apextc
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Posts posted by apextc
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Having access to the controls is priority, but governed by confidence. What I mean is... If you feel you need access to the brakes at a moment's notice, it will be much harder to grip the controls side like my pic below (above average aggressive bp).
Getting the turn in point, line and entry speed right is paramount for confidence to adjust the grip! Before you even go as far as riding, you should sit on your bike and get the ergos as close as possible. Wrists in line with the levers and levers + bars at comfortable angles for example. Bumm back from the tank but not too far back to get a good lock on the bike is the secret sauce to being light on the bars enough to grip them as you see fit.
How is your seating position helpful or hurtful to your lock on the bike and grip on the bars?
This is advice I did NOT get thus far. Thank you! As Chicago went from 80F this past weekend to 40F in 24 hours, I'll be practicing the above on my bike in the garage.
- I know when making left hand turns I am very comfortable experimenting my lock position which is when my crotch is pretty much against the tank and my hips turned in where I am trying to kiss the mirror and can see my front tire.
- Now again coming to the right, I feel like I am hanging off sideways not twisting my hips and unable to see kiss the imaginary mirror or see the front tire.
I just got on my bike when I got home to test out my right side again and all I felt was my left inner thigh muscles screaming, my right foot unable to pivot due to 90% of my weight digging on the right foot peg and my hands on the control totally uncomfortable.
This will be a good trial and error exercise till I fully feel comfortable.
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Nothing personal but how is your leg strength?
Above average. My squat and leg press are strong but the one area I know I need strength is my core. That being I seriously see 270LB(122KG) and large frame men and women corner better
Some of the questions I am asking are because I feel like I am in the same place as you in regards to right hand turns.
Totally understand, please share any tips, tricks and techniques that worked for you
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Thank you for responding..... so...
How are you holding the throttle? If you feel like that you don't have room with a normal handlebar grip, try changing to the "screwdriver grip" on the inside handlebar.
I believe I'm holding it like a screw driver. For sure I know I make a conscious effort to use my first 4 fingers to grip the throttle to avoid fully squeezing the throttle.
Since I'm 6'6", I have some challenges in fitting to the bike on the inside, so I have changed to use the screwdriver grip with my inside hand on both sides of the bike.
On to some questions: Can you come up with any particular reason why you have such lack of confidence on the right turns? - have you crashed in a right turn?
No I have not crashed but what I *feel* is like my left leg is not confidently locked on to the tank. When I make a left hand turn I feel like I have full control of my right leg and IF i wanted I could wiggle my toes when making a turn. On the other hand making a right hand turn I feel like I cant move my right leg as freely and my left leg feels like it's just applying pressure on the peg.
Do you feel that there is something different in terms of vision, between right and left turns?
The best way I can answer this is that I don't feel like I am kissing the mirror when making a right turn. I feel like im just sliding off sideways.
Any broken bones or similar that limits you from doing things on the right vs left turns? thankfully no. Just a novice taking it track day by track day
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How does your lock on between your left boot and the bike feel? My heelguard on my left peg is shorter than my right and that is affecting my lock on and confidence with it.
I never paid attention to but I can say for sure that when I make left hand turns I use the arc of my right foot to apply pressure to raise my knee slightly to lock on the tank..... which to me is comfortable. I'm 5'11.5 tall.
I'm curios if adjusting or somehow making the left foot peg or heel guard higher or lower will help me?
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Hello everyone,
I'm a newbie (7 track days so far) and love the sport! As part of my learning curve and doing my search in our 77 pages in the cornering section I'm trying to find techniques and suggestions on how to hang off your right(bad) side? A good analogy I got was that initially this is natural as most people even driving cars may not be as smooth turning right vs. left.
I am confident, relaxed, predictable and smooth when it comes to taking left hand turns but anything to my right...... I grip the bars like I'm holding on for dear life, have a hard time sliding back to the middle w/o upsetting the bike and just don't know how to initiate the turn and stay steady when cornering right.
Coaches and friends who have followed me and viewing pictures I guess I am not hanging off enough and maybe not digging my thigh into the tank enough?
