Jasonzilla

Sorry. I missed this a LONG time ago. The "surprise" wrecks happen more frequently, and the pace is a bit slower. I think it happens when the riders get comfortable and try to pick it up a little more.

Our trackday started back up in September. I'm going to work on what I've learned in levels one and two and HOPEFULLY in the spring I'm going to tweak what I've been working on.

Howdy. I'm willing to bet they'll make you better.

I hang off when I'm just practicing something on the street. I never ride anywhere near what I ride on track, maybe 20% of that, but setting up my body before a corner, and things like that. I can go have fun on the back roads, I'm just always last in the pack. Well, when I did it anyways. I don't even try. When they used to talk trash I'd invite them out to the track. One person smoked me, but the rest didn't fare so well. And I'm not even fast. They think they're at 100% when they ride the streets, and find out they're nowhere near it. As for traction, I don't think hanging off even at slow speeds decreases traction. I may be wrong, but it still provides more lean, and moves the weight up to the front.

It's the Arai Samurai. Wicked helmet. My wife got it for me as a present for putting up with 8 years of on-off school. She's finally graduated. That's why I was upset about the stinky helmet syndrome I got at the school. It wasn't even 2 weeks old. Yeah, getting it just right--that feels good, doesn't it? CF FANTASTIC!!! There are four times I've screamed in my helmet at the top of my lungs. After my first lap doing my first trackday, the first time I dragged my knee, my first quick-turn after learning the two-step, and when I dropped the bike straight to my knee and rode smoothly through the corner. Well, five times, because I did it again the next day. I know I'll get better and more consistent, but doing it for the first time and feeling it's near perfect..... priceless. And thanks to everyone at the school, by the way.

Rea in WSBK. Good one. He needed that year to get used to the 1000. I didn't touch that one because Toseland is back and Crutchlow is entering the fray.

Howdy. I love the mystery you've entered the group with. Just a "hi," and we get to figure out the rest.

Hey Acebobby. Is any of that "sense of speed" you've been reading online? If so, can I get a link or the sites? I would appreciate it. I'm doing my first trackday since school on the 22nd, and am going to drop to the Superstreet group and do 3rd gear, no brakes. I loved it, and got my best time at the school doing that (don't tell anyone, but I used the straight to pass, and did get some brake in there [HEH]).

It's the Arai Samurai. Wicked helmet. My wife got it for me as a present for putting up with 8 years of on-off school. She's finally graduated. That's why I was upset about the stinky helmet syndrome I got at the school. It wasn't even 2 weeks old.

Spies won't make top 3. Lorenzo, Stoner, Rossi.

I've made a cheat sheet of the classes. The handouts we were given have references from the books, and I have my own. I've made something based on them that works for me. I've done Firebird East more than any other track, and I'm going to take it on as a totally new track. I have a book that I store RP's in, and will redo the track (obviously I'm very familiar with the RP's already on the track). I got it out of one of the books to draw the tracks and put everything on paper. Then I'm going to make sure I know where to apex. We have a DR carousel, and I love getting around it, but now know I've been taking it wrong. I've been trying to get it through using one motion, and it's two turns. I've broken it down so everything falls into place. Turn point Two step/Quick turn Throttle control Third step Pickup drill In this order everything falls into place. I'll review what I've done after each session, take notes, record some laptimes, and move on. I know we're out to have fun, but I have a feeling that like Slowass, doing all this is part of the fun.

If you have a carousel at your track, drop it down a notch and slide your butt back a little while your cornering. You'll be able to see the difference.

Thanks Cobie. I know how bad it sounds, but I always know where the camera man is. I was trying and trying to get a good one, and when I was following Stu and forgot about the photographer is when this one was taken. I think it was my awesome quick turn for the day. I got a great turn once every day. It's an improvement over never in two years.

Sof hit the nail on the head. You have exactly the same thing I'm weak at, and the two step is fantastic at correcting this. Maybe you've forgotten how far ahead you need to be looking at your apex? It's something I'm going to work on and focus on during my next trackday so I make it habit. I was slowly increasing my speed in Vegas after learning it, and still feel I screwed up too consistently on a few corners, and could have definitely gone faster. A review of the two step is probably the best thing.

There is definitely a "sweetspot" where you want to get your butt. I was working on it while at CSS because of the riding actually adjusting. The farther back I got, the more comfortable I was until I went just a little too far, then I was putting weight on the bars because of how far back I was. I'm 6'2, and am not comfortably positioned when I go all the way back. Too far forward and I was curled up, and wasn't able to get the weight on the tank properly to get my weight on the front of the bike (learned that a long time ago).

