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JohnCBoukis

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Everything posted by JohnCBoukis

  1. Hi Cobie. As you hinted at, there will be some distance to the apex, too outside, and heading too straight and a bit tangential still to the exit path.
  2. Your observation is correct. Lowering the front end increases the instability of the bike. Part of stability is the bike acting neutral while leaned over, a phenomenon that you described. Neutral means that it leans only when the rider countersteers and that it requires little or no effort from the rider to remain leaned over. As the geometry is created by the full suspension it behooves us to consider the shock. A good suspension tuner will create an ideal height for the shock. Depending on the model of the bike they can many times add a few millimeters to the stock height. That raises the rear, creating the same type of geometry change as lowering the front. As they do this they make a judgement and avoid making the shock too high. Otherwise the bike will become unstable, fall over too easily, and require work to keep the bike leaned, the same problem that you experienced from excessively lowering the front. A benefit of setting the fork at or near the recommended height and lengthening the shock is that the bike will have the most road clearance possible. It would be educational to hear from the riders and coaches here with regards to making any such compromises in the bike's stance for competition.
  3. Everyone is allowed to post so do not worry! Cobie may be checking on your specific knowledge and what skills you may have been exposed to, for example if you had attended the school.
  4. "Racing" could refer to racing techniques, but I think it means discussions of races and riders. If so, I would use this opportunity to rename it to something more meaningful like "Racing League", or "Professional & Amateur Racing Leagues", or such. I do not feel strongly about the whole naming list. The Techniques forum is the big one for me to revisit and search. I will be ecstatic with any improvement in research capability.
  5. I do not see the "sort" option until after I do a search. It would be nice to set the sort up front rather than as a second step (I could be missing something here.) If there are choices for the default sorting of search results then I would prefer oldest posts to newest posts. Many searches today prioritize the relevance of the results. However, if you can accurately group posts by topic and return a high percentage of relevant results, the "relevant" part may already be taken care of. Also, the built in forum search engines tend to be terrible. When I search this site today I many times use a search engine, and put in "site:forums.superbikeschool.com TOPIC HERE". That issue might be solved with meta tags or other changes. Otherwise you may be able to insert a search engine plugin or apply a script which does this same thing
  6. Perhaps separate expendable bike hardware such as tires, brakes, and fluids.
  7. "Welcome to Pages" still shows up for me. Thanks for the effort. If this forum software has the capability of article categories or meta tags, those tools might help group existing articles with minimal effort.
  8. Can you delete or hide the "Welcome to Pages" article? I have no security access to enter it and so it will show in perpetuity to us users as an unread article. As new content appears I navigate via the "unread content" link. So for brand new content, the organization is moot for me. To your point about using the site as a reference, I revisit content just like periodically reading TOTW. I would love to have the entire history of technique articles organized into categories such as throttle, braking steering, road conditions, etc. so that there would be an inherent helpful path, like reading through a book. But since articles tend to wander a bit and cross over to different topics, I understand the reality that online forums do not really lend themselves to that level of organization. In that light I think the current form works just fine.
  9. You must believe me when I say that I was extremely cautious before asking about this, painfully aware of how the topic of steering has generated an infinite volume of counterproductive babble. Jaybird, I do have potential riding conditions. I might even test this today. I have tried the push-pull method. In my initial attempts I inadvertently generated excessive grip/tension in the pulling hand. I find that feeling the pressure of pulling on the throttle was particularly disconcerting and made me question if I was altering the throttle (I do not think I was, I think it was a mental block, but I also shudder to think of potential problems that I may generate with the more sensitive throttle on a race replica.) Also, I read all of Hotfoot's advice with enthusiasm and she provided this: http://forums.superbikeschool.com/topic/2856-countersteering-push-or-pull/ "Having said that, I try to use only pushing when riding hard on the track, because I can get a more consistent input using a push with pivot steering. If I try to pull, I am more inclined to yank on the bar and get a bit of a wobble at the end of the input." Admittedly somewhat uninitiated, but with the above input so far, it seems counterintuitive to me that one would steer more accurately by introducing two hands into the process that a single hand could otherwise accomplish. It is most helpful for me to hang onto what you said Dylan, that you have witnessed every combination of how riders address bar pressure.
  10. Dylan, I have only found fleeting statements in TOTW where Keith writes that one can use pulling of the bar when steering. Can you expound a little on the topic? Is there a need to become skilled at push-pull steering, particularly if pivot steering is working well?
  11. Is there a vacuum synchronization on this bike and has it been performed regularly? An imbalance in vacuum between the two cylinders will exaggerate the V-engine's poor off-idle response.
  12. I did not think much about the fact that you were perfectly attached still, but should have. Here is a scenario: You are turning left but now countersteering up and come across the spring. It nails the outside of the front tire, perhaps lodging underneath, forcing the wheel to go hard left. That would countersteer you into the ground on the right. You would have perceived the sensation of a severe steering jerk methinks. Does this sound plausible? Is there any evidence of impact damage on that front tire or wheel?