Anything I can practice off the track? Any suggestions on where to apply pressure when cornering right? A great piece of advice that helped me thus far is to move my hips around the tank while digging my thigh into the tank.
Thank you everyone in advance for responding.
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sorry I've been a little busy and haven't had a chance to respond to this,
One of the key things that CSS teaches is to always have a good solid lock on the tank with your lower body, this allows you to move around the bike and support your upper body without using the clip on's at all, very similar to the video you posted. The technique taught by CSS is to push your outside knee and thigh up into the tank by lifting your outside foot, by obtaining a good solid lock with your outside leg you can limit the weight you support with your inside foot and the fatigue that supporting all you weight in that manner can cause.
I personally do not use a foot position that pivots my heel into the swing arm, I used to wrench my heel up against the plate on my rear set but found that caused more fatigue in my calf's than it was worth and I no longer do that. this is really going to be a personal feel kind of thing, you have to find what works best for you and your bike.
I would recommend you try finding a good solid locked on position and set up for the corner and wrench your knee into the tank BEFORE your steering input
thank you for responding. Can't wait to work on this next season !
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S1000RR:
Wes
out of curiosity and a side question, the S100RR is on my hit list when I have the full amount in cash in a couple of years - I've read all the fantastic reviews and the cons - can you provide a brief input on your opinion on the bike? Would love to hear first hand feedback
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please help a newbie briefly explain what #2-#4 below are?
1. Reference Points
2. Two step
3. Three step
4. Quick Turn
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I was told as a newbie( I've only done 5 track days) to first learn the basics in the first 4 sessions like lines, reference points, entry/exit points etc. That being said i was told every one develops their own unique style of riding and at some point do whats comfy for you. So when taking notes on body positioning and advised to try and set up for a corner and to get in position FIRST (then move your upper body into the turn, apply pressure on the bar then steer with confidence)
So I'm a little confused by your response,
Your setting up for the corner before you initiate your steering input, but you don't dig your knee into the gas tank until after you steer the bike ?
T-McKeen - first of all thank you for responding.
That is correct... that's what I've done on the last track day when I learned it. Shall I try something different?
How do you support your upper body weight ? If feasible, can you put the bike on stands, shift into your mid corner body position and let go of the clip on's entirely ?
This is not the coach in the chicagoland area but this is what I practice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWMouUQvVSY
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Good question Tyler. Also, what do you mean Farham by freeze/lock the throttle--is it all the way off?
No sir. i mean hold it at a constant speed and open it by slooowly and smoothly. I once gave it too much and felt the bike slightly fish tail
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OK so a question for you based on your scenario,
I assume for #5 by push on the handle bar you mean steer the bike,
Why do you do this before you lock onto the bike with your left thigh ?
great question. I don't know why specifically but I can tell you how I might have developed the habit.
DISCLAIMER: no pun intended to any of the coaches.
I was told as a newbie( I've only done 5 track days) to first learn the basics in the first 4 sessions like lines, reference points, entry/exit points etc. That being said i was told every one develops their own unique style of riding and at some point do whats comfy for you. So when taking notes on body positioning and advised to try and set up for a corner and to get in position FIRST (then move your upper body into the turn, apply pressure on the bar then steer with confidence)
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Let's break this down as the first step. How is the bike steered into the turn (or once turned up and out, or right into the next turn).
by applying gentle pressure on the inside handlebar. In my case making a right turn, I apply pressure to the right handlebar grip and as the big turns I dig my left thigh onto the side cavity/stomp grip, twist the ball of my foot so that my heel rests on my rear sets by the swing arm, right elbow dropped and me acting like im kissing the rear view mirror while looking where I want to go.
What's your understanding of how the bike changes direction?
counter steering is what I have tried and am comfortable with. I have however tried the following in an open parking lot: going in a straight line at 25-30mph and move by upper body smoothly left to right applying pressure to the gas tank. I did notice my bike being steered but dont know if that will work on a bend going 45mph then hanging off etc etc
thank you for responding in advance.
CF
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Hi Cobie, this is what I have done from reading Twist of the Wrist 2, watching the DVD, listening to the coaches (some former AMA riders) and from experience.
