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Drill For Learning To Trust The Tires?


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Mazur, that's kind of the issue. I don't know enough to understand the feedback I'm getting, at least not at low speeds. High speed feedback I'm just starting to 'understand' as its like learning to speak a sign language... ;-)

 

The foot test is just a warning indicator to me to the effect of "this far, no further". And I know my foot position is bad, the coaches at Level 1 told me I had 'dead foot', which in that tiny S Ike I'm sure I did.

 

Here is a pictur of the hiking boot & my Puma riding boot, both are right foot.

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Mazur, that's kind of the issue. I don't know enough to understand the feedback I'm getting, at least not at low speeds. High speed feedback I'm just starting to 'understand' as its like learning to speak a sign language... ;-)

 

The foot test is just a warning indicator to me to the effect of "this far, no further". And I know my foot position is bad, the coaches at Level 1 told me I had 'dead foot', which in that tiny S Ike I'm sure I did.

 

Here is a pictur of the hiking boot & my Puma riding boot, both are right foot.

post-23950-0-92532500-1404495510_thumb.jpg

post-23950-0-12779300-1404495523_thumb.jpg

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Cool, I understand now, but I guess I will always be one of those guys who says to learn how to drive/ride the "hard way" before leaning on technology (use a slow car/bike, no ABS, no TC, heel-toe [is there a moto term for this, like finger-wrist? lol] ). I still think blipping should be learned at least so that just in case get you to ride your friend's Ducati with a dry clutch, or if your clutch ever fails to disengage, you can still downshift effectively. I can downshift 100% smoothly with no clutch at all while just engine braking.

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Cool, I understand now, but I guess I will always be one of those guys who says to learn how to drive/ride the "hard way" before leaning on technology (use a slow car/bike, no ABS, no TC, heel-toe [is there a moto term for this, like finger-wrist? lol] ). I still think blipping should be learned at least so that just in case get you to ride your friend's Ducati with a dry clutch, or if your clutch ever fails to disengage, you can still downshift effectively. I can downshift 100% smoothly with no clutch at all while just engine braking.

 

I tried to learn smooth throttle blipping / downshifting on several previous bikes but never really mastered it. I think I am a bit of a spaz or something. I don't even really understand how *clutchless* down shifting is even possible with a throttle blip. The only time the engine could rev without the bike jerking forward would be between the time one set of dogs moved out of engagement and the next set moved in. Anyway, I never figured it out and didn't like what I imagined I was doing to the gearbox in the process of learning, so I eventually gave up. Not enough advantage in it for me to invest any more effort or risk any mechanical damage. If I didn't have a slipper I would just release the clutch slowly like I used to do under hard braking.

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I am pretty sure that my biggest limitation with respect to lowering my lap times is my lack of trust in my tires. I have been getting my corner speeds up but very, very gradually, and I know there is a lot more lean left in the bike if I could just get comfortable using it. This is especially a problem in low speed corners (second gear, low rpm) - I just can't convince myself that the froNt won't wash out, but never, ever ever get any indication from my tires that a loss of grip is imminent - it is all in my head.

 

 

Hi Yellow Duck

First of all I have to let you know I agree with Bullet about asking question instead of just giving answers, it works cause your the only one that knows the answer to what's in your head. The answer doesn't matter if you don't believe it.

 

Second, you haven't convinced me you don't trust your tires. Sounds like you trust your tires everywhere but one place. I am convinced your scared to go slow in second gear and bang the bike over to max lean angle. That's probably more of a survival instinct than an SR. As discussed earlier, the bike is inherently less stable at low speeds and low rpms due to a lack of gyroscopic force and rotational mass. I'm not saying it can't be done but I would think most riders would prefer not to.You mentioned concern for dragging your toe or dragging hard parts....are you concerned that you might fall inward without your tires sliding?

 

If so, something you might try as a confidence builder is to take the turn in 1st gear. Sounds like you are going slow enough with low enough rpm it should work. Even if the speed is slower entering the turn the higher rpm of motor will make the bike feel more stable. Don't try to set a lap record or drive hard out of the corner. Just work on feeling the lean angle with more stability and how it feels when you pick the bike up. Most likely you will feel more confident locating the body position you like. Good throttle control is important for this. If you don't have it practice in a straight line till you get it. When you have had enough of the slower speed and feel comfortable with the lean angle go back to second gear and see if you can pick up the rpm. Hopefully you have been reading the book and some drills to help with that. If it doesn't work in this turn with 1st gear maybe you have a 2nd gear turn that uses higher rpm to practice in.

 

Another thing you might try to figure out what really has your attention is to simplify what you are doing in that turn. Trail braking....stop it, it's not gaining you anything. Worrying about when you are getting on the gas for the drive....Stop it, It's not gaining you anything. wanting more lean angle....stop it, lean angle is what it is. Right now you just want enough to get you pointed in the other direction. You don't need more till you're going fast enough to need it and support it. Just relax,and go through the corner, see what is getting your attention. Start at a comfortable pace that you know you have complete control and ease in to the SR. This is practice. These things don't get better when you are running hot laps. :D

 

Once you get this turn figured out then start adding everything back in and go turn some laps.

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Ha ha ha. Slasher, check the date on the original post. This isn't a problem for me anymore. I started racing this season and am happily cornering the bike to the edge of the tires (and sometimes a little beyond :unsure: ).

 

Good advice though! I think the idea of using a lower gear to increase stability might have worked....you know, two years ago....

 

Actually, I am a bit surprised it was only two years ago that I was still searching for the courage to find more lean angle. Seems like a decade.

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