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BLSJDS

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Posts posted by BLSJDS

  2. May 20Th Njmp

    in School Questions/General Discussion

    Posted

    Hey Nic - I'm heading down on Sunday the 18th and back home Tuesday the 20th when the day is over, but my bike will be on the trailer :).

     

    If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask. Being at the right place at the right time is key, so listen carefully to the announcements.

     

    Dan

  4. Finding Your Turn Point

    in Cornering and Techniques

    Posted

     

     

    Turning in too LATE can also be indicated by your apex - it may be too late, in which case you end up on the inside of the track at the exit so you are not using all the track (which means you didn't straighten out the corner as much as possible, and thus your entry/corner speed was lower than it could have been), OR something else commonly seen is turning in too late and not being able to GET to the apex you wanted.

     

    For example, at my track day the other day I watched riders take a a very late turn point (they were watching each other, I think), and then never get anywhere near the inside edge of the track at the apex; I'd say they were at least fifteen feet wide of an apex cone that had been set at the edge of the track by the trackday provider. Ergo, they didn't really straighten out the corner as much as possible and then they had to compensate for that by either using a very low entry speed, or by stalling on the throttle to keep from running wide.

     

    RChase's statement above is a nice restatement of the definition of a good turn point: one that allows you to make one steering input, and apply good throttle control through the corner.

     

    Sometimes when you use an entry point that is too late, you make your turn angle into the corner much tighter (more acute) than it needed to be; anybody remember which Level 3 classroom topic and track drill addresses that?

     

     

    IIRC, that is the Attack Angles drill, which I really learned a lot from. One of the many things I like about CSS is that we are actually encouraged (albeit mainly during this drill) to use different lines / different attack angles and get comfortable with different approaches to a corner. As a result, there is a much better understanding of what needs to be done differently as you enter, apex, and exit the corner. It really helped with my passing ability. Most track day organizations want you to always "hold the race line", pretty much to a fault.

     

    There is one turn at NJMP Thunderbolt that, because of the way it is configured, a late apex actually slows you down. I had been consistently turning in too late, hitting an apex that was far into the turn, and not getting a strong drive out (and not using all the track available to me). Finally during a break, I went over to watch this corner and noticed how the coaches & faster riders were turning and apexing much earlier than I had been. They were getting great drives out as well. So I started to experiment with a few different turn in points and found my sweet spot. What a difference.

  5. Finding Your Turn Point

    in Cornering and Techniques

    Posted

    A major indicator for me for turning in too early OR too late is where I actually apex.

     

    How quickly & aggressively I'm able to roll on throttle is another. Turning in early sucks because I generally apex early and still need to keep the bike leaned over quite a bit to complete the turn. As such, picking the bike up while rolling on the throttle aggressively has to wait. Come to think of it, turning in too late causes a similar problem :).

  7. Downshifting While Braking

    in Cornering and Techniques

    Posted

    Just wondering if the blipping is worth it or if I should just use the slipper clutch reliant technique so that way my right hand can focus 100% on maximum braking and feel...

     

    FWIW, I just installed a Yoyodyne slipper clutch in my '08 CBR600 and now I don't bother blipping the throttle at all during braking / downshifting. It is really smooth and the rear end remains very stable, even at very high rpms.

  8. How Do You Transition From Deceleration To Acceleration While Cornerin

    in Cornering and Techniques

    Posted

    I get ALL of my braking done before I initiate turn-in. Some people like to trail brake, I am not one of them. I find that the Ohlins suspension settles the bike VERY quickly after I release the front brake.

     

    Once braking is complete, I quick turn to my lean angle. Once I am at my lean angle, I crack the throttle on (and a lot of factors contribute to how aggressive I can be with roll on). However, the initial throttle roll on is an area where I feel some fine tuning of the bike (using PCV, Autotune) will help make the transition smoother. At lower RPMs, my bike tends to be a little "jerky" when the throttle is initially cracked open. I spoke to Will about this and he confirmed that is fairly common and can be tuned out.

