Race starts and how to improve?

**FROSTY:Me** · 30th December 2004, 19:13

Originally Posted by Racey Rider

Yer right!
Is that why your selling it!?

Casting it aside like a used condom.

Truth be known,, Mella Yella looking forward to a rider who can rock his world off the line!

Do yourself a favour Frosty,
Buy yourself a honda F3 bike.
Then you can just blame your tools!

yep youre right dude --im a fucking useless rider -I cant start for shit -I cant pass for shit and im as slow as a wet week --But ya know what --Im out there doing my best -even if it aint good enough Im still doing my best.

**Mongoose** · 30th December 2004, 19:37

Originally Posted by XJ/FROSTY

yep youre right dude --im a fucking useless rider -I cant start for shit -I cant pass for shit and im as slow as a wet week --But ya know what --Im out there doing my best -even if it aint good enough Im still doing my best.

You forgot "And having fun"

**FROSTY:Me** · 30th December 2004, 21:55

That was gonna be my next comment--Hey Im out there doing it -which is a lot better than a lot of guys.
And i tell ya what if there was a prize for the bloke having the most fun--Yep I reckon Ill be up there to collect it.

**Riff Raff** · 31st December 2004, 07:36

Originally Posted by XJ/FROSTY

And i tell ya what if there was a prize for the bloke having the most fun--Yep I reckon Ill be up there to collect it.

And that is what it all boils down to. Keep enjoying it Frosty.

**Paul in NZ** · 31st December 2004, 07:52

Originally Posted by Motu

Rossi does crap starts,doesn't seem to hold him back.....??

Sometimes I think Rossi does that deliberately... Must get boring without anyone to spar with...

Paul N

**Paul in NZ** · 31st December 2004, 07:59

Originally Posted by XJ/FROSTY

That was gonna be my next comment--Hey Im out there doing it -which is a lot better than a lot of guys.
And i tell ya what if there was a prize for the bloke having the most fun--Yep I reckon Ill be up there to collect it.

Thats well and great but you were asking about the starts... Honestly, I have seen this in the classic bike racing. Rider / mechanics can often baby the bike, especially at the start. Why? Same reason I don't try to wheelie my Guzzi... (stop sniggering - it can be done - with a crane)

It's hard to do it when you know you didn't pack a spare motor or clutch and you know how hard it is on your kit. However, the good starters just shut that out and give it death...

Hey! Just reporting what I see... I could not make a fast get away if my life depended on it... And as for lap times? You could time me with a year book or a desk diary (on shorter tracks)...

Paul N

ps - I also wonder if you have a little bit of a flinch. ie, you unconciously avoid the heat of turn one due to previous injury etc etc? I know I do...

**TwoSeven** · 31st December 2004, 08:34

I dont think its a requirement to murder you clutch. Thats the way I was originally shown, but i've since found its better to learn proper throttle control and just use the clutch normally.

**FROSTY:Me** · 31st December 2004, 10:01

Well I think there is only one answer--go out and practice practice -practice.
Im gonna put the drag race theorys to the test and se what happens.
hey hoon --theres a really deserted road i know--maybee you could come and teach me how.
Paul being serious for a moment .I carry a spare clutch kit and front plate for my bike (the bit that goes bang when the clutch goes.
I really think its something I need to practice -Im not totally convinced at the rev the nuts off it theory because I think my clutch is a bit grabby being heavy duty. One guy on a zxr said he never revs it up but simply gently drops the clutch and just winds the power on.--He gets better launches than I do.
Im hoping there will be a ride wot ya brung drag race at meremere so I can go down and practice.

**Motu** · 31st December 2004, 10:03

I'm no racer and don't want to be - but when I was racing on the dirt track on the start line with all the other noisy bikes,I prefered a slow start,no looping,no stalling - I'd be mid pack first corner and settle down to pick them off one by one,I really enjoyed that.I was a bit too good at that,so they used to handycap me on a good day - I would go up the the fenceline of the last turn and put my tyre against the wall,then I could do a full throttle dump the clutch wheelspinning wheelstanding start,I'd be on race pace at the first turn with only a couple of bikes in front coming out.

It's really what you get out of racing - if you are soooo competitive that you must win at all costs,or beat as many guys as possible,then you may be a good racer.....but the fun should be there too,it's a learning game...learn something,get on with next bit,you should find enjoyment,not disapointment.

Dunno....guess I'll never be a racer eh?

