Rain
There's nothing magical about riding fast in the rain. Moisture doesn't change vehicle dynamics. All the principles you use in the dry also apply in the wet. Modern tires -- the latest generation in particular -- provide excellent traction in the wet. There are factors you need to take into account to go fast, though...
Give the Tires a Chance
In the wet tires take longer to adapt to new demands. A tire can break free easily if forces are fed into it too quickly. Braking hard before weight transfer has developed will lock up the stickiest sport tire. Countersteering suddenly can break the front loose. Accelerating too hard can throw the rear into a vicious slide. Nevertheless, all this is easily controllable. All you have to do is remember how vehicle and tire dynamics work, and always give the tire a chance to catch up with the bike.
Don't Forget How to Ride
The same techniques you use in the dry are the ones you use in the wet. Tires still have most traction when they have most weight one them. Smooth transitions between braking and turning, and turning and accelerating, still give you the most traction. In fact, it's more important in the wet to do it right, because it's easier to break the tires free with sudden changes. Build the forces smoothly -- braking, cornering, accelerating -- and your tires will reward you with good traction.
Remember Dynamics
Let's look at approaching a slow corner at high speed, like Courage at VIR. As you approach the end of the straight, you need to allow more space for braking -- not just because you can do less braking before locking up, but because you have to build your braking force more slowly.
You come out of your tuck and start squeezing the brakes. As you brake, weight transfers to the front. As weight transfers, the front has more traction. Continue to squeeze the brakes on harder -- as weight transfer builds, you'll be able to brake harder. The more you brake, the harder you can brake! You'll find that provided you squeeze the brakes, and let the weight transfer forward, you'll be able to brake almost as hard in the wet as in the dry.
So now you're approaching the corner under hard braking. There was never a better time to take advantage of trail-braking! With the extra traction you get from the weight transfer, you can turn in quite rapidly under braking. Still, it is a wet track, so give the front tire a chance to build the cornering force -- don't snap into a countersteer, keep your inputs smooth and progressive.
Now we've turned into the corner. We're still braking. As the cornering force builds, that's giving your extra force on the tires -- trail off the brakes as they're no longer needed, and start to roll on smoothly before the apex.
Once again, the tires need longer to build forces. Don't roll on as hard as you would in the dry, because the sudden torque can break the rear loose. But do roll on, because like braking, the more you roll on and transfer weight to the rear, the more the tire can handle the acceleration.
So the very same techniques you use in the dry are exactly what you need to do in the wet. You'd be surprised how fast you can actually go in the rain, provided you remember how dynamics work, and ride properly.
From TrackDoD Novice Group Orientation
Monday, May 14, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Biking Techniques (Part 41)
Passing
On Corner Exit
Every successful pass on a straight comes out of the corner before. To pass someone on a straight, you have to exit a Type I faster than they do. That means you need to have enough space between you mid-corner to roll on properly on the exit. You want to reach your own track-out point as if you had the corner to yourself, and then use your extra speed to pass. So don't go into the corner right on their tail, give yourself enough room to allow for catching them up at the track-out point. When you reach your track-out point, you should be going faster than they are, and in their slipstream. With them punching the hole in the air for you, you can just power on by.
On the Straight -- Drafting Pass
Here you back off from the bike in front, and use their slipstream to build up momentum which you then use to slingshot by. Not only will you have momentum to pass, but as you move out of their slipstream they lose the benefits of you drafting behind them, so they'll slow down right as you are going by them.
Today, make sure you leave plenty of space between you. Like drafting in general, this puts bikes close together and therefore at increased risk.
Into the Corner -- Late Braking
This is a very effective pass, but because of the intersecting paths of the bikes we won't be using it on the track today. During a race, this is probably the most common and effective pass -- and it's also the one that's most often done badly. The possible consequences of doing this badly is why we don't allow passes on the inside in corners today.
In the Corner?
To pass someone in a corner, as opposed to into the corner, you must be much faster than the bike you're passing. Here it's mainly a matter of remembering that the rider you're passing will be following their own line -- which might be one you don't expect -- and it's your responsibility to get by safely.
If you can, it's generally better to hang back in the corner, and execute a pass on corner exit as described above. That will give you good exit speed, and good speed on the next straight, whereas passing in the corner wrecks your line and slows you down all the way along the straight.
