Foot placement?

[Max Preload]

You are releasing the clutch just before the gears have meshed. Try releasing your gear lever a bit slower.

The gears are always meshed - that's where the term 'constant mesh' comes from. What he's feeling is the dogs not fully engaging because he's not selecting the gear positively enough. Releasing the gear lever more slowly does nothing either.

[cowpoos]

you'll know when you try it

read below

Nah. Preloading is bullshit. Wears the gear selector dogs prematurely.

yup

From a mechanic's point of view riffer is 100% correct.

yup

And as far as placement of your feet - in the early stages of learning do whatever feels comfortable. There's plenty of time to modify your technique as you gain experience.

Yup...you have plenty of other things to worry about before you should be dealing with things like feet placement...

There's too many on this site who fancy themselves as the next Rossi when they're out on the road. Be wary of who you take advice from.

Sadly very true...and alot actually believe the bullshit they will tell you!!

All good except throughout racing history theres been many that come along and do things completly different to the accepted "correct way" with much success,similar to the supposed "correct braking" methods/cornering methods,knee down has only been a recent development when you look at the big picture.Ive no problem whatsoever with all these "correct way to do things" courses/books/videos etc that young guys are bombarded with these days compared to what we had when starting out but sometimes i wonder if theres some natural ability that gets somewhat stifled along the way.

I started thinking along these lines a while ago...after watching heaps of current racers ride on track and on tele...there are vast amounts of them that ride wrong according to keith code and others...but kick arse!! go figure!

[riffer]

The gears are always meshed - that's where the term 'constant mesh' comes from. What he's feeling is the dogs not fully engaging because he's not selecting the gear positively enough. Releasing the gear lever more slowly does nothing either.

Fair enough. I'm obviously showing my age here.

[pritch]

...there are vast amounts of them that ride wrong according to keith code and others...but kick arse!!

That seems normal. My competitive sporting experience doesn't come from motorcycling but the reality is similar for most sports.

Talented guys can go a long way on their natural ability, perhaps even to National Champion level. To get right to the top though it is usually necessary to unlearn the "natural" stuff and relearn everything the "correct" way.

It's normal for the results will drop off for a while as the re-learning takes place but should then improve beyond what was previously possible.

[buellbabe]

Well I ride with the balls of my feet on the footpegs, always have.

I quite often see riders who have their heels or arches on the pegs but their feet are hanging down and out...maybe they just like to scrape their boots so that they can boast about it LOL.

[Maha]

Archers for me, I alternate though, theres no 'law' on foot placement. When I am into the corners then I shift to toes (balls/front whatever) but other than that, I do what I like with my feet, they are my feet to what I like with.

[MarkH]

how much is too much lean?

When your foot pegs scrape then that is about as much lean as you want, try not to lean any further than that.

[bogan]

Nah. Preloading is bullshit. Wears the gear selector dogs prematurely.

Just to clarify, preload shifting wears selector dogs, but in my experience it does provide a far quicker shift, though far quicker being maybe 0.1s vs 0.4s so not a huge difference. Is this right? or can full clutch shifts speed compare to clutchless? course on my mx bike i just slam the gears round clutchless anyways, both up and downshifting.

[sil3nt]

There is no need for clutchless shifting unless your racing. Its all about the wank factor.

[beyond]

The guys like Brian Bernard who race bikes, suggest that you put the balls of your feet on the footpegs, and move them forward for changing gears or braking - obviously if you're doing lots of corners, then you wouldn't be moving your feet quite so often.

But that is what he told us at the race track. [And not just on the track - the road too he said]

Bang on mate

[scumdog]

There is no need for clutchless shifting unless your racing. Its all about the wank factor.

Like so many other 'must do's' you hear about on here.....narrow pussy strips, knee-dragging etc.

[Pixie]

keep the balls of your foot (lol) on the pegs, put a bit of weight on the pegs.

also preload the gear selector before you change gear, apply pressure but not enough to change gear, clutch in and change. works wonders.

Great for wearing away at the selector forks

[Pixie]

I just dont wanna leave my foot under the gear lever if the consensus is to sit it elsewhere.... lean over and have my toes sheared off....

Take it from someone who's ridden for more than 30 years: I don't ride with the balls of my feet on the pegs (how exactly does having the arch of your foot on the peg prevent you from applying weight to the peg?),I don't scrape my toes doing this.My toe is under the gear lever.I do smooth clutchless changes without abusing (preloading) the gear selectors.

I saw a tosser doing the ball of the foot thing on a Ducati,recently,he still had 200mm to go before his toes touched and he had trouble finding the peg when he shifted his feet.

And I have no chicken strips on my tyres.

[Pixie]

Just to clarify, preload shifting wears selector dogs, but in my experience it does provide a far quicker shift, though far quicker being maybe 0.1s vs 0.4s so not a huge difference. Is this right? or can full clutch shifts speed compare to clutchless? course on my mx bike i just slam the gears round clutchless anyways, both up and downshifting.

It wears the selector forks.If the dogs were touching you would know about it.

[bogan]

It wears the selector forks.If the dogs were touching you would know about it.

Ah yup i see now, the torque being applied through the gearbox holds the dogs in mesh until you close the throttle, releasing the dogs from their current position, and the preloaded force on the shit lever/selector forks then moves them to a new position, that right?
Another question, stupid though it may be, has anyone actually worn out selector forks? the reason i ask is that the first time i heard about preload shifting it was described as being easier on the engine and driveline (when done properly) (in a published book too) as it reduces the torque forces acting on all the gears/chain etc resulting from a shift.
btw i dont actually preload shift myself, it just seems like a good technical discussion.