Post pics of your most recent track/racing BP (Body Positioning)

[eddiekay]

"on my daytona" is maybe the best moco shot i ever saw. Personally...I'd like the blue and green pumped a bit but it's a commercial quality image by any standard....outstanding !

[leed]

Check out this fuzzy picture! [form RedlinePhotography]


There are better ones, I thought this one was funny

[Sirref]

@adouglas I don't feel stiff on the bike but until the absolute last session (there was no photographer then so IDK if there were any differences in bp) I was completely uncomfortable on the bike until the final session. The outside arm thing is a result of me pushing on the outside bar and also not being low enough to properly use the clip ons (they are seriously low) which leads to the arm being more outstretched than it really needs to be unless I'm low. It wasn't a main focus for the day since throttle/brake inputs were more important but it will be at midOhio.

One thing that I've noticed myself is that I am infinitely more comfortable on my 300 than on the track 250. I am much looser on the 300 and am comfortable really locking myself into the bike when I hang off unlike the 250 where I feel as though my knee on the tank won't properly support me hanging off like my 300 does (due to difference in shape)

[csmith12]

Ben, in a few weeks, we will work on finding your "sweet spot" on the seat. When you find it, it becomes effortless to lock on and feels 100% natural as well. Thing is... it's not always 100% "by the book" as each rider is unique. Some adjustments to both bike and rider may be needed as well but when the ergos are adjusted to the rider, things get much, much better.

Thing about the pregen tank is, there is no lip.

[Sirref]

Looking forward to it @csmith12

Yea the pregen seat/tank are the only thing that I haven't been able to get truly comfortable with yet. Throttle/brakes I'm good with and cornering I've been adjusting to. the 250 flicks in so effortlessly even in comparison to the 300 to the point where I was using my outside arm to counterbalance my steering a bit which isn't ideal.

[adouglas]

Finally figured out how to buy the pics and just downloaded them. Here's what I see:

- Going in the right direction... outside arm on tank, butt off but not too far, looking through the turn, looking (but not feeling!) relaxed. Not visible here is that I'm pretty consistent lap on lap. I have several photos that show the same turn and they're near carbon-copies.

- Need to scoot back and get my chest and head down. I'm not hanging off nearly far enough.

Those who know more than me... what do you see?

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Finally figured out how to buy the pics and just downloaded them. Here's what I see:

- Going in the right direction... outside arm on tank, butt off but not too far, looking through the turn, looking (but not feeling!) relaxed. Not visible here is that I'm pretty consistent lap on lap. I have several photos that show the same turn and they're near carbon-copies.

- Need to scoot back and get my chest and head down. I'm not hanging off nearly far enough.

Those who know more than me... what do you see?

Drew, as a pilot you know how air currents affect your plane. They same thing happens on the bike. Hang a leg (start with a knee) out and it will cause the bike to drag on that side thus turning in that direction. You also have to use that tiny windshield to hide behind (get out of the wind). You used to have to pop up from behind the windscreen to help slow down but brakes are so good now that you don't have to do that anymore. Just use your body to help direct that missle you're riding.

[tnr4]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Finally figured out how to buy the pics and just downloaded them. Here's what I see:

- Going in the right direction... outside arm on tank, butt off but not too far, looking through the turn, looking (but not feeling!) relaxed. Not visible here is that I'm pretty consistent lap on lap. I have several photos that show the same turn and they're near carbon-copies.

- Need to scoot back and get my chest and head down. I'm not hanging off nearly far enough.

Those who know more than me... what do you see?

Looking good man! Sounds to me like you identified the next steps. Now just for more tracktime to work on them.

[csmith12]

@adouglas - I watched you for at least 3 sessions go through turns 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Your bp is just fine for 2 track days without a "formal" school component. We had fun, we laughed and left rubber on the track.

If you were to ask me, I would tell/ask you;
You know your not off enough, how far off do you need to be?
If your not comfortable getting your bum off, can you just get your head lower and over farther? What would be the benefit(s) of that?
What are you looking at and when?
Are your shoulders relaxed?
You said you need to sit back farther. How far do you need to be? Do you remember when I sat on the r6 and showed you guys some things? What happened to my outside knee when I was humping the tank?

