I went to the Manfield Track Day too (my second). This time, I knew more, had practiced more and was
much more aware of what I was doing and had a lot of things to try.
One my first Track Day I was scraping my boots and generally scaring myself. In the intervening weeks I set out to understand corners and bike dynamics. I am lucky that I commute over Paekakariki Hill Rd daily against the traffic so I have time and space to work on these things.
I've started riding on the balls of my feet and getting out of the seat - very much like a jockey. Through the twisties my bum is not on the seat at all. This puts my weight way low and stablises the bike. It also allows me to apply pressure to the pegs to adjust my position in the corner. The result of all this is that the bike is standing up more and using a better part of the tyre than its shoulder. Consequently, the bike feels like a 150 beneath me. Instead of hauling it into the corner, my body is already there off the bike on the inside of the approaching bend, all I do is pull the bike down to meet me heading for the apex. More controlled, more adjustment, more stability.
The *theory* being that there is better clearances, better grip and more control at the same speed as before. The *reality* is that I realised two weeks ago just how much faster I was taking those (157) corners! That wasn't the object of the excersise at all. I don't want to go faster, I just want to be in total control of the bike. The silly thing is that I feel much safer than I ever did before.
I took this to the track - what a difference. I kept dinging my footpegs, I was stepping the back out, I got into a weaver around the sweeper. Yes I was pushing it but somehow just felt better about being on the bike. I graduated from the Slow to the Medium group. All that came from practice and thinking stuff through - and being lucky enough to have a daily ride I can develop those skills on.
What did I learn?
Nothing from any of that! I learned the most valuable lesson I've had since getting back on a bike in October and I learned it on the way home. I learned that you always have to be alert and you always have to be ready and that tiredness is your greatest enemy.
I took the long way home, had a magic ride all through the back of the Manawatu/Horewhenua between SH 1 and SH57 (Shannon Rd). I was in the groove, not going fast, buggered from the rideup-trackday-ridehome combo but nicely mellowing. On a sweeping left hander, an easy 80kmh one, I was doing about 70 when I saw right in the middle of the corner
gravel!
It was right on my line and there was no way I could go under it or around it. I stood the bike up, took a heap of back brake, went through it sideways with the rear sliding left then straight ahead then right as I braked-released-braked. As soon as the front wheel was clear of the crap I grabbed a handful of that too. It felt like the bike wanted to high-side me but it all stayed good and I stopped in the waist-high long grass a centimeter from an electric fence just beside the farm road that had spilled all the shit onto the corner in the first place.
So ok, I was alert enough to get out of it but I just couldn't help feeling I had been let down by lazy hazard-observation and incident prevention. I should have been thinking about the possibility of gravel being there - well that's how I felt as I sat there in the grass composing myself anyway. I still think I was right.
For god's sake don't tell Nasty, she'll just worry.
What are the qualities of a safe rider?
One who has their head outside of the bike at all times, one who is anticipating rather than reacting - examples above
Do you think you're a safe rider?
No of course not. If I was I wouldn't have been in the situation above. Nobody is safe on a motorcycle. You just have to mitigate the opportunites for it to all go wrong
Have you noticed any 'slippage' in your riding?
Yes! I was tired, exhausted actually and I was in a groove with no cars around and I was relaxed. Up until that point, I felt that my skills and attention levels had got better every week.
The
lesson? ... you are *never* as good as you think you are.
Brett
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I wanted to cry. I know I have the skills and confidence to do so well.... my bike is holding me up. So again I am unhappy with my bike... but thats for entirely different thread.)
Originally Posted by Grub
riding her 
!.
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