Why you should use aftermarket bodywork!

that makes alot of sense.. i'll be checking for adjustments
:thumb:

 

Guys, honestly it's not his fault. He comes from an era where this is and was the norm. I was just as guilty. When I came back, I had to re learn some things because everything was that much better and the old way only worked and got you so far. It's evolution. He was military so I'm sure he will adapt, improvise and overcome.

K3 is right. To stay competitive you need to evolve like your competition. I challenge anyone to find a current front running pro who still rides all crossed up.

Everyone still has their own style but the basics have changed.

 

http://www.disalvospeedacademy.com/

You are in luck!

There are schools on both days!

Worth every cent too!

 

Hang off and fit that outside thigh into the tank. You want that overhang to lay against the top of your thigh and be parallel across the muscle. That's why the tank is shaped the way it is and rearsets are about fitting your outside leg to the tank, not comfort. Ironically though, if you get the leg-tank interface right, after a few sessions of weirdness, your whole body will start to hurt less. Suddenly, your muscles are all in an ergonomic work zone where they can do their best, easiest motion. That outside leg fitting into the tank might be the most important piece of the body position equation.

 

I will probably be working as a camera rider for Speed Academy at Road America. I have done so in 2012 and 2013, so they may use me again. It's always an honor to be deemed worthy by those guys, even to follow and film!

 

I find it's best to get pointers from someone your body type, they know the work around for that particular body style. Where a guy like me or a small frame person will have something completely different for ya.

 

So who of you crazy fast new style riders is around 5-10, 220lbs and willing to show me how its done? will be at Grattan all next weekend!

 

FWIW - Im 6'2", 215lbs. Being a jockey is not a prerequisite for having good BP.

 

As far as your upper body, the rearsets are a piece of the puzzle...but the biggest piece is how you are gripping the bars.

If you are struggling with your upper body, look at some pictures of you riding, check and see if the back of your hand is inline with your forearm, and almost running parallel with the bike. If so, that is what is causing you to struggle with your upper body. If you could look down at your hand while you are gripping the bars in a corner and can see the whole back of your hand, that is the problem with your upper body. An improper grip will make it harder to move your upper body around, harder to make precise inputs and will actually not let the bike turn as easy.

Next time out, focus on using an exaggerated "screwdriver" grip. Or in other words, think about the way you grab a steering wheel vs how you grab a door knob. The saying is "twist the throttle", not "rotate the throttle".

Work on rotating your wrist out (more perpendicular with the bike than parallel) and grab the bars like you would a door knob, and rotate the throttle in that fashion (like you would open a door). Not only will it give you more precision with your throttle application, but it will allow you to keep your arms bent, which will help you get your upper body down and in the proper position. It will allow your suspension to work better and make the proper corrections on its own, and it will keep you from making undesired inputs into the bars.

The other thing is to make sure your butt isn't too far off the seat. Early in track riding, when most people have a goal of trying to get their knee down, they end up getting their lower body WAY off the seat and "reaching" with the knee. When your butt is too far off the seat, it makes it almost impossible to get your upper body down and to the inside (unless you are Marquez).

The question is usually "how far should I bet off the seat?". The answer is "as far as you can go while keeping your spine in line, or even leading with your upper body a little bit. The instant you start to get crossed up, you have gone too far". For most people, that is one butt cheek. But it starts with your hands/wrists, if you aren't gripping the bars correctly, bending at the elbows, even one butt cheek can be too much.

 

BTW - you can practice this grip/feeling any time.

Go out and sit on your bike like normal (upright, as if you are going down the street). You will see that you have the straight-on, steering wheel type of grip and you will be able to see the whole back of your hand. Your arm will be running parallel with the bike.

Now keeping your grip the same, try to "kiss the mirror" and get your upper body into position. It will be difficult, stiff and awkward. That is the same feeling you have when struggling to get your upper body into position.

Now do it again, except with kicking your elbow out, rotating your forearm more perpendicular with the bike, with your hand gripping the bar like you would grip a door knob. You will feel your upper body almost fall into the correct position. Now twist the throttle with that grip and feel how smooth and precise it is.

At any given time, you should be able to remove your hands from the bars and stay in the same position. In order to comfortably do this, you will need a stable, athletic base (this is where we get back to the rearsets). You will need to press your outside thigh into the gas tank, using it to support your bodyweight.

All of this talk is making me want to ride.

 

I'm confused by this comment.

Just remember, it's not going to be fixed in a day, keep working at it, hell I'm still tweaking mine every time I go out.

 

By the "Code way", he is referring to the corner entry method of doing all the braking while straight up and down, waiting till the last minute to turn in, then finally throwing the bike into the corner as fast as possible.

I attended 3 levels of Code's school (including the extensive 2-day Camp) and used that method for several years. It was fine up to a certain point, but everything is "fixed" with that method. You brake as hard as possible straight up and down, then throw the bike into the corner and immediately go to full lean angle and apply a little maintenance throttle.

What if you want to pass somebody on the brakes on corner entry? What if you need to alter your line mid-corner? What if you want to go faster (lap times)?

That method was good up until about a mid-pack Expert race pace. But when i tried to go faster, i would crash. That method forces you to be at maximum lean angle for a long time. And because everything is "fixed", the only way to go much faster is to increase corner speed. But lean angle is finite, you will eventually run out of it. When you do, you crash. That is what i dealt with for 2 years as i was trying to get faster.

Before joining the Speed Academy Staff, I did 3 schools as a customer when it first started back in 2011. And Jason and I worked 1-on-1 together at some of my race weekends and practice days. He revamped my riding style. I went with a smoother/gradual/slower corner entry and trail braking riding style. In addition to making some key changes to my body positioning. With his help, I went from 3 crashes in a year....to 3 years and no crashes...while going 2-4 seconds faster at every track.

In addition to going faster, I had much more/better control of the motorcycle, more tools to utilize while riding/racing and became much smoother.

That is why i so strongly believe in everything the Speed Academy teaches and why i am so confident that it can drastically change somebody's riding if they will have an open mind and practice the techniques. I know it works, I went through the program myself.

 

To be very straight forward, Road America is not a great track work on this.
The straightaways are long, leaving the corners far apart.
In a 20 minute session, you really are only getting 7-8 laps.

Autobahn North is a great track to focus on BP. As you are hanging off the bike most of the lap. (Not to mention it is my favorite track!)

Never the less, I will be working the RA dates in July if you would like to work with me for a few sessions. The STT staff is normally flexible, if we have people to work with in advanced.

-X

 

Is it more difficult to get that screwdrive-style grip on the throttle side if there's a brake-lever guard?

 

Nope. At first I was reluctant to get one of those brake lever guards because I was wondering the same thing. But it doesn't get in the way at all. I don't even notice it while riding.

Now I have those brake lever guards on all my bikes and won't ride without them (on the track).

 

Broome, you are pretty smart for an engineer.

 

I can't wait to get to Grattan next week! Chaotic/K3 I appreciate the responses. Its funny that someone your shape and size was mentioned because my first I day last year at ACC K3 was giving me tips on how to use my belly properly

 

Looking at barber photos, I can see what you mean. Mainly on the pics of disalvo and Meyers.