I know it's only January but I'm already starting to get a little psyched for this season. I'll have a modern machine this season and plan to spend plenty of time at the track. I've been reading Keith Code's books and though they've helped clear up some ideas in my head I have one really big question... How do you remember all your brake spots, lean in spots, where to hit the gas hard again, etc... I only race Summit Point and they're opening another track this season (Awsome!) so I'll have to learn to memorize all that much more stuff. I have a bad memory as it is and find my self lost all the time, how do you remember your ideal lines? I thought about brute memorization but is there a better way? Do I need to just spend more time there?
I'm also curious as to what everyone weighs... Seriously, some of us spend rediculous amounts on aluminum/titanium parts but don't seem to mind chowing down on less-than-high-performance foods ;D If I'm going to be riding a lighter bike I figure I should slim down. I'm currently 6', 170lbs & 15% body fat. I'm just curious what other racers weigh.
As for remembering the break marks etc... for some corners it will just become "natural" or automatic, some I still search for lines etc. My .02
I have been trying to slim down myself, 5'9" and 163lbs, would like to get to 140ish.... :P
I just thought I would make you feel better I'm 6'2 215lbs I doubt I could get down past 2 bills if I tried.
170ish for me...
Is it important? Yeah, and no. If it makes you feel better, then yeah.
Can't afford the Ti or Al parts myself, so you must hang out with some people that have more disposable race income...
Even then, are you riding what you have well enough within the set up? Could it be better?
Then loosing lost of weight matters. Until then, it probably will never be dramatically reflected in lap times.
Memorizing...
It's like driving to the store. It's pretty much the same thing lap after lap. Make the receipe simple. Go fast, hit brakes here, dowshift, etc.
Each bike can be different and have a specific timing rhythm all its own as does each track...
I won't go too long winded here. I'm a newbe. But I believe this is where "natural talent" and "instinct" come into play. Some folks just have 'it'.
They automatically "know", generally speaking, the "right" lines, the turn in points, the braking points, when to roll on, etc... Sure, they follow the faster guys and pick up a tenth here and a tenth there....
Racing is extremely mentally demanding. You MUST be thinking ahead all the time, which in essence means you shouldn't be staring at the brake markers coming into T1 or looking for that spot on the track where you should turn in. You should be looking somewhere in the vicinity of the entrance. I brake when I know that if I wait another tenth of a second I'm gonna end up in the gravel (but I'm really not thinking about at that point in time, I just do it) Sometimes I misjudge slightly, run wide, or worse yet brake too early, but usually you can correct your self and not crash, or not get passed, but not always.
My first time at Summit I ran a 1:19.8 my second race. Granted, I never matched that the rest of the weekend, but that was because I was fighting for a spot...adrenaline helps, and so did following that other rider. Racing alone I only ran :20-:21's.
If you've got a bad memory, well, don't forget your key... but seriously, you hit the same points every minute and a half, coupled with the repetition... memory shouldn't be an issue. What you have to realize though, is that all your points are going to change slightly as you get faster. So you just kinda have to go with the flow. Test yourself each time around until you "know" (in quotes, because it's all mental- it's all perception) if you go any harder you're going to crash. Once you're more comfortable at that speed, push a little harder, and so on.
Wt: I weigh 195 in gear (roughly 15%BF) and have a pretty bone stock bike. I don't feel it necessary to dump money into mods to drop the wt of the bike. How about SAVE money, and stop EATING?! ;D (like you said...)
Running competitive times, there's definitely going to be an advantage to being somewhat physically fit . No one can argue that it takes alot of muscular endurance to muscle a 400# bike avg'ing 80mph for 20 minutes :o I don't think your weight/BF is an issue, if anything, improve your musc endurance a little and you'll probably be surprised at the results.
I have 1 quit smoking ;D 2. play Dance Dance Revolution on the hardest mode for 1-2 hours aday... its like going joggin only it helps sharpen your relexes too..
