Kevin Kane

Kai;His times in the first two practice rounds at Sepang are not good. He was tenth in FP2 and Lorenzo is first (again).

Tyler; You're right, I miss calculated the difference in points: Rossi leads Lorenzo by 11 and not 8. If Lorenzo wins out (a very real possibility) then Rossi must finish second in both races to take the crown. With Marquez, Pedrosa and Ianonne in the mix, it will be a real challenge for Rossi to do that. If it rains then Rossi should be OK

The same question can be asked of Rossi and Lorenzo, especially when Rossi couldn't hold any of the other three off all race long. He got as far as second on occasion toward the end of the race but he could hold any position he had taken from the other three, especially at the end. Iannone passing him on the penultimate lap (IIRC) could have a big impact on his chances for another championship. Finishing third to Lorenzo's second would have cost him only 4 points instead of 7. Unless I miss calculated this, if Lorenzo wins out and Rossi finishes second in both races - Lorenzo's the 2105 Champion by the same 3 points that Iannone took from him last week!

R Chase, did you know that the School's Coaches use 'race take off' tires exclusively? I have seen them ride them to the belts without a problem many times.

You can make up for that faux pas by going to the website and voting for Hottie, er I mean Hotfoot.

Considering that the Yamahas were down on power to Honda and Ducati, one could only imagine if Rossi was on Iannone's bike this year. Regardless, that was as good a race as any that I have ever seen. When Lorenzo got out in front I thought oh well, here we go again but Marquez wouldn't let it happen. Then Rossi and Iannone clawed their way back and gave us the best race of the season. It was such an amazing race for it's entire length I thought that Nick Harris was going to lose his voice. I almost did as I was screaming at the TV as well. To have 4 bikes and 3 constructors capable of winning on the last lap demonstrates how well MotoGP has managed it's brand this season.

Hey Boys et Girls (a little Latin lingo for our world community) Our own Hotfoot has been invited to a select motorcycling race series in SoCal and she needs your help. Yes Laura, aka "Hotfoot" has been invited to race in a limited local competition for the next three months - 16 riders, and the winner gets a KTM 390 motorcycle. It's track competition and its based on speed, consistency, improvement, and social media voting, and they are getting coaching from top pros. Laura's coach is Jeremy Toye! With The Prairie Dogs Racing series winding down [ Go Dogs!] and Yellow Duck now a regional champion, we need to get behind another Forum regular to root for as our own riding seasons get buried under multiple feets of snow. How cool is this!. We will have our own Moderator/Administrator Laura "Hotfoot" posting up stories of how she kicks some serious butt on her way to winning that KTM! Here's the deal; you need to vote early and vote often for Laura at this web site. https://fastrackriders.info/academy-voting/ You can only vote once a week from the same IP address but if you have multiple devices with different IP address - who's to know? OK maybe we will but who cares - its Laura and she racing! So come on Forum regulars, lets show Hotfoot the same kind of Love we gave Yellow Duck [OK ,maybe it can be a little more enthusiastic that that] as she gears up for this exciting challenge. To vote you have to scroll past the photos to see the list of names, then click on Laura's name. There are 4 teams, 4 riders each, and at some point they advance one rider per team to a final round. We totally expect Laura to get to the final round. So let's click on that link and VOTE!

Kai; I was wondering why he waited so long to change over as well. Maybe it was the positions he lost on the first switch where Lorenzo exited the pits in front but even Nick Harris seemed confused by the delay. IIRC, he said that those who had switched and were up to speed were running 9 full seconds faster then Rossi and Lorenzo were by the time he finally pitted. Without a doubt, 2015 has been the most interesting season in MotoGP for a long time. I also don't think that Lorenzo is conceding 2015 to Rossi either.

Alberto; I was startled by your turn point. We've both been on T-Bolt enough times to know where the turn point is (the School's taped marks are indelibly imprinted in my head) and when I was watching I thought Whoa just as you turned. There's a lot of "stuff" on the outside of most every corner. Kai's comment is right on point as well but IMHO you over cooked that corner and when you tried to compensate your were in an area of less than ideal traction. ...I am also sorry about your crash. Kai is always a gentleman first.

Awesome, our own Alien has checked back in! Didn't want you to think that we had forgotten you and the Dogs... Go Dogs!

Kai; Thanks for putting this up here. Now that Prairie Dog Racing [...go Dogs!] has gone silent on us we may as well all go back to MotoGP for our racing analysis. I agree with Eirik that there are "Aliens" in almost every aspect of life but since many of us follow motorcycle racing, the analysis is a fun sidebar. I am personally fascinated by Jorge Lorenzo's riding this season. One round (many actually) he has been simply unbeatable and then others - not so much. For the first quarter of Silverstone, I was convinced that he couldn't be caught but once he gave up the lead - it was all but over for him. I commented earlier this season that Rossi was pushing as hard as I have ever seen and wondered at 38 if he had the stamina to maintain that pace for an entire season. It appears he can but because he has, is that putting even more pressure on Lorenzo? Lorenzo probably expected to only have to contest with Marquez to claim his third MotoGP World Championship but not Rossi as well. It just reaffirms how Alien-like these guys are and why we are the beneficiaries of that circumstance. Kai, thanks again for the analysis, it's provided a fun thread up here. Kevin

...coach? What about her Moderating the Forum? I kid...Hottie is awesome!

I totally agree Kai. I was jumping out of my seat screaming at the screen... when I saw the opening aerial images I thought are those raindrops on the lens? This will be a game changer of a race if they are. Sure enough Rossi rode with such precision and confidence that he seemed to be on another level entirely all race long. He also beat Lorenzo and Marquez straight up. Is it four times now that when Rossi and Marquez fought for the lead that Marquez crashed and DNF'd three of those four? What a season so far!

