Tipping it in

Get it on a track, that is more likely to shave a bit off here & there,
however, a new tyre will cure it.

 

All joking aside, mate - I don't agree.

Reference has already been made to Keith Code:
"I reckon that if I can learn to push it more, it will be a good
lesson for me, the way that Keith Code talks about overcoming counter-
productive survival reactions.".

That definitely helps some people, including yours truly.

Once the weird feeling's been overcome, you learn that the tyre still
basically works, it just tips in like a squared tyre.
Which is one less thing to be scared of.
And once you've learned that, you can buy the new tyre.
Why waste the opportunity for (what's the phrase) AFOFG ?

 

Oooo, sir! Sir! I know this one, sir!

 

It is definitely a technique better suited to track, rather
than road usage. Braking deep into a corner requires a lot
of confidence in the front end and the surface on which you
are doing it. Road surfaces change drastically in the amount
of grip available, both geographically and dynamically.

 

Road surfaces are shite; having now done a bit more track riding
there's no way I'll now push a bike as hard as I did on the road. Track
tarmac shows up just how bad road surfaces really are. It cracks me up
when people like Danny tell me "there's no grip at Rockingham's
hairpin" when it has a surface ten times better than any you'll
encounter locally.

 

The roads are that bad round here it's unreal. No grip, christ there's
no surface one most.

 

It's scary when you first try it, but I think a lot of that comes from
me being primarily a road rider and having never raced. It took many
sessions of trying a bit more brake a bit further into the corner
before I felt confident enough in the grip to exploit it. Now it's
almost second nature when I'm on track, but there's no way I'll use it
on the road.

 

The more I listen to you guys who ride on tracks, the more I think I'm
not going to bother!
I'm too old and too easily confused these days.
Shit - it's hard enough to try to improve on the road, without having
a "road head" and a "track head".
And it sounds more and more as if it can spoil riding on the road for
you, just like all that "advanced" stuff screwed up car-driving for
me...

That Keith Code book's fantastic; the transformation that can be made
through applying just one sentence.
My memory's shit now, so this isn't verbatim, but my favourite goes
along the lines of
"Once the throttle is cracked open after the apex of a bend, it
continues to be opened smoothly and progressively".

Lovely. Completely stopped me fucking around on and off the throttle,
'cos if you apply that rule you *can't* crack the throttle open till
you're *ready* to continue opening it.

 

On the contrary. My road riding has calmed down and I appreciate the
ride more than the speed nowadays. In road mode I think more about
lines and smoothness, getting my corner speed right and taking time to
think about what I'm doing rather than rushing it and getting in a
mess. When I'm in track mode it's all about passing the guy in front
and putting in the best lap possible, so I'm learning things taht will
give me that little edge over the next guy[1]

[1] or girl, cos there are some fucking fast women out there on
trackdays now.

 

So that's what wears the sides out of front tyres before the centre. I
thought it was pulling wheelies that did it.

 

On Thu, 7 Aug 2008 17:45:11 +0000 (UTC), TD

snip>

Change the back tyre to get rid of the feeling that the bike is
'stalling' as you lean it and if you want the bike to tip in like a
400 then you'll also need to drop the front end by moving the fork
legs up in the yokes and/or lift the back end by using the ride height
adjustment (your 9R is an E model isn't it?) on the top of your rear
shock.

The easiest way to make a 9R turn faster is to change from the
'fashion victim' 190 section back tyre to a 180 when you replace your
manky old squared off one.

 

<wakes up>

Fast women??

<googles "trackday">

;o)

 

Now. There's a thing. I've been thinking of doing the same thing on
the FireBlade.
Not that I can turn as fast as it can anyway, mind, but I'm curious.
Anyone done it?

 

I didn't notice much difference on mine; going from "almost worn out but
punctured" to a new tyre makes more difference, I think.

 

Doing what? I don't know if you mean alter the ride height or just
change the tyre. Changing the tyre works on any bike because you're
reducing the amount of tyre you need to move.

 

Ha, i've just done 180 miles of gravelly wet back roads twice in
Southern Ireland.

I have to say the tourances weren't inspiring confidence after
variously stepping out and spinning up.

I can't wait for the damn things to wear out so I can get something
else on before I inadvertently investigate another field :/

P.

 

Sorry. Lamentably imprecise question from one so sober.
I just meant changing the tyre.
I know it should work on any bike.

I suppose what I should ask is:
has anyone out there gone from a 190 rear to a 180 rear on a 954
FireBlade and noticed a huge benefit?

 

I went t'other way (180 to 190) on the MV[1], due to crap planning &
last minute availability issues. I'll be going back to a 180 asap -
it's wrecked the handling.

[1] Standard F4 750s came with a 190, but Sennas had 180s.

--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

Oh, for that sort of bike, I'd recommend whatever I've got on the
Elefant. I just let it sort itself out, and it's fine.

 

Interesting.
Both that it "wrecked the handling" and that the Senna came with the
180 as standard...