Cobie Fair
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Posts posted by Cobie Fair
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OK, thanks. I haven't been there or heard much of it, I'll have a look.
CF
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OK, where is Anglesey?
CF
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I thought I heard that the iphone had a db meter...not sure if it will be accurate enough but mabye?
CF
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Hi Guys,
I was quite interested in this thread, but got the plague, been pretty much horizontal for a while, coming back to life slowly.
So...great responses on this. Before I forget, Fajita--if you get headaches, almost certainly due to not enough water and electrolytes. Electrolyte drinks can help (I prefer the ones w/out too much sugar), and we actually have the electrolytes (2 main ones) of salt and potassium at all schools.
You guys have touched on a few areas, and also separated track from street riding.
Street riding: all the gear, all the time. One day going to the beach about 25 years ago, didn't wear a jacket (had pants, helmet gloves). Fell in oil on an on-ramp to the freeway. Road rash on the arm, and since I like my skin, I didn't care for that. Now, I don't care if it's 105 degrees, I wear a jacket (got a nice mesh one too
).There are other pieces to this, but I'm still getting over the plague, so gonna do this a small piece at a time! (like to know if you have any additional thoughts on the street prep--I'm not done with that one yet personally).
CF
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Hi All,
We are going to make trek to the eastern part of the country, the bike show in NY, BMW has a booth, and 3 of us will be heading there (Trevor, Whitney and I).
We had the slide bike at the show in Long Beach, seemed like it was one of the more photographed bikes, lying on it's side with "Frankie" (our dummy) on it.
If you are there, come and say hi!
Best,
Cobie
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I wonder, is there somewhere that shows all tyres that Dunlop still sells for motorcycles? I'm (slooowlyyyyy) building a flat track style bike sitting on 18 inch wheels and I'm looking for something resembling flat track tyres. Also, my brother is converting his 700 Enfield into a bobber and an old Guzzi Ambassador into a cafe racer, both needing some old style tyres to suit. I know from browsing the net that there are more Dunlops still on sale than what's shown on the official page - or that I'm incabable of finding them?
Hmmm...good question. I think Steve is getting ready to head to Daytona for another test, not sure how quickly he'll get to this.
CF
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Great Steve, thanks for organizing that, handy!
One addition to what Steve has posted about this section (and the forum overall): And that is, we do not consider educate to a be a one way activity. Chime in, interact, ask your questions (even if they have been asked before, you might get politely referred to another post, who cares!).
Best,
Cobie
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Two questions:
For the track day rider, going at the infamous 15 seconds off the winning pace, you say his feedback for grip is invalid. Do you mean that it's overall invalid, or just invalid as a reference for the gals and guys on the winning pace? - Surely the feedback or sensation that the rider gets is important to the rider her/him-self?
Secondly, since the track day rider can usually use any compound, would it not make sense for said hapless track day rider to buy rear tires in the "Endurance" compound from a longevity/cost point of view?
It's really hard to know "whichever compound works" if you haven't tried them, and last time I checked, the truck with Dunlop sponsored tires haven't stopped at my doorstep yet
Thanks, Kai
Kai, I'm going to chime in on one point of this, regarding riding technique. This relates to both suspension and tires too. The best bike in the world, with the best tires in the world, can be completely overriden by poor technique. Using/abusing the control inputs of throttle, handlebars and brakes, one can get a bike way below it's correct threshold to be completely unstable.
Here is an example I know of: medium fast track day rider, going through turn 3 at Barber (has some bumps), doing 90-100. Mishandles the bike controls (bars in this case) so badly that the bike begins to tank slap, viscous, hard, nasty. Our hero thinks, "gonna die, gotta get off this thing" and lets go of the bars, going to bail off the back of the bike. The INSTANT he let go of the bars, the bike recovered fully. He put his hands back on the bars and kept it on the track.
Point here is this: technique can overwhelm machinery, suspension and tires, WAY below the correct limit with correct technique.
Steve can chime in on one thing a tire point: a softer tire, might that not work as well for a slower rider if it gets to temp easier, and the rider gets more grip, less movement? Could that be better than a harder/endurance type tire?
CF
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OK, what helps you with riding, what prepares and compliments that activity? This is a pretty broad question, and can be a combination of factors.
Physical condition? Raw talent? Study and understanding of riding? Seat time? Having the right people around you? Understanding of the mechanics of the machine and tires? Yoga?
Maybe you guys will or won't say, what you REALLY think, but I'd like to get an idea. If you think you'll look like a fool, make another screen name, and post it that way, I don't care.
This could get over into whatever (fine with me).
I'd also like to know where the different things stand in relative importances to you guys. And if you guys are up to it, give little comment on why you think something is of importance (or not).
We'll see where this one goes or if it dies a quick death.
CF
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Hey Keith,
While, this is my first post here, I've emailed with you a couple times and have read all the TOTW books numerous times.
I've been fortunate enough to do well this past year, racing with WERA, but I've got some stuff I need to work on for next year.
Getting out of turns faster. I know that at every track I've raced, I can get at least 2 more seconds out of my best lap times. It seems that this is all "in the corners".
My first inclination is that I need to get on the gas harder between the apex of the turn and the exit. Pretty basic.
My second thought is that I need to get into the turns better. I think sometimes I plan too much on setting up the turn, that I go into it slower than I should be, and am accelerating before the apex. In the theory of being smooth and "being on the gas as early as possible", I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing.