The Outside Pass
The "outside pass" is an oval racing technique. You can't really use it on a road course except on really long corners, or unless you have a serious speed advantage over the bike you're passing.
The technique is to take the Lazy Line, mostly following the outside of the turn, to get in front of the other rider before you approach the track-out point. That means you won't take as good a line as normal, and won't get as much drive out of the corner, and that's why you have to have a big speed difference to make it work. If you don't, it's trivial for you to get passed back by a simple corner exit pass.
You have to remember that until you have passed the other bike, they have right of way. They can take their line to the outside at the track-out, and might not even be aware that you are there. So to do this pass, you must be sure you complete it while still in the corner. Part of the usefulness of this pass with car racing is that you can put your car in a position where they can't track out all the way, and so lose exit speed -- all that achieves on a bike is being run off the track.
Passing the Coordinator
I am expecting you to take the opportunity to pass me when you can. I will be disappointed if you don't. Through the day I will from time to time set up situations where you can practice your passing technique. Sometimes I'll signal for you to pass, sometimes I won't, but nevertheless if you see the opportunity to get by, don't be afraid to take it.
Unless I've signaled "follow me," of course... in that case I'll probably be slower than necessary just to make sure you get the right line or whatever. Passing then would be counter-productive. But that's the exception, not the rule.
From TrackDoD Novice Group Orientation
On Corner Exit
Every successful pass on a straight comes out of the corner before. To pass someone on a straight, you have to exit a Type I faster than they do. That means you need to have enough space between you mid-corner to roll on properly on the exit. You want to reach your own track-out point as if you had the corner to yourself, and then use your extra speed to pass. So don't go into the corner right on their tail, give yourself enough room to allow for catching them up at the track-out point. When you reach your track-out point, you should be going faster than they are, and in their slipstream. With them punching the hole in the air for you, you can just power on by.
On the Straight -- Drafting Pass
Here you back off from the bike in front, and use their slipstream to build up momentum which you then use to slingshot by. Not only will you have momentum to pass, but as you move out of their slipstream they lose the benefits of you drafting behind them, so they'll slow down right as you are going by them.
Today, make sure you leave plenty of space between you. Like drafting in general, this puts bikes close together and therefore at increased risk.
Into the Corner -- Late Braking
This is a very effective pass, but because of the intersecting paths of the bikes we won't be using it on the track today. During a race, this is probably the most common and effective pass -- and it's also the one that's most often done badly. The possible consequences of doing this badly is why we don't allow passes on the inside in corners today.
In the Corner?
To pass someone in a corner, as opposed to into the corner, you must be much faster than the bike you're passing. Here it's mainly a matter of remembering that the rider you're passing will be following their own line -- which might be one you don't expect -- and it's your responsibility to get by safely.
If you can, it's generally better to hang back in the corner, and execute a pass on corner exit as described above. That will give you good exit speed, and good speed on the next straight, whereas passing in the corner wrecks your line and slows you down all the way along the straight.
The Outside Pass
The "outside pass" is an oval racing technique. You can't really use it on a road course except on really long corners, or unless you have a serious speed advantage over the bike you're passing.
The technique is to take the Lazy Line, mostly following the outside of the turn, to get in front of the other rider before you approach the track-out point. That means you won't take as good a line as normal, and won't get as much drive out of the corner, and that's why you have to have a big speed difference to make it work. If you don't, it's trivial for you to get passed back by a simple corner exit pass.
You have to remember that until you have passed the other bike, they have right of way. They can take their line to the outside at the track-out, and might not even be aware that you are there. So to do this pass, you must be sure you complete it while still in the corner. Part of the usefulness of this pass with car racing is that you can put your car in a position where they can't track out all the way, and so lose exit speed -- all that achieves on a bike is being run off the track.
Passing the Coordinator
I am expecting you to take the opportunity to pass me when you can. I will be disappointed if you don't. Through the day I will from time to time set up situations where you can practice your passing technique. Sometimes I'll signal for you to pass, sometimes I won't, but nevertheless if you see the opportunity to get by, don't be afraid to take it.
Unless I've signaled "follow me," of course... in that case I'll probably be slower than necessary just to make sure you get the right line or whatever. Passing then would be counter-productive. But that's the exception, not the rule.