I am training and having fun at the same time, beat the heck out of aerobics...
QuoteHow do you remember all your brake spots, lean in spots, where to hit the gas hard again, etc...
I have this problem... if you ask me where I brake or turn in for any turn at VIR, I couldn't even tell ya. Except for T4.. turn at the hole in the pavement. :)
Sometimes, it's kinda embarassing, when people ask me.. "Well, where/what # are you braking at for T1" me.."Uh.. I don't know"
I just do what feels right. Maybe unconsiously I'm remembering where, but I honesly can't tell you where, anywhere. Kinda sux. Wish I could learn/remember those things.
didnt you read the twist of the wrist? its all about reference points :P
Yea I did, and "Soft Science of RR" ... but I have this little problem of REMEMBERING those reference points :)
I tip the scales at 135 with about 2% Body fat.
My goal for April is to weight in at 145 and be able to ride 100 miles in one session on my Bicycle with atleast a 18mph average speed
I want to gain wieght to get closer to the weight of another racer that I have plans of doing a Team Challenge with (he needs to loss 20#s). My main focus is raising my endurance threshhold.
QuoteI tip the scales at 135 with about 2% Body fat.
Are you serious? Body builders rarely go below 3%, you should consider riding horses ;D
I found boxing was good excersize. one of the endurance excersizes they'd do is run as fast and as far as you can while holding your breath. The instructor said he wasn't training runners but fighters...
I geuss I'll forget about trying to memorize markers and spend more time on the track.
Ya when I got the 600rr alot of people came up to me saying that they heard the rr weighs 12 lbs more than the r6 or gsxr, It was usually a larger boned person ;)Saying that, But since I'm a firm 160lbs 8)
I'm thinkin I'll take my RR with me on it then their R6 with them on it...(Weighs less)
But..as Dave said. Skill is more important than bike weight early on.. (i've seen Dave FLLLYY on a 500lb Katana!)
StUmPy
QuoteAre you serious? Body builders rarely go below 3%, you should consider riding horses ;D
...
I would race horses, but its hard to get the same lean angle ;D
No joking, my body has always been like that, since I was a freshman in Highschool.
And yes, you can see every bone on my body that is not wrapped in a muscle.. and every vien looks like it is stincking out 1/4 of an inch when my heart rate is up....
And quality of track time over quantity...
I think the RR weighs a lot more than 12 pounds more than the R6...
Not that it really matters a whole lot at this stage...
QuoteI would race horses, but its hard to get the same lean angle ;D
No joking, my body has always been like that, since I was a freshman in Highschool.
And yes, you can see every bone on my body that is not wrapped in a muscle.. and every vien looks like it is stincking out 1/4 of an inch when my heart rate is up....
Got you all beat already...34/5'8"/115/2% and a brand new R6. ;D
I have been this weight all my life...tough finding anything that fits. Actually had to put rocks in my pocket to make the peanut football league when I was 10 or 12. Back then I was the same size like everyone else.
But I tell you what...makes me a little more competitive on the track and fun to pass you all on the straight. :D
My Girlfriend has had the same figure since I met her in high school... 5'2", 95lbs, 10% body fat and she eats like a cow... but I'm not complaining ;D I tried to talk her into riding ultra-lightweights but she wasn't interested, chicks... 8)
Dave; could you elaborate on your track time quality vs quanity statement? I'd like to hear your suggestions on getting the most out of my track time.
All you lightweight guys! I weigh in at 235lbs. at only 5' 10" tall. Most people guess me to be about 185lbs, but are they suprised if they try and move me. I find it hard to believe that a guy that weighs in at 135lbs wouldn't have an advantage over me on the same bike. 100 lbs is alot!
QuoteDave; could you elaborate on your track time quality vs quanity statement? I'd like to hear your suggestions on getting the most out of my track time.
Laps and laps and laps and laps cost money. Oh, and you'll spend money on tires, gas...
