I read this quote from another post, and I’m looking for some direction from anyone who has ridden at Grattan. Last year, during an intermediate session, I carried too much speed over the hump and both tires left the ground. By the time I recovered it was too late to make the turn and I rode the bike straight into the grass. Once in the pits, I found out that the gentleman pitted next to me, did the same thing the session before. Therefore, I figured I should scrub some speed before hitting the hump, which seemed to work the rest of the day. In another post, Monte mentions using his back brake to settle the chassis before he hit the hump. So, this was something I was going to practice this year. Now, I read the post above, and realize I may be taking the wrong approach to this portion of the track. I’m looking for the best technique to ride through this section of the track. Any opinions are welcome, and so you know, I am a limited experience novice/intermediate rider. I will be at Grattan for the season opener in May, so I will probably be talking to the coaches and getting some pointers as well. Sorry for the long post. Thanks,
ultimately, it's a matter of your confidence. it's been a while since I've been to grattan, but I recall braking after the hump. you ran very likely wide, not because you were carrying too much speed, but more likely because you weren't looking through the turn, at where you wanted to go. instead, you were probably looking at your turn-in point or perhaps the apex or maybe the bike in front of you, got target fixated and scared yourself into a trip through the giggle weeds. it's key to look down the track- where you want to go, not where you're going. at the same time, you need to have awareness of the the other riders around you, but don't watch them directly. your main concentration should be on the track ahead of you. look through the corners! yeah, at grattan that can be an issue, as most of them are blind... nonetheless, your bike tends to go in the direction that your head is pointing. Grab a coach and have them give you pointers. Jig Moore gave me some great tips the last time I was at Grattan, but any of STT's staff should be able to help you. good luck! Lance
WARNING: This might be a long post!! What Lance said has a lot of truth to it... many people (and i mean A LOT) go over the hump and forget to turn their heads and look for T5 and T6, instead choosing to look at the grass that is on the outside of T5. B/C of this , that is where they end up and they think they are carrying WAY too much speed: they aren't, they just fixated. T5 is a FAST turn and, yes, once you gain the confidence, it is definitely a NO BRAKE turn. You can scrub enough speed while turning to make the next turns. before you get there, you must first gain that confidence The hump is really the start of a sequence of turns (5,6,7,8 ) that are linked: Blow one, blow them all kinda thing Yes, your tires WILL leave the ground, but you are not about to enter lunar orbit, they are just far enough off to feel it, no worries. Just land, settle and turn. there is plenty of time What i would suggest to start with is to come out of T4 and into the hump to the left (it is less steep there) and roll out of the gas as you come up the face of the hump, but try not to brake (even the little "just to make sure the brakes are there" squeeze). Then, as you come over the hump, look for T6 and turn at your reference point (i use a point where two sealer strips cross in an X). By looking for T6, you really are just looking through T5 like you are supposed to. Then, once you have the confidence to not use the brakes while going in, you can start staying on the gas longer and longer. This was one of my trouble spots for a LONG time, but now it is a favorite passing area! I actually get off the gas at the crest to settle the bike, but get back on as i land. I too will be at Grattan that weekend, come find me, and i will take you around and show you what i mean. I am usually pitted w/ the tire guy and have a black and yellow R6 #359 Justin "stickboy"
:lol: That's much quicker than a lot of folks!!! I would suggest not using the brakes but go over the hump slower than you usually do, take some time to see how wide 5 is and how much room you really do have. Then, lap after lap, approach the hump a little bit faster, and a little bit faster, pretty soon you'll be getting on the gas as soon as the bike settles, grinning ear to ear with the sensations of the sequence of hump-5-6-7-bowl and onward. It's a super fun part of the track and a fav. passing place for me too.
Thanks for the responses. I don’t believe I was target fixating. I remember looking through T5 and thinking there was no way I could turn in once I regained control. Then I thought to run as straight and as easy as I could into the grass. I think between my inexperience and the shock of what happened (my butt came off the seat and my left foot off the peg), I didn’t have the confidence to finish the turn, which probably was manageable. I’m coming in this year better prepared. I little bit more experience, better prepared bike, and more pointers from experienced riders, should get me up to speed quickly. If getting through Grattan quicker means not using brakes on the back straight, then I’m ready for the challenge. I think lots of seat time is what I need anyway. Practice makes perfect, and this is a lot more fun than piano lessons. Justin, I’m running N on Saturday and I on Sunday. I’ll see if you’re available for a session on Sunday. Once again, thanks for the responses
The one thing I always try to keep in mind for those pucker moments is that plenty of people have made it through the turn a lot faster than I'm about to try to, so I might as well get on the gas & keep trying.
I completely agree, and I somewhat use that logic in life too. If someone else can do it, so can I. But, in my case here, I think more experience on the track will help keep my pucker moments to a minimum. I am really looking forward to this season. Thanks for the response,