RogerThat
-
Posts
19 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by RogerThat
-
-
Great to have Twist II "on tap" now for instant download. Almost time to retire the old DVD player... it is definitely getting a layer of dust on it, I watch everything on Amazon Prime or Netflix now.
Favorite part for me - seeing the overlays of riders riding through the same corner on different lines and how that changes exit speed, very enlightening.
-
Great article. I have met people from all six of the categories you show above! I was in the #4 group for a while. Then I took Level 1 at CSS and it made a HUGE difference in my riding... but I thought all schools would be that good and went to some other schools and got a lot of general riding advice and was kind of in category #5 for a while. Then I came back to CSS and did Levels 2 and 3 and made massive improvements again - and right after that I was bumped up at my local track days from the "slow" group to the "intermediate" group and then right into the "fast" group. What a difference! I can't wait to come back for Level 4.
I know I've tried the "just try harder" approach lots of times and all I get is frustrated. Coming to school helps my riding more in one day that a year of practicing on my own, you guys do a great job.
-
1
-
-
So, when he had the guy sit on the bike on the rearstand and bounced the bike, did it fall off the stand? I saw they cut out some video there, and afterwards the rear tire was on the ground, and a tech guy was checking the lever and throttle operation...
-
Well...that certainly was informative. I disagree with most of it but that's ok because I respect your opinion.
I'm just a bystander watching this wild thread... but I'm gonna stick my nose in now.
Shakabusa, I think the statement above, from a post way back on page 2, is what has gotten people "up in arms". If you were responding to the post right above it, it appears you were disagreeing that lowering the bike, adding a larger rear sprocket, and adding hp (all of which you said you were considering doing) would make the bike harder to ride on the track. Everyone else DOES seem to think those mods would make the bike less effective as a track bike (and I agree, incidentally) so you are getting a lot of info thrown at you to try to support that position.
I think everyone respects a desire to ride whatever bike you want on the track, if you enjoy riding it - if you look back at all the responses BEFORE that post, everyone basically said that if you love the Busa, ride it and have fun! If you are looking for something that will perform BETTER than the Busa - well, you'll get lots of opinions on that, but the "best bike" will depend on the rider size/skillset/budget, the type of track, and a whole lot of other factors including personal passion for certain styles, motors, brands, or looks - there is simply no single answer and if you can swingit , there is nothing better than finding a way to ride a lot if different bikes and feel the differences for yourself.
You mentioned before, that you don't know how to quote other posts - in any post you should see a "Quote" button at the bottom. If you click that, it will include the entire contents of the post you are responding to, at the top of your response. If you want to only quote part of it, just delete any of the text that is between the bracketed "quote" words that are at the beginning and end of the quoted text. DON'T delete the part that says "quote" in brackets at the beginning or end, though, or it will give you an error.
Hope that helps...
-
Counter-steering is NOT how you should turn the bike on the track. Body steering. I know Code doesn't agree here but it's true!
When you come into a left turn, move your butt off to the left, and your upper body as well.
You will not be able to move alot of your upper body to the left while still in a straight line, but try - like 6 inches off the center line.
Obviously - at this point, you are on the brakes coming up to your turn.
So let me explain what has happened here.
When you shift your butt and body to the left in a straight line, your bike will be slightly leaned to the right to maintain a straight line.
You basically just spring loaded the bike into potential energy. The bike will want to lean. Let go of the handlebars and the bike will dive in all by itself.
What is REALLY entertaining is watching guys at the superbike school do a steering drill using this technique. You can get a bike to DRIFT slightly by just using body steering, especially at really slow speeds, but try to negotiate an actual corner at anything over 25 mph with your hands off the bars and you'll learn in a hurry what it really takes to steer a bike. You gotta counter steer or you will just go mostly in a straight line.
-
Coming into a corner fast used to scare me! Quickturn, and learning to relax, took the mystery out of it, and the fear.
