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mike kromjong

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Everything posted by mike kromjong

  1. A few questions. 1. Why would'nt you start next to the white line at the right hand side? 2. At what speed are you riding there? 3. Why would you want to give up your line of sight to the second bend thats coming up by driving on the wrong side of the road? Mike.
  2. Hi there Tweek, Sorry to hear about your crashes. As mentioned before, knowing why you crashed can make a differance. But i also know from experience that this is not always the case. The thing that helped me most to get in to the fast times again was to take it one step at a time and by doing the no brakes drill. It helped me in being singularly focussed on cornerspeed and experiencing the feedback you get from the bike without being troubled/worried by the distracting forces of braking. Since worrying about the griplevel of your tyres seems to be an issue, investing in a pair of tyrewarmers might be in order for you. Taking it one step at a time is not a fast but indeed a sure way of getting your confidence level up to where it was. Hope this helps. Mike.
  3. Hi Cobie, The front brake is it for me. I never use the rear, mainly because there's not much to gain by using it on the track. It would probably be to distracting anyway because i think that you'll need to spend to much attention to the thing while judging speed, turn entry-point, body-positioning and so on. Using the thing just before front-braking seems like a logical and sensible thing to do, but i have'nt gotten around to trying since there are still so many other things in my riding that could do with some improvement. As far as riding the road is concerned i'm still not using it when riding a sportsbike. When riding a touring bike like the bmw r1150rt i'm using both but still in a 70-30 percent ratio. Mike.
  4. First of all; Get comfortable on the bike i.e. get your body position in order BEFORE you start braking en be loose in the turn. Second; Develop your vision skills ! So try to look further ahead and into the turn, but make sure you have 'wide vision' turned on all the time. If you try this WITHOUT TRYING TO BE FAST , but just trying to be smooth, you'll notice a considerable drop in lap-times and a drop in number of riders that are overtaking you as if you were taking a walk in the park. Good luck! Be smooth, be fast.
  5. Hi everyone, Here is my input about the subject. For me the whole subject of countersteering seems to be the easiest to understand when you explain it like this: The center of mass of a bike is always situated somewhere under the imaginary line wich can be drawn through both wheels. Because of the geometry of a bike, you will remove the center of mass to the right of this line as soon as you turn the wheel to the left and vice versa. This removing of the center of mass is the only reason why the bike will start to lean over to either side. This effect is partially countered by the gyroscopic forces of rotating mass. Hence the bigger steeringeffort needed at higher speed. The papercup thing did'nt do it for me by the way. I think you're forgetting to take in account the deformation of the tyres wich in effect produces a flat piece of rubber sticking to the tarmac, and therefor can't be compared to the papercup with the two different radius. Did this help? Greetings Mike
  6. Hi Keith, Thanks for detailling throttle control for us. As far as i'm concerned, your right on the money again. Off-course we can't get by on practise alone. A firm focus on and understanding of the different levels(steps) of throttle control while practising is another thing altogether. Your step-by-step method is the way to go. I'm a perfect example af someone who did'nt do the step-by-step and has tried, and failed, to improve his riding by skipping some steps. Wich i was'nt aware of at that time, because i was'nt familiar with all the steps, or the right order. I've experienced that skipping steps will always lead to a riding barrier wich you can't overcome. You really need to go back and pick-up the missing pieces in order to improve again and go past your riding barrier. I guess it's the same as having an 'idea' instead of a plan for a certain turn. That turn will never be yours, not really and not concistantly because you don't have all the pieces of the puzzle. I guess my observation is true for every aspect of riding. Do you agree? Greetings, Mike
  7. Looks to me as a combo of poor throttle control ( rolled it on first and then chopped it ) and poor to non-existing body-positioning. This combo forced him to get to a lean-angle that the bike-tire combination could'nt handle. But these are just wild guesses, cause the videoclip is of poor quality. It's also pretty safe to assume that the rider was gripping the handlebars to tight and was'nt totally focussed on that corner. But then again, who's to say that it was'nt just a greasy spot of tarmac that took him out of control. As far as i'm concerned there's no clear-cut reason to be observed in this footage, but the one i opened with seems to be the most likely. Mike