From TrackDoD Novice Group Orientation
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Biking Techniques (Part 40)
Other Mistakes
Shifting
Missing an upshift
No problem. Just pull in the clutch, roll off the gas, and shift up again. Maybe you'll be in the right gear, maybe you'll be in one higher, but it'll work.
Missing a downshift
Now if you miss a downshift, you have other worries. It will distract you, and probably mess up the braking you're doing at the same time. Keep braking deeper into the corner as you shift up into the next gear (going down an extra one would be very bad!), and turn in for a very late apex as if you missed the braking marker. You'll be very slow around and out of the corner, but it'll keep you on the road.
Braking
Braking Too Late
Keep braking. Go deeper into the corner and brake more until you slow way down, then turn in for a very late apex. If you're approaching the edge of the track, don't look at it, but look in towards a late apex and turn in anyway. The chances are the bike is capable of doing it (since you left a traction reserve today) and you will scare yourself but not crash.
Cornering
Scraping the pegs
Like I said earlier, scraping the pegs is a sign you leaned too far; I also talked about what to do to stop doing it next time. But what about this time? You're in the corner, rolling on the throttle, and the peg starts scraping.
What do you do?
The simplest answer of course is "nothing." Lean your upper body in more, roll on the gas, and ride the bike through the corner. That's not easy to do, of course -- the natural reaction is to get off the gas, and that's just asking to crash. You don't want to upset the suspension. Keep in mind that when you're in the corner, you want the bike to be smooth. Even when you're dragging the pegs -- or hard parts for that matter -- you must avoid doing anything sudden.
If you have a shaft-drive bike, rolling on the gas very hard can lift the rear end of the bike up and pull the peg clear of the ground. (To a certain extent this works on chain-drive bikes, but it is a lesser effect and depends on swingarm geometry.)
You can straighten the bike up some too, but avoid doing sudden corrections -- don't upset the bike. It doesn't take much to lift the peg off the ground, and a sudden jerk on the bars is likely to cause more problems than you have already. All you need is a small correction.
From TrackDoD Novice Group Orientation
Shifting
Missing an upshift
No problem. Just pull in the clutch, roll off the gas, and shift up again. Maybe you'll be in the right gear, maybe you'll be in one higher, but it'll work.
Missing a downshift
Now if you miss a downshift, you have other worries. It will distract you, and probably mess up the braking you're doing at the same time. Keep braking deeper into the corner as you shift up into the next gear (going down an extra one would be very bad!), and turn in for a very late apex as if you missed the braking marker. You'll be very slow around and out of the corner, but it'll keep you on the road.
Braking
Braking Too Late
Keep braking. Go deeper into the corner and brake more until you slow way down, then turn in for a very late apex. If you're approaching the edge of the track, don't look at it, but look in towards a late apex and turn in anyway. The chances are the bike is capable of doing it (since you left a traction reserve today) and you will scare yourself but not crash.
Cornering
Scraping the pegs
Like I said earlier, scraping the pegs is a sign you leaned too far; I also talked about what to do to stop doing it next time. But what about this time? You're in the corner, rolling on the throttle, and the peg starts scraping.
What do you do?
The simplest answer of course is "nothing." Lean your upper body in more, roll on the gas, and ride the bike through the corner. That's not easy to do, of course -- the natural reaction is to get off the gas, and that's just asking to crash. You don't want to upset the suspension. Keep in mind that when you're in the corner, you want the bike to be smooth. Even when you're dragging the pegs -- or hard parts for that matter -- you must avoid doing anything sudden.
If you have a shaft-drive bike, rolling on the gas very hard can lift the rear end of the bike up and pull the peg clear of the ground. (To a certain extent this works on chain-drive bikes, but it is a lesser effect and depends on swingarm geometry.)
You can straighten the bike up some too, but avoid doing sudden corrections -- don't upset the bike. It doesn't take much to lift the peg off the ground, and a sudden jerk on the bars is likely to cause more problems than you have already. All you need is a small correction.
From TrackDoD Novice Group Orientation
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Our motorcycle's club (Kabuki Riderz) have been posted in a motorcycle's magazine!
Our last trip to Teluk Senangin a few months ago was posted in this month Roda-Roda motorcycle's magazine. Thanks to Bob (Action_Kamen) for the report and also thanks to the others who had made the trip possible. Hope we can make another more trips next time in the future.
