My riding development - how fast?

**skelstar** · 20th December 2005, 11:59

I have been thinking about this for a while and after spending a day at the Taupo track day I thought it time to ask some questions:

1. How do I know I can/can't go faster?

In theory I could ride through a corner and get through the other side and say "Well I didnt skid/slide/crash, therefore I can ride it faster...". Rinse and repeat. Tell me Im wrong but this theory may work until I do slide, perhaps highside/lowside, and it could be an expensive lesson.

2. Do I get enough warning of a lowside/highside?

Patches of oil and gravel aside, am I going to get some warning of impending doom on a regular piece of road/track? There must be tell-tail signs.

3. There was suggestion that Shenko rubber is a bit 'dodgy'...will it be harder to find the limit with these tires?

The rubber is hard. I have pushed the bike reasonably hard(-ish) and the tires are still pretty good at 13000 kms.

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Advice is appreciated. Perhaps you are not too far ahead of me in my riding 'head space' and would care to comment? Personnal experiences etc.

Thanks in advance.

Footnote: I know now that I could have ridden harder at Taupo. I know watching me ride at Taupo wouldnt have inspire awe in the spectators either. I lacked a bit of confidence in my susp and tires...I dont know where the limit is

.

**Zapf** · 20th December 2005, 12:23

wow... 13'000km on the same tires.... you'll be reaching the similar level of tire life as Crashe pretty soon

Get some stickies

think you'll notice the difference too...

e.g something like sports demons might be enough.... no need for super stickies...

**skelstar** · 20th December 2005, 12:27

Originally Posted by Zapf

...you'll be reaching the similar level of tire life as Crashe pretty soon

...

I...think...I resent that!

**bugjuice** · 20th December 2005, 12:35

1) in the dry, you'll get some level of warning before your bike is pushed beyond it's limits. Good tyres will help you take a good corner, but it's not all about the tyres etc. You have to know the corner, be in a good mental place etc etc, then it just flows. Don't over think a corner too. Worst thing you can do is be riding at a good pace, and have your head full of crap. Just relax and go with the flow. There's a limit to everything. You could try riding with some more experienced riders and watch the line and speed they carry. Learn from them..

2) oil, diesel, worn tar, white lines, gravel, rain etc are all slippy. You won't get any warning besides you being sat on your arse when you were on your bike a second ago. In the dry, you'll get some squirming as it's getting near to the limits of the tyres. But as for hazards like that, just keep your eyes open and avoid them. You don't get any warning, just have to deal with it when it happens.

3) If you're happy with the tyres, then keep going. People will offer their advice, and most of it is good. At the end of the day, you're riding it, and you're spending your hard earned on it. If you can afford some more 'main stream' branded tyres, then they often give a better performance level. But if you aren't getting the hardest out of these tyres, then you might not need to spend that much. How fat are the chicken strips?

At the end of the day, there's no fun in scaring yourself shitless every corner. The odd corner on purpose, sure why not.. but not all the time. Ride to your abilities and the conditions of the road and weather, and thru pure experience, your abilities will improve. The spin-off side of that, is that you'll get faster. But you can't be a fast rider and crap everything else.. Let it flooooooow.

my 2¢

**scroter** · 20th December 2005, 12:38

have you touched your boots down yet? what about the pegs? are you using all your tyres?

personally I dont do peg down at all and I wouldnt reccomend it on the road. If your suspension is allright then go hard.

one thing I always try to remember is that if im not relaxed then im probably going too fast for my abilitys.

as for highside/lowside warning, sorry cant tell you never done either. but Im betting Id fair pack myself if I came close

**skelstar** · 20th December 2005, 12:43

Ta buggy. Nice special char BTW.

I ride with fast/better riders exclusively. I generally get left behind (thats to be expected) so doesnt iive me much time to learn the lines. Honestly I think my lines are pretty good already. Happy to be told otherwise. Just dont know how fast.

VTWIN and Dafe have offered their assistance before, and arguably when I was 'following' VTWIN on the takas I was going really well (IMHO). I didnt account for the wind though

...

I wont replace my tires at this stage. Only three months to go till another bike anyway.

oh yeah: 10mm chicken strip.

**skelstar** · 20th December 2005, 12:45

Originally Posted by scroter

have you touched your boots down yet? what about the pegs? are you using all your tyres?

personally I dont do peg down at all and I wouldnt reccomend it on the road. If your suspension is allright then go hard.

one thing I always try to remember is that if im not relaxed then im probably going too fast for my abilitys.

as for highside/lowside warning, sorry cant tell you never done either. but Im betting Id fair pack myself if I came close

Havent touched down at all. I kinda know that I can lean over heaps more...maybe I just have to do it. Next trackday maybe.

**bugjuice** · 20th December 2005, 12:46

if you want to follow someone to watch the lines, then tell them before you head off, don't just try to keep up! Another way could be to trust someone you take you as pillion, so you can see from a 'fast' point of view. Learn from being on the back.

Biggest thing to remember tho - don't rush it, else you'll stack it. And no one wants that. It'll come with time

**cowpoos** · 20th December 2005, 13:19

go wider on 25kmph left handers.....

and when your keys runaway....watch out for flying beer....

**skelstar** · 20th December 2005, 13:25

Originally Posted by cowpoos

go wider on 25kmph left handers...

Which one? The hairpin at Taupo?

Beer is for drinking not throwing. Im mean come-on....who throws a beer?

**madboy** · 20th December 2005, 13:27

10mm strip? In normal road use, I don't generally get far beyond that myself. 5mm is prob where i sit at. Edges I save for the track. Now I'm no loosebruce or WT, but buggy and I weren't hanging around during one of those sessions on the track and we only barely touched our edges.

Chicken strips are a dangerous thing to use as a marker of speed IMHO. I can sit on the seat and nana it over the takas, or I can hang off and go hard and still get the same lean angles. Weight distribution.

Just whatever you do, don't follow me. I still struggle to use bike lines rather than my inbred car lines, which just don't work!!

**skelstar** · 20th December 2005, 13:30

Originally Posted by madboy

10mm strip? ... ... I still struggle to use bike lines rather than my inbred car lines, which just don't work!!

A 10mm strip would be a bit frustrating eh?

Goddamn playstation2 got a lot to answer for.

**Bartman10** · 20th December 2005, 13:32

Having a dedicated track bike helps. I don't mind binning the ZXR250 too much (not that its mine anyway) so I push it a bit on the track. This has resulted in 2 bins but taught me heaps about the way the bike handles at it's limit.

This directly translates to more confidence on the road on the 750.

The 750 also gives a fair bit of warning in the dry becasue the rear tyre squirms.

Anyway - it's not about speed, it’s about smoothness, confidence and being in the right frame of mind. Speed will come naturally if you're smooth and confident (something I'm still working on even after riding for more than 6 years)