Cobie Fair
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Posts posted by Cobie Fair
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fricking spammers! The webmaster get's a lot of them, and when I'm up I try and get the rest, if I miss one, you guys can report it, it will come to me, or shoot me an e-mail, and I'll get it done if I have computer access: cobie@superbikeschool.com
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For turning the bike, some upper body strength is needed too. It's one reason I think girls (if they are smaller, and have less leverage, unless very fit, not usually as much upper body strength) have a harder time steering the bike quickly. The girls that have ended up being coaches her have all been pretty fit, with good upper body strength.
The legs do get worked in Level 3, but one reason the students get sore is it's also different muscles than most people use.
For sure a difference between a good lap time at a track day and a race. I had to do a few fast laps the other day and I was whipped! It was at the end of the day, but still it took way more energy than the vast majority of the riding I need to do.
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Acebobby,
Since it was a survey type question, I'll chime in. Some years ago, I heard Rossi didn't do much training at all. That I think has changed, but is still pretty recent. There was some data on his heart rate and Biaggi's a while back, and I think Rossi's would go down, where Max's would go up, and pretty high. Bet someone knows that data or can find it out. I'm sure all the top guys are in good shape, a 200+ HP beast, just to hang on and move around on the thing.
For sure technique in the end is more important, one can wear themslves out by poor/unknown technique. Keith is in his 60's, and fast!
Cobie
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FF750--OK, I went back and re-read your original post. The bike wobbled and then you were down. You think you had already cracked the throttle on. It was after the apex. A very common source of crashes that happen fairly quickly is the rider is adding lean angle (espeicailly after the unitial turn in) and also adding throttle. That is the deadly duo--add lean angle, and add throttle.
The bike wobbling indicates some pressure on the bars. Going back to your level 1 class, and the briefing on rider input--do you recall what Keith or Dylan went over in that? Also in the previous class about how many times you are supposed to turn the bike per turn? That little SV doesn't take much effort to get it to lean over more (neither do our Zx-6's) and guys add lean angle all the time when they have already steered it in.
What do you think?
C
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My friends did check my tires when the bike got bakc to the pits and they were cold when the bike got off of the track. It was my 6th lap of a 5.5 kms curcuit. It was also the thrid session of the day. The tire pressure were fine but I should have checked them before hand.
Andre
6th lap, 3rd session, doesn't sound like cold tires would have been the problem.
I did want to ask you (and the other board members) how a tire is warmed up? Some think that flicking the bike back and forth in the pit lane, or into the first few turns will warm the tire. A few years ago Dunlop ran some tests, and found that it wasn't doing anything.
So, how are tires warmed--and let's say you don't have a tire warmer, gotta do it the "old fashioned way."
Best,
Cobie
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Hi Kevin,
I had in mind what actually put the guy on the ground--for sure RP's, not enough, wrong ones, etc.- is an issue, I had just been thinking of what put the guy on the ground. Honestly, I'm a little surprised that cold tires has come up yet.
C
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Hi Kevin,
I had in mind what actually put the guy on the ground--for sure RP's, not enough, wrong ones, etc.- is an issue, I had just been thinking of what put the guy on the ground. Honestly, I'm a little surprised that cold tires has come up yet.
C
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I haven't read Twist 2 yet but you can be sure it's already in my reading list prior to my next track day
If you get your key fundamentals really in good shape your confidence WILL go up. Twist 2 is a great start, some read it and then go out and practice one thing (not the whole book). If you can get to a school, we'll work you over on this stuff, but the book has tons of useful and proven techniques, clearly explained.
Best,
cobie
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[quote
One thing I wonder about as far as the crash is whether I ended up totally losing it because I had a hard time maintaining my throttle once the wobble started. I wonder if once the wobble started I ended up with my throttle input fluctuating and engine braking caused the rear tire to load up intermittently - kind of like if I had been hitting the brakes on and off. I know the SVs engine braking can be pretty abrupt because it's a twin so I wonder if that was a contributing factor?
If you haven't already, there is a good section on this in Twist 2. But, if a rider was in the gas in a turn, and then chopped it, it could go to 75% plus on the front tire--the weight transfer is not minor on this.
C
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Racer--I read what Will had said, and I didn't take as you did. I'm not going to re-hash this, but glad you guys have sorted this out. I do sometimes also get lost with the physics theory, I keep hoping guys will get some drawings or links up here to put a little "mass" to the subjects.
Best,
Cobie
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1. Get more people riding motorcycles. Even my ZX-9 gets over 40 mpg, instant economic benefit. Side benefit of happier people, making better decisions. Warning that goes with this: don't make serious financial decisions while riding--just ride. Make the decisions later, a better decision will come about (see side benefit above).
2. Take lawmakers to a track and give them an enthusiastic ride. They will be so exhilirated, might say something reasonable, be sure to record it. That or it would scare the $%^& out of them, they might stop talking long enough to listen to some common sense.
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Yeah. I still glue my chest to the tank, and even though the rider coaching me said I'm still not in the ideal position, it's something I can really work on specifically for probably the next few trackdays. What makes it feel even more secure is taking that pressure off the bars. His question after I told him my next statement was "why were you looking," but it's weird not seeing the other side of the track. I mean in my periphery when I say this.
