faffi

I read somewhere that Rea didn't need a throttle, he just needed a switch for ON and OFF His teammate, Neukirchner, OTOH, is smoother - and as a result cannot make the Honda work for him. At least that's the gossip. It would be great to see Biaggi take another title with Aprilia, 16 years since their firts!

Apart from trying it every couple of years just to make sure I still master it should the clutch cable/hydraulics fail, I always use the clutch for downshifts. Upshifts, I probably use the clutch at least 80% of the time. Clutchless upshifts often happen naturally when I'm fanging. They are also better when riding with a passenger because shifts are smoother. However, I find that low rpm shifts without using the clutch can get clumsy and jerky - when I'm the operator, at least. I solely ride on the streets.

You may not be Rossi fast, but you sure must have some cornering speed there, mate

Way ahead of you, mate

That's rough, Talan Could have been worse, of course, and you seem to have taken it in the best way possible. Cudos! Wish you all the best and speedy progress on the track

My guess would be that they will need the extra grip due to the extra load - just cruising around a corner at a constant speed doesn't take nearly as much grip as when braking/accelerating.

Congratulations Very, very impressive! Would it be rude to ask how you got hurt?

That is, pardon my French, friggen amazin' I cannot do that, not even remotely close. Cudos

I kind of answered that already, but a modern(ish) sportbike is capable of getting all its stopping power transferred to the front wheel by elevating the rear wheel clean off the ground. Now, how often does this actually happen on the track? Is it even beneficial? Only very rarely do you see top level riders brake hard enough to get the rear wheel off the ground. However, as somebody mentioned, by applying the rear brake a split second before the front brake, you can lower the CoG of the bike and hence reduced the chance of a front wheel mono. And when the rear wheel is touching the ground, it can transfer anything from 0 to around 40% of the maximum braking force, depending on CoG, wheelbase, total vehicle weight, individual wheel load, tyres and more. A long cruiser riding two up with a fat rear and a skinny front tyre will depend heavily on the rear tyre for stopping.

It's to make themselves wider, making them harder to pass by the competition Other than that, I don't know Possibly because it works fine when it comes to win races and championships

Jasonzilla, my point was simply that there is nothing wrong with using the rear brake and that it will - if applied correctly - be a benefit. It's much like the clutchless shifting; for some, it is simply absorbing brain power better diverted towards more pressing issues, for others it's second nature. The rear brake is similar in that it will be natural to use for some, whereas others will find it confusing.

Another weird front end issue, about Simoncelli in today's race: Can you let off the brakes too early? Or do they mean too quickly?

Doohan depended greatly enough on the rear brake to fab a thumb operated unit when his foot became inoperable. A faulty rear brake was partially reason for Dovi's fall today - it forced him to rely on the front too much. Until you can stay with the top riders of the world, of which virtually everyone use the rear brake to some extent, you should perhaps look at the rear brake with a bit more open mindedness

I wouldn't have a clue, but I think it will be difficult for anybody to make much from that huge photo - perhaps you should resize it to about 40% so that everything fits in side the screen?

I get to around 45 degrees, I reckon, but I know the bike and tyres can take quite a bit more. The problem is my built-in fear limiter that prevents me from getting lower. I fear that I do not have enough grip - probably helped a great deal since most of my bikes have been old style, pre-radials, that couldn't take more. And since modern radials doesn't complain at my personal limit on good road surfaces, I haven't been able to learn how they react - and at 46 I am too old to just see how it goes. The funny thing is probably that I cannot understand that anybody would question the tyre's ability to grip at 25 degrees, whereas Spies etc. cannot understand why I fear the tyre's ability to grip at a lousy 45 degrees. In other words, for the very majority of people riding around on the streets of the world, our idea of where the actual limit is, is not only highly subjective, but also positively pessimistic and very wrong. Then there is the issue of style, where some will actually slide their tyres at less angle and speed than others - which is why some riders are faster than others, even at the very highest level. Another observation I have made over the years, is that some rides only have a built in personal tiltometer limiter that doesn't change with the conditions - they are comfy with the same lean limit whether they ride on gravel or excellent asphalt. Personally, my willingness to lean differ dramatically between the two. However, I'd really like to get down to around 55 degrees of lean while still feeling relaxed and comfortable on good surfaces. I'd also like to double my strength and add another 50 pounds of muscle and make 10 times as much money and...