     

    So that's where I'm at now - installing Autotune to help smooth the transition.

  9. Specific Practice Days

    in Cornering and Techniques

    Posted

    BLS,

    I live on LI but I thought I might make a trip up to OC to meet you and to ride with you in what must be very beautiful roads.

     

     

    There are a few road trips up here that I think I really, really nice. Some good twisties on roads that are in great condition with very few cars. If you decide to take the trip up, let me know and I'll give you more details, but basically the back roads from Warwick, NY up to Port Jervis and then on to Rt. 97 along the Delaware River (and the famous Hawk's Nest) are excellent. Also 9W from Bear Moutain State Park on the west side of the Hudson River up through West Point on Rt. 218 is another good one, but sometimes they close Rt. 218 when it rains a lot due to possibility of landslides (the road is basically built into the side of a cliff :) ).

  13. Specific Practice Days

    in Cornering and Techniques

    Posted

    Every time I go out on track, whether at CSS or with one of the local clubs, I have specific CSS drills that I practice. I don't ride on the street anymore, but when I did, most of the drills I focused on were visual.

     

    Proper form & technique are critical, chicken strip reduction is not :)

  17. Auto Tune Question - O2 Sensor Location

    in School Questions/General Discussion

    Posted

    Hey Timmer,

     

    I just ordered AutoTune for my bike (2008 Honda CBR600RR). It has a full Akrapovic exhaust (4 into 2 into 1) with an O2 sensor bung already welded in place about 6 inches after the "2 into 1" section, right near the lower link of the rear shock. It is still pretty far from the muffler.

     

    Is this a good location for the O2 sensor? I'm assuming it is since it is an OEM location, but wanted to check with you, just to be sure.

     

    FWIW, it also has a BMC race air filter, PCV, & ignition module (for the quickshifter). Everything else engine related is bone stock. Any other installation and / or use tips?

     

    Thanks very much!

    Dan

  18. Hey Steve - Tell Me About The New Q3 :)

    in School Questions/General Discussion

    Posted

    I am a HUGE fan of the Dunlop Q2. Every time I think about stepping up to the 211 GPA, Will & Cobie come up with pretty good reasons to stick with the Q2, mainly the performance in damp / wet conditions & they don't need as much heat to perform. Plus, I have yet to find myself limited by the Q2 (as opposed to being limited by my riding ability :).

     

    Yesterday, I saw that Dunlop will be rolling out the Q3 shortly and it looks awesome. How does it compare to the Q2?

     

    Thanks!

    Dan

  20. Conering - Foot Position Inside Foot Hurting

    in Cornering and Techniques

    Posted

    I went from a 954RR to a 600RR and found the 600RR to be a much better fit for me. It may be that the 1000RR is putting your body in a position that is not ideal. Because of the different riding position, you may be moving your butt way too far off the seat when cornering. If that's the case, you might be really crossed up, which will make it difficult to lock on with your outside leg. THAT will cause you to put more weight on the inside foot.

  24. Stoichiometric Air/fuel Ratio

    in School Questions/General Discussion

    Posted

    Thanks Dan!

     

    I remember you talking to me in Jersey about getting an Autotune once you got everything else set up how you wanted.

     

    Please post up any other questions you have on air/fuel ratio. If you have any specific questions on how to get the Autotune working, feel free to shoot my a private message. :)

     

    Thanks Tim, will do! Will you be in Jersey again this year? I've got Level IV booked for 5/20, 5/21 and again on 7/29, 7/30.

  25. Most Common Mistake You See In Yourself

    in Cornering and Techniques

    Posted

    I tend to move around too much on the bike, especially when the pace picks up, which is completely counterproductive :).

     

    When I get tired, I tend to use less body lean and more bike lean, which is also counterproductive :).

     

    Basically my Level IV days go something like this: Ride - coach helps me identify issues. Ride again - previous issues fixed - coach helps me identify new issues. Ride again - previous issues fixed - coach helps me identify new issues. And over and over again :).

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