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Smooth Or Fast


Cobie Fair

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It sort of goes hand in hand. I want to go faster, but know that just whacking the throttle won't get me around the track any sooner. At a beginner level, they can't get away with near as much because of their lack of smoothness, and they seem to be focused on getting their speed down while braking to take the corner instead of thinking about proper position, getting into the corner, and setting up either the next turn, or getting the proper apex for a great exit.

I've dedicated a lot of time to getting the bike at the proper apex so my exit angle and speed can give me the best push, and could usually be on the throttle faster than most of the people in my class, but I've moved up recently, and am having a hard time keeping pace with most of the riders. But I can be on the throttle as soon as, or sooner than over half of them. Before I even started track riding I wanted to learn everything about racing I could, and read that type 1 corners are the most important to take correctly, and have progressed off that fact.

To be honest, I really don't have just speed in my mind while I'm track riding at all. Smoothness is always there. First, it keeps the bike more steady, and second, it will inevitably take time off my laptimes.

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I think everyone start with speed as the goal. As we mature we find that smoothness is the path to get there.

 

Since it relates to this topic, I'd like to share this article that I read yesterday:

http://www.sportrider.com/features/146_031...trol/index.html

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I think I would rather be fast. If you go to Moto Gp and watch, those guys aren't as smooth as it looks on TV. there is a lot of head shake coming hard out of turns and lots of rear end drift when going in fast or hard on the brakes. Maybe i'm wrong but smooth may be an illusion.

Interesting view. I think that they can handle the bikes bucking and sliding due to their being so smooth in their control of the bike. I don't think one can have the success they do by just muscling the bike into and out of corners. I am dying to see it though.

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That's my point, smooth as relative to what? I don't think the Moto GP riders are muscling the bikes around the course, I just don't think it is as smooth as it looks. Any time you make a 400#, 200hp machine slow down from a high rate of speed, change directions then accelerarate rapidly there are going to be some laws of phyisics fighting back. What i would like is to recognize and understand those laws and mitigate the effects.

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I don't think the word "smooth" is very helpful to a lot of people. It is too ill defined. It's one of those, "You know it when you see it" terms.

 

I've never been able to quickly get someone to stop their extraneous movements by asking them to be "smooth". They don't know what I mean.

 

Now, if I explain that I want them to be efficient and limit there motions to only what is necessary, people seem to understand what that is more easily and will stop bobbing up and down before each corner and twisting and pulling and bouncing all over their bike.

 

Fast, of course, is a relative term. Fast only has meaning in relation to something. With no reference, fast is a meaningless word. I can roll down the road at 15 MPH on a skateboard and it feels pretty damn "fast." "Fast" is just a shortcut from the true meaning, "Faster than..."

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Well, the question is in the topic, would you rather be smooth, or fast?

 

Let's see, I know I'd rather be skilled than brave... so I guess I'd rather be smooth than fast. Plus "smooth" has applications in other areas of life. :)

 

Question back at ya - which would you rather have, persistence or natural talent?

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Maybe "smooth" is a direct result of good teaching and experience. Everyone I know is told to take it easy and focus on what they're doing. Be it braking, cornering, and even acceleration, they're slowly increased and learned and improved upon. They're done with less effort, focus, more consistency, and better at faster speeds. That makes us faster while we're performing these often complicated tasks more "smoothly."

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Maybe "smooth" is a direct result of good teaching and experience. Everyone I know is told to take it easy and focus on what they're doing. Be it braking, cornering, and even acceleration, they're slowly increased and learned and improved upon. They're done with less effort, focus, more consistency, and better at faster speeds. That makes us faster while we're performing these often complicated tasks more "smoothly."

 

"Smooth" for sure is a big, broad word (subject even). One thing a student I had noticed recenlty was that he was pushing on both bars while trying to steer the bike. He noticed it wasn't so smooth.

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Maybe "smooth" is a direct result of good teaching and experience. Everyone I know is told to take it easy and focus on what they're doing. Be it braking, cornering, and even acceleration, they're slowly increased and learned and improved upon. They're done with less effort, focus, more consistency, and better at faster speeds. That makes us faster while we're performing these often complicated tasks more "smoothly."

 

"Smooth" for sure is a big, broad word (subject even). One thing a student I had noticed recenlty was that he was pushing on both bars while trying to steer the bike. He noticed it wasn't so smooth.

LOL. Maybe he could have gotten the No BS bike to turn.

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Hotfoot, I'd rather be skilled then brave anyday. But I think perisitence is the key to success in everything in life.

I'll second that. Persistence triumphs when talent gets lazy.

 

Oh, these are both excellent answers!! I guess natural talent has its limits. OK, I am re-inspired to keep working on my riding, thank you both. :)

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Oh, these are both excellent answers!! I guess natural talent has its limits. OK, I am re-inspired to keep working on my riding, thank you both. :)

 

So Hotfoot, how is your riding doing these days, want to share?

 

CF

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Oh, these are both excellent answers!! I guess natural talent has its limits. OK, I am re-inspired to keep working on my riding, thank you both. :)

 

So Hotfoot, how is your riding doing these days, want to share?

 

CF

 

I am a legend in my own mind. :)

I'm sure with about 20 more hp I'd be kicking butt and taking names...

 

OK, seriously, I have been working hard at it and my last two school days were full of huge breakthroughs, I simply can't say enough great things about CSS. For the first time ever I feel like my BIKE is holding me back, which is a point I never thought I'd reach. I wouldn't be anywhere near this confidence level without all the great coaching - Keith's books are fantastic and I refer to them all the time, but nothing compares to actually attending a school, it's amazing how much can be gained in a single day.

 

But... you were there... how do YOU think my riding is doing these days? <asked with fear and trembling!>

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Oh, these are both excellent answers!! I guess natural talent has its limits. OK, I am re-inspired to keep working on my riding, thank you both. :)

 

So Hotfoot, how is your riding doing these days, want to share?

 

CF

 

Oh, and just in case you don't remember me, I was the one on the GREEN bike, it had some numbers on the front... and I was going REALLY FAST. :)

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CF

 

Oh, and just in case you don't remember me, I was the one on the GREEN bike, it had some numbers on the front... and I was going REALLY FAST. :)

 

Green bike, at CODERACE? Pretty sure it was blue.

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