Still very natural, a very usual SR. Just like it's very usual for people to lock up the brakes in a panic situation or look at the thing they should avoid. With practice, you can learn to overcome your SR, but when something that appears life-threatening happens for the first time, fighting SR is not what most humans are capable of.

Using the rear brake to control power or wheelspin wasn't all that unusual, but with more and more electronics probably just about gone from pro racing these days. But I know many who use the rear brake to tighten their line a little, helping the bike turn. For really slow work, like balance type of riding, it's also good to use the rear brake. I would also recommend using the rear brake on longer bikes, particularly riding two-up. You will typically need 10-30 % less distance to come to a stop with the addition of the rear brake on most bikes that aren't of the sporty type (tall and short) since the rear wheel will always be weighted significantly. Sportier bikes, which I presume most of you own, can do a front wheel mono even two-up, and then there is no use with the rear brake.

This topic interests me since I know I have more to go on before the tyres slide, but I am reluctant to go past the "no-chickenstrips" area. The only time I tried to go a little faster every day, adding about 0.5 mph per day, I ended up in a lamp post. It was back in 1983 when tyres were only so-so, it was a chilly morning, and I had already been scraping peg, both stands and the exhaust system for a few days when I finally reached the limit. The rear slipped and I chopped the throttle, planning to straighten the bike and brake before getting off the brakes, lean over and continue. Only the shaft drive caused the rear wheel to be instantly lifted right clear of the tarmac. Not much friction in metal. However, what will be the best way to find the limit WITHOUT falling off? Going around in a circle and just minutely add more lean and speed (or tightening the line with the same speed) - or make a "kink" that you do a little faster each time, but not a long corner? My idea is that a kink would allow you to easier get it back up again if the rear slides than if you are deep down for long, but I could well be mistaken.

Freddie Spencer is the one I remember best. I don't think anybody else have ever shown the same level of natural talent. He wasn't strong mentally, apparently, and suffered badly when his confidence went away. But I don't think anybody else could jump off the plain, jet-lag and everything, travel to a track he'd never seen before and proceed to set a new lap record before he'd done five laps. Spencer used to run a school, but I don't think he still do so? He does some commentary on ESPN or sum'fin like that, I believe.

Yes, it has been very interesting to read (and hopefully we're not done yet!). For me, however, the smells and the extra visibility etc. offered while riding over driving are bonuses and not the reason for my riding. But the good thing about this topic and the varied responses is that it shows just how different we are as individuals, despite finding a common denominator in motorcycles. And that we are different is a particularly good thing - imagine if everybody wanted to be hair dressers and nobody would perform anything else

In 30+ years of riding, I have actually never experienced a tankslapper. I have experienced plenty of weaves, though, where the bike feels like it has a hinge in the middle, which I presume stems from insufficient suspension damping and/or a chassis that twists itself only to unwind in a snappy fashion.

One said a tankslapper was the bike trying to get rid of the problem - its rider I'm still amazed that the bike calmed itself from such a violent slapper, though Although I fully accept that these things happens because of the rider's inputs, it still remains that there are things to "assist" the rider in achieving these slappers. BTW, the wobble that typically happens between 30 and 60 mph or so if you let go of the handlebars on some bikes definitely will not right itself on itself, but is easily controlled with a steadying hand or two. Could somebody explain the difference between the two?

I learned to quick flick thing when I first began riding back in 1980, but it wasn't until fairly recently that I learned that it was a technique put into words by Code. The reason I did it, was so that I could see as far as possible into the corner (in case there were obstacles). And when you wait as long as possible to change your direction, you need to do it quickly. Since I started out riding 200 pound lightweight motorcycles with a 100cc capacity, I could literally turn on a dime. Even the bestest of the best race reps today cannot change direction that quickly or easily. But the principle is the same - get the bike turned in the shortest possible distance. According to Code, a bike will retain its trajectory regardless of lean if no input is given. This isn't true for every motorcycle made, but most sportbikes will act pretty neutral. Hence relaxing your grip will probably not alter the lean or direction. One thing I have become aware of lately after joining this board, is that the bike actually doesn't turn in more easily when on the brakes. Gentle trail braking doesn't make much difference, but hard braking - at least with my current bike - also makes it harder (and hence slower) to get the bike to turn. By being smoother and rolling into corners rather than rushing into them, I can get the bike to turn quicker but with less effort and hence it actually feels calmer. Sorry, getting a little off topic here.

