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Admin Wrote this: ( i just moved it over when we migrated to the new board)

I have to thank inspiration of this post to Ruca, a friend of mine that also races on the F4i Series (he's an excellent pilot, finishing regularly in the top 10), because he put a picture up on our motorcycle group's homepage with this caption: "Same lean angle, different styles, different speeds". It's a picture from the Endurance race, where Professionals ran at the same time as Amateurs.

Here's the pic:



So let's take a closer look. There's Ruca and his F4i to the left, and a VTR 1000 F to the right (actually the guy on the VTR was in my pit, as my mechanic provided some assistance for him too).

- Position on the bike -

You can see that Ruca is pretty much out of the bike, as opposed to the VTR rider, which not only does not get out of the bike, but actually even pulls himself a bit to the opposite side of the bike, by instinct. He is trying to get a bottock out, but pulls his torso to the opposite side, on top of the bike. Try to imagine of the 2 sets of bike/rider centers of gravity, and pinpoint them on the pic. Which one os lower, and closer to the inside of the curve (imagine them in the same place on the track) ? Look at both riders elbows, and which one bends them so that he can better control coming out of the bike.

- Feet Position -

Check both riders feet position on the pegs (actually a bit hard, but possible). VTR rider has the middle of his feet on the pegs, as Ruca is tip toeing his weight on the peg on his inside foot. Can you imagine what happens to the VTR rider's foot if he leans it one more inch ?

- Ground Clearance -

I am sure you can see that the VTR will be scraping the pegs/exhaust/whatever sooner than Ruca's F4i, and you can't really just blame the footpeg feelers, now can you ? So it's not on how you scrape your pegs, or how much tire you wear to the sides, it's how much fast you did the turn

- Speed -

Can't see it on a picture, but I can assure you Ruca's corner speed right there is *MUCH* quicker than the VTR. So, if both bikes are leaning the same (angle wise) what is wrong with the VTR ? Yep, the rider is not coming out of the bike.

- Conclusion -

On the track, get out of the bike, use your knee sliders ! It's gonna feel awkward the first few laps, but then you'll get used to it and won't be able to corner FAST without coming out of the bike, and you'll hate it when something touches down. On the road, don't stay upright on the bike. Get out a bit, maybe half a cheek out, bend your elbows, and don't try to drag your knee in jeans Also, be careful, as on the road the curves might hide some nasty suprises, such as oil, sand, roadkill, etc... Do a couple os passes before you commit yourself to trying to improve your cornering there.

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Mawfaki #6
Nesba #819

I'm not Asian... I'm rice-enhanced

Really, the first few times I tried this coming-out-of-the-bike-look-like-a-pro thing, I felt I was gonna crash any minute ! I didn't feel in control at all

Well, I was trying too hard. But that's ok, it's normal, they told me. And I really was.

1st Track Day: Very good position for the road, not yet there for the track.

I was leaning half of what I could at a determined corner (I decided to use 2 out of 4 sessions on a given Track Day to get my knee down and try to ride like my friends - who raced) just to try to find the right position on the bike. So my friends kept giving me pointers, and following me sometimes, and then back at the pit they would tell me about my cornering.



Trying to get out of the bike, but still awkward to get out completely. I want to get my knee down, but I refuse to let go of my "cockpit" view.

The truth is I was feeling awkward, VERY awkward, because I was not leaning as much, but I thought (felt like) was hanging for my life, so much I was getting out to get my knee down. Until I saw these pics, of course...

Well, one of the advices my friends gave me was to use my head. No, not start thinking in the middle of the corner, but to try to get my head as close to my inside elbow as I could, which should answer your question about the shoulder, sice it is between your head and your elbow

Uhm... ok, let's try it, and see the difference to other riders then:



Wow, it feels strange, since you feel you're going faster since your head is closer to the ground, and can see the tarmac a few inches below. Well, maybe I am going faster too

The last advice they gave me was to get into the turn faster. I was braking too much (by their standarts) before the turn, and then I was trying to get my knee down, as opposed to get there faster, lean the bike, then wait for the ground to touch the knee, and use it to feel how far you've leaned ! Sounded good...

Well, after 4 Track Days, a few twisties and now racing, I can say that getting out is one way to get quicker through a turn and, as you get used to it, safer. But in my oppinion and experience, you should get yourself on a track to get used to this, to try it on a surface with excellent grip and no oncoming traffic, so that you can make all the mistakes and be safer. I really think some track time helps any rider to better his riding and to be a safer rider. You don't have to go there and race evrybody, just go at your pace, try to learn those corners, and try to remember a few advices I posted. TAKE A NOTE:Have a friend go to a few corners and take pics of you. Study them and see how you're not egtting out as you feel you are when you're on the bike. Go back in, try a different approach, until it becomes a 2nd nature. Then come back here and let me know how happy you are with your bike, and how satisfied you are with how it leans, how it pulls out of corners, how easy it is for an F4/F4i to go fast and yet effortless

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Mawfaki #6
Nesba #819

I'm not Asian... I'm rice-enhanced