RoadRunner

what bike and tyres? estimated ambient temperature?

They come standard with a 6" rim so the 190 is the right size http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/fitmentguide.asp I've done a track session on the 208's on a tiumph 600 and they felt good as far as feeback goes - couldn't push the bike to traction limits though as I only had 1 session and it wasn't my bike experience tells me though, that the dunlops will squirm a fair bit before they let go, which for alot of people, is a good thing

They come standard with a 6" rim so the 190 is the right size http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/fitmentguide.asp I done a track session on the 208's on a tiumph 600 and they felt good as far as feeback goes - could push the bike to traction limits though as I only had 1 session and it wasn't my bike experience tells me though, that the dunlops will squirm a fair bit before they let go, which for alot of people, is a good thing

http://www.sportrider.com/tech/tires/146_0206_size/ That should answer your questions about the tire size. Personally, I'd be looking for other reasons as to why you feel the tyre slide. Are you using the rear brake? Is it from engine braking?

Reaching the edge of front before you reach the edge of the rear, or visa versa is a tyre brand and profile thing, mixed with the bike. Change brand of tyres and you'll get a different result Having said that, why bother thinking about it? It really makes no difference when your riding. Feel for what's going on

I find the front goes light and can feel like the bars start to sway slightly before it will let go I can understand your dilema, but I'll ask you this... If you practice turning in slowly until you reach max lean angle and eventually find an angle that your comfortable with, how will that practice translate into a fast turn in? It is my thinking that a fast turn in / quick flick, feels completely different to a slow turn in. The bikes suspension reacts differently (you'll be loading up the front alot more when turning in slowly), your line is different, your turn in point is different, where your start to accelerate is different etc..... finding maximum lean angle is all well and good but how does it help lap times? I guess what I am saying is, maybe your attention would be better spent on other things Go back to the basics do the 2 step drill practice your quick flick but most importantly, work on improving your lap times rather than focusing on increasing your lean angle there are other ways to go faster other than leaning it more

Losing the front end while accelerating to me, sounds like setup issues. Sometimes people blame themselves for something that can be addressed in the setup of the bike. (obviously a bike doesn't crash itself, but the problem may not be your technique) Without knowing what setup your bike has, I could not tell you what to change (front rebound might be a rough starting point), but I'm sure if you went to a suspension shop (lindermans, dan kyle etc..) and explained what happened, they would be able to assess what happened along with you current setup and work something out. oh, and get yourself some new tyres

I'm of the same mind set - never give up on the bike. I've had quite a few moments when the front tyre has folded and winding on the throttle has saved it - or even a good yank on the bars to try to straighten the bike a little has worked. It's a choice of let it go and crash now, or fight and try to save it - you may still crash but then again, you may not - I'll take option 2 every time. Hell, I watched a friend go into a 2 wheel drift through a right hand bend. His right knee and elbow were on the road, his left hand came off the bars. I thought he was gone for sure, but he pushed off his elbow and knee and gave it more throttle and saved it. It aint over till the fat lady driving the ambulance sings

Lots of seat time - ride as much as you can - even if you are not working on your riding, it will help to just get used to the sportsbike, which you have found out is a different animal to dirt bikes. Big open car parks are great too as you can go and practice manouvering at slow speeds, which if nothing else, will give you a great sense of balance with your current bike.

I used the rear brake in heavy braking areas to help keep the rear of the bike under control. For my mind it doesn't make sense to correct a throttle problem with the brakes. The simple solution for me would be to work on when and how the throttle is applied. Similar to the front brake - if the problem is the front is suddenly unloading when the front brake is releasec, then doesn't it make sense to work on how the front brakes are released? Maybe even the suspension could do with a look over Adding another control to the mix will just make it more difficult - trying to have balanced control of 2 things is more complicated than controlling one thing.

Think about it from a physics point of view When cornering the tyre isn't completely straight in line with the chassis, it's turned in towards the inside of the turn. Because of the force on the tyre, it naturally wants to turn in on itself, so when the tyre finally lets go, the front wheel is free to turn the way it wants to until the bars hit the stops. Not a good explanation but it's why it happens. I've lost the front end many times and every time, the front folded. I've just been lucky enough to save it every time so far *knocks wood*

High speed compression and rebound are the things to play with, but that involves stripping the forks and playing with the shim stacks. If you don't have experience with this, then it's probably best to talk to a suspension shop about it.

I can't speak for others, but I will go through what I do as it may help to get a better understanding. While braking, I try to keep the weight back a bit as you said, to keep the rear tyre on the ground. As I ease off the brakes, I bring my weight forward by lowering my chest onto the tank. This is to maximise front end grip as I approach the apex. It also helps keep the weight transfer of the bike smooth and to a minimum. As I get on the throttle and start to roll on, I arch my back, so instead of my chest being over the front of the tank, it's over the back of the tank, if that makes sense. What this does is put more weight on the rear tyre so I can roll the throttle on earlier, and harder. So now I'm maximising rear grip. I find it also helps me feel the edge of traction better. It also gives the option of easliy shifting your weight forward again if the front is getting too light, without using the bars to pull yourself foward. It's subtle movements, and mainly the top half of the body, but it makes a positive difference. It also helps to be fit and have strong stomach muscles.

Same as what the others said, and it has been proven. I can't remember which magazine did the test, but they did temperature tests on the tyres (sorry, tires) after a warm up lap. 1st test .... weaving - resulted in very minimal heat. 2nd test .... hard accelerating and braking - resulted in good heat 3rd test .... normal cautious lap - resulted in good heat but not as much as 2nd test Also an interesting thing they noted was that leaving the tyres in direct sunlight (it was a warm day) actually had a better effect than the tyre warmers. They ended up hotter and kept their heat for longer. This is what I do - park my bike in the sun so the tyres get as much direct sunlight as they can before I ride. Works a treat. If it's a cold day you're stuffed though so I too suggest tyre warmers when you can afford them

hahahaha I love sponge bob! I agree with the above. Have fun with your riding and the confidence will pick itself back up again