ScrmnDuc

Only if I haven't rode in a couple of weeks or more. It's hard to ride if the bike is a few hundred or thousand miles away. Then it normally takes 2 or 3 days of riding before all is well again.

Nice post Eirik. Take a look at the photos. The black marks from both riders tires extend past the frame in which the picture was taken. Now for your question Hotfoot. It could be that I do not have an all time favorite rider, but... Earlier this year while eating sushi at a local restaurant there was a nice and polite young British couple seated next to me. She requested some other type of sauce to dip her sushi in. The waiter grumbled a bit and brought her what she asked for. We were for the most part minding our own business but at some point the conversation ended up on racing motorcycles, My bike had front door parking and my gear was with me at the table. My question: " Are you Mr. John Surtees and is this your lovely wife?"

+1 Hotfoot, I didn't expect you to call me out in the forum As for riders, some that I know just scare me and if I end up riding with them I generally give them a very wide berth. This in itself becomes a distraction. For lack of better terms it seems like there are times that I can "smell the fear" of someone riding. I guess it's a combination of a ridged rider, braking all the way through a turn, not looking, dragging their feet until at least 30 mph and most all absolute terror if the bike leans at all. When talking to riders, some you can see the fear in their eyes and their actions when talking to them. They really need help and help is offered too, some show up but most do not. Fortunately there are people that I ride with that actively work towards helping people become better riders and normally have riding skill drills every couple of weeks. People that use the street as a racetrack I will stay far far far away from. The street isn't the place for that type of riding and it makes the rest of us look bad. From my point of view a good rider is one who is comfortable, in control and that rides with respect for the surroundings that they are in. Now a question to the ladies of the forum. Why do most women ride with their back straight as a board?

Why? Thank you Why I grab hard or why it helps to relax? I presume you're asking about the former. I do not know, I just tense on the bars the second I stop reminding myself to relax. I've always ridden with a firm grip, and unlearning 30+ years of mistakes has been the most difficult of this whole learning experience. Completely understandable answer. Keep up the good fight!

The heat feels like its starting late this year. I think Im psyching myself out thinking about the desert heat and getting heat exhaustion out there. I sure hope it ends up being under 100f September 14. You are psyching yourself out. 100F in the desert does not compare to the same temp in more humid areas of the world. You still need to be well hydrated prior to attending the class though. And drink plenty of water and hydration mix during the day at class. Read over the Hydration thread in Health and Fitness for Riding. I'll post the link from my desktop later today.

I'll chime in if for no other reason than just to dispel the rumor that you are crazy because you are talking to yourself You know the drill, Questions will follow. Why?

Thumb Brake ??

I am thinking about trying out AHRMA http://dev.ahrma.org/ . I have a bike or four that would work + I think I would be riding with people in my not so young age group on the track in a competitive nature would be fun too. I have watched several of their races and it has been very entertaining. To me it seems that most of the folks racing are on the track to have fun and exercise their bikes in a safe environment while there are some that are really racing, stressing the bikes to the max. ktk your never too old to race. If you can afford it and are having fun does it really matter?

Thanks for the posting help. I guess you may have read this thread in the R6 forum http://www.r6-forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156538

OK T, good to know about the cams. I would have expected the lobes to be facing ~80- 90 degrees apart from centerline or almost facing the intake and exhaust runners. If they are facing the spark plug and 45 degrees apart then ok. One should be coming off the valves and the other should be going on the valves. I am assuming that your motor does not have rocker arms. If so what I just said may be a waste of time. I use the degree symbol in word almost every day. What is the key combination to get it here?

Basic answer. Retarded = more top end power. Advanced = more midrange power. As I am not familiar with the R6 motor I hope you don't mind me asking what could be a couple of silly questions. These questions are based on my knowledge of working on Alfa Romeo engines from days gone by. Are the cams in the right slots ( aka IN on the intake and EX on the exhaust ) or are the cams even marked which one goes where? With the engine at TDC on #1 do the cam lobes should either face each other or point away from each other? That doesn't really matter but what really matters is that the cams don't mirror each other. To explain that statement. If the cam lobes on both cams face the intake or exhaust runner at the same time you have 1 cam 180 degrees out.

Street: If my mind or body doesn't seem up to par I don't. Remember that I am invisible and a wreak is an instant away, because I'm invisible and then there is Bambi . Continue gearing up, take a deep breath followed by helmet and gloves. If I find myself tensing up while riding, I'll tell myself to "Relax" and then slow down some. Track: That is a vacation for me. I lock away anything "Real World" in the basement of my brain and place the guard dogs in front of the door. So this starts a few days prior and I try to have it all locked away by the night before. At the track just the courtesy check on the bike before the fun starts. Get the thought of wreaking done and out of the way. No need with that thought filling the visor at the wrong time. Tell myself don't do anything stupid around slower riders and hope that faster riding will do the same for me. Take a deep breath and on with the helmet and gloves. Maybe another deep breath before going on the track. Get my plan down for the session and go ride. When I catch myself tensing up I tell myself to "Relax" and even sometimes flap my wings. I try not to think about why I was tensing, unless it was obvious, until after the session. I really try to keep all distractions away from what I'm doing at the moment.

Joe finished 4th at Brno today in the Red Bull Rookies cup. He lead a lap and set a new track record. Good job to the young man.

Your looking nice there YD. Great improvement. Now, when are you flying south and coming to school?

+1

I'm glad you came out unscathed. What is the value of the lesson learned? How can you apply this in your coaching?

The Harley would have been fine, but it's gone. If you ride your own bike it really doesn't matter what it is. Ride what your comfy on, or rent one from the school and save the hassle of having to take care of your bike between class and track. Learn as much as you can, then think about it later. At that point you realize you learned much more than you bargained for. And enjoy.

