acebobby

I find that using the two-step drill helps me to use exactly the precise amount of steering required to point the bike in the direction I want it to go, I never really thought of oversreering the bike right into the ground before, I do sometimes wonder how fast it can be done, When I did my level 1 it was raining and I was amazed at how fast I could do it in the wet and it is something I work on alot now, I always feel that I am holding back a little and would like to do it as fast as I am physically capable to see if it would hold or not but obviously I dont want to crash trying!

every top level racers have fans, its all part of racing, wheather it be nationality, maybe your impressed with their style or maybe you met them and found them to be a genuinely nice guy, I dont think there is a model for what makes a pedrossa fan, Just fans choosing who they want to support! When I was at the catalunia moto gp earlier this year it was the first time I'd ever seen Rossi fans almost outnumbered about 50/50 pedrossa and Rossi fans, usually its a sea of yellow Rossi fans everywhere, and me with my 69 hat on. then that was pedrossa's home race.

Ace; What's that diet all about? Kevin Hi Kevin, sorry I never responded to this sooner, I must have missed it! Firstly looking at the abs diet site it appears as just another wonder diet, loosing loads of weight in a ridiculously short amount of time which is basically not good for your health. When I did it before I did loose alot of weight and a high percentage of body fat but it was over a long period of time, and changed my eating habbits to suit. It is easy to maintain and the reason I came off it was that I quit smoking and struggled to maintain the diet and not smoke at the same time as I was replacing my nicotine cravings with junk food. I have now been off cigarettes for a year I am happy to say and though slightly overweight I feel alot better than when I smoked! I am planning on getting back on the abs diet after new year, and will be keeping fit by training at the gym and going jogging!

Nicky Hayden, for amazing control at the edge of traction.

I do both but mostly road riding (about 10000 miles a year) thats only riding for fun, I dont commute on my bike, as far as track riding goes I dont get on the track as much as I'd like but am planning on changing that in 2009, I aim to do levels 2 and 3 at the CSS and do a load of trackdays too!

No I dont think so! I think using the brakes would do a better job at slowing down than sticking a leg out! I still think he's positioning his foot for upshifts as you only ever see this done on the gear lever side!

In Australian news this week, apparently philip island have been approached to host this for the first race of the season. I hope it happens for sure and I think it can only be good for Ben Spies and Tom Sykes as I imagine there will be no expence spared from yamaha making sure the new R1 is capable from day 1!

OK I am starting this thread due to a short discussion Cobie and I had on another thread as I did not want to change the subject on that other thread! What is a reference point to you? I can ride faster on tracks with more hazzards e.g. trees,,fences, walls surrounding the track than one with alot of run off area, this may sound crazy as it would obviously hurt alot more if I made a mistake! I never really thought about it until recently and came to the conclusion that I must be using these hazzards as RP's, it makes sense that a huge tree, or where a wall begins or whatever would make a good RP, but what about on a track with lots of run off area, lots of space but not alot to look at, where do you find your RP's, here? What would you use as an RP? Without using cones as an example, what sort of things do you use?

I've heard of weighing the outer peg, but it seems scary to me. I've found that focusing on weighing the inner peg relaxes my upper body position, taking the weight off the bars and stabilizes the machine (or the rider- not sure which needs it more). I can then focus attention on apex, exit and getting into the gas. I'm with hub on this one, the pressure I put on the outer peg helps to wedge my knee into the tank, also see chapter 19 in twist 2!

I remember seeing something about sportbike design and how aero dynamics are not an issue until above 140-150 mph, This year on a German autobahn (no speed limits), I took my bike to its max speed which was 167-168 mph flicking on the clock so probably about a true 150-155 mph (very regular fuel stops that day), I remember sitting up out of the bubble at one point and the wind blast was very powerful, never noticed if it reduced the speed though, Remember though if you hold on too tight with your arms (which pro racers wont do) your body becomes a sail! If sticking there leg out did help to slow with wind drag, it would obviously be more effective to stick the knee out and keep the foot on the peg creating a sail effect and not just have the leg flapping around!

I'm 6 ft 2 but a fair bit heavier than you at 220 lbs. I wear a dainese 2 piece suit which I find very comfortable, Its a Euro size 56 UK size 46 which I believe will be the same as you will get in USA! I need the 56 suit due to having big shoulders but for a perfect fit I'd want the trousers of a 54 and the jacket of a 56 as when not zipped together I'm always pulling my trousers up. I personally prefer 2 piece suits, just for comfort off the bike aswell as on it, as I can remove my jacket when not riding, saying that I think if I was going racing I would get a one piece suit for that!