Biking Techniques (Part 39)
How to Fix It
Your priority is to get back on the correct line as soon as you can. The longer you leave it, the harder it is to correct. If you correct it early enough, the impact on your exit speed can be small; leave it to the end, and it'll affect your speed much more -- for example, your speed in a drainage ditch is pretty low.
Go wider, slow down, turn back in
You can widen your line, which reduces cornering force and gives you back traction reserve. Then slow down. That reduces your speed so you can turn tighter, so you can then hit the right apex.
Don't roll on the gas... as much
If you're beyond at the apex when you notice you're early, don't roll on the gas as hard. That gives you back a traction reserve, which you can use to tighten your line before rolling back on the gas.
Hold the bike down to the apex
If you have traction reserve, and if you have cornering clearance, you can recover from an early apex by holding the bike down along the inner edge of the curve until you approach the real apex, when you can get back onto the proper path. Remember that you still need to be rolling on the throttle to keep the bike settled -- don't make the mistake of backing off mid-corner.
This photo from TrackDoD 1 shows me at Courage, correcting an early apex by holding the bike down into the corner. The clue that I'm being a Sleazeball is the angle of the front wheel -- it's turned to the outside of the corner, countersteering hard to keep lean angle on the bike. By this point in the turn, the bike should be unwinding the curve and coming back to vertical, and shouldn't be scrubbing off acceleration by so much steering input.
Photo by Mike Ragsdale
Get it right next time
If you notice it at the track-out, you've already gone too far to fix it this time. Make a note of it and use a later turn-in and later apex next lap. Use your mistake to revise your site picture of the entry to the turn.
From TrackDoD Novice Group Orientation
Your priority is to get back on the correct line as soon as you can. The longer you leave it, the harder it is to correct. If you correct it early enough, the impact on your exit speed can be small; leave it to the end, and it'll affect your speed much more -- for example, your speed in a drainage ditch is pretty low.
Go wider, slow down, turn back in
You can widen your line, which reduces cornering force and gives you back traction reserve. Then slow down. That reduces your speed so you can turn tighter, so you can then hit the right apex.
Don't roll on the gas... as much
If you're beyond at the apex when you notice you're early, don't roll on the gas as hard. That gives you back a traction reserve, which you can use to tighten your line before rolling back on the gas.
Hold the bike down to the apex
If you have traction reserve, and if you have cornering clearance, you can recover from an early apex by holding the bike down along the inner edge of the curve until you approach the real apex, when you can get back onto the proper path. Remember that you still need to be rolling on the throttle to keep the bike settled -- don't make the mistake of backing off mid-corner.
This photo from TrackDoD 1 shows me at Courage, correcting an early apex by holding the bike down into the corner. The clue that I'm being a Sleazeball is the angle of the front wheel -- it's turned to the outside of the corner, countersteering hard to keep lean angle on the bike. By this point in the turn, the bike should be unwinding the curve and coming back to vertical, and shouldn't be scrubbing off acceleration by so much steering input.
Photo by Mike RagsdaleGet it right next time
If you notice it at the track-out, you've already gone too far to fix it this time. Make a note of it and use a later turn-in and later apex next lap. Use your mistake to revise your site picture of the entry to the turn.
From TrackDoD Novice Group Orientation
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Biking Techniques (Part 38)
Signs of an Early Apex
The worst thing you can do, street or track, is apex too early. You'll end up running out of road, ideas, and options very rapidly at the exit. Since we want no-one crashing today, I want you all to learn to recognize when your apex is early. The sooner you recognize it, the sooner you can fix it.
So the single most important thing you can do to be safe on a racetrack -- or the street, for that matter -- is to be able to recognize an early apex and convert it to a safe line.
Partial List of Things to Look For
Site Picture
Your first clue that you're headed for an early apex is your site picture. You can often tell you're turning in early -- to an early apex -- when you do it, based just on realizing that you're not in the right place. If you can catch your mistake now, it never becomes a problem -- you just delay your turn-in until the right place. No-one will even realize you made a mistake at all. This is how the top racers never seem to make a mistake.
Angle at the turn-in
Most of your turning should be done at the start of the corner. If your angle when you turn in is too shallow, you've turned in too soon. Widen your line by straightening up the bike until you can turn back in again on the right line. You'll lose very little by correcting your mistake this early.
