[Wheelie Control]

Most of my track ridding is done on a 1.3 mile layout with a steep uphill start finish straight. Due to the gearing required my front wheels heads skywards around 7000 rpm. I've still not figured out the best way to keep the front end under control, from the two options passed on to me.

 

1) Dabbing the back break

2) Using the quick shifter to change up.

 

Your thoughts and view would be helpful.

 

Cheers.

[Why Do The Top Riders Let Their Foot Drag The Ground?]

Ever since my interest in riding with a better technic was sparked I have wondered about the pros at the top of the game moving their knee and foot from the tank/foot peg and touch or come close to the ground with the boot.

 

It has to mean they are not locked on during the end of the braking phase and must have some weigh on the bars before turning in.

 

Can anyone describe why this happen and what advantage there is in doing so?

 

 

[Where To Start?]

Thanks for the advice.

 

I am expecting things to be different at the Haslam school and will be open to other methods of teaching afterwards. I have watched a number of onboard cameras form Knockhill during track days and was happy to notice the lean angles and speed (or lack of them). I will be in the beginners group and won't be upset if I'm the slowest out there.

 

Once pice of advice I was give that I can pass on -

 

"Never mix ambition and ability" - this can be applied to most things.

 

All the best,

Iain

[Where To Start?]

A little background –

The way working is going I might be able to get down to the CSS at Silverstone on the 19/20^th of July. I would have prefered my first track day could be with you guys but the dates aren't in my favour.

 

I will be tackling my first race school at Donington on the 15^th of this month, followed with my own bike at Knockhill, on the 18^th.

 

I have read Twist 1&2 watched the video and have been following the forum for a week or so. I’m offshore and obviously can’t ride at the moment. I have a week between hitting dry land and my first track day.

 

My head is a little cluttered with information from all the data I'm trying to process. What should I concentrate on first? I've decided to get a better position on the bike both when hanging off and under acceleration (I tend to sit too far forward and not give myself enough room to transfer weight from side to side, not locking in) and to practice better throttle control. Is adding counter steering to this list too much in one go?

 

All the best,

Iain

[Pivot Point Steering & Hang Off]

I like the mental image of using the ball of my outside foot to wedge my knee up against the tank. After reading the chapter in Twist 2 describing pivot steering I was confused. This has helped clear things up.

 

 

Cheers

[Why Are We Weighting The Outside Peg?]

Thinking about the question of peg weighting when leaned over at speed, the best explanation of the effect on traction that I can come up with is the 'box' analogy I mentioned on the previous page. Hopefully this diagram will better explain my reasoning:

 

 

 

Thinking at extremes makes it easier for me to understand, so imagine that the rider in the above picture is right on the limit of traction. If you look at the angle of the outside peg to the tyre contact patch - it's basically straight on top of it. If I can use the 'box' analogy again - weighting the outside peg would be the equivalent of pushing down on the top of the box, which isn't very likely to make the box slide along the floor.

But if you look at the inside peg, any weight there will practically be pushing at the contact patch from the side. This would be the equivalent of pushing on the side of a box - it's going to slide along the floor.

 

Does that make sense? What do you think?

It's entirely possible that I have it completely wrong as well!

 

My question in all of this isn't why buy how? From the picture it looks impossible to place any weight on the outside peg at this time. The riders weight is on the otherside of the bike. The act of hanging off can be started with the outside peg but can't remain there, can it? I have never had a bike at anything closer to this angle so need help understanding the principle.

[Pivot Point Steering & Hang Off]

Can anyone help me straightening this out in my mind? If I'm in the correct hang off position, when am I expected to be able to load the outside peg?

 

I understand the need to set the center of gravity as low as possible but can't get how it is physically possible to place weight on the outside peg if my inside knee is dragging.

 

 

Cheers.