Hotfoot
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Posts posted by Hotfoot
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I'm in So CA! Pretty close to Adams Motorsports Park - let's rent it and have a minibike/pitbike trackday!
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If you plan to continue riding in one piece leathers, a mesh undersuit is a good option - they are made to fit under leathers, comfortable and washable - but if you don't currently have full leathers, something like UnderArmour shirts/shorts work great. They keep you cool, make it easier to get in and out of leathers, and help prevent any uncomfortable sticking or rubbing of the leathers. Any sporting goods store will have something like UnderArmour. They work a lot better than a T shirt - T shirts can bunch up under leathers, and can get sweaty and hot. Something close fitting and moisture-wicking will feel much better, and a smooth/slippery texture really does help to keep the leathers from rubbing your skin anywhere, plus making it easier to get in and out of them.
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Officially signed up for April 21 2-day course at Willow, I'm so excited! Now I have to make a shopping list of things to bring etc..
So far all I have is:
-AGV Helmet
-Alpine Stars full gloves
-Dianese Track boots
Can anyone point me to a thread to help me out??
Hotel recomendations?
At the two day camp the school provides nearly everything you need - food, water, gear, bike, etc. You will be either in class or on the bike almost all the time. If you have something special you want to eat or drink you might want to bring that; sunscreen if you prefer your own; should probably bring a jacket, the mornings in the desert are usually quite cool even if the forecast predicts a hot day. Bring/wear something comfortable to wear under your leathers - some use a mesh undersuit (the school offers these for sale) and many use UnderArmour, which works really well. I use HotGear apparel from UnderArmour (or ColdGear in winter), it helps keep you cool and makes it easy to get in and out of the leathers.
All the hotel choices are 20-30 minutes away from the track. The Inn of Lancaster is good, and the Comfort Inn and Holiday Inn Express near Ave J or K are both nice. Avoid the Devonshire, it is the closest motel but it's not a good place to stay.
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I changed mine to 15/39, which should get me in that range, if the engine has enough power to overcome the wind resistance. There are some limitations on what size sprockets will actually fit on the bike, but I think this combo will work well. I tested it at Streets and it felt good, and hit 110mph in fourth gear - didn't have enough straightaway to hit fifth. (It is a 5 speed, bummer that it doesn't have a sixth gear!) I haven't tried it at big track yet to find actual top speed - I look forward to getting it out to Fontana.I changed the gearing with the hope of getting a higher top speed out of it but haven't been able to test it out yet; if I can get it to top out at 125mph or so I'll be pretty happy and probably will leave the engine stock.
I know for the CRF450R you can purchase a aftermarket Wide Ratio Transmission no idea if someone sells it for the YZ450F.
to get to 125 mph on a 17 inch tire my 450 would need the wide ratio transmission and a final drive of around 16/45, theoretically that is ...
Tyler
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MD250 is listed unfueled at 194.XX lbs which is below 200lbs= wow!Hotfoot,
How much does that super single of yours weigh compared to the MD250 ??
Tyler
PS. which super single is that??
As Tyler already partially answered - the SuperSingle is a YZ450F dirtbike converted to a road racer. It has YZ450F motor, frame, transmission, etc., but the suspension has been shortened, it has roadracing wheels and fairing. I have done a lot to make it track ready (rearsets, GP shift, spools and frame sliders, fancy laptimer) but no engine work yet. I changed the gearing with the hope of getting a higher top speed out of it but haven't been able to test it out yet; if I can get it to top out at 125mph or so I'll be pretty happy and probably will leave the engine stock. It's still a kickstart, which turns some heads at the racetrack.
It is FUN to ride, very lightweight and flickable, plenty of torque; it has been a really interesting project, I've learned a lot in the process of getting it ready to race.
It is debatable whether it will be faster than the Moriwaki, it has more HP but doesn't handle as well, but it is a lot more comfortable to ride because it is much larger, and the torque makes it a kick to ride.
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Hotfoot,
How much does that super single of yours weigh compared to the MD250 ??
Tyler
That one is about 240 pounds.
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The MD250s are a bit hard to come by, and not cheap - but they have one big advantage that factored into my decision to get one lots of places to ride and race it. Due to the small chassis size, it is allowed on certain go kart tracks in my region - around $30 to ride all day. There are also classes to run it with some of the minibike racing clubs (although I haven't done that) and since it is a single it can run in the singles class with AHRMA, so I have a ton of rising options. The RS125 and MD250 are the only bikes I know that can run big tracks and small tracks.
