In thanks to TripleThreat and other (on a thread that went out of hand) I got great track day tips. Consensus on
http://www.triumph675.net/forum/show...t=19258&page=2 Seems like kneedragging is overrated?
TripleThreat wrote:
I think the secret to improving lap times is to not worry about lap times... Use them as a guage, not a goal.
For me, the biggest issue was body position. I had a tendancy to hang my arse way off the bike, but leave my upper body too far over the tank. I always had the feeling that I was hanging from the bars and was having to use them to pull myself back up onto the bike when coming out of a turn.
Much coaching from Control Riders over the last year has led me to the point where I only hang one cheek off the seat and really concentrate on getting my head and upper body low and to the inside when cornering. Ponting the inside elbow down toward the apex of the turn and allowing my outside arm to lay on top of the tank. Remeber to always look as far through the turn as you can, letting your periferal vision take over for the area close to the bike. Look where you want to go, not where you are.
I concentrate on (in a left hand turn for example) getting my left but cheek off the seat, laying the right side of my chest on the left side of the tank and putting my head as low and far forward as possible. Then, pointing my inside (left) elbow down at the apex of the turn. Doing this gets as much weight transferred to the front tire as possible and at the same time, gets your core weight low and inside, which decreases the amount of lean angle necessary to complete a turn. All the while, looking as far through the turn as possible.
Additionally, I found that I was carrying too much weight on my arms as I was in a braking zone (especially in downhill braking zones). This wasn't too much of a problem at lower speeds when all braking is performed in a straight line prior to initiating any lean angle. But, as your lap times decrease and you begin to learn how to trail brake (the application of the front brake as you enter a corner, which keeps the "trail" of the bike shorter, which helps the bike turn in better), the more critical it becomes to remove any unwanted inputs into the bars through your arms caused by braking force.
To remedy this, I had to learn to get back into a tucked position, prior to corner entry, with my crotch right up against the tank and allow my pelvis to absorb the braking forces and completely take the weight off my arms. This allows my arms to remain very relaxed in the turn and allows me the freedom to concentrate on my head and upper body position.
Increasing corner speed is where you will increase your lap times. The best way to learn increased corner speeds for me has been as follows:
Don't change your initial braking marker at first. Just release the brake sooner than you were, allowing the bike to maintain more speed going into the corner (it will stick - trust the tires). As you get more and more comfortable, keep releasing the brake sooner and carry more speed through the corner. Do this until you find that you are starting to miss the apex just a little. Your knee will now probably be dragging in the corner if it wasn't before.
As your mind learns this new corner speed, and you get comfortable, you can then start braking later into the corner and reversing the process a little. Brake later, scrub to the new speed you learned in your mind, gently release the brake and hit your apex.
Use your lap timer to guage your progress, but don't chase a time...
Eventually, you will get to the point where you are trail braking into the turn, using a very, very light touch on the front brake (just enough to close the calipers onto the rotors) until right before you reach the apex - Progressive application of the brakes is critical here. When you initiate pressure at the start of your braking zone, you should just be closing the calipers, then start the weight transfer as your brake harder and harder, as you start to tip the bike in, you should progressively be lightening the pressure on the brakes until just before the apex.
NOTE: This is an advanced riding technique and should only be applied as your comfort level and your skill in progressive brake application increases, as the last thing you want to do is apply too much front brake in a turn - you will loose the front end and lowside with too much front brake.
Then comes throttle application. When you first start riding the track, you will find that you don't really start applying the throttle until you are well beyond the apex of the turn. The same technique applies with throttle application only in the reverse. Start applying gentle throttle or maintenance throttle just as you pass the apex and as you progress you will be able to dial in more throttle, earlier and earlier, until you begin to feel the rear end getting a little squirmy...
The key to going fast is being smooth. Being smooth comes from careful practice and gradual steps. After riding the track for a year and receiving some pretty intense coaching from control riders, I've gone from the beginner class to the advanced class with NESBA. I've gotten to where I feel that I'm fundamentally fairly sound. I can still improve greatly, but the improvements are not as huge at each step now.
Once you are comfortable, you'll come in from chasing a fast control rider after a session and look down at your lap timer and say - holy crap - I didn't feel like I just cut 2 seconds off my best time. That felt so smooth and easy - What a blast... Can we run together next session! Woot!
Sorry for the long post - I didn't realize how carried away I got on this...
If you can't tell... I am a "Track Addict" and NO, I don't want any help...
Wow! What a thread jack...
Yes, as Will stated, the top line or bulge on the dipstick is where the correct oil level is on the 675... And you will be changing the oil far more frequently when riding on the track.
Have fun out there!
Jeff
__________________
On the Road Less Traveled...
...You Always Meet More Interesting People
Improving lap time
Linear Mode
