bmart

I think that you might not know how to post videos. You're in your YT studio in these links. You need the link to the actual video. 

31 minutes ago, interceptor69 said:

the odd squirrel

In my best Jack Nicholson..."is there another kind?"

I wasn't going to post the same but...you're very bold for the conditions! Maybe your driveway users are better than ours. 

I don't think that I posted this before. My first track day came about when I was the "fastest" guy on our street rides. I led a lot of rides and felt I was pretty excellent at riding. I signed up for my first track day expecting to be pumped to advanced pretty quickly. During my first day, I realized how little I knew...particularly when I was passed by a guy who looked like Santa, on his BMW R-bike, complete with saddlebags...like I was stopped. The hook was set!

Lovely. Thank you for that. 

One of my old track buddies was really fast and capable, but he went though a few pair of $300+ gloves a season. There's a message in that! Loose on the bars and hold like a screwdriver, not straight on. 

For me, the best I've found is loose on the bars, medium pressure on the pegs, and nearly all of my pressure on the bike against the outside of the tank. Leave enough room between you and the tank to easily transition from side to side naturally and without weighting and unweighting when you do it. Sliiiiide. 

A big challenge for me is going from bike to bike and gear to gear. The bars are in different places. The grips are different material and different lengths. The seats grip more or less. My gear grips more or less. Some bikes have tank grip while others don't. And none of that touches on the differnet size tires, different compounds and shapes, braking components, fuel load...you get the idea! One of Rossi's greatest strengths, and one of Lorenzo's weakest points, was the ability to adapt. This skill can't be overstated. 

You guys are getting me excited for track days this season. I don't start until April, but I do have three options for my favorite track! (Two tracks that can teach the most are rarely attended: VIR South and Patriot-no rest for the wicked here.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-0p_EGuIUw

A no charge favorite!

There's no substitute for track time, for skills gaining or heart/adreneline pumping fun. I feel like I peaked over the last two years, so this year will be interesting. I'm not interested in adding more risk to maintain speed. I'm also very slowly adding forest/service roads on the KLX250 to my list of hobbies. At some point, I'll be too old or my interest will falter and I'll leave the track scene. My first track day was 1998, and I was terrible at it. 

I'll keep thinking on this, but here are a few big things I see from folks. 

A comfortable rider will tire long after someone who is tense (grip on bars, tight arms/shoulders) and twisting joints (causing inflamation making it all worse), etc. This is bigger than you might think. Comfortable means different things to different people. I am light on muscle mass and have more than my share of medical stuff. Still, working on this. I can ride 2-3 day track weekends, double sessions all day and go home not sore. We always get folks who give up after 2-3 session exhausted. THAT is expensive track time. 

Being loose on controls is huge. The bike has to be able to move around a bit, and in a way that you shouldn't be fighting it. This goes along with trajectory. And body position is critical. Every group, including mine, will teach a right position. Again, modify to what works for you. Also worth noting, controls aren't switches, but rheostats. Modulate, modulate, modulate. 

I ride on the track using more street skills than most. I look at the exit I want in any given corner, and in any given circumstance (am I alone, trying to pass someone, etc.), and work backward for how I want to enter, from where I want to enter, what entry speed, etc. You will find that dirt guys dive to the inside WAY early. Inexperienced street guys do the same. As you gain experience, you realize that you can balance the time and line on the way in, with the same on the way out. VIR South last turn to first turn is a great example. I am on an ancient 600 and spend all day going past people on the way into turn 1, despite the looooong straight and 1/2 the HP. (And I'm not Rossi-skilled...I'm just a regular guy trying to lean on the bike's strengths and push my personal skill level.)

Back to body position. There is a rockin' thrill about getting a knee down. That thrill fades some with time and as you get faster, you're actually pulling your knee in out of the way. That's a big step in your skill set. Half butt cheek off in every corner is a great place to start. Remember you're already loose on the bars. As those becoming muscle memory, add moving your torso with it. That is where your weight is. By having your head off to the inside before turn in (if you can see your dash...you're not over far enough), the rest of your body will follow, and the bike will feel the best. 

A few safety things, never, ever follow someone on their line exactly, always have an escape path. I've followed fokls who have dropped oil, blown engines, lost chains, and so much more. If you have to ask "can I make it past", wait. You'll have all day to learn. For higher skilled in the turns folks you can pass easily in the straights, don't. Hang behind them and then learn in the corners. 300 vs. 600, 600 vs. 1000. I learn so much from the "kids" on the 300s. 

Back to work! Thoughts? Specific questions?

This is not me showing off, but you can see the variances in riding skills and decision making in this video. Sadly the guy crashes in the end. I'm on the blue bike, black helmet, not coaching. 

Happy to help! Feel free to PM if you prefer privacy, or here if you want to share what we discuss. Where are you located?