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2) Learn to pass in the corners and in the parts of the track where big bikes have to slow down more than you.
Why big bikes have to slow down in the corners and in other parts of the track?
More mass typically means lower corner speed; the forces required to hold a heavier bike in a turn are higher: F=mA. (Lighter bike = faster through corners is a generalization, of course - a lightweight bike with terrible tires or lousy suspension would not necessarily get around a corner faster than a 600 with super grippy tires and great handling).
Areas of the track that have tight transitions (corners 4-5-6 at Streets of Willow, for example) favor lightweight bikes because you can flick them side to side more easily and faster, and thus carry more speed through the whole section.
As a personal example, my husband rides and races a BMW S1000rr, roughly 200 hp and 400-something pounds. I usually ride an MD250, 180 lbs and about 32 horsepower. We ride together at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana quite often; he leaves me in the dust on the two straightaways but I gain ground back through turns 3,5,6,7,8,9,10 and 11 and we ultimately turn almost exactly the same laptime.
(We also turn similar laptimes when riding EQUAL bikes - but that is more fun because we can duke it out corner by corner, riding right together, which we can't do on the very unequal hp bikes; and this is the crux of Robert's issue, he can't really "ride with" the 600s and 1000s, he has to ride it differently to achieve similar laptimes. )
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Here are some thoughts, in no particular order:
1) Shed as much weight as possible, lightweight is one of the bike's advantages; lightweight components allow for quicker acceleration.
2) Learn to pass in the corners and in the parts of the track where big bikes have to slow down more than you.
3) If you are riding in the fastest group at track days, consider riding in the intermediate group - as long as inside passing is allowed in that group - you can rail around riders that overbrake for turns.
4) if you are riding in the slow group and inside passing is not allowed, move up a group. If you are only allowed to pass on straights, you are screwed on a low hp bike.
5) Find friends to ride with, that are on Ninja 250s or other low hp bikes, or consider racing, where you will at least be grouped with similar bikes, so you aren't constantly outgunned on horsepower.
6) Get tires and suspension that make you feel confident in corners - that is where you can kick ass.
7) Get really good at throttle control, if you can get on the gas early in the corners you can pass the big bikes. They may take it back in the next straight section but it's fun as hell to go around them in the turns!!
8) Lots of no-brakes drills - corner speed is paramount and the better you get at judging entry speed the faster you can go.
9) Gearing - make sure you optimize your gearing for the track you ride.
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Nice bike! Welcome to the forum. If you do a forum search on 'exercises' or 'fitness', you can find some other threads that talk about various exercises to increase fitness and strength for riding.
Some people like bicycle riding for both cardio and leg strength, and I definitely agree with that. Other ideas: squats, to strengthen your quads, and thigh squeezes (think ThighMaster) because you will use those inner-thigh muscles to grip the tank under braking and, if you hang off, to help move you across the bike for side to side transitions. Personally I think push-ups help with strengthening the muscles you use to turn the bike, and any types of core-strengthening exercises like crunches, etc., are great.
I'm sure others will have plenty more ideas for you!
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The standard CSS training is brimming with wet-weather riding techniques! Good throttle control, hook turn, pick-up, ALL the visual skills, nearly every trechnique taught is applicable in wet riding, as well as the off-track training tools such as the brake bike and slide bike, which are set up to give lowered traction to allow you to experience lock-ups and slides on a reasonable gradient so you can learn how to tame your survival reactions and handle them properly - tremendously useful in wet riding!Seems like a new business opportunity for the school if they can crank up a course on wet riding trainingf
All you have to do to get wet weather coaching and practice at CSS is be there on a wet day! CSS runs in the rain (as long as track conditions are safe); my Level 2 day with CSS years ago as a new rider was rainy all day, I had never ridden in the wet at all and was scared half to death - but by the second session I was zipping around and I was astounded how fast you really can go on a wet track.
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Hiya Rodney! Welcome to the forum. I think I met you at Barber too, glad to have you here.
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I'm curious what you guys think about listening to music while riding on the street. I know there are helmets and earpieces available now that make it possible to listen to music while riding; would you do it? Do you think it is fun and as safe as earplugs, or dangerously distracting? Ok anytime, or only in certain road conditions (country roads, for example), or never a good idea?
