How do you determine you are braking as hard as you should? (Completely different from braking as hard as you CAN). Are braking markers/points your main reference point? Suggestions for improvement?
My reference Point is Dave Grey when he passes be on 1 wheel backing it in.....I then pray , squeeze the lever, and dive in with my eyes closed.....
Marc, I watched Jason DiSalvo do that coming into T5 at Barber a couple of years ago. I didn't realize it was him and I had just about got to my brake marker when he came flying past me.....bike going somewhat sideways AND arcing towards the apex. I seriously thought......OMG, someone's throttle has stuck and they are going to crash and burn. I got through the corner and he was gone. A red flag came out just as I was going through the kink out of the museum turn and I caught up to the rider that I thought was going to crash, as we entered hot pit.....then I saw.....DiSalvo on the back of the leathers and just busted out laughing!
Welcome to becoming the race bike pilot. Only you know if you brake enough or not enough. It depends on line, tires, track conditions, phases of the moon, global warming. Basically. If you had to go back to the throttle, before you're apex or going to maintenance throttle. You brake to soon. If you stayed with the brakes as much as you could, trail braking as much as possible and you missed your apex. Then you brake to late or you didn't brake enough. Trial and error will determine which it is. Braking is a skill that separates the really good from the great.
Wow.. I'm surprised no one has put in the ol - Til you see God comment.. Oops, guess I just did huh? Agreed with Greg; there are many variables to this (bike, riding style, corner etc.) Are you a "fast in, slow out" or a "slow in, fast out" type of rider? I'm still trying to figure it out. There are some corners that I KNOW I hit the mark and others that I've felt I could have braked later, sooner etc. to gain more time and speed. It sucks now that I have to learn tracks all over again But that's the fun of it!!
A key question ... do you adjust your braking marker/reference point when passed by a quicker rider who is braking later at the same turn? If so, do you experiment w/braking later thru practice, practice & more practice? Better yet, have a faster rider follow you thru that particular corner...and make recommendations.
Me personally, HELL NO. Forget about anybody else on the track and concentrate on you and your riding. You are not racing or going off of anyone else. It's just you and the track.
that faster rider may have a different bike, tires, equipment in general... I just continue to adjust my braking every turn every session every track based on conditions which are ever evolving... just have to feel it out.. and slowing push those limits as conditions dictate or allow
I like to think that if a faster rider can make it, why can't I ?? BUT... I still don't try to mimic them straight away, I build up to it slowly pushing my markers, pace, confidence up etc. This goes back to the practice, practice, practice approach but I use the faster riders as a reference/target to achieve with more skill.
Biggest reason not to just go for it like the guy who just blew past you, braking into T1? Your brain isn't up to it. If you are braking at the 5 board and he/she is braking at the 4 board, that difference in distance is huge. Your brain will not process the new speed and information fast enough to be able to pull it off.
Do not base your riding on other riders. As stated, they are not you on your bike. I had a friend do this on a REALLY Fast straight away at Miller. His buddy drafted him. His words "Man, he's going deep on the brakes! I'll just wait till he does!" Well, in short, rider one blew the corner and decide to run off at 150 MPH plus. So they both went straight off the end. WHOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHH! You stay with the brakes until you know you'll make your apex. How do you know if you can brake later? Move your brake marker a bit deeper into the corner. Did you make the apex? Yes? All good. Next corner, rinse and repeat until you can't make the apex. Then move it back one step. Blowing corners and running off track shouldn't be a clue that you went into the corner to hot or missed your brake marker. It's all about the Apex.
When working on braking deeper into a particular corner, I don't move my brake marker at first. I keep it the same, but brake a little less hard, carry more speed up to turn in and apex rather then shedding so much speed initially from super hard braking. I then move my marker, braking harder and deeper into the turn. It helps me avoid the "oh sh*t, I hope this sticks".
If I was going to adjust my braking based off a faster rider that just passed me, i'd probably be dead long ago. I ride A group and I've raced a bit (amateur) and I still can't comprehend how some guys go THAT fast into a turn. It's like the laws of physics don't apply to some people. Mind boggling! A friend of mine that's a bit faster than me has video of Cory West passing him in T1 at Road America on the brakes, like he was standing still. The camera was pointing back and my friend started braking, Cory looked to be about 70-80 yards behind him, and still got him before corner entry!
Here's a cool one for reference. The guy being passed is obviously not going full pace (by GP standards), probably a cooldown or warm-up lap, but I'm willing to bet anything that his pace at that point is faster than at least 95% of A group pace at any given track day around here.
I have the AIM Evo 4 on the 600 and I can get data with F.Br.Pres. in PSI... It is like a trigger pull (7-12PSI) More than this and you are over front and on your head.