The same thing done over and over expecting change is sometimes defined as insanity.
Unless you can find someone to work with you to help you make changes to what you do and how the bike is to improve things...
You are just probably wearing tires, your bike, and doing the same thing over and over.
I try to help racers do things differently. I teach schools, but very few of my students are "new racers". More of my students are active amateur and expert road racers.
The average career of a motorcycle road racer is about two years. Frustration is a big part of that. Another is spending too much money. I try to show racers how to do things differently so that they understand what they should be doing, and I'm pretty straight forward on saying what things are worth doing to a bike and what isn't. There seems to be a lot of hype in the motorcycle world. I've done this long enough that I know tricks. This stuff should be simple and straight forward.
Does that make more sense?
QuoteDoes that make more sense?
I understand, I have to be careful not to blow a fortune on track time only to practice going in the same wrong spots over and over with out improvement. I guess I'll need to get a lap timer to see wether my efforts are paying off. Maybe I'll luck out and have the chance to get instruction from you here in the North East.
I know the frustration that you speak of with new racers all too well. My first race was 9-02. I had never ridden a modern motorcycle, had lots of jetting problems, got hit on the straight in saturday practice... Last season I got off to a good start with < 1 minute lap times at summit point jefferson circuit but then I crashed the bike real good a month later, car got stolen, taxes = no cash... I've had a less than pleasent mix of DAL & DNF. I'm not letting anything get in my way this season though, I don't take failure lightly ;)
QuoteMaybe I'll luck out and have the chance to get instruction from you here in the North East.
I've had some discussions with guys about doing a group thing, which would be the least expensive way to go. When everyone gets closer to doing it, we'll probably have an open discussion...
Dwillson
Im in the same boat as u. I woul dlike to learn a better way of doing things. With you that makes three guys in our area that want to train with dave.
as far as the memory thing goes I have seen racers go out to summit and place markers for referance points on the side of the track. last year I corner worked at summit for half the year to learn the track. It helped as I got to watch were dif riders turned in at and started braking. I'm in the same boat as u learn the right spots to do the right thing
me 6'1 165 lbs
I'm 5'11" or so, and weighed between 210 and 220 this year. By July, looking to be down to 165. I weighed 165 Freshman year in high school, and didn't get any taller since then.
When I start racing again, I'm hoping to be 160 or less, and maintaining that weight.
it's funny, I tell my friends here at work that i want to loose 15 pounds, and they look at me like im crazy !!!
5'11" 173 . And everyone thinks im skinny. !! ehehehe
BTW i dont want to loose the weight to go faster, i want to do it so im more fit, Less weight to push around on the bike, means i should be able to run harder longer ! Be more focused! If im less tired than i should be able to concentrate and run more consitently !
Still dont have a PowerCommaneder, stock spark plugs (i'm thinking about changing them for this year), stock air filter !! Oh yea.. STOCK FENDER !!! (I might keep that this year too )
43/5'10"/170lb Bike weight...445lb. I'm not worried about "my" weight. I'll be around 160 for the upcomming season. But.... I need to put the Buell on a diet tho! lol Were gonna get the bike down to around the 410-420 range for this season. Paul James and I are planning on doing a endurance race or two this season so I have to work on my wind, upper body, and legs. Hell... in a 8 lap race at BHF... after 3 laps, I'm saying to myself, (where the hell is the white flag??!!) ???
Dave... I will be talking to you at the banquet! ;)
QuoteDave... I will be talking to you at the banquet! ;)
I will be at the banquet...
nude...
...under my clothes.... ;D
QuoteI will be at the banquet...
nude...
...under my clothes.... ;D
:o :o Oh the humanity!!!
Give me a hole...
And I'm RIGHT to the trash...LOL 8)
QuoteI will be at the banquet...
nude...
...under my clothes.... ;D
Hahahahahahaha...oh shit, breath damnit...breath!