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For any practical purpose, instantaneous lean angle solely depends on the square of the instantaneous velocity of the bike and on the inverse of the instantaneous radius of the circular trajectory.
Unless you change your body position at some point during the turn - such as by using hook turn, which allows you to tighten your line WITHOUT having to lean the bike more, or the pickup drill which allows you to stand the bike up more while keeping your combined center of gravity in the same place.
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By specifying a 180 degree corner, you have made this a rather complex question. There is no way to really 'straighten out' a 180 corner, so there are many different ways to approach these types of turns. How you ride it can depend on the characteristics of the the road/track before and after the corner, the banking, the available traction, what type or bike you ride and your strengths as a rider.Assuming a 180 degree constant radius corner, when are you at your maximum lean angle?
1) When you are trailing off the brakes
2) Split second of no throttle
3) Maintenance throttle
To simplify the question, let's first consider a 90 degree turn. In that case, a good approach would be to get to max lean as quickly as possible (quick-turn the bike) and as SOON as the bike at the desired lean angle, start rolling on the throttle enough to get the ideal 40/60 weight distribution to maximize traction. (Depending on the turn, this can be well before the apex.) Later in the turn, when the bike is pointed in the direction you want for exiting the turn, you can begin picking up the bike and start your exit drive.
Now, back to the question of a 180 degree turn; the approach will depend a lot on the characteristics of the turn and the track. Most 180 degree turns can be ridden as double-apex; however if the turn is very tight and the track is wide, sometimes you can just use a single, late apex. If the turn comes after a fast part of the track (like a straight) there might be some advantage to carrying as much speed as possible INTO the turn, which could mean trail-braking all the way through past the first apex to your SECOND turn point. (This can be an effective technique in racing but is definitely not the safest approach so I'm not recommending it for street riding!) However, if I was riding a light, low horsepower bike like my Moriwaki, corner speed is everything so I would typically not trail brake at all, I'd get to max lean ASAP and then right back on the throttle to get that ideal 40/60 weight distribution, then just go flat on the throttle or dip it slightly at my second turn point.
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When are you at your maximum lean angle? I am assuming a standard 180 degree constant radius corner.
1) When you are trailing off the brakes
2) Split second of no throttle
3) Maintenance throttle
What does "maintenance throttle" mean to you? I want to clarify because it seems to mean different things to different people.
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Horses have such a wide field of vision, it's not obvious what they are looking at - usually the best indicator is their ears, if both are pricked sharply forward they are looking straight ahead. Otherwise generally their attention on each side is focused wherever their ear points, in the photo above the horse appears to have one eye on the barrel and the other on the path ahead.This is going a bit off topic - but how would you compare the feeling of riding a horse with riding a motorbike? I always wondered about that... not too sure I'd do well on a horse, boy they are tall! Never ridden one or been around them much, actually the thought of climbing on a horse scares me!
Gotta respect horses and a good rider though, still some impressive lean.
So I guess hanging off isn't such a big thing when riding a horse... vision looks spot on, at least for the rider. Not sure what the horse is looking at, but as long as at least one of them knows where they're going it should all work out, right?
It's hard to compare horses and motorcycles, they are so utterly different. I'd say the major SIMILARITY in riding horses and motorcycles is that riding them gives you a strength and speed far beyond what you could ever achieve on your own, a feeling of power and freedom that is a real thrill.
One big difference is that when you are trying to improve your performance on a motorcycle, it's all you. But when on a horse, it is a partnership and a cooperative effort; there is another thinking, feeling being involved, who has his own opinions and ideas. Good communication and mutual understanding are very important! It's a very special feeling when the horse really gets into the game and offers up an exceptional performance, or a better way to do something, or saves your hide by correcting a mistake you made or were about to make. Having a partnership and a common purpose with such a graceful and powerful animal is an amazing thing.
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Welcome! Funny, I was just thinking yesterday about how I'd like to schedule a chance to get a CAR out to Laguna Seca.
It's terrific on a bike, you'll have a blast. It's chilly sometimes, though, watch the weather, make sure you bring a warm layer if it is cool or damp or windy.
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The risk of an accident is 1000 times higher with horse-back riding than using heroin, according to a recent newspaper article.
