ozfireblade Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 Hi guys, I need some advice. At my most recent track day I had my worst day ever, even compared to my first time on the track. The harder I tried the worse I became, completly wrecking my day all round. I found that I cant turn left!!! I dont know what has happened, but I feel like i'm goin to fall off when Im getting over. I have no problem banging the bike over on the right, straight onto my knee but going left ?........I feel this has started since I have learned what goes into preparing the bike for the track. Things like tyre warmers II'm getting confused about pressures, I think I'm quickturning when I'm not, Two step is now an occasional thing and so on.....I'm trying to do to many things at once. I'm concentrating so hard to get the bike over I think I'm actually slowing down too much. My left sidebody position is ###### etc etc ....sounds like I'm whining ... I am!! Where should I start? I think I mught have to get level three sorted and book it in Thanks for reading the whinge Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faffi Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 For me to reply to this is quite silly, actually, considering the amount of properly skilled and trained individuals that frequent this site. But being silly have never stopped me before Personally, I would find myself an empty, clean parking lot or similar and just ride in circles to the left, gently increasing speed but always staying comfortable and relaxed. Sooner or later, the knee with go down and you can continue to add lean until the point where you know your or the bike's limit is. Then, I'd go over to doing figure eights so that I could change directions, again slowly building up speed. I would not think much about body positioning etc. doing this, I'd just bring back my feel for cornering speed and steering inputs. As I became comfortable with these drills, I'd start to think about BP, but only one thing at the time. Trying to incorprate and think about everything from tyres to gripping the tank to relaxing the arms will soon become indimidating. So I'd work on one thing at the time until it became second nature before moving on to the next until I felt reasonably comfortable that I had things sorted to the point where I didn't have to think about "100 things" all the time. And then I'd do another track session Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aredman Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 Parking lot is an option, but with the cops in Victoria (the Nanny state) good luck not getting done for being a hoon! To be honest, every now and then i find myself becoming overwhelmed with all the things we should be doing too. From the bike technology (suspension, tyres, brakes, gearing, jetting, etc) to riding tech, throttle control, quick turn, 2/3 step, BP, etc etc. So what i do is just stop take a deep breathe to relax and go back to the start, think of it like learning to ride again from the very beginning. Basic setttings for the bike then focus on 1 max 2 things that i know i do well and build confidence that way. Then you can build up to more technical parts of riding again, focussing on the particular corner giving you trouble or the suspension settings to over come the problem down the back straight, etc. I may even dedicate a whole track day to the basics if i feel so confused. Revisit your drills that you know, ie. first 2 levels by the sound of it, get them sorted in your head (not mastered but sorted in an order that you can work with) and then maybe think about level 3, last thing you need is more detail to think about at the moment by the sounds of it (but it may make things a bit clearer sorting it through 1 on 1 with a coach too). Remember KISS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash106 Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 Hello Oz, Glad to hear you're out there on the track, but I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. I'm no racer, but as an interested street rider, I'd like to offer two suggestions: 1) Go back to basics. I think the basics are to look where you are going, relax and keep riding the motorcycle. It's very hard to ride a bike when you can't see where you're going, and you're too tense to turn the bars. 2) Take off your helmet and gloves, sit down with a map and analyze the track. It's hard to get lost with a map and a plan. Good luck and relax, this is supposed to be fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradvanhorn Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 I'm a fan of the parking lot idea, and have done something similar myself. I did get a visit by the police, who were simply curious what I was doing. Since they didn't observe me doing anything they viewed as unsafe, they asked me a couple polite questions and then went on their way. Allowing yourself to relax and also keeping a lower, more comfortable speed really helps keep things in perspective. If you have a nearby stretch of road with some nice turns, then you can leave the parking lot once you feel more at ease, head out to the road and take those turns a few times to see if your comfort level remains high. However it turns out, I think going for more training is a great idea, so if you have the time and money I say just sign up anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotfoot Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 Hi guys, I need some advice. At my most recent track day I had my worst day ever, even compared to my first time on the track. The harder I tried the worse I became, completly wrecking my day all round. I found that I cant turn left!!! I dont know what has happened, but I feel like i'm goin to fall off when Im getting over. I have no problem banging the bike over on the right, straight onto my knee but going left ?........I feel this has started since I have learned what goes into preparing the bike for the track. Things like tyre warmers II'm getting confused about pressures, I think I'm quickturning when I'm not, Two step is now an occasional thing and so on.....I'm trying to do to many things at once. I'm concentrating so hard to get the bike over I think I'm actually slowing down too much. My left sidebody position is ###### etc etc ....sounds like I'm whining ... I am!! Where should I start? I think I mught have to