A little background info... I had several lowsides last year where I tucked the front. T2 @ Barber- long sweeping fast downhill dec. radius right hander and T3 @ CMP- weird camber left hander where I ran onto the rumblestrip at exit and lost it. All 3 rider error and I've played them over in my head until it hurts. Every time upon corner entry now, I have serious lack of confidence in feeling the front. (thinking tooo much!!!-- over thinking and fear that little movement will tuck the front) It's difficult to describe what I'm doing, but here goes-- I am struggling with my vision getting the bike to the apex and am turning in too early. The bike turns in so rapidly that I have to actually counter my countersteer and pick the bike up as to decrease the lean angle for fear of running off to the inside of the turn instead of riding one smooth line to the apex. I'm feeding back the throttle to the same degree as my lean angle decreases upon exit, but entry to apex is where I struggle. Before the brake marker, I set up my body for the turn and downshift by modulating the clutch to keep the chassis settled and trail brake to the apex. (depending on the corner, et al) It feels to me like I'm slowly getting the bike turned in (gradually) with my weight off the front while making multiple steering adjustments and riding the rear tire around the turn instead of squeezing the brake with the weight transition to the front and quickly counter steering the bike into the apex in one fluid and smooth line. Apart from 20,000 hours of seat time, how do I efficiently gain confidence in being smooth and comfortable in riding the front end at pace to the apex of a corner at speed? It feels like survival reaction and fear kick in and cause me to loose all motor control of my limbs as soon as the bike leans and I mentally fixate on the front end.
dude i'm far from expert but just .02 i see your points but hit a cr up and have them follow you for a few turns and then u follow them. seriously if you would follow one it will take your mind off things and your fixation that you are worried about wrecking. i had my wreck and was scared as hell to push it b/c i was not confident in my tires. went out with new tires and back tire broke loose 3 times. but that another story nothing to do with this here. but these guys are here and willing to help you out dawg just stop and talk to them. they will follow you and point out your issue or mistakes and then they will show u how to correct and adjust. and then u folow their lines and before you know it you right on his tail begging to get by him. they are always helpped me just my .02.
Ok..... Need the followiing info: Bilke year - make - model Tires - Make - Model - Tire pressure Suspension...... stock or aftermarket I suspect that you are running wide after the apex and then finding yourself running wide you are pressing on the inside bar to induce more lean and tighten your radius and BAM you lever the front wheel right out from under the bike. This is a classic T2 Barber crash and sound like what was happening at CMP. If you have a problem with the bike turning it too quickly.. then lets slow it down a little buy removing RRH or lowering the front fork tubes a little in teh tripples. However........I don't think that you're having BOTH of these problems because a bike that turns in too quickly should hold the line through the corner because of agressive geometry. Make sense?
I'm not disagreeing with anything said before me. Just making another observation. Seems that some of the issue could be the result of turning in too soon? My guess (only part guess since I've had a similar issue) is that subconsiously you are affraid of the tire sliding, thus affraid of turning too hard, and therefore you are trying to make the turn as large as possible by turning in early. However, you are turning in early and cliping the Apex because you are used to turning in at a certain rate and this doesn't match up with your new entry point. You then notice that you are about to take-out the inside curb and get crossed up. My advice, if the other suggestions above don't work out for you, is to go back to square one. One thing that worked for me was to slow down, do one step at a time (no trail braking, no clutch modulation stuff). I came up on a corner fast, but got the braking done with very, very, early. Got into the proper gear, let off the brakes, went to neutral throttle, let the chasis settle, and then starting looking for a turn-in marker and only concentrated on the turning itself. Keith Code I believe referes to this as spending your dollar wisely or something like that. In other words, simplify things so you can focus on one thing and get it right before adding more confusion. After a bit, you will get confidence again and you will start to mix stuff up again. I'm a nobody here, just love the sport and I read a lot (not to mention that I've had this problem myself). But I would not be surprised if the problem is that you are thinking about it instead of relying on instinct for the turn...thus you need to go back and regain confidence in you instinct to get over the hump. I'm not a shrink by the way...I'm an Engineer...lol See ya at the track, good luck!
exactly! look through the turn and you'll be less disturbed by what is immediately in front of you and your perception of speed. Definitely grab a coach & have him or her work with you- it may make all the differece.
If your bike is turning in THAT fast (that you are nearly running off the inside apex) and you feel it needs slowing down, slow it down. Id say wait later to turn, but you can slow it down some as mark said. Raise the front end would be my way of doing it, rather than lowering the rear since lowering the rear will effect swingarm angle too. This will do two things. It will slow down turn in, and give the bike more stability from mid corner to exit. You will have slightly more feel as well. But, you need to be sure it is not a rider issue first. Giving yourself too much rake/trail can cause other issues that you will have to fight if it is a rider issue, and not a geometry issue.