  8. [ Unfortunately, even after you have done it successfully in one corner there is no guarantee it will be solved in other turns! Keith, Thanks for yet another great article. It clears up my understanding of and thinking about throttle-control. One question though. I think that the above quote refers to the fact that you'll be leant-over for a longer period of time in one corner then in the other? And that you'll have to smear-out your throttle-control over a greater distance, demanding that the actual roll-on has to be even more precise then in the shorter turns? Is this a correct assumption? Or am i missing the point here? Please clearify. Greetings, Mike
  9. Very interesting indeed, but unfortunately nobody that i know of keeps track of these stats. Will inquire though, you never know!? Mike
  10. Cobie, In Holland we have a foundation that does scientific research on traffic-safety issues called S.W.O.V. I've got the stats from them. Best, Mike
  11. Cobie, Hope you have a great season. Wish i could say that i've started as well. But at the moment it's snowing over here. The crash stats are'nt going anywhere so take your time. But keep me posted, i'm interested to see the U.S. figures. All the best, Mike
  12. Cobie, About the crash stats. Since i could'nt really believe the numbers for first-aid and slightly injured for 2004, i contacted the statistics guy again. Apparently the numbers for 2004 that he send me were incomplete. So forget about these numbers and about my far-fetched explanation as to how/why this drop in numbers could have occurred. Best, Mike
  13. Cobie, Have got some crash stats. Hope you have comparable stats at your end. Here they come. year Motor all motorised vehicules 1986 120.997 5.154.024 1987 123.006 5.247.041 1988 126.997 5.419.009 These figures show the spectacular growth in 1989 131.981 5.612.002 numbers of registered motorbikes compared to all of 1990 143.000 5.800.034 the registered motorised vehicules together. 1991 159.013 5.929.096 1992 190.009 6.027.027 These figures relate to a population of about 1993 234.005 6.206.113 14 million in 1986 to up about 1994 270.016 6.378.013 15.5 million in 2005. 1995 293.993 6.529.087 1996 315.002 6.644.911 1997 354.053 6.859.086 1998 373.435 7.042.600 1999 392.459 7.318.515 2000 413.989 7.640.887 2001 437.798 7.927.246 2002 460.822 8.168.393 2003 494.450 8.387.766 2004 516.567 8.495.255 2005 536.934 8.627.207 crash-victims per billion traveller-kilometers (risk-analysis) year Motor 1995 2425,77 1996 2463,02 1997 2161,82 1998 1669,07 1999 2691,46 2000 2232,38 2001 2018,51 2002 2162,65 2003 1827,31 Number of motorcasualties Year Dead Hospitalized first- slightly aid injured 1988 62 693 897 378 1989 64 668 997 491 1990 72 749 996 678 1991 88 741 1.009 679 1992 91 830 1.052 947 1993 104 887 979 926 1994 112 974 957 1.096 1995 90 886 954 1.179 1996 91 949 819 1.047 1997 92 880 858 1.000 1998 76 740 692 816 1999 75 795 685 944 2000 89 749 610 839 2001 76 776 593 818 2002 93 821 598 782 2003 95 778 481 879 2004 83 653 10 12 The significant drop in 2004 for first-aid and slight injury may be explaned by the fact that this is the year that we implemented the clothing-rule for test-drive candidates. After all the group of new riders are always more accident-prone then the more experienced riders. And they were then used to and in possesion of proper leathers or other protective gear. This is however only my personal logic at work, it's not a researched fact. Hope you can do something with this. Best Mike Cobie, Sorry that the figures come out a bit garbled. The last columns should be read as follows. first colum is year second is - Dead third is - Hospitalized fourth is - first-aid necessery fifth is - slightly injured Mike
  14. Jerry, Have been thinking about jeF4y's report of Keith doing a side to side without unsettling the bike. My guess is that he can only gain extra stability, thus keeping the bike on it's rear stand, by gripping the bike with both knees before moving over his body to the other side. I've tried to visualize this movement in my mind whilst trying to 'sense' what i would be feeling in doing that and what kind of force you would need to apply with what kind of body-parts. Maybe this sounds weird for you all, but for me this usually works to a certain degree. My conclusion is that he would probably be focussed on solely using his legs to initiate the movement helped by throwing his upper body to the other side, with as less input to the handlebars as possible. Now this is just a wild, although thought true, guess. Would like to here from the guru if i'm getting close. Mike
  15. Cobie, We have an institute for all kinds of statistics over here. Give me some time and i'll try to get our statistics. I'm sure you'll be able to do the same at your end. And maybe they'll compare. Mike
  16. Cobie, Still hoping to get a go at it sometime (125 GP-racer) I agree with you on the oldies. They were good in their time. Mike