**FROSTY:Me** · 31st December 2004, 11:26

Originally Posted by Motu

It's really what you get out of racing - if you are soooo competitive that you must win at all costs,or beat as many guys as possible,then you may be a good racer.....but the fun should be there too,it's a learning game...learn something,get on with next bit,you should find enjoyment,not disapointment.
Dunno....guess I'll never be a racer eh?

Mate don't missunderstand me -If I wasn't having a ball i sure as hell wouldn't be doing it.
Im a bit of a perfectionist -probably my own worst enemy.
I know its possible to get better starts .I know Im fucking it up and I hate it

**Motu** · 31st December 2004, 11:59

Originally Posted by XJ/FROSTY

Mate don't missunderstand me -If I wasn't having a ball i sure as hell wouldn't be doing it.
Im a bit of a perfectionist -probably my own worst enemy.
I know its possible to get better starts .I know Im fucking it up and I hate it

I know,it hurts when you know you can do better,the more you try the worse it gets.You should take up trials sometime - I don't know any rider who hasn't been humbled big time when they get on a trials bike.It's so embasrsing for me I don't know why I do it...but have a need to improve myself,I get some satisfaction from it.

**madboy** · 31st December 2004, 12:26

My 2 cents... and I must start by qualifying my comments... i've never raced a bike nor been on the track. I have, however, raced/rallied a few years ago in cars - never at an overly competitive (read - expensive) level though.

My opinion - unless you're racing for the championship and the 1/1000th of a second that making a tiny adjustment to the bolt just next to the bigger bolt with the thingey on the end of it is gonna make or break your result - it's all completely psychological.

I learnt to drive by being a complete idiot on the road, and when i went racing (and initially got my butt handed to me by underpowered pieces of crap) I started with a similar approach. Never afraid to bin it, never afraid to break it. Once I realised what I could and could not get away with (and how much it cost to fix!!) I then knew my limits. Had I had more sense at that age (i.e. if I was doing it now), I would have stuck within them. But I can attest to the strength of my roll cage!!

On a bike, I don't quite have the same deathwish, and I'm a lot more aware of the consequences of dumping it, hence why I'm probably a better car driver than biker (if we're judging it by handling the machine on the limit).

It sounds like you might have a little too much mechanical sympathy, and be thinking a little too much about the consequences. Otherthinking the situation. The more I thought about it, the worse my day went. Top rally drivers apparently are thinking two corners in advance, the actual corner they're going around they are doing basically on auto-pilot because their skills are just that damn good.

Times matter to those at the front, and if you don't have the deathwish or a shitload of skill (or both) you probably won't be at the front. I wasn't. But hey - I was in it for the fun, and you sound like you are too - and so long as the fun keeps coming, that's the most important thing!!

**Paul in NZ** · 31st December 2004, 12:58

Originally Posted by XJ/FROSTY

Well I think there is only one answer--go out and practice practice -practice.
Im gonna put the drag race theorys to the test and se what happens.
hey hoon --theres a really deserted road i know--maybee you could come and teach me how.
Paul being serious for a moment .I carry a spare clutch kit and front plate for my bike (the bit that goes bang when the clutch goes.
I really think its something I need to practice -Im not totally convinced at the rev the nuts off it theory because I think my clutch is a bit grabby being heavy duty. One guy on a zxr said he never revs it up but simply gently drops the clutch and just winds the power on.--He gets better launches than I do.
Im hoping there will be a ride wot ya brung drag race at meremere so I can go down and practice.

OK! If the mechanics of your start are OK then perhaps it's that you are taking off like you would at the traffic lights. ie Waiting for the guy in front to get moving so you don't run up his arse. Maybe ya just gotta go and hope he does too?

Paul N

**Hoon** · 31st December 2004, 13:08

Hmmm I've raced a lot with Frosty and I definately wouldn't say he goes easy on his machinery - in fact he can be downright brutal sometimes and even has me shaking my head in disbelief!!
From some of his posts a few of you have got the impression he is too nice to his bike but like any of us F3 racers will tell you, what Frostys does and what Frosty says doesn't always match up haha

Originally Posted by XJ/FROSTY

Well I think there is only one answer--go out and practice practice -practice.
Im gonna put the drag race theorys to the test and se what happens.
hey hoon --theres a really deserted road i know--maybee you could come and teach me how.

Yep...I'm putting my race bike back on the road for summer (after a few cosmetic repairs) so I'll be in! Maybe we could organise a KB visit to the Meremere Fri night Dragwars??