I clean my tires with pavement. LOL! Me too!

If this happens, this race will go down in history! http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/18122008/58/...rbike-duel.html

do you mean as in a quick turn motion, like still be on the brake or to be gradually releasing it when you give the inside bar a firm push, is that possible without losing the front? scary! I guess even if the front slid a little you would catch it when you cracked open the throttle, is this correct?

I did the mens health abs diet a few years ago, it was amazing, I got down to 180 lbs but more impresive was that my body fat percentage rapidly dropped from 25% to 12%, planning to get back on it after new year as I am back up at 220 lbs at the moment

Here,s a funny thing that happens to me, I am a fast road rider but not such a fast track rider, that is probably down to lack of experience but the strange thing is, I like tracks like the nurburgring where it is surrounded by wallls, trees, and fences (more like a road with no speed limits), but am not so keen when I get on a track with lots of run off area, I think this could be down to a major lack of RP's.

Yeah, you can get away with it (bad TC) most of the time street riding, so it doesn't force one to take another way. Might be one reason that all those dirt track kids turned into such good road-racers. I'd really like Nicky to do well on that Duc. Didn't I read recently that he said after he rode it that whatever they were paying Casey, they should double it? I thought I read that he (Nicky) was on top of the time charts. He did say they should double casey's wages because the bike is an animal, he was fastest in the wet test and came 6th in the dry, looking good so far!

HI Dom I'm from Scotland too, welcome to the forum!

I agree with what you are saying but my point was not specifically transferring track riding onto the street, but the techniques that are taught at CSS and explained in Keiths books i.e. TC rule #1 is as important on the street as the track or having the knowledge and ability to quick steer your bike out of harms way among lots of others. I am by no means saying treat the road as a race track or vice versa and fully agree with you about being dangerous, lawless, and just plain stupid, I also believe the safest place to practice new techniques is on a track which is why I like to go to school so much, I get to ride on track, I get to learn new skills, and I get advice from some of the best instructors in the world, The topic asks What is needed to make a rider better/faster and getting educated in the techniques developed by Keith has so far worked for me, so I will be continuing to work through the levels, and practicing the contents of the TOTW books! B

I think for sure your lap times will deteriorate without practice. but what I meant was that the techniques taught at the CSS will work on the road and the track as the principles are the same and you have to overcome the same SR's! I can say from my own personal experience that I am faster, smoother and most importantly safer on the road since learning the techniques, Where I live I unfortunately dont have the opportunity to get on the track every few weeks, I do however have the benefit of from the moment I leave the house hundreds of miles of twisties in every direction, So this is where I practice the techniques, All of the level one drills improved my road riding amazingly, and I think that when work my way through the rest of the levels I will improve even more. The lnformation on this forum, the TOTW books, and attending the school has helped me loads! Hope to get more tracktime next year, but L2 and L3 are at the top of my priority list!

Wow cool pics, is that a wet track that you are riding the desmo on? or maybe its just the way the light is shining on the track. I like the zx10 pic, is that you backing it in, noticed you are using some clutch like you explained on another thread.

For the kind of corner you described I think I would try to end my braking just at my chosen turn point! For a long time I had a problem with turns at the end of straights as I always tended to brake to hard and be off the brakes too early and end up coasting towards my turn point, it used to drive me nuts. I think that since the corner you described goes onto another straight I would finish braking at the turn point, quick turn, then be on the gas asap to get max drive up the next straight. I dont know if this way is best but it is the way I feel most comfortable with and it is definately better than the way I used to do it.

I do thousands of miles on the street, and find that from learning and practicing the techniques taught at CSS has made a massive improvement to my riding! I dont own a track bike, but use my road bike for only a few trackdays and a trip to the nurburgring every year, I even sacrificed a few trackdays this year to afford my level 1 and will be doing the same next year for levels 2 and 3, The principle is the same whether on road or track, you will find that the CSS here in the UK have been involved with training the police the techniques and we even have insurance companies that will give discounts on your bike insurance if you have attended the school,

TC#1, of course its so obvious, a good line through the turn is a line where TC rule #1 can be used!

commitment, If you want something enough, you can acheave it but only with hard work and the desire to get what you want, Like pretty much anything in life its easier to come up with excuses why not to do something, Good coaching combined with a will to learn is very important, you must also be open to everyones opinion regarding technique and take from that whatever works for you but also have the ability to figure out what doesn't work for you.