I think the risk of financial ruin may also be higher with horses than heroin.
Hee hee, some truth in all of these statements! One big difference between horses and bikes - bikes are expensive when you using them (tires, fuel, track fees, etc.) and horses are expensive whether you are using them or not! Food, housing, vet care, etc is really not mileage based.
On the other hand, I can look out the window and watch my horses run and play and they are amazing. The bikes just sit there, in between rides; they are cool looking but not really very good company, they don't whinny to me when I open the door or frolic around looking for attention.
Sitting around on the couch watching TV is cheap and probably very safe but I am certainly tired of doing it!!!! I can hardly wait to return to my expensive and dangerous hobbies.
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(2) How confident are you? Hahah, I've been a 10 when I should've been an 8 but I've also been a 5 when I should've been a 6... pick any number.
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Hee hee, I can totally relate to that, GREAT comment.
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Oh, gross! Anyway, glad it is a (relatively) uncomplicated injury. If they told you only six weeks you should be flattered - that's what they would do for a teenager. An old fart like me gets told 8 to 10....
I was, actually; I'm a long way from a teenager myself so I was expecting a longer timeframe too. I got an X-ray last week and after two weeks it is already showing some bone healing, so the doc reduced it to five weeks, if things keep going as they are, and I am VERY pleased with that.
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...so Hottie how did this happen? Having just gotten out of a flex cast myself inquiring minds would like to know.I'm sidelined for the moment, broke my leg. I was NOT on a bike, which proves that walking is more dangerous than riding a motorcycle.
About four more weeks in a cast...WELL...
as you may recall, I have horses. My horses are very tall, and I'm pretty short, so I use a mounting block to get on, especially when riding bareback. A couple of weeks ago I was standing on the mounting block getting ready to get on my horse, and he moved away a step - so I stepped down off the block, and my foot landed on an uneven piece of ground and twisted under me. It probably should have been a sprained ankle but I'm very flexible, so my ankle just rolled all the way under until my fibula snapped. Audibly.
I don't seem to have any tendon or ligament damage, which is good news since those sort of injuries take longer to heal than broken bones, but the bad news is that I'll be in a cast for a total of 6 weeks... so I have about a month to go. It's my left leg, a complete mid-shaft fibula fracture.
Not that exciting of a story - it happened in my backyard! Naturally, everyone assumes it was a motorcycle injury (despite the fact that I have NEVER been hurt riding a motorcycle). I need a sign to wear around my neck that says "No, I did NOT fall off my motorcycle!"
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Are you as comfortable on the tires that give you 6-8 track days as the ones that give you 3? You already mentioned your lap times are the same - do they also provide good handling and plenty of grip? If so, what is making you wonder if you need the sticker tire? (That is a real question, not a sarcastic one. )
Some tracks have so much grip that they eat softer tires and it becomes impractical to run them; have you talked to a local tire vendor about what makes sense for that new surface? You'll probably have to be very specific in your questions, as it is likely to the tire vendor's advantage for you to buy the expensive super sticky tires that have to be replaced more often.
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Wow, that was a close call. My trip got canceled as I was getting ready to park the car at the airport. So, I'll read that section of Twist 1 later.
I'm glad you mentioned that you were thinking of Soft Science when you posted the challenge. I reckon my thought train wasn't too far off then.
BTW, how are your track notes coming along?
I'm sidelined for the moment, broke my leg. I was NOT on a bike, which proves that walking is more dangerous than riding a motorcycle.
About four more weeks in a cast...
Css After Level Iv
in School Questions/General Discussion
Posted
Like T said above, you can come back and do Level 4 as any times as you like. As a Level 4 student, your program will be customized specifically for you - your will work with your on-track coach and a Level 4 consultant to figure out what areas of your riding you want to work on, and create a program for the day.
Level 4 is really a lot of fun; I was a Level 4 student many times and I couldn't believe how much progress I made every time. Eventually I showed up with the goal "get ready for racing", at which point I really picked up my pace and then I signed up for CodeRace as a true race-prep experience.
There are some students who come do Level 4 at the school a few times a year on the school BMWs instead of doing open track days - it's really convenient because that way you don't have to buy and maintain a track bike, the riding environment is safer, more organized and friendlier than open track days, and you have great coaching which makes it much more rewarding overall. Plus you can try a variety of different tracks without having to haul a bike all over the country.