Balistic

Seems like I got a new one on this 4. using the rear brake to settle the bike as you start into the front brake ( to hold the rear down). Will

It seems like alot has been said about trail braking and some of it is a somantic problem. I thought I would try and get some agreement on defintions of what it is. 1. Letting off the brakes slowly, as opposed to letting go of the lever. 2. Letting off the brakes slowly as you turn. 3. Using the brakes in a turn to adjust speed and line. Will

If I could do that I would have a lot more money, but then I would have to find a new hobbie to spend it on....... Will

If you brace yourself with the bars during braking and are braking enough to unload the rear the bike will set up in that dance. It's the same reason you want to be light on the bars in a turn. The front wheel will seek balance because of trail and if you are damping the steering with your weight it takes a larger force from the bike to overcome the rider causing the weave. Now when you are on the brakes enough to make the rear light it can be deflected and that is what the dance is. Will

The more I rode on the track the slower I went. That has stopped and reverted a little now but I have friends that will be a distant memory on a street ride because they will gas it up and do triple digits on the street. I just put it in sixth and ride around sitting on the seat. It's not necessarily slow but if it opens up I still just cruise along. I was riding with one of guys and he took off before I had my helmet and gloves on so I knew he would be pretty far ahead. I was on my Ninja 1000 (an 86 in 88)going the down the south side of Palomar mountain and once I got going I got into a rhythm and was going as fast as I thought was prudent ( way too fast that is). I came out of a right and there he was full tilt getting after it, I pulled the front up as I passed him and set it down to flick it into a left and was gone. I waited for him at the bottom and from then on he waited for me to leave. I could count on one hand the number of times I have uncorked on the street like that in the last 15 years. That is probably why im still around, I save the tire sliding for the track. Now wheelies are a whole other story. Will

Your first question about the 208s; The ZR is what Dunlop calls a joint less breaker, Same as a 0 degree belt. The cording is wound longitudinally around the tire with one continuous thread. This is very compliant to road irregularities and sharp edge bumps. The RR is the same as the ZR in construction but the RR has the 207 GP rubber and pattern. the 208GP is a cut breaker meaning the cords are run at an angle across the tire. This is harsh by comparison on the street but very stable at lean. The rubber used is also different. On the ZR it is meant to work at a lower temp and have good wet grip, on the RR GP the rubber is meant for traction and temperature. The ZR is a great tire and for 95% of riders is the right choice. I recommend that If you are sliding a ZR step up to the RR or a GP. If not the ZR is a far better tire for most riders. The tires are made to fit the wheels, not the other way. The 180 GP is for a 5.5" to 6.25" Wheel. It is true the bike will turn better with the 180 but don't expect much, you may not notice. I ran a 5.5" wheel on my ZX9R when I raced it because it felt better going through the turn than the 6" wheel did with the same tire. Will

It's very interesting that you say a foot, I have had several small slides that totally blew my drive for a pass or got passed because of it. Im talking 2 to 4 inches here nowhere near what you are talking about. I don't see that you would stay in front of many riders doing that unless they were scared by seeing it, It definitely isn't the fast way off a corner. Will

Hi Fred I don't think I could ride with you ( Kawasaki,Dunlop) but I could help you with pit stops at the May date, The other is conflicted with a school. Is there sprints at the May date? Will

gpsuspension@yahoo.com

first off I can't do this, so anything I have to say about it is just an observation. I think it's all the gyro. You are committed with you body and can't change after you leave the ground, You can move but the bike will do the opposite of what you do. If you bushed it down you could pick it up, but to fix the steering you did off the face you will need to use the gyro. Will

As a matter of fact I will be looking at all the mid west and south races this summer, I have a couple of weeks long holes in our schedule. Will

I did one moto school and got the pleasure of a pro passing me a number of time in a section of jumps that was in an arc. I would jump land turn, he was turning off the face of the jump and whipping the bike into position for the next turn. I watched him several times to confirm it, and then asked the instructor if what I thought I saw was it. He did confirm the steering for a whip is on the face, but the only way to recover it is the gyroscopic procession. Will