Scenario: A right hand turn on a track. My reference points are either on the ground or the 4, 3, 2 , 1 markers that car drivers use
Checklist:
1.Coming down the straight I ensure my crotch is a few inches from the tank
2. Squeeze tank and brake
3. get lowER (squat position on the bike)
4. freeze/lock the throttle
5. Push on right handle bar
6. Dig left thigh on gas tank
7. Twist right foot and rest heel on swing arm (I dont have rear sets but investigating as a newbie who's been on the track n 5 times so far if I should get them - i posted a separate post on this)
8. Kiss the right mirror, drop elbow
9. Look where I want to go
10. I hit the apex and apply pressure on my left foot and use the left knee to come back up (sort of like the kneee to knee technique)
the key in doing all this is thinking to myself - SMOOTH
Hope I explained myself well. thank you very much for responding in advance !!!
-Farhan
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I'm a newbie hoping someday to take CSS but for I do track days in the Chicago area during the 5 months of summer that we have. I am learning from great coaches we have with sportbiketracktime.com and have learned plenty from this forum. AMAZING WORK, KUDO's to the team!
My question:
How can I practice offline steering the motorcycle using pivot points ? On a bicycle or even on the streets.
I know there is a difference of opinion where riders swear by it to corner and others counter steer by pushing or pulling on the bar. I'm having a hard time on corners pivoting and weighting the inside peg- i apply a lot of pressure where I get sore after 4/8 sessions.
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if i had a the luxury to get rearsets, do they help? can anyone attest?
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might be too late to post here but I'm a newbie and learning as I go. For those who I can help understand that are reading, the best example: Try steering a shopping cart in a grocery store. To go left you will apply more pressure on your right arm and vice versa.
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Background:
A newbie on the track( only 3 done so far !) and now addicted. To add, all i do in my free time is read on how I can be a better rider. Also, I've realized on the track: text knowledge: 10% and learning with a coach is 90%. I have not attended the superbike school as I live in the Chicago-land area where I ride 6 months out of the year and 95% on the track.Issue:
From what I gather, the fundamentals of your bike setup are: brakes, suspension and tires.
I was advised by a tech inspector at the track (also a mechanic) that I should not worry about anything on my bike except tires and brakes till I get smooth, predictable and good on the track. Don't get braided brake lines, super expensive slicks, fairings, suspension, short shifter, dainese suits till I get good as a novice. He mentioned that he was running advanced on a stock bike after which he decided to mod his bike and honestly I have seen some folks on stock bikes at the track in Advanced.
My issue is that after I analyzed myself after the third track day I was not able to lean my bike as confidently as I would have liked. I just felt like it should be smooth like other novice riders i see perform better than me. I just got stuck in some zone where no matter how hard I tried to go in faster that the slightest drop in throttle just wanted me off the bike.
The voice in my head my last track day before every turn where I track : "As a novice turn at marker 1 on all turns,hold throttle, half butt off, balls of feet on pegs, counter steer, look at where you want to go, then roll on the throttle by the apex"
I tried at least 3 sessions in the afternoon but I have NO clue why.... was I scared? was it my bike? am I scared to wipe out?
my bike is a 2006 cbrr with 11,000 and never been serviced except yearly oil changes. its a bike i dedicated to track and I probably ride 10 miles a year in my neighborhood.
Questions:For a newbie like myself, is servicing my bike really going to improve my riding and confidence and will I feel it?
Can someone break down for me the work breakdown of what is included in "servicing" your bike?
I sincerely appreciates everyones response in advance.
Having Issues Hanging Off My Right(Bad) Side
in Cornering and Techniques
Posted
@csmith12 : THANK YOU FOR THE AMAZING RESPONSE !! This will take some time to digest
B: Moving your bumm while on the brakes - will be more unstable and my reasoning is that as I'm braking my body is shifting forward and moving sideways while squeezing the tank is counter productive?
"Would it help if the rider was able to complete some of those tasks earlier?" - Is there an order here that is preferred? I can think of get all / MOST of the braking done first, downshift/blip/rev match, move half moon off the seat, lock, counter steer, kiss the mirror.