You say the bike is in top condition, then you say the front tyre is nearly worn to the edge! How old are the tyres? From your description the front has already survived at least one rear if not two. Are the tyres a matched set? Same brand, same type. Maybe a new set of tyres may be a good start. Good high quality and not cheap stuff preferred. On the street "Chicken Stripes" = Ego Stripes Nothing to worry about. As you mentioned in your first post, you have been riding for 20 years. Can you comfortably ride the twisties at the same pace on one of your bikes from days gone by? If so then we have a start. It's either your bike, your body position or your brain. Which is it?

Hotfoot, I know the back protector that you have and it should be fine as long as the straps are in good shape. I had the same protector but the larger size, until I finished the last school at Barbers. The aluminum is not going to degrade any time soon and the plastic should be fine for a while too. It is not directly exposed to the elements so there should be little to no UV damage to the plastic. If anything that a good look over the plastic and cloth mesh. If you start to see any cracks or tears then it will be tie to replace. I am having to change protectors because mine was rode up my back during class and I didn't realize it until the end of camp. 2 piece suit + 2 day camp = sore shoulder blades. Otherwise I would still use it. Besides my brother needed one anyway.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. The change is when I up the pace and need to make more committed/quicker changes in direction/speed. My steering inputs feel dead and ponderous and I put this down to ineffective steering inputs which I put down to bad body position. I think it stems from trying so hard to keep the weight of my wrists by 'locking' on to the bike that I am rigid which is both tiring and not working with the bike. Of course I may be over thinking the whole thing but that is kind of what the twist books make you do When you up the pace, are you sliding forward on the seat during braking? Do you have any StompGrip or other grippy material to help your legs lock on? How long into your ride is it before you get into twisties or up the pace? I don't know your specific bike but most people that I know (including myself) that ride a sportbike in an aggressive riding position only ride about 20-30 minutes at a time before needing to take take a break and sit up or stop and walk around. The seating position is hard on your back, arms, neck, and wrists, and without frequent stops it becomes very hard to keep pressure off your arms. So, if you are riding half an hour to your twisty roads and then trying to ride hard, you might simply be wearing yourself out. Have you had your suspension set up for your weight? If your steering suddenly feels dead and ponderous when you up to the pace, it COULD be your steering inputs, but it could also be that your front suspension is too stiff so that at a higher pace it just becomes physically harder to turn the bike. Try putting a zip tie on one of your front fork legs, so you can see at the end of a spirited ride how much your front suspension has compressed during the ride - if it turns out it barely moves it all, that would tell you that it is too stiff in front, which can makes the steering feel ponderous and make you feel disconnected from the front tire (no "feel"). Hardware first: Are your tires (tyres) in good condition and not the original ones that came on the bike? When was the last time you checked the tire pressure? Is it correct? I have rode a few bikes that had real sluggish steering to find out afterwards that the owner ( not my bikes) had not checked the pressures in months if not years I can tell when my tire pressures are down by a couple of pounds, my bikes just don't act right. When you have tires installed do you either check the pressure yourself or ask the installer what pressures he set them to? Software (YOU): Are you riding the twisties by yourself or with a group? If it is a group do you feel pressured to maintain the pace of others? If so what should you do? Try to keep up or slow down? Do you think that you are rushing when you up the pace? How about riding those twisties at a slower pace and not try so hard for a bit. Relax and enjoy the ride Get whatever needs to be sorted on the bike taken care then slowly pick up the pace.

Are you comfortable on the bike when not in the twisties? If not then what would you change?

Last fall I was talking to the guys from Pit Bull about the trailer restraint system. They told me about a mishap a customer had while transporting a bike using the trailer restraint. It seems that somehow the trailer ( enclosed ) managed to end up on its top. The bike was hanging from the restraint with no damage at all. I guess the restraint was attached to the trailer very well. BTW I have seen less than proper installs of various tie down points in trailers and some scary hitch installations on the tow vehicles. After my recent CSS school I was showing one of my friends some of the lvl 3 drills. I had my bike on the rear stand, not doing anything quick at all so no worries about the bike falling off. I think your idea about the trailer restraint is spot on. The only thing I would probably add is to ensure that the bike is sitting level ( fore - aft.) So adding a 2X6 or whatever it takes under the front tire to get the bike level would be the only thing I would add. Well, maybe a big screen and surround sound system, then you could relive your favorite track day or show the MotoGP boys how its done No need for this, then.

Update, east bound I-20 is open now. Finished 6 weeks early.

The young man did a very nice job today. Almost an 8 second lead at the checkered flag. I was also surprised to see a familiar face at the track, one of my coaches from last year.

Why? The easiest way to answer is, SR#7 along with the occational visit from SR#2. Just a quick personal history lesson from my past. Last year I took lvl's 1 and 2. The no brake drill's were driving me nuts, SR's running wild and free all through my helment. I understood why the school wants students to perform that drill, the benefits, etc...but really had a problem grasping the idea. Since then it has become a regular routine in my riding. I just finished lvl's 3 and 4 and I was looking forward to the no brake drill. I have found that it is a very useful tool. When braking I have learned that I am applying the brakes too soon and too hard. This leaves me entering the turn too slow. Could it be that I do not know how fast I could have taken the turn? How do you determine how fast you can take a turn? Why use the brakes to slow down if you are not going fast enough to need the use of the brakes? Could you have just rolled off the throttle and made the turn? I had to resently answer the above two questions! Once I feel comfortable with my entry speed and can consistenly make that turn without using the brakes then I can start working with the brakes to have the entry speed set the same every time. It's like End to Beginning chapter 3 TOTW but only going straight instead. There is plenty to reference in TOTW, TOWT2, and Soft Science.