I commute on my bike, and don't even come close to pushing it on the road. On the way to work I have it down to turn points and RP's on the road, and am now working on apexes to practice my two step. Not doing anything crazy. On the track it's a whole other story. November 22nd is my next trackday. I'm excited to see how it works out. And I would LOVE to ride Phillip Island. I told my wife that if we go to Australia we need to plan it around a trackday over there.

Great news. I'm glad to hear you got so much out of it.

What's the one thing you could do that would stop you getting back to the gas too early and thus resist this temptation my friend...? Or should we ask, why is it that you're so keen to get back to throttle so soon...? Bullet I need to complete the turn first. Old habit. I've never been able to quick turn like I did the two days I was in Vegas. I even got blue flagged for it. I always knew that I was going in too slow, so to compensate I would get back on the throttle real soon. you're right.. you do need to complete the turning of the bike first... but your temptation to get back to so soon is primarly caused coz by the later part of your statement... you think it, whether its true or not....? But thats what's causing that really! So how could you resolve that aspect of it..? Bullet I thought the other day it had just become habit. I was going through the carousel and already leaned over (following Stu) and when I dipped the bike even farther (LOVED it) I cranked the throttle also. I don't know how else to fix it other than being more patient. Well patience is one way, but how about if you carried just a llittle bit more speed into that earlier part turn? Would that stop your need to get back to the throttle so quickly? Now, when we're talking about carrying a bit more speed, it's important to be very clear here. You need to do this with a plan, i.e. something like, I'm going to brake a little bit later, and just carry say 3-5 mph more into the turn as you turn the bike. If you don't have a plan, what you'll get is SR's firing off left right and center, and thats not a plan at all. Only do it one turn where you think you could easily get away with it, i.e. not a hairpin, experiment see if that gives you what you want. Bullet Thanks Bullet. I caught on quickly in Vegas, and will have to work on it at my home track. It's going to take some getting used to. I could do lap after lap within a second on East, and almost just as consistent on West. It was all from bad habit though. I was perfectly comfortable doing 1:03's just cruising around Vegas, and when I did a hot lap when I had an opening, it was a 1:04. I was tempted to go for 1:00, but during the hot lap, I noticed my vision really narrowed, so I didn't even try. After just two days in the school I was more comfortable on that track than any of the three I ride on now. I'll have to slowly increase the speed, and have already been visualizing the track and working on the two step by watching video of the track I'm riding on the 22nd (I'll let you know how that went). Not just for points, but to further embed the two step, which made the whole school worth it.

The bikes work great. Mine had been downed a couple times at least, because both of the frame sliders were bent, and the tail was cracked. It ran great. Don't even worry about the bikes unless you're just excited to ride the new ones. They work just fine for what you'll be focused on. Good luck. You're going to love it.

What's the one thing you could do that would stop you getting back to the gas too early and thus resist this temptation my friend...? Or should we ask, why is it that you're so keen to get back to throttle so soon...? Bullet I need to complete the turn first. Old habit. I've never been able to quick turn like I did the two days I was in Vegas. I even got blue flagged for it. I always knew that I was going in too slow, so to compensate I would get back on the throttle real soon. you're right.. you do need to complete the turning of the bike first... but your temptation to get back to so soon is primarly caused coz by the later part of your statement... you think it, whether its true or not....? But thats what's causing that really! So how could you resolve that aspect of it..? Bullet I thought the other day it had just become habit. I was going through the carousel and already leaned over (following Stu) and when I dipped the bike even farther (LOVED it) I cranked the throttle also. I don't know how else to fix it other than being more patient.

Very nice. I like the bike.

What's the one thing you could do that would stop you getting back to the gas too early and thus resist this temptation my friend...? Or should we ask, why is it that you're so keen to get back to throttle so soon...? Bullet I need to complete the turn first. Old habit. I've never been able to quick turn like I did the two days I was in Vegas. I even got blue flagged for it. I always knew that I was going in too slow, so to compensate I would get back on the throttle real soon.

So during the school I listened to everything I could. Working on BP is a thing for me, so in the counterclockwise turn 1, I took that time to work on sliding my butt back a little. I learned that sliding back too much puts more pressure on the bars for me, but I did need to go back just a little more. And I brought my elbows down and in. I was taught to keep my wrists straight, but never could figure out why. It started, but I hadn't figured it out just yet, when I learned that I was pushing DOWN on the bars, and fought with the bike. Getting over the tank and dropping my elbows allowed me to push on the bars SO MUCH easier. It made the bike drop that much faster. Now if I could just stop getting on the gas while I'm dipping the bike.

I just use RP's as a filler between turn point and apex. I have some around my turn points to help locate it, but mostly the ones around my apex (to show where I'm at) and my exit during acceleration, are the ones I'm concerned about. Would they help in quick turning also, or would he just need to take it down a notch to get comfortable in that section?