get level three sorted and book it in Thanks for reading the whinge Dylan OMG, I have SO been there, trying harder and harder to get it all right and just having it all get worse and worse. Takes all the fun out of it, doesn't it? My solution to that in the past has been to go back to a school and turn it over to a coach to help me solve, OR to go do a fun relaxed ride to get all the BS out of my head. But since you are looking for a solution, here are some things to think about: You mentioned you felt like you were falling off the bike turning left - if you think back to one of those bad-result left turns, what WERE you using to hang onto the bike? Can you remember what body parts were in contact with the bike, and which muscles in your body were tense or being used to hold on? And once you recapture the feeling, how about your arms, any possible bracing or pressure? Was your left arm straight, or bent at the elbow? Any tension in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozfireblade Posted April 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 Thanks for the responses, It seems like most repsonses seem to think i'm trying to get my knee down, I'm not. I know that I need to get back to the basics and go through all that again and thats ok be brilliant at the basics I say, o and I was having a whinge too . I guess the red mist drops when I get on the track and my plans usually go out the window when someone goes past me!!!more self control needed!!! The parking lot thing wont work in Australia or the figure eights (although that would help), especially here in 'The Nanny State', you'd just get fined for negligent or dangerous driving. I dont have a problem getting lost so I dont need the map.... Hottie: Body position on left handers may be the problem I'm definately crossed up, unlike my right turning avatar . Oh and I forgot to mention that my left clip on was cracked and the more I pushed to go left the more the clip on flexed and I'm guessing might have added to not steering the bike? thanks again for the input Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotfoot Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 Well if nothing else a cracked flexing clip on could be a big distraction! You also mentioned some tire stuff - I know for me, if I don't trust my tires, I don't go with the bike well on left turns, tend to push myself up with my left arm, which braces it and screws up steering and can even push the front end. Did the red mist affect your visuals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozfireblade Posted April 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 Well if nothing else a cracked flexing clip on could be a big distraction! You also mentioned some tire stuff - I know for me, if I don't trust my tires, I don't go with the bike well on left turns, tend to push myself up with my left arm, which braces it and screws up steering and can even push the front end. Did the red mist affect your visuals? The red mist is a bit of a problem I think sometimes I feel I'm going in too hot following someone, then get hard on the anchors realise I could've gone in heaps faster (left handers) and followed them through. This i think tends to stuff up my lines a bit and I guess that leaves me a bit 'lost' for my entry point. The tyre stuff is the big one for me I cant get my head around pressures. I had my normal pressures, which work fine on one track and felt really wrong at this one. My last session I decided to drop my pressures 4 PSI rear that felt heaps better I think I could've dropped a couple off the front as well. I think you have hit the nail on the head for me though ' tend to push myself up with my left arm, which braces it and screws up steering and can even push the front end. All learning points I guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullet Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 As you were, great input from the team here. Basically, stop leaning off, sit in the middle, and just get comfortable with countersteering left. Ass other parts back only, and I mean, only, when you've resolved the issue. If you add it all back to quickly, you'll still find it difficult. Most impressed by the responses from the collect crew though, great work! Bullet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozfireblade Posted April 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 As you were, great input from the team here. Basically, stop leaning off, sit in the middle, and just get comfortable with countersteering left. Ass other parts back only, and I mean, only, when you've resolved the issue. If you add it all back to quickly, you'll still find it difficult. Most impressed by the responses from the collect crew though, great work! Bullet Thanks boss will do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TReynolds Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 I only just completed level one last Tuesday (Best day of my life), coach was rather impressed with my ability on my 250R Ninja considering I have only been riding for just under a year, still had my L Plates on for the School Day! But on that day I was also suffering from turning left, my body position that I like has me getting my knee down with my right side feeling dominate and controlled but the left much to be desired.. So on my 4th session I just took a step back and went through the paces of what I had learned so far throughout the day (And what I had read in the Twist Of The Wrist II book) and then took those philosophies to the track in the next session, concentrating on my right hand turns more so in the first few laps since I was comfortable with them and mirroring it to the left slowly but surely. I also related it back to other things I do, for example snowboarding. In snowboarding to turn you have to be on a toe edge or a heel edge, both the same end result but at the same time totally different skills, much like left and right hand turns on a bike. Just a matter of repetition and gaining muscle memory which in itself will give you confidence in both yourself and in the bike! Sorry for already replying when the question has been answered already but I just wanted to give my point of view on the same experience you have had! Hope that all makes sense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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