I've also got to work on feet pressure. A couple trackdays ago I punched my foot peg through the sole of my boot. Probably shouldn't be pressing that hard.
Better your feet than using the hands, no?
C
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Yeah. I still glue my chest to the tank, and even though the rider coaching me said I'm still not in the ideal position, it's something I can really work on specifically for probably the next few trackdays. What makes it feel even more secure is taking that pressure off the bars. His question after I told him my next statement was "why were you looking," but it's weird not seeing the other side of the track. I mean in my periphery when I say this.
I've also got to work on feet pressure. A couple trackdays ago I punched my foot peg through the sole of my boot. Probably shouldn't be pressing that hard.
Better your feet than using the hands, no?
C
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Yeah. I still glue my chest to the tank, and even though the rider coaching me said I'm still not in the ideal position, it's something I can really work on specifically for probably the next few trackdays. What makes it feel even more secure is taking that pressure off the bars. His question after I told him my next statement was "why were you looking," but it's weird not seeing the other side of the track. I mean in my periphery when I say this.
I've also got to work on feet pressure. A couple trackdays ago I punched my foot peg through the sole of my boot. Probably shouldn't be pressing that hard.
Better your feet than using the hands, no?
C
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I was near the edge of the track and the bike was leaned over as I did grind my left peg. Plus, I was on the brakes. I do not remember much else as I was out for about ten seconds afterwards. The corner that it was in is a decreasing radius that is better taken from the middle of the track and I was on the outside. The bottom line is fear stepped in and in my case it was the driver that cause the crash.
OK, so possibly rode it off the wheels if you leaned it over after touching the pegs, or lost it on the brakes while leaned over (possibly ran off with the brakes on leaned over).
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Let us know how your race goes at Daytona!
Cobie
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I know you have a professional photographer take pics.
I will be coming up to Willow Springs on 10/25, and was wondering if a spectator can go to different parts of the track and take pictures, or is nobody allowed out there. If not allowed out and all over the track, can they get close down by the last few turns to get some pics?
Hi DMX,
The other guys have covered this pretty well, but the main issue is there aren't that many places that are readily accesible for spectators at the Streets. Our official photographer has gotten all that sorted out with our course control Trevor, where he can and can't be. For sure OK behind the pit wall as Stuman mentioned, and can get some good shots there.
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Well, I recently crash tat my local track (Calabogie Motorsport) and it was my fault. I would love to say I was going in too hot as I just passed someone. I would love to say the tires where cold or I missed a reference point. But I can not, I target fixated and by the time I realize it was to late as I was on the wrong line to recover and down i went.
I had a video going on my bike. It showed I was only 5kms faster then my last lap and that the bike could have made the corner as I if I had not target fixated.
When I went to Fast Racing School here in Canada, I asked my instructor, what was the hardest skill he had to work on? He stated it was his eyes and looking far enough ahead.
This is just my experience.
A question: you ended up on the wrong line, but did you lean the bike too far, did you run off the track with the brake on, what made the bike loose traction?
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I agree with acebobby, but I've seen a few crashes that even with really bad throttle control they would have made it through were it not for one big error...
A lack of understanding of countersteering leading to the rider holding pressure on the bars/manhandling it through the turn and sapping front end traction as a result.
I nealy lost it twice due to being too tight on the bars--in fact in both instances, I was ready to bail off the bike, and letting go of the bars saved the day.
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So I would say the leading cause of trackday crashes has to be SR no1 rolling off the gas! It can highside you when your sliding or lowside you mid turn!
I vote for insufficient attention to reference points
Kevin Kane
OK, one rolling off the throttle, 1 for insufficent reference points. On the 2nd, what exactly brought about the crash--in other words, how did lack of RP's create the crash?
If you all haven't seen this article lately, an article by Keith on crashing: http://forums.superbikeschool.com/index.php?showtopic=703
C
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OK, I'll open this one up. What do you guys think is the LEADING cause of track day crashes? Lets keep this focused on track days, not races.
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Thanks Cobie, we also get the qualifiers and the qualifier RRs here but was just wondering about the Roadsmarts as they seem to be getting good review's in the magazines over here! I only wondered if anyone had personal experience with them. I will email Andy as I'm sure if they sell them they will have tried them out!
B
It still surprises me that you guys get tires that we never get!
C
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So for now I will still have to rely on what is demonstrable as I find the "scientific" explanation induces drowsiness and I have machinery to operate.
And I thought I was the only one
that was funny, I laughed out loud.
Cobie
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Hi Genevieve,
No French, just a little Spanish, but welcome (bienvenidos) to the forum, glad to have you up here and keep us posted on your racing. Any more races this year, or is the weather going to be a problem soon?
Best,
Cobie
Dunlop Sportmax Roadsmart
in School Questions/General Discussion
Posted
Racer--thanks for the info on the Roadsmart tires and Qualifiers. We love the Q's for our use. I don't get as many really hot laps in as someone racing would, and the tires are not that often up to temp, so I don't like the new low pressure tires as much--I don't like the squirm when I turn it in, but many do (like Keith--likes the grip).
We have slicks on our coach bikes (used) but Q's on our student bikes, and I've had to ride a bike with Q's on it, and frankly loved 'em. They warm up so much sooner than the slicks.