  17. Adrian, If i were to go to the track on a RD350, wich can't be a very new bike, some questions come to mind. Questions that are mostly suspension releated, like has the fork ever been checked, the oil ever changed, is the shock in good working order? Things like that. Because if your going a lot faster around the track then your used to on the road, then the suspension has to perform equally better. And you don't want to be forced into modifying your RD because it's not in one piece anymore. It's not my intention to dramatize, but thinking before you leap never hurts. And now, to answer your initial question; i agree with Kevin, leave it alone for now. Hope this helps Mike
  18. My top 3 would be: the triple left-hander at Oschersleben (germany) followed by a 180 degree right hander. The left hander is partially blind and if you dont wan't to lose too much time, you need to start braking almost knee down and over the kerbs for the right-hander. The 180 degree left-hander at Magny-Cours. You have to leave your turn entry point so much later then you think. Like 1doohan stated earlier, so much tarmac, it's easy to feel lost. Specially when you have'nt heard about ref. points and doing everything by sight and feel. Wich is hard there because he's a sort of blind. Finally, the Ramshoek at Assen. You approach it through a very fast right-left kink and need to be very focussed to get an almost straight line through there. Then you let the bike run a bit wide to the right and turn left into the completely blind Ramshoek. This is not one for the faint hearted. The good guys are doing something like 200 km/h at turn-entry point. It used to be my favourite, until i messed up my front suspension in the fifth race of my first ever racing season and went out with a huge tankslapper, folding up my lovely Aprilia RS250 and myself. Mike
  19. Hi 9ball, Cornering technique for the R1200GS is simple. Don't hang off, unless you have extended arms. Simply keep in line with the bike and maybe let your upper body lean in a bit. And then if you have enough bodyparts ( heels, calfs, tighs and knees ) anchored solidly onto the bike, you can get the cylinderhead-protection, if you have that mounted, to the tarmac. I've seen it and done it ! Don't try to achieve this at once. First get comfortable with this cornering technique. Make sure you relax your upper body, only the lower part of your body should be firmly fixated to the bike. Hope this helps. Let me know. Best Mike
  20. Keith, Just read the article and loved it because of the way it makes me think about all the aspects of riding a bike. Thinking through how the benefits, mentioned at the bottom of your article, would alter my performance; I've come to the conclusion that getting only a 7 at every corner of any of the tracks i ride, will put me on the podium. That's something to think about !!!! Will work on this. Regards Mike
  21. Keith, Have read your ideas about isolating riding barriers. And then again and again and again. For me this article is a real eye opener. I really admire the way you pick out a problem, cut it up into a lot of small pieces, meanwhile asking questions that make you think, and finally placing the pieces into a logical order followed by the logical solution. I guess i'm in the limit mode also. Not always, but frequently enough in order to be stuck with my laptimes. I think i rode myself onto a riding plateau. It's probably due to the fact that i only started racing at the age of 42 and then wanted to be competative immediately. Have'nt given myself the time or the focus ,on just one of the five at a time, to get to a point where i can see it as a resource instead of a limit. For now i will be thinking through my own riding in order to see wich one of the five i need to start working on, and i guess i'll get some feedback from my riding coach when i attend level 1 at Zandvoort (holland) on the 17th of may. Regards Mike
  22. I've got three favourite top handling bikes on my list. Here they are in random order. ( coz they all come in first one way or the other ) 1 ducati 916. A fantastic bike as far as holding a line and carrying cornerspeed are concerned. On the down-side however, takes a lot of muscle at initial steering. And riding it on the road frustrated me immensely becouse every corner could have been taken with a higher speed. The bike that made me realise that riding the road was'nt my thing anymore, i'd better start racing. 2 And so i did with a Aprilia RS250. First time i rode one, was when my friend invited me to take it for a spin. "This one will make you smile", he said. And so it did. Bought one immediately and raced it for 3 years. Thinking of it's flickebility, cornerspeed and braking-performance still puts a grinning smile on my face. " The only bike that somehow immediately gives me the feeling that i'm 18 again". Needless to say but it's funfactor is awesome. 3 And then when you think you're all grown up, you decide to switch to a big boys bike. The suzuki gsxr-1000 K5. Thinking ahead of all the power it delivers you get nightmares about highsiding it or completely missing brakingpoints and ending up in the graveltrap. And then when you actually start riding and racing it, you're surprised by its friendly nature. The whole bike seems to be designed to give you a feel of total control. It holds a line very nicely, it flicks quick enough through esses, and the way the power is delivered never gives you the idea that the bike is in fact trying to kill you.