My last inclination is that I'm way off and there's something else I should be working on.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Eddie Kraft
Hi Eddie,
It would be best to see you ride, then we'd be able to see what you are doing. Some riders get on the throtlte too soon, before they have set the lean angle fully, and guess what, makes you run wide! Then you can't get back on the gas as early or as hard as you'd like on the exit.
Could be caused by what's happening at the approach to the turn; body, visual skills, turn set up, braking and downshifting--there's a pretty long list.
Any chance we'll get you at a school, so we can have a look?
Best,
Cobie
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Definitely have seen footage of riders grouped together and one backing it and the other not. The shot I recall (don't recall the riders, but some top AMA guys) had one back it in, the other behind actually looked like he was gaining ground in the entry to the turn.
It could make one "wider" and harder to pass, but quicker around the track...I'll let you guys work on that one, see what you come up with.
CF
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Wow, college to 40, that's a bit of a gap, but understand
.I may be older but I'm still imnmature, and have a short attention span (that's what I tell my kids anyway).
CF
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Well, I've already mentioned the NO B/S bike, designed for this very purpose.
Let's say you don't have an opportunity to ride it.
Find an open straight stretch of road and get your bike up to 50 mph. Let go of the bars and start pushing on one peg. With both hands off the bar, the bike will slow down, so won't be able to do this very long.
This can actually be done on a bicycle at 15, can't get it steered effectively at all, and then when you do get it to lean over, watch the handle bars, they countersteer!
CF
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I'm sure we can wait Cobie, my concern is that you just got with Will, friendly working environment in the US eh?
Well, we had talked before and set up that we'd start this week, but got with him after what we've seen with the tires section, and want to make sure he'll have a chance to get to it.
CF
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Pretty sure we are the only ones that have that bike. The UK and Oz branches have some paddock restrcitions that we don't have.
If you guys ever get over here, make sure you ride that thing, it really is an eye opener.
CF
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Cobie,
Judging how well the tire section is going, and the amount of lurkers its revealing, this will be another winner.
Right, so here is the latest: Just went and got with Will, got a better idea of what he has on his plate currently. We could crank up the mechanic section, but I don't want to do it when he has pretty busy schedule, and it was busier than I thought. When we release that section he wants to be able to get to it, so looks like it will be a few more weeks. Part of this was he and I didn't get our heads together as fully as we should have, part is seeing the result from the tire section, we want to make sure we can get the answers to you guys...so, get your questions ready, we will kick this off at the beginning of Feb.
Yes, you can send me the hate mail/pm's I can take it.
CF
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is it possible to downshift more than one gear with only 1 blip?
or do you need to blip (and clutch) for each gear you downshift?
thanks
Yes, it is possible. Takes a little more practice, than a single shift, though. As an example, you go from 6th to 2nd gear at the end of the 'flight straight' at the Scandinavian Raceway Anderstorp, and going down 2 gears at the time is not unusual there.
Kai
I've known good riders that have done it on modern bikes, but i've also heard Keith talk about letting the clutch out between each shift. I've personally have had the bike go down 0 gears, and also more than one at a time, so letting the clutch out between each shift would be considered the norm, so you know exactly what you have. Also, have any of you seen the footage in the Twist 2 DVD, I think they recorded Dylan doing it in a few tenths of a second (maybe even more than one gear...). Well, guess I need to pop that DVD in, unless someone else can chime in on that.
CF
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Have any of you guys ridden the NO B/S bike? That is a real treat, highly recommended
.CF
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Cliff,
Not to just throw a shameless plug up here for new tires, but I have run tires right down to the cords before, and I also crashed on a set of tires that was quite worn, and frankly I think was a major factor in the crash---this was 1978, I didn't know much about tires and let them get pretty worn.
I personally like to err on the side of good rubber. While those used race tires could be fine, the thing that grabbed my attention was they aren't symetrical?
I've gone both ways, could be just fine, but I'd err on the side of good rubber.
Best,
CF
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Great guys,(even Gomer for coming out of the closet
), we'll get this up soon.CF
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Cobie,
I've not set foot on a track since 2000, so it's been 10 years since I've really put the majority of my cornering skills into play. I've ridden extensively the past 10 years but don't use the street as a racetrack, so again, L-1 sounds like the most logical place to start.
Since Sarah and I have different levels of riding experience, do you think having the same coach would benefit each of us on our own skills, or would it be better to have different coaches considering we are at different levels?
--SP
SP,
Won't matter to the coach, as he will ride with and deal with each individually for the debriefings. Sometimes is better to split couples up, just so one isn't tempted to try and "coach" or interpret what the other is being coached on. Some couples its no problem, they want to do it together. We'll accomodate whatever you like on this!
CF
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Good pics, and that's quite some leather design!
I've got more grey hair too!
CF
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Hi Sean,
I have talked with Keith about this subject, how long to repeat a level, how much time in between? Keith (if I recall correctly) thinks that over 3-5 years and it would be good to start at the beginning (if no schools in between).
This can for sure vary with the person, riding, how much he studies (if at all) between schools.
I had a student that had 3 years+ in between schools, came back and did level 2, and really should have re-done level 1, and didn't recall that info well enough to get the most out of his day.
On another note, if you guys are coming together, let me know if you want the same coach, or a different one--just shoot me an e-mail on that, or pm or whatever!
Best,
Cobie
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Hi Sean,
Hmmm...need to see your face, that might ring the bell better!
Glad you are up here and posting, look forward to seeing you and your girl, for sure need to come and say hello that morning when you get there.
Best,
Cobie
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Staff Nicknames
in School Questions/General Discussion
Posted
Well, we have some Brits coming over, see if they can make this stick this year.
CF