Need help with my riding

[Hoon]

OK, I ride an RGV250, stock standard with boyeson reeds, debaffled exhaust and slicks.  I'm 5'11 and weight 88kg and can do 1:15s at Puke.  The engine is in a pretty good state of tune but I haven't touched the suspension settings yet (i.e static sag). I've identified a few areas of my riding I can improve on but don't know what I need to do.

1.  Quick Knee to knee turns:

The corner that gives me the most trouble at Puke is turn 2? going into the esses.  The problem I have is going from a near full right lean around the Jenian Homes sweeper into a full left lean going into the esses.  My problem is I can't flick the bike over to the left side quick enough and end up running onto the infield.  If I brake slightly or chop down a gear then I can make it but this hurts my cornering speed.  My bike is able to handle the corners at those speeds - I just can't turn it fast enough!  Last track session I got a sore right arm from trying to muscle the bike too hard!

What is the correct technique for quick knee to knee turns?

2.  Bike stability on fast sweepers.

Another potential area for improvement is on the sweepers, namely Jenian (turn1) and the last turn coming onto the front straight.  I take them as fast as I can, maintaining a smooth 40/60 weight bias with constant acceleration but sometimes the rear will slide out (usually when I hit bumpy parts of the track) and sets the bike into a wiggle and makes me run wide.  This scares the shit out of me and affects my confidence taking these corners at speed.  Should I start looking into my suspension or does my riding need further work?

 

Thanks,

[bluninja]

Doing 1'15s at 88kg ? Add a 30 kg pack on your back and see what times you get. Then I'll have something to compare with

I'll leave it to the racing experts to give a proper answer....however a question I would ask is....What race training/coaching is available out there ? Last years winter series had tuition on the trackday before the meet, and there's various levels of help at the Puke trackdays, but what is available for those people that want to improve outside of just asking questions.

TTFN

[Dave]

The best thing to do is to get the manual and set all your suspension to standard.The way to get the bike changing direction faster is to lower the forks through the triple clamps or to raise the rear ride height-either way it will steepen the angle of the front wheel-making it turn in faster.
However-you say that the rear is also causing problems in the faster corners-you should measure the rear sag and see if the spring is not too soft-At 88kg you should be taller!!!!
If so get a heavier rear spring and get the shock serviced.It may be cheaper than tyres/fairing damage and hospital care.

[duckman]

I had the same problem with turn two going into the esses, I found that if I put almost all my weight onto the foot pegs and then shifted most of my weight onto the left peg as I was hauling the bike over it meant my arms didn't have to work as hard and the bike shifted quicker.

Also - with the last turn before the front straight, there is a definite peak which "lightens" the bike up as you crest it so this may explain why your rear is stepping out.

Then again - I struggle with 1:15 at Pukekohe so I wouldn't bother listening to me...

[Coldkiwi]

the alterntive quick fix to adjusting the triple clamp is of course to dab the front brakes (or squeeze firmly depending on your speed) when you're hard over in jennian. that will stand you up real quick and with a little countersteering nudge you'll roll on over (provided the brakes are off) on to your left for the esses.

Having said that i'm not really as fast as I should be through there either. I'm not really consistent enough to pick the same line and work on it yet...an unproven expert if you will! That practice of braking/countersteering works well for me on the road though

[Hoon]

Originally posted by Dave
At 88kg you should be taller!!!

Hey!!!  What are you trying to say?!?!?   

But yeah I think its time to set my suspension up properly for my weight - it also gets a bit skitty in the rough spots around the hairpin (ohh boy lets not talk about that ripple strip on the exit there!!)

I forgot to mention my front forks have already been dropped about 20mm by the previous owner.  Plus I think my turning problem is more a rider issue than a limitation of the machinery.  To turn from right to left I have to:

1. Pick the bike up

2. Climb back on the seat

3. hang off the left side

4. Lean the bike left

I'm having trouble doing all this quick enough to make the turn.  Watching the video, the MotoGP guys flick their bikes over in a split sec and I refuse to believe this is all due to machine setup and not rider skill which can be learnt (yeah ok and about a 30kg slimmer waistline).  Keith Code talks about improving turn times in Wrist II but unfortunately doesn't say how.  He talks a bit more about quick flick turns here but doesn't give much away there either.  He does mention climbing back over and hanging off the otherside BEFORE picking the bike up but I want to get some other opinions before attempting to climb over my bike while its near full lean (but this is in line with what Duckman is suggesting and makes a lot of sense).