  23. Cobie, That's probably true. Altough these figures will be infuenced by several other factors as well. A few examples. - It's my understanding that traffic in the states is much more diciplined then over here. For instance due to your 'keep your lane' system. - I guess that in the warmer more southern states, just as in europe's mediterranian countries, a lot of motorriders are'nt wearing leathers or other protective clothing. Whereas in our climat riders are more used to wear protective gear. - Something that also helps is that since last year applicants for the driving tests are obligated to wear full protective gear during the test. i.e. boots, gloves, pants, jacket and of course a helmet. Off course the latest two remarks are'nt really crash related, but they will deminish injury's. Best Mike Cobie ( and others reading this tread ), Although i'm trying my best, i'm sure my spelling will leave something to be desired. Don't hesitate to improve me ! Thanks. Mike
  24. Cobie, To draw you a complete picture of what a would be motorcyclist has to show during his testdrives, yes we have two seperate ones. I'll sum it up for you. Test 1 ( special maneouvers ): 1 emergency stop at 50 km/h ( thei're allowed to lock up both wheels but can't lose control or fall and need come to a complete stop within 10 to 12 meters. Must use clutch at beginning of braking ) 2 forcefull technically sound stop at 50 again. ( complete stop within 10 - 14 meters. they have to use both brakes at same time and must build up brakingforce gradually. Must have it in 1st gear when stopped but can't shift sooner then within the last 3 meters or so. ) 3 precision stop at 50 again. ( Must use both brakes at same time and come to a complete stop at precisely 17 meters from starting point. Braking force must be applied evenly througout. Corrections must be so small that i can't see them. ) 4 slow slalom ( 6 cones in a straight line and 3 meters apart ) using gas, a slipping clutch and rear brake in order to keep the drive train tensioned thus giving stability they must go in and out the cones without tipping one over. 5 straight line at walking pace for 20 meters, again using gas, clutch and rear brake as described earlier. they have to ride in a straight line and must show good stability. 6 U-turn right ( within a space of 6 meters wide created with cones they must make a u-turn using same 7 U-turn left technique as slow slalom. They must have a pulling engine at all times and may not may not shut of the gas and make the turn on rest energy ) 8 making an imaginary 8 within a space of 12 by 6 meters. First cornering left then through the middle of the space and then cornering right and leaving the excercise in the same line as they went in. Again using the same technique as in the U-turn. 9 Swerving ( as described a few days ago ) 10 fast slalom ( 6 cones in a straight line and 8 meters apart ) They have to ride towards this excercise in a straight line and keep a speed of 30 km/h minimum and then go in and out of the cones keeping the same speed and not using the brakes at any time. Essential is that they use the same steering technique as described with swerving. 11 accelaration/decelaration test ( 2 gates of 1 meter wide and 55 meters apart followed by a slalom of 3 cones at 20 meters from the second gate. ) The rider must start at gate 1 from a stand still and then accelerate to 50 km/h and 3rd gear. At second gate he/she must brake and shift to second and reach a speed of 30 km/h at wich speed they have to go in and out of the cones again. It is essential that the engine is pulling again not idling at the first cone of the slalom. 12 Walking and parking They have to walk in a straight line for 10 meters and then reverse in to a parking area of 4 by 2 meters and then pull the bike on its middle standard or put it on the jiffy. The choice is ours. Then get it of the standard/jiffy and walk out of the parking area. After succesfully completing this test the can apply for the actuall driving test. In this test the instructor and i are following the applicant in a car and communicating through a walkie talkie with the applicant. ( Unfortunately my boss still does'nt agree with me that it's better to follow on a bike )This testdrive takes about 40 to 45 minutes actually driving through traffic. At my notice the instructor will tell the rider where to turn left or right or to follow road signs. Such a ride will take us through avarage 90 degree turns within urban areas. Some of them real tight and with no visability through the turn, some wider and with perfect view. We'll make sure there are a lot of crossings with a lot of other traffic coming on and crossings with different visability and priority. We always ride a few kilometers on the highways with them and let them overtake at their own initiative and change lanes whenever the situation demands that. And we always try to give them a few bends/corners at higher speeds, some preferably with a decreasing radius. What we want to see in a ride like this is,..................................... - that the rider is able to controle the bike at all times. - That he/she is able to quickly and safely find a solution when in conflict with other traffic. - That he/she is constantly aware of his surroundings and looking far enough ahead to avoid being surprised by either traffic or situations. - And that they do all that by riding at maximum allowed speed wherever possible and/or sensible. ( couse that's what they're gonna do when they get their license ) Hope this gives you a proper idea of what the testdrive in Holland looks like Best Mike
  25. Cobie, Thanks for telling him that, and i guess you're right, it's polite and clear. Best Mike
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