton of info to digest; hope it comes to me while I'm riding like a Led Zepline tune!

Newtons (N) A 100 lbf student on earth has a mass of 3.10809 slugs(mass in SAE) That same student exerts a force of 444.822 N on earth (force ISO) If a 100 lbf student weights 16 lbf force on the moon he/she still has a mass of 3.10809 slugs. Our earth bound perception of mass is actually the force of that mass due to the gravitational attraction of the Earth's mass. This is a major cluster f*ck of our understanding of mass/weight. Truly a mess! I just convert to metric for my calculations even though I am used to pounds.

Right! That's the reason for hanging off as I understand it.