Found this thanks to google: 1. The “tankslapper” is a very frightening experience. Usually occuring when accelerating hard over bumpy pavement, a tankslapper ensues when the front tyre becomes airborne, then regains traction outside the rear tyre’s alignment. The resulting deflection bounces the tyre off to one side, followed by another bounce in the opposite direction as it contacts the pavement again. Unless the bike’s steering geometry is able to damp out the deflections quickly, the resulting oscillations from the front tyre as it bounces back and forth will swiftly gain in strength, causing the bars to swap from side to side with increasing ferocity. The oscillations can be violent enough to rip the bars out of your hands, and fling your feet off the pegs. You can guess what happens next. 2. The easy cure for this problem is a steering damper. Many sports bikes now come stock with one, as the radical steering geometry needed for quick handling can otherwise cause some instability in certain situations. While a steering damper is an easy fix, it shouldn’t be a cure-all; if you’re forced to adjust the steering damper’s stiffness (if available) until you can barely turn the bars in order to keep the bike’s handling stable, there is a problem somewhere in your chassis setup. A too-stiff steering damper can also cause handling problems by itself; if your steering damper is adjustable, and you find that your bike won’t hold a line (especially in slower corners), or gets into a small wobble or oscillation in high speed corners, try backing off the stiffness a little and see if it helps. 3. Not all sports bikes need a steering damper, however. Many have steering geometry setups that offer quick handling, while still providing the necessary stability to damp out any front-end oscillations. In most cases, one of the biggest contributors to a tankslapper is your body positioning and grip on the bars. Some people ride in a more upright position when carving corners, but when accelerating over bumpy pavement, that upright body position puts even more weight transfer to the rear, which causes the front end to get lighter. Also, the more upright torso means that your grip on the bars is tighter in order to stabilize your upper body. That firmer grip feeds more input into the front end, something it doesn’t need while it’s busy trying to damp out the inputs from the bouncing front tyre. It actually forms a vicious circle: you grip the bars tighter because they’re starting to flap back and forth, but that only feeds more input into the front end, compounding the problem further. 4. The easiest way to avoid tankslappers while accelerating over bumpy pavement is to—believe it or not—keep a relaxed grip on the bars. Relaxing your grip on the bars means you must lean forward in order to assist in keeping your torso stabilized. This helps put more weight on the front end, which keeps the front tyre on the pavement. Since you’re not using your arms to stabilize your upper body, get your weight onto the footpegs so that you can get your body as far forward as possible; this also allows you to grip the tank with your knees for more stability. If you do get into a tankslapper, keep your weight forward and—as hard as this sounds—maintain a relaxed grip on the bars. Let the motorcycle’s chassis deal with damping out the oscillations. Don’t try to be a human steering damper; you’ll only make the problem worse. Tankslappers can definitely soil your undies; but if you’re able to deal with them correctly, you’ll usually ride through them before you know it. ___ On my own account, from what I have read over the years, topped out suspension seems to be a contributing factor. Some bikes, like the Kawa Z1000J, for instance, would have enough lifting force to fully extend the front forks as it neared its top speed with a bolt upright rider. It took very little to set off a serious headshake. Handlebar mounted quarter fairings also often create additional lifting forces. Together with the extra weight carried by the steering bits, they tend to also make bikes far more likely to headshake. Od fashioned steering dampers are not the best idea IMO, because it makes straight line riding - especially at lower speeds - very awkward at best. Modern dampers that offer virtually no resistance around the "zero-point" and become more efficient as loads - and even speed - increase are much more useful.

Randy used to be a frequent crasher, although I don't recall him as ragged. Now, he looks like he's constantly out of contol, yet he hardly ever fall off anymore. So, to the eggspers, what is he doing right that allows him to stay out of shape yet in apparent control?