A wet weather braking secret.

**sugilite:Me** · 26th May 2006, 01:03

Originally Posted by Gremlin

The main "event" as such that I had was splitting in the wet, and in the millisecond you have, for one car, I decided to brake, and got to test out the brakes, tyres etc in the wet.

Bro, testing your brake theories in the wet whilst splitting is akin to playing Russian roulette with 6 bullets in the chambers, fark

**Gremlin** · 26th May 2006, 01:13

Alright, I won't tell you about testing how the bike behaves under power over wet cat eyes.... actually, I'm serious about that. Goes quite spaz at times.

Meh, I hold the belief that it is better to try under, well, semi controlled conditions, and learning how to behave and react, rather than have it happen at a unpredictable time, and not knowing how to react.

Your reaction to an event is the most important factor for a successful result. And I don't have the skills that you others have, from riding for 20 years or something crazy. So I'm learning as fast (but safely) as I can.

Get the bike stepping out, misbehaving etc, and develop the automatic responses you need to correct the problem. Obviously build up to it. Do a little at a time.

**sugilite:Me** · 26th May 2006, 01:19

Two words, track days! Or, at least deserted back roads with someone like speed medic in tow lol
BTW, weight is an asset in braking in the wet.....

**FROSTY:Me** · 26th May 2006, 08:14

Reading the posts I think we are saying the same thing just in a different way.
Im on one hand suggesting making 3 distinctive changes in the braking effort.1) initial light brake application to a-dry the disks and b- load up the front tyre and suspension. --pause then-- then 2)the "big handfull" of brakes.
The Pause is to allow the suspension and front tyre to "settle" --compressing the suspension and pumping the water out of the tyre.
Keeping in mind the "pause is a fraction of a second.
Rereading my initial post it reads wrong - as on brakes off brakes on brakes with big pauses between that is definitely NOT the case--well um it would be if the initial light application caused a skid of course.
but how crasher and bruces posts read its --"grab a big handfull mate "which doesnt work either
I'd suggest one BIG variable is tyre quality.

**Crasherfromwayback** · 26th May 2006, 08:20

Originally Posted by FROSTY

but how crasher and bruces posts read its --"grab a big handfull mate "which doesnt work either

Nowhere do I state 'grab a big handful' mate......

**Two Smoker** · 26th May 2006, 08:29

Originally Posted by loosebruce

The GSXR feuled and me is bascilly 300kg (im not the lightest muppet about)

Yeah ya fucking tubbos...

I dont read it as grabbing a big handful... i read it as being, progressively increase your braking smoothly.... And if you lock up a wheel, release the culprit brake abit...

**loosebruce** · 26th May 2006, 09:01

Originally Posted by FROSTY

but how crasher and bruces posts read its --"grab a big handfull mate "which doesnt work either

Where the fuck did i say that?????? Maybe you want to re read our posts!

**sugilite:Me** · 26th May 2006, 09:41

Hell Frosty, your not being shown the black flag again are ya?

**T.W.R** · 26th May 2006, 09:48

Originally Posted by Gremlin

Alright, I won't tell you about testing how the bike behaves under power over wet cat eyes.... actually, I'm serious about that. Goes quite spaz at times.

Meh, I hold the belief that it is better to try under, well, semi controlled conditions, and learning how to behave and react, rather than have it happen at a unpredictable time, and not knowing how to react.

Your reaction to an event is the most important factor for a successful result. And I don't have the skills that you others have, from riding for 20 years or something crazy. So I'm learning as fast (but safely) as I can.

Get the bike stepping out, misbehaving etc, and develop the automatic responses you need to correct the problem. Obviously build up to it. Do a little at a time.

Grem, with your bike & what your doing to it (mechanically) your turning what was seen by many as the best 750 sportsbike of the 90s into its RR WSB homologin brother which are notoriously bitchy to ride on the road. Both bikes had/have the best front-ends in the business of that era, primo brakes the works.
The rear brake on them, I won't repeat what testers say about locking the rear up, basically 'only **%$#@ will manage to achieve that'.

Pushing it to the point of misbehaving pretty much means your taking it to the point of willing an accident to happen, the control the front end has is so good, violent hard braking can have the front sqirming & oscillating a lot but still have full control & feel. The brakes both ends are highly progressive & offer heaps of feel, but braking should be in the realms of 70/30 split front/rear with the back basically being used only as a stabliser.

Fair enough with wanting to learn the limits of the bikes ability under different situations, but take it to the track do trackdays, but to know the bike properly learn to ride it SLOW learn to feel the bike, the points of balance. You made a huge step going from your previous bike to the ZXR & you've already gone about tricking it out before you've learnt the bike properly, slow down a bit & go step by step ( ya got to learn to walk before you can run).

**Gremlin** · 26th May 2006, 16:34

Originally Posted by T.W.R

Grem, with your bike & what your doing to it (mechanically) your turning what was seen by many as the best 750 sportsbike of the 90s into its RR WSB homologin brother which are notoriously bitchy to ride on the road.

You made a huge step going from your previous bike to the ZXR & you've already gone about tricking it out before you've learnt the bike properly...

huh?? I haven't tricked it out... what am I doing to it mechanically?? Other than trying to keep it running smooth...

Other than servicing, throttle cables etc, I have only changed the rear light from the stock one to an integrated one, when the useless cheap indicators broke. The braided lines (front and rear) were already on the bike, along with the full muzzy system, ohlins rear shock and K&N filter.

It does have shocking low down grunt tho... bit of a pain in traffic, but the grunt mid range is awesome.