You have ridden with me so I hope im not out of line here. I raced in the early 90s and was very competitive minded, and for me it took all the fun out it. I still wanted to race but my first daughter put a halt to my plans. It wasn't out of my blood yet though and just over two years ago I got a bike and went to the races. well the paint didn't even get a chance to dry and I was down out of third in my first race. I rolled way back and just tried to finish the next few races. anyway the point is for I just can't be serious about it, it sucks all the fun right out of it. I have to fight this urge to get serious every time I go to the track. If it blows your skirt up to race, race. but at our age its not like your trying to get a factory ride, aint gona happen. So chill and do it for fun. And stay away from glory bound teens (GNF). Will

This is actually very simple. The gyro is just trying to stay where it is and you have to make it turn, then when you release the bars the trail snaps it back in line with rear. so any gyro force that was produced when you turned is canceled when the it snaps back in line, sum effect = 0. if you think a bike wont turn without a gyro you don't have to look too far to find out it will. You can get a ski for dirt bikes so they can be ridden in the snow, they turn. Remember the wet bike? It was like a bike and a jet ski mix, they CSed and had no gyro. One other point: If the gyro was so important to turning how do lighter wheels allow the bike to turn better? Will

Not really what I mean. The force from the front wheel is mirrored when you release the steering input. What im tying to say other than that is that if the tire is in contact with the groung the gyroscopic procession isn't doing anything to turn the bike, it's only contribution is to resist it. If however you are comming out of a corner and the front comes up wile your still leaned over the gyro can be used to effect a small change, and under certain conditions may be enough to finish standing the bike up. Will

Yes, But what is the point. I would concede that the gyroscopic effect increases with speed and it is still overcome the same way, with the bars. It's not just the gyro that increases the steering effort, There are two others that don't want to turn either, engine and rear wheel. Will

The deal is the gyro is resistance to turn is equal to it's resistance to go back to center, hence zero. What is turning the bike is the front wheel being driven out from under the bike, the opposite direction to the lean. If you had the bike going down a strait line and turned left the front tire would first go over the right side of the line ( CS,BS no matter). My point is with wheel on the ground all the gyro does is have resistance to turning, which can be easily overcome with the bars. The self centering has much more to do with trail than the gyro. Will

what would you be looking for Fred? What would speed of turning do to the force? It does show that the gyroscopic procession doen't do much. Will

I was trying to work out the real deal with what BS is. It is anything you do with your body to change the direction of the bike. If you don't hold the bars and move from side to side the bike will CS itself in an effort to become stable again. So if the bike will naturally CS and the rider is A body then anything the rider does to the bike to get it to change direction is BS. Therefore CS is BS, as the rider used his body to effect the bars causing a change in direction. Will

Do tell....... By the way, Jim, if you do own a 250. I have one too. Stock. Have to drive it with my body in the turns. Shutters too bad if I use my hands to steer. At 200lb, I'm really too heavy for it with no mods to the suspension(sons bike), but digging the knee in and turning the bike helps allot. The hands are on the handlebars for aiming..... Say What? So you turn with your body and aim with the bars? Im confused. will

When im moving from one side to the other or from center to side, most of my weight is on my feet. I will have one or both knees on the tank and try to sit at the back of the seat. I don't hang off much, but I will lean until something drags. If the track is bumpy all my weight will go to the pegs again. being basically a lazy rider I will sit in the seat as much as possible. Which means a lot. So only in transition and bumpy sections will I ride the pegs. Oh yea and in the dirt too. Will

The first thing I would be looking at is trying to get the gas earlier. the sooner you get it on the less you need to find the traction limit. once there hook turn and pick-up will give you some more traction to work with. Will

If backing it in is the solution, What was the problem? Will

First off Cobie has better instructors, with far more training than I. Talk to Cobie about it. Will

I am reluctant to even say some of the things I do as some have crashed trying what I have told them. I will stick to the school drills at school's, as that is what 24 years have proven to repeatedly work. Will