Can't get on the gas before the apex
If you find you can't start rolling on hard by the time you reach your apex, then you've left too much turning for the end of the corner. That means you've come in too early. You need to straighten the bike up a little to expand your traction reserve, use that reserve to slow down, and turn in again for the right apex. You'll lose some speed, but you'll recover early enough in the corner to make a decent exit.
Angle at the apex
By the time you get to the apex, the bike should be pointing pretty much down the following straight. If you're pointing towards the edge of the track, you've apexed early. If you have enough traction reserve, you can hold the bike in to the inside of the turn until you reach the right apex; otherwise you'll have to straighten up, slow down, and turn back in for the correct apex.
Can't unwind through the apex
Before you reach the apex, you should already begin to come back upright as you unwind the turn. If you're still trying to hold it down into the turn, your apex is too early.
Can't roll on through the turn
Once you start rolling on, before the apex, you should be able to keep rolling on hard through the turn. If you're still holding back on the throttle, you're still doing too much turning towards the end of the turn.
Angle at the track-out
On the proper line, you should reach the edge of the track as the bike comes upright and parallel to the edge. If you're still turning when you get the to edge of the track, that's a sure sign you've been a Sleazeball.
From TrackDoD Novice Group Orientation
The worst thing you can do, street or track, is apex too early. You'll end up running out of road, ideas, and options very rapidly at the exit. Since we want no-one crashing today, I want you all to learn to recognize when your apex is early. The sooner you recognize it, the sooner you can fix it.
So the single most important thing you can do to be safe on a racetrack -- or the street, for that matter -- is to be able to recognize an early apex and convert it to a safe line.
Partial List of Things to Look For
Site Picture
Your first clue that you're headed for an early apex is your site picture. You can often tell you're turning in early -- to an early apex -- when you do it, based just on realizing that you're not in the right place. If you can catch your mistake now, it never becomes a problem -- you just delay your turn-in until the right place. No-one will even realize you made a mistake at all. This is how the top racers never seem to make a mistake.
Angle at the turn-in
Most of your turning should be done at the start of the corner. If your angle when you turn in is too shallow, you've turned in too soon. Widen your line by straightening up the bike until you can turn back in again on the right line. You'll lose very little by correcting your mistake this early.
Can't get on the gas before the apex
If you find you can't start rolling on hard by the time you reach your apex, then you've left too much turning for the end of the corner. That means you've come in too early. You need to straighten the bike up a little to expand your traction reserve, use that reserve to slow down, and turn in again for the right apex. You'll lose some speed, but you'll recover early enough in the corner to make a decent exit.
Angle at the apex
By the time you get to the apex, the bike should be pointing pretty much down the following straight. If you're pointing towards the edge of the track, you've apexed early. If you have enough traction reserve, you can hold the bike in to the inside of the turn until you reach the right apex; otherwise you'll have to straighten up, slow down, and turn back in for the correct apex.
Can't unwind through the apex
Before you reach the apex, you should already begin to come back upright as you unwind the turn. If you're still trying to hold it down into the turn, your apex is too early.
Can't roll on through the turn
Once you start rolling on, before the apex, you should be able to keep rolling on hard through the turn. If you're still holding back on the throttle, you're still doing too much turning towards the end of the turn.
Angle at the track-out
On the proper line, you should reach the edge of the track as the bike comes upright and parallel to the edge. If you're still turning when you get the to edge of the track, that's a sure sign you've been a Sleazeball.
From TrackDoD Novice Group Orientation
Sunday, May 6, 2007
A Motorcycle's Rider Down Today!
Got this news from a friend who passed by the location of the accident. It happened at Cameron (the road from Simpang Pulai to Kampung Raja). Been told that the rider (CBR 1000RR) passed away. Not sure if it is true or not. If not, hope that the rider is ok. I was told that it was happened between 3-4pm. The pictures I recieved were from my friend.
This bike was knocked down by the car who's doing reverse. He (the driver) unnoticed the bike behind him.
*edited*
The rider name is Hafiz, 23, from Penang. Pass away, Al-Fatihah.
This bike was knocked down by the car who's doing reverse. He (the driver) unnoticed the bike behind him.
*edited*
The rider name is Hafiz, 23, from Penang. Pass away, Al-Fatihah.
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