Forum Replies Created
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Does brake fluid lose effectiveness when it gets warm? How did I not know about this? Crap. Explains a thing or two
Everybody has conflicting opinions, and even at relatively high levels (expert club racers, AMA racers) people will tell you things that are completely in contradiction with the current standards. I have a friend who races who always used to tell me “stick your dick in the tank” (not the most tactful fellow). This is not right at all as it causes you to pivot your hips around the tank when you hang off, leading to “crossed up” body position (where your body is actually facing the wrong way). Yet he’s an expert club racer and pulls MUCH faster times around our local circuits than I do. Probably has something to do with those big ones he carts around
Keith Code is a very successful riding coach, but I find he isn’t the best with words. While he has all the right things to say, he often doesn’t say them very well, leaving you confused. His European disciple, Andy Ibbott, on the other hand, is very clear and concise in his explanations. He runs all of the California Superbike School locations in Europe, and was featured on the UK TV show “Superbike School.” The series itself was actually a waste of time after watching the little teasers on YouTube. All the good info is there. Here’s one on proper body positioning and moving around the bike:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt9lB-LErQ4
If you’re interested in a layman’s introduction to high-performance riding, including an introduction to the world of racing, this book is fantastic. Great explanations, and lots of awesome and huge color photos. I have the first edition, but an updated second edition is available for pre-order:
Oh, and on the note of “big ones,” one of the funniest things I’ve seen on a forum was over at gsxr.com (a WHOLLY different experience from this lovely establishment…can you say overpopulation of squiddly squid?):
Guy #1 (paraphrased): Hay guyz mai lap times iz slow but I wanna get super fast!!!1 K THX BYE
Guy #2: So what you’re going to want to do is head over to Home Depot and pick yourself up a nice pair of man hands and a sack o’ nuts. Should take care of that for you.
I think the first two pictures are particularly instructive. I’m not so onboard with the rest of them. Here’s why:
Pic #3: This is not how you hang off. This rider has scooched is bum off of the seat, but otherwise is more or less riding like the rider in picture #1. In fact, Pic #5 is closer to actually hanging off (without hanging off), which is why the lean angle observed is also smaller. Most people are under the misconception that hanging off means putting your butt on the ground. On the contrary, you only move about one cheek off the seat. The REAL gain is that you can then hang your leg and, more importantly, your UPPER body off the side of the bike. Here’s the ol’ Hopkins example:Notice how much his upper body is pushed into the corner? Yes, he is down low for aerodynamics, something I wouldn’t advise on the street, but he is shifting the combined center of gravity of the bike/rider combination INTO the turn. That is what allows the bike to lean less.
Pic #4 and Pic #5: I would disagree with the caption on #5. I don’t think height is the key component. I think HEIGHT+LEAN is what’s important. Raising your center of gravity isn’t what allows the bike to become more upright. Using your bodyweight as a ballast into the turn allows the bike’s center of gravity to move into the turn. Think of it almost like trying to add an airborne sidecar on the inside of the turn: that inside weight forces the bike upright in order to maintain the same arc. Thus I think what’s happening is that, as a result of sitting up higher AND being leaned into the turn with his upper body, the rider in Pic #5 has a greater effect because he is using leverage to amplify the effect of his weight shift. The rider in Pic #4 isn’t out of line with the centerline of the bike, meaning that he isn’t using his weight effectively to help his bike around the corner.
This isn’t a particularly good picture, but I’m having trouble finding the angle I want with google image search, hence we’ll resort to…me.Notice how the bike isn’t leaned over very much? It is you say? Ok I admit, with the camber of the road, the offset of the photo, and my monkey pose, it might be difficult to see how much the bike is actually leaning. Just imagine drawing the normal (perpendicular line) to the ground at my tire and you’ll see it’s not a very big lean angle at all. It’s about the same as this:
Not very much. Now the punchline: I’m going about 90 mph right here, and turning pretty hard. The reason it looks so relaxed is because my bodyweight (1/2 the weight of the bike) is hanging on the inside of the turn. As you approach the limit of your bike/tires, lean angle increases dramatically. Another 5 mph through this turn and my knee wouldn’t be so far out, and it’d still be touching down.Anyway, I PERSONALLY think that hanging off is overkill on the street, for two reasons. First, you can get pretty firmly locked into the bike while hanging off, but that’s expecting a clear track, a known road, and otherwise predictable surroundings. On the street, you’ll hit bumps, have to suddenly stop for crazy kids throwing themselves in front of you, etc. Two knees slammed into the tank is always a firmer connection than one knee and a bunch of centripetal force. The other reason is that you occupy more horizontal real estate while hanging off than you would otherwise. This isn’t necessarily a benefit when you have limited lane space and the potential off snagging unexpected obstacles with your outstretched knee.
I absolutely encourage leaning with your upper body, however. The effects are dramatic, and as eon has said, it gives you a more upright bike, a larger tire contact patch, more room to turn if you need it, and ultimately more traction.