Originally posted by duckman
Also - with the last turn before the front straight, there is a definite peak which "lightens" the bike up as you crest it so this may explain why your rear is stepping out.

Good point!  I'm planning to head out this Sat if the weather clears so I will try adjusting my line to be a little straighter and vertical when I hit the crest - although that corner is deceiving and fools me sometimes if I apex too early.  I end up running wide and getting a little too close to the armco for comfort!!

[Coldkiwi]

I had to play with my front rebound and precompression a lot last time to sort out my issues braking into the hairypin. i think there's quite a lot of undulation on the left but upping my rebound helped a great deal.

RE that damn hill:

advice I was given by the marshalls at last track time (I buggered the hill up and rolled on the grass!) was get as far left as possible (many riders I've seen don't do this) after the left hander and then hang onto the corner and start exiting from the apex around the end of the concrete curb. Like you say, apexing to early (a result of not being wide enough) really screws you over when you crest the hill. I was lucky not to be armco fodder

 

[wkid_one]

Set up to corner one is important - you need to be a far left as you can and hold the line as long as possible - this will reduce the amount of time you need to be lent over and improve speed.  Top GP riders etc have about a 0.5sec upright to full lean time according to KC.....which is wicked - the 20mm drop through the TC should improve turn in time - provided it has effective reduced the ability of the suspension to do its work properly.  My suggestion would be to return the bike to standard - including the 20mm drop - and start with where the bike was 'designed' to work.

Rear waggle on corner one is not uncommon because there is actually a dip in the road and the stupid effin horse crossing - but holding a tight inside line is important.  Same with the corner on to the front straight - I commonly lift the front coming over the crest.

Play with your lines in to corner 2, try holding wide - which gives you the chance to set the bike up a bike more for the whole esses section.  You need to remember if you are hanging off the right side of the bike - it is not going to shift to the left smartly - use your footpegs as pivot points for the move - the speed of you shifting body weight is key to the switch - watch the GP riders - it is all with body movement.

 

[bluninja]

Dave any advice on riding on a wet track...especially on slicks ?

I'm scared I might get it wrong and end up damaging my bike like this

[bikerboy]

That is exactly why I want an older smaller bike to practise on!

[bluninja]

BB, funnily enough there was only 1 (to my knowledge) spill in the Clubmans racing, where someone lost the front end at the second hairpin ........in the dry. Only the good, experienced guys were pushing hard enough to get themselves into trouble

There was a F3 bike going for $2500 on sale at the track from Jarrod (?) that would have done you as a starter race bike.

TTFN

 

[Dave]

Heres the advice-at full lean 120-140k/hr in a right hander,as the back lights up close your eyes and kiss your ass good bye.
-did I mention i fixed it and went back out.

[bluninja]

Dave, you have mentioned it now anyway wouldn't want you to get upset with me....that's an awfully large handbag you have next to your bike

Seriously though, it was good going out in clubmans race 1 and using the dry 125 line around the circuit, even if I ride a lot slower than you lot...on a 650, it was an interesting way to learn approximate lines on the new part of Manfeild.

TTFN

[Dave]

You like my hand bag-you should see my frock!
Thanks,Manfeild long track is a lot to learn,the best thing anyone can do there is just go around and around as often as possible.
It helps following someone thats ridden it before-or following dry lines,as you said.We had a great day on friday on wets, with Duckman living up to his name and revelling in the wet,also nearly killing 3 Ducks on one part of the circuit .(is this duckabilism-probably only if he eats them!).
Saturday was definately a dry track,even patches of water and sprinkles of rain are still the domain of our soft compound slicks.
The wets just melt in anything other than a saturated track.
Its good to see a whole bunch of new guys getting in and having a go.on a big range of machines.

[bikerboy]

I don't want a proper race bike (F3?). Just something less intimidating and less expensive to learn on.

Saw a beautiful 03 Aprilla rs250 at amps.

That would defeat the less expensive idea although I'm sure I'd never outgrow that even if it is a 250. I could however rationalize that it is
less than a third the cost of my 996, so it is actually............


Help, Slim I need that bit about levelheadedness etc, !!