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bex

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Everything posted by bex

  1. Well, I'm delighted to report that I stayed shiny side up this time, which was quite a relief. Had a wonderful time on track in Spain, took it easy enough to begin with as I was apprehensive, and of course didn't want to do anything silly. Built up my confidence a bit getting the lines right and took some instruction and found I was getting quicker and having a good old play with the big boys on larger bikes. I think my gearing was slightly off and could have done with a larger rear sprocket for this circuit to help keep the revs up a bit; this didn't help when I was already finding this quite difficult. On chatting with someone else on the same bike we realised their's was geared a bit more favourably. I did struggle to keep it wound on in the corners and often dropped out of the powerband and lost momentum. Still, I didn't take any other sprockets so I just got on with it and gradually built up entry speed as much as I felt comfortable with, practised feathering the clutch on corner exit to give her a little boost and began to get it right a bit more often. I really tried to push the bike up on corner exit while still hanging off, to get more tyre contact and onto the gas sooner, and managed to take the lead out of the corners quite a few times this way. I realise not carrying enough corner speed is where I'm loosing time; my instructor said I certainly wasn't afraid to go quick, but I needed to learn to keep it that way through the bends! So all in all a really positive experience and I'm looking forward to the next outing on the little wasp so I can work on my technique a bit more. Here's some pics from the weekend:
  2. Yeh, that makes sense. I'll do my best to practice over the next few days and report back, no doubt with more questions! Thanks all for taking the time to read and give some really positive advice; really looking forward to getting out there
  3. I don't really know....either running wide or having to correct your line mid corner?
  4. Hi, thanks, that might be a good idea with the tank padding, I've seen it done before too, I may give that a go over the weekend. I can't say I have enough track experience to answer your question really, as I've only been on track twice, one of which was CSS level 1 which didn't cover pushing the bike back up. I know I wasn't making a conscious effort to do it on the occasions I've been on track, though now that you've said it I think I can grasp the principle... Is the purpose of doing so to shorten the corner ie. the time the bike is cranked over for, and make the straights/uprights as long as possible? So push the bike up while still hanging off so you can get back on the throttle sooner (or harder?)? Hmmm, I guess having to make late adjustments in the corner, which i probably did, could mean wrong entry speed or wrong turning in point? Or both even? ...is this literally pushing the bike upwards into a more upright position? Must feel strange to start with!
  5. Hi there, thanks Yes I generally try to grip the tank, though I admit I'm still trying to get into the habit as opposed to just doing it naturally. I'm speaking more from general riding experience, as I've only ridden the 125 on the track once, and that was my second track day. Maybe I've chucked myself in the deep end a little. Anyway, I just tend to find that under braking force I tend to slide forwards. Maybe I'm not strong enough? Maybe those tank grip thingys would be helpful.... I'm heading off to Cartagena for a 3 day weekend with the 125 this week, a bit nervous since I crashed the first (and last) time I rode it, but pretty excited. Thought it would be a good idea to iron out some of these issues so that each day or half day on track I can set myself something in particular to work on, a bit like a day at CSS, and gradually try and put it all together, rather than go out hoofing around the place trying to concentrate on everything at once. So far the things that seem to be preoccupying my thoughts are what to do with the throttle in the corner, and my position on the bike as well. Maybe I'm over analysing it all since I binned it, then again, it almost feels like learning to ride all over again, so I'm trying to understand riding a 2 stroke as well as possible.
  6. Hi there, and thanks for the quick reply. Does that mean that its necessary to keep the throttle on when dropping into corners, to avoid a dramatic drop in rpms?
  7. Ok maybe less about taming and more about 'understanding'!! And hi all, I've just registered I’ve been nosing around a bit seeing if I could find some answers before asking questions that have already been asked but I cant really find what I’m after, which is more specifically regarding 2 stroke riding. So… basically I’m riding a 2 stroke Honda RS125GP. I’ve only ridden it once, on track @ CSS Level 1, and I highsided in the last session. Not entirely sure what happened, but one instructor who saw it believes I hit the powerband while cranked over on the edge of the tyre, rear wheel spun up, skidded, gripped, somersaulted etc… someone else noted my rear slick had a lot of oil on it as it turned out I'd sprung a bit of a leak, so I think it was a combination of both those things – though mostly the first. Anyway, this is a very different animal to my road bike which is a grunty Ducati V twin with oodles of engine braking, so I’m trying very hard to understand the way I should be riding the 2 stroke and what keeps it happy. Its extremely light, and I'm barely 55kg myself. Its also just sheer bonkers by comparison, I do love it. I was watching Simon Crafars motovudu film the other day and noted he said he always shuts of the throttle off going into a corner after working down through the gears at high revs and hard braking, and then very gradually rolling it on again as the bike has completed more of the turn and you're getting it more upright again. Since the 125 is happiest in high revs and inside the power band, is this irrelevant to me? Do I want to be in the high revs with a constant throttle on while cornering, as opposed to shutting off completely? I guess I’m trying to understand this as its clearly where I went wrong last time, I came up behind a cluster of bikes as I was coming out of a corner outside the powerband; saw a gap, gave it some welly (probably abruptly as opposed to gradually, though I don’t remember)…and landed on my head. So I either want to be in the powerband and giving it the beans, or not in it and winding on very gently…. Is that correct? One other thing I’d like to ask is about body positioning in corners – as I understand it the CSS method is to get your butt right back in the seat, while I’ve heard this contradicted and that you should have your nuts (if you have any), up against the tank and pivot off the seat. By default I seem to slide forward to the tank, but whats the correct way so at least I know what I should be trying to do? If its to stay back then I may get some grips for the tank to keep myself in the right place under heavy braking; usually I brake and slide forward and cant do much about it! Advice appreciated, and any other tips for riding this bike would be great. I’m not planning on giving up… thanks in advance.
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