-
OK, got it, good. This does bring up some interesting questions, though - when would you want to trail brake, and when wouldn't you? Let's get out of the world of pro racers on gazillion dollar bikes and talk about track day or club level racing on "normal" sportbikes. How do you decide, for each turn, whether to use trail braking, or not? It's a interesting discussion and I'd like to hear your opinions as you think it through.
So...
What are the advantages of trail braking to the apex vs getting most of your braking done when vertical?
What types of turns or situations lend themselves more to trail braking, and what types of turns or situations favor releasing or being off the brakes at your turnpoint, to maximize your quickturn?
With trail braking, you can typically get on the brakes later allowing you to carry more speed deeper into the turn, but can't get on them as hard so the braking distance is increased.
The turn rate is slower because the front tire is loaded and can't handle as quick a turn. Resulting in more time at lean angle or needing a greater lean angle.
Can't get back on the gas till the apex vs as soon as the turning action is complete.
The bike is less stable in a turn with the balance forward than when it is 60/40 to the rear. Bumps in the early part of a turn can get very scary when going over them leaned over and on the brakes with so much weight on the front tire; quick turn and get back on the gas makes it handle over rough spots (turn 10 at Streets is a good example).
Some turns are so short to the apex getting back on the gas is not practical (first part of Turn 7 chicane at Fontana is a possible example)
Trail braking is good for:
Passing going INTO a turn - great for passing a slower rider but a faster rider can pass you back on the exit. Passing going in, on the brakes, makes you slower mid-turn and/or makes you run wide so you are vulnerable to be passed right back. Significant danger of "overcooking" the turn and running wide or losing the front.
Short turns with slow exits, especially if there is a fast straight before the turn (fast in slow out)
Good for light braking in high speed turns
Decreasing radius turns, where your "real" turn point is very late in the turn - use trail braking to keep slowing down through the first apex to the "real" turn point, then quick turn and drive out.
Quick turn is good for:
Turns that don't require any braking
Turns with fast exits
Turns before a straight
Chicanes
Fastest possible overall pace through ANY turn except decreasing radius turns
Conclusion: Trail braking is most useful for passing a slower rider on turn entry, or for decreasing radius turns that have a fast entry, or any turn (or any situation) where ENTRY speed is more important than EXIT speed.
-
Recently due to some setup changes and more aggressive braking, my rear wheel has gotten really light under braking (I am using front brake ONLY, no rear brake), and a couple of times has started to "come around". In both cases when I felt it start to get sideways I eased off the brake, it straightened out and then I turned the bike.
Here is my question - what would happen if I intitiated my steering action while the rear wheel was still a bit sideways? I see racers "backing it in" all the time on TV which indicates to me that I could probably turn it in with no ill effects - as long as the rear wheel was displaced to the inside of the turn. But what if the rear was stepped out to the outside, could I still turn without that creating a problem? It seems like it could lowside.
Follow-up question, what would happen if the rear wheel was all the way off the ground and I tried to turn the bike? Assuming I didn't overload the front wheel and make it slide (a daring assumption, I know), would the bike still turn ok or would it be too unstable from having the rear wheel in the air?
I have already improved my setup and hopefully eliminated the problem (and I know that staying relaxed on the bars helps keep the back end from wagging around) but the experience of feeling the back end get light and sideways made me curious about what would happen if I DID try to turn it while that was happening. Anybody tried it?
-
Roll off the throttle: I had a student who panicked and ran off Laguna Seca at Turn 11, locked up the front AND had the throttle pinned at the same time. Deep gravel stopped the bike without major damage. When we discussed the incident later, the student refused to believe that he had the throttle pinned. Panic makes people do weird things.
I've seen someone do that, too! That gravel is DEEEP, I'm guessing riding out of it is NOT an option.
Are you a coach with the school? Or an instructor with another orgnization?
Oz GP
in Racing
Posted
Great race to watch! I've been watching Moto2 more this year becuase that has often been more exciting than MotoGP, but this one was a good one. Bummer for Miller, though, especially at that track.