FWIW, I found that I hit false neutrals downshifting with a slipper many times - but never with a conventional clutch. NJMP/Thunderbolt's T1 in particular...

...but back to hughmark's original thread [sorry for the sidebar]

My very low hp bike is a 1968 Triumph Bonneville that I restore(d) [a process that never ends if you ride it] - all 38 horses. Despite it's limitations, it is a blast to ride.

...and read! Read the Twist of the Wrist series but especially Vol. II. Read it, then read it again, and then again. The off track preparation is your homework assignment and it helps you build a stronger foundation into your riding at a more measured approach. You can read a section, go "wait a minute" and thumb back and see how it is linked to something you had already read without the pressure of thinking, "Whoa, I've got to get back out for the next session" which can happen at a School. You will find Level II and subsequent Level's easier if you have absorbed these books.

I also think that despite lean angle and body position, some people need to be going really really fast to get their knee down. This picture shows about 45 degrees of lean with the upper body and head lower to the inside and yet the knee puck is still inches about the deck. From memory, the only time my knee pucks touch is when I am riding very quickly. Some riders rarely touch down. DAMHIK Rainman

Maybe, but as I wrote, I am pretty mindful of the fact that at this point the only things that can keep me from the championship are a DNS or DNF. I'm really only taking passes that I can make with a wide margin of safety...and going over the bike with a fine-tooth comb to try to eliminate any possible mechanical issues. Hugh; ...I kid. Your racing strategy is pretty solid and you do race safely yet successfully so it's all good [FWIW, I would have ended up plowing into one of them if I were on your bike]. But back to our regular scheduled programming; I am sure you took note of how you lost 2 tenths every lap you dueled with Bob but ran your quickest laps chasing him down. One question inquiring minds would like to know is why your lap times dropped by almost twice that much once you were out in front. Did you know how far back Bob was? I didn't see a pit board when you crossed the line ergo the question. And before everyone in the Fan Club starts clubbing me for asking these questions, they are similar to what happens when the Big Boys (and girls) race. Besides, I totally know that you won the race on Sunday.

The reason why your solo racing team's name went from Duck You Racing [DYR Corp.] to Duck It Racing [DIR Corp.] is all in the Qualifying race Vid. You should have pounced on Bob when he made contact with that back marker and opened that gap for you. It did, however work out in your favor as Bob was over confident after beating you in that race. Maybe that was the real Jedi mind trick in play that weekend eh?

"All cool guys.......................................(except Bob)" You are Killing it up here Doctor - Killing it! I was going to offer some observations on the races but that's a topic better handled by Hottie. Thanks for giving us a new villain to hate now that Brodie seems to fallen off the face of the earth, so to speak. Congratulations on the weekend and your victory and pending championship Hugh and thanks for giving us a fun read every couple of weeks. Go Dogs! and Go Duck It! Racing. Kevin

Kai; When we look at dominating riders like Rossi, Lorenzo, Stoner or further back to rides like Mick Doohan, Roberts, Mike the Bike or Ago, all of them took a year or two before they become really competitive enough to win their first championship at the MotoGP level. Then you look at Marquez who won the championship in his rookie season (2013) and then followed up with a more dominate second championship in 2014 and it makes you wonder how anyone could do that considering those who preceded him. I know I don't know a lot about MotoGP but I don't think anyone has won a championship as a rookie and then successfully defended it the following year. Where I think the difference in Marquez's performance this year surrounds the bike more than the rider as Yamaha has won 7 of the first 9 races so far. Marquez was as you said in second in all three crashes but IIRC, 2 of his 3 happened when he was trying to pass for the lead and/or win. You're right about where he would be if he listened to Schwantz's advice but he clearly doesn't like to finish a race in second place. HRC might be giving up something to Yamaha that they haven't figured out yet but the summer break will give them time to adjust. If they can close the gap the second half of 2015 could be more fun that the first. I agree with you that this thing is far from being over. I don't remember a more exciting season than this one in a long time. I wonder what others up here think? Kevin

Johnny, I really appreciate you putting this up here. I knew Hottie would bring in some strong CSS Coach's feedback for you which is how this Forum works best - but you my good man also shared with us what a lap at Brands looks like from a bike. Watching SBK races on TV, I always loved the perspective of the bikes roaring out of Paddocks Hill into Turn 1 so thanks for giving us all a peek. Further, I agree with you that a very fast downhill curve can really test your faith in all of what we have been taught; running it down the hill at pace isn't for the squeamish. For me, Rainey curve at Laguna Seca can be more unnerving than the famous Corkscrew which precedes it for the same reason you mentioned. Also, I share your opinion that it is hard to practice what we learn in School when we get back on the road but I find myself trying. Sometimes when I am approaching a corner/turn I will hit the inside bar harder than I need to just to keep the reflex active. I push hard/quick and just as quickly let off - just to get a bit of "snap" out of the bike. I try and visualize the same spots as if it were the track just to keep the whole 2/3 step process working to make me a more intuitive rider. Please keep posting your videos as you progress this season and hopefully, your willingness to share will spread to others doing it as well. We all know that Yellow Duck is killing it up here with his Prairie Dog Racing blog so welcome to the show! Kevin

Johnny; I thought you held a very consistent line each lap, your lefts seemed a bit tighter than your rights (unless that was related to your camera mounting) but your throttle management was consistent and smooth. Clearly your pace will return with more seat time. Thanks for putting this up here for our review. I'm confident that Hottie will have more useful feedback so my limited commentary will have to suffice for now. But good job from here. Rainman