  13. I am no expert, just a rider. Since no one has responded as of this writing, I will happily chime in. If the rear slides out and continues sliding unabated, this will result in a relatively slow lowside, the same that you expected. If the rear begins to slide even for a moment, then regains traction, that can generate a rotational torque that flips the bike outward in a couple of milliseconds, resulting in a highside. That event is so fast and powerful that once it is initiated there is no recovery. You pointed out several traction hazards from that day. If too much throttle exceeds the available traction: Once the rear starts spinning, keeping steady on the throttle may keep the tire spinning, allowing one some chance of recovery as the bike sheds forward speed, while countersteering the bike upright. Alternatively once the slide has begun, certain actions like shutting the throttle quickly or using the rear brake can stop the rear tire spin, resulting in the regaining of traction and the bike flipping outward. I think that giant spring could have hit the bike in a couple different ways causing a momentary loss then nearly instantaneous recovery of traction. It could have hit the rear tire or acted like a kickstand hanging due to a band spring launching the bike upward briefly. Is the spring painted? If you could find such paint on the bike, that forensic evidence might be helpful. Here is a video of a highside. After the slide begins we can hear the rider chop the throttle, the tire chirp, the throttle rises then chops, the tire chirps a second time, then the highside. The sound and view of the erratic throttle and the tire gaining traction while moving sideways are the hints of why the bike then violently flips. https://youtu.be/JwlZiArfnYg
  14. The question is difficult because the problems are not obvious to me, some of the riders appear steady on the controls, and also some of these appear to be going uphill (although that could be the camera perspective) which would add helpful load to the rear wheel. This has me thinking about the bicycle coasting question. Are several of these riders coasting from too little throttle? You asked for force nomenclature, the rear would be unloaded, generating less friction than the centripetal force of the turn. The front wheel would have excess weight and thus adequate traction.
  15. 1) "Would a unicycle corner better that a bicycle? Why?" A unicycle steers more sharply than a bicycle because of the bicycle's wheelbase. Of note is that the unicycle is countersteering and propelling from the same tire. 2) "Do you believe that a motorcycle doing a wheelie becomes a motorized unicycle? Please, explain." Not exactly. See #1. The wheelied motorcycle at speed, arguably because while it can "wobble" left or right, it cannot be accurately steered. The motorcycle must come back down to be countersteered from the front wheel. 4) "What forces are acting over the contact patches of a bicycle that is cornering and simultaneously coasting?" Jaybird mentioned centripetal force. Then there is the vertical component of the rider & bicycle weight. In this situation the friction on the bicycle tire contact patches is extremely small. I am most curious about this particular question and what we are supposed to understand from it. 5) "Regarding turning a motorcycle along a corner, should the lean angle be considered a consequence or a cause? Please, explain." I am thinking that "corner" in this case refers to a given, fixed path. If yes, for a given path on a given motorcycle at a given speed the lean angle is a consequence. I am not sure if I read this or came up with it in isolation: On a centrifuge I think of the arm that connects the motor and test tubes as the friction of the tires. The angle the tubes will take is a consequence of the motor speed, the arc, and the weight of the test tubes. Just the same I think of the motorcycle lean angle as a consequence of the speed, weight, and corner arc.
  16. 1) Why do dirt bikers push the bike beneath them? "Because they can." Why do they not hang off? For what purpose would they do this? Can one flip a road bike side to side merely by shifting their weight? No, but one can do this laying the dirt bike beneath them, so this is actually an advantage in turning for the dirt bike. If you began a 180° from a crawl or a stop as dirt bikers do, this actually necessitates putting the bike underneath you. So I would say slow speeds and extreme turns physically necessitate this. To your point, dirt riders could hang off with their weight still on the outside peg, versus standing vertically on the outside peg like they do. However, that would be more work than merely laying the bike underneath, and their bodies would then be hanging out in traffic, traffic which is close or already colliding with them; more physical effort, with less safety, and for what purpose? There are lessons on this forum on how hanging off gains ground clearance. This is not a core problem on a dirt bike that has suspension travel designed to handle 5-story landings. One simply does not care about keeping a dirt bike more straight up. 2) You exclude the rut from your question but ruts and general degradation that quickly build up after the race start, and steeply banked turns are going to dictate many of the best paths on a given motocross track before other choices come into play. Any single gouge in the track surface is subject to directing the rider to another path that has more traction. A lot of motocross is correct obstacle execution at the correct speed (which is not always the fastest speed.) For the remaining rider path options I am going to make an uneducated guess that on a short motocross track that is only 5-8 meters wide, at speeds that are slow compared to road racing, the obstacle and turn execution will be much more contributory to the race times than an inside-out movement would be. Lastly, many obstacles such as whoops or jumps are approached best at a right angle. If one had to approach the road straightaway at a 90° angle, that limitation would completely throw away the path that clips the apex. Someone here described dirt biking as "point and shoot" and I think that says it concisely. The dirt has stops and starts and right angles but the road dictates a smooth, turn-interconnecting racing line. Thus they each have specific techniques which serve them.
