Throttle And Lean Angle, At The Same Time.

[PoppaNoDoz]

That helps a LOT! Thank you.

 

Your quote that I am "no longer pushing on the handlebar to change the bike's direction" is exactly the clarity that I needed. I completely agree that each corner will be different, but the basic formula to approach the corner should be fairly consistent.

 

My big question was around the words "when your line is set" - that was driving me nuts. I have been given TONS of advice over the years, it was usually contradictory. I totally misread TOTW II as well, I mastered SRs, I understand what rolling on does, I even understood that I should be doing it consistently. What I didn't get was WHEN to do it.

[Hotfoot]

Chapter 4 helps and watching onboard video of racers helps. It really isn't "coasting" into the corner, the throttle isn't completely and totally closed and they aren't in neutral or with the clutch pulled in. What you'll see, time and time again, is that they come in to a corner at a specific rev range and speed, as they approach the apex that speed decreases and the revs drop, but they don't go to 1,000rpm, they may drop down to 7 or 8,000 RPM. Once they hit the apex (or near it, no one is perfect every lap, every time) they roll on from the 7k or so that they were at coming and be as much as 2,000 RPM higher by the time the bike is upright again.

 

I can't tell from your post if you could SEE the throttle position on the videos, or if you were assuming the throttle action based on the RPM, but that opens an interesting discussion, that might also answer Jaybird's question about throttle control.

 

Let's look at the relationship between RPM, and speed, and throttle, in a corner...

 

1) If you enter a high speed corner (say, 60+ mph entry banked sweeper), and keep the throttle closed, what happens to your speed?

2) If you enter a high speed corner, and just SLIGHTLY crack on the throttle, what happens to your speed?

3) When you lean the bike over, what naturally happens to your RPM, as a result of riding on a smaller-diameter part of the tire? What happens to the RPM as you start to stand the bike up?

[PoppaNoDoz]

In 1 & 2 the speed drops but I am also pretty sure that RPM also drops due to the net-effect changed gear ratios. Even having the throttle a little cracked will cause the bike to slow down.

[PoppaNoDoz]

Chapter 6 of TOTW II. Not Chapter 1, Not Chapter 4, Chapter 6 is EXACTLY what I needed. Up to and including a really nifty picture showing EXACTLY what I needed to know. It's my fault, I've read and re-read the book so many times that I thought I knew it all when in fact it's been YEARS since I've sat down and actually READ the book cover to cover. Sometimes familiarity breeds neglect . . . it really is an amazing book. I've probably given 10 different motorcyclists a copy of it over the last 5 years.

[Cobie Fair]

On 9/6/2011 at 10:00 AM, PoppaNoDoz said:

Chapter 4 helps and watching onboard video of racers helps. It really isn't "coasting" into the corner, the throttle isn't completely and totally closed and they aren't in neutral or with the clutch pulled in. What you'll see, time and time again, is that they come in to a corner at a specific rev range and speed, as they approach the apex that speed decreases and the revs drop, but they don't go to 1,000rpm, they may drop down to 7 or 8,000 RPM. Once they hit the apex (or near it, no one is perfect every lap, every time) they roll on from the 7k or so that they were at coming and be as much as 2,000 RPM higher by the time the bike is upright again.

Just one point to clarify (Hotfoot has good comments)  and this is when slowing, the throttle is fully off in almost all instances--and always when braking.  

[Roberts]

Just for the record, this is the best discussion ever.  I have learned a TON here.

Thanks to all!

[Cobie Fair]

It's  a big subject at the schools these days, we see it a lot.  One point that comes up as the cause is....too low turn entry speed.  But...that has to be brought up gradually, or one gets into the minus is too much entry speed, a challenge to juggle.

If it were easy, likely wouldn't be so much fun when you get it right :).

 

 

[Jaybird180]