  17. I waited for someone else to jump in, but I will answer it. The rider is steering back and forth in a vain attempt to warm up the tires. To answer Hotfoot's question about effectiveness, here is an older post which contains cool references to studies: Note the comments on the effectiveness of the sun. The sun heats primarily via infrared light. This electromagnetic spectrum can penetrate deep inside of objects which convection (heating air and circulating it) or conduction (direct contact) will not do. Unfamiliar with the current technology, my research shows that some tire warmers now take advantage of IR.
  18. The leader is perpetually sliding and holding the bike up with a flat foot on the inside. He is in a different mode from the street bikes, say dirt bike mode. He is not beating the limitations that bound the road bikes but he is using a different technique.
  19. They do not. The ab contraction is changing the model. It turns out this is a statics problem. Making the torso rigid is transferring the energy elsewhere, from back support applying vertical weight on the seat, to rotational inertia. These two are chocolate and peanut butter. Note that using the back to support the torso transfers the torso weight to the seat. That is what is going to change with the ab contraction. On the bike, if the abdomen is held rigid and the legs are held rigid (they are pretty rigid as they do not bend like the back), then the body will want to rotate forward, pivoting on the seat. The feet resting on the pegs prevent this rotation. So the weight the back previously put on the seat is now resting comfortably via the feet on the pegs. Experiment: Sit in a chair or on the bike, flex the abs, and lean far forward. Relax the abs then flex the abs. If you are sensitive enough you may feel the increase and decrease in force on the bottom of your feet, and with each change the opposite feel of force on the seat. Here is what I can think of: Functionally isometrics allows us to hold objects. If I hold a plate or a pen in my hand and do not move, that is an isometric. Holding our torso up vertically is similar. Design wise, one can become infinitely strong without any equipment by doing isometrics. Of course the strength is over a limited motion area, due to being applied at a point or over a very limited range. Also when injury causes immobility one can begin recovery via isometrics. If motion is painful, one can still build the muscle up. If one was trapped under an object that is extremely heavy, they may not be able to lift it in one motion. They can slowly lift it, hold it there, then lift it more. This combination of isometrics and motion allows us to do work that taxes us to our limits.
  20. Muscles can contract and generate movement or they can contract without generating movement. Ever do isometrics? The abdominal or core contraction you guys allude to would be an isometric. The muscles strengthen, and there is no movement.
  21. Too true! By my comment is in context of the discussion regarding Crutchlow's peak heart rate of 192 bpm and points such as Spaghetti's about avoiding excess fatigue. If this rate was measured since 2015 while on his Honda, CC may be desperately trying to get that rate down as he unwillingly fights his current bike.
  22. Crutchlow recently indicated that he is physically struggling with the RC213V, and provided the metric that his heart rate is 16 bpm higher than while riding a Yamaha: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/128431
  23. At Amazon they have Twist I in used but very good condition for $9.51, and Twist II for $11.98, both fulfilled by Amazon with free shipping if the order reaches $25. However, this rider needs to scrape up five more dollars than the given limit to make this purchase of both books. In speaking with my local librarian I learned that book borrowing in this area is far overshadowed by multimedia today. The person you are dealing with may be part of the generation that would tend to choose multimedia. So it may be an uphill battle pushing the book recommendation, but I personally would explain the advantages of the books that others mentioned, that they are more detailed than the videos and that they can be referred back to easily. Signed, Highly Biased Book Lover
  24. Maybe this could also use an additional sign warning of the curve and steep grade? Many times there is the additional factor of other vehicles tailgating the motorcycle and not paying attention. Since speed tends to not be a concern for the driver of a car or truck, for any such drivers not paying attention, there is the risk of them going right through the motorcyclist during the slowdown. Thus, your warning of the signage applies just as well to the follower as to the lead motorcyclist, yet another reason to seriously consider the sign change. Often here in the US the catalyst for additional signage is a certain number of accidents or deaths. Perhaps they mentioned this metric in the meeting? According to the local law, how many accidents or deaths would result in a change to this signage? A number of citizen complaints may not be meaningful to the council. I have seen such on the news many times, dangerous areas where people complained to the municipality and they did nothing. After two or three or four deaths, that same area looks like a Christmas tree, with warnings and even superior lighting. In fairness to the council, citizens probably request expensive things from them daily. In unfairness to their decision, it sounds like you are the expert witness in this case. After some of the conditions I have encountered, it certainly seems like traffic design is universally engineered for cars with motorcycles being an afterthought. Looking at this from afar it appears that the council's decision reflects this tenet too.
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