I ask these things so you can put 2 & 2 together for yourself. If you can't answer any of the questions, imho you should work on the visual skills next. Why? Your head/upper torso will chase your next reference point when you get comfortable with it. And relax those shoulders. Maybe you are, but those pics make you look kinda ridged (not strong gripped) on the bike. Check out a few of my pics, reference the inside shoulder vs. the outer. It should be relaxed and low.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by csmith12

@adouglas - I watched you for at least 3 sessions go through turns 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Your bp is just fine for 2 track days without a "formal" school component. We had fun, we laughed and left rubber on the track.

If you were to ask me, I would tell/ask you;
You know your not off enough, how far off do you need to be?
If your not comfortable getting your bum off, can you just get your head lower and over farther? What would be the benefit(s) of that?
What are you looking at and when?
Are your shoulders relaxed?
You said you need to sit back farther. How far do you need to be? Do you remember when I sat on the r6 and showed you guys some things? What happened to my outside knee when I was humping the tank?

I ask these things so you can put 2 & 2 together for yourself. If you can't answer any of the questions, imho you should work on the visual skills next. Why? Your head/upper torso will chase your next reference point when you get comfortable with it. And relax those shoulders. Maybe you are, but those pics make you look kinda ridged (not strong gripped) on the bike. Check out a few of my pics, reference the inside shoulder vs. the outer. It should be relaxed and low.

I love stuff like this. Online learning at its best!

You know your not off enough, how far off do you need to be?
For the speed I was going, I was far enough off because I still had plenty of ground clearance. But to get to the next level I need to get far enough off to get a knee down.

If your not comfortable getting your bum off, can you just get your head lower and over farther?
I have no problem feeling comfortable getting more butt off, but I don't want to get crossed-up (see below under shoulders and sitting back).

What would be the benefit(s) of that?
Ability to carry more speed without losing ground clearance. Greater stability (I did notice that the lower I got, the better the bike felt).

What are you looking at and when?
As far as reference points, I'm looking at tip-in, apex and then an exit reference (like the tip of the magic arrow in 5, or the star on the wall coming out of 6 in the NASCAR oval). I'm probably not looking at the next point soon enough.

Are your shoulders relaxed?
NO! That's what I kept trying to work on. Positioning my line of sight is a bit of a challenge because of my glasses. I'm well and truly blind without them, and even with my specs propped up with my patented geeky Breathe Right nose-bridge solution, I have to crane my neck, which makes me instinctively push up on the bars to look ahead. I kept on catching myself putting too much effort into my arms and getting some arm pump.


You said you need to sit back farther. How far do you need to be?
Far enough to make it easier to get my chest down on the tank.

Do you remember when I sat on the r6 and showed you guys some things? What happened to my outside knee when I was humping the tank?

Unfortunately I missed that. Must have been in the crapper or a rider briefing.

[Old Lemon]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Do you feel stiff on the bike at speed? Like you're fighting it?

I was having this problem at my last trackday, id be mid corner and my outside arm would get a little tired and i was putting some force on it, then id be like oh yea, move my elbow to the tank. after that it got way more comfortable. i just need to do that every corner and not have to think about in the middle of one

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by csmith12

What happened to my outside knee when I was humping the tank?

It started shaking like a dog that's getting its "special spot" rubbed?

[choneofakind]

Errrrm. that might just be the most awkward gif ever...

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Ben, in a few weeks, we will work on finding your "sweet spot" on the seat. When you find it, it becomes effortless to lock on and feels 100% natural as well. Thing is... it's not always 100% "by the book" as each rider is unique. Some adjustments to both bike and rider may be needed as well but when the ergos are adjusted to the rider, things get much, much better.

Thing about the pregen tank is, there is no lip.

Weird. I never had trouble finding the lip. Ben, try scooting your butt back as far as you can on the seat. You're about my height. Should make that little lip a little easier to use when the ball of your foot is on the peg. Carry weight on the outside peg, push up with your calf, and grind the knee into that tiny little lip. I never had trouble

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by adouglas

It started shaking like a dog that's getting its "special spot" rubbed?

hahahahahhaha

This video is very, very close to what I did in the paddock at Thompson but missing the foot placement and tank lip stuff I did.

Link to original page on YouTube.

[sharky nrk]

Thompson?

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by adouglas

I love stuff like this. Online learning at its best!

We need to move this to another thread in the riding skills section. This thread is for pics yo!

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by sharky nrk

Thompson?

You are late to the party lol. See here for a recap of the fun.

[adouglas]

Yes. In the NE corner of CT where CT, Mass and RI meet.

[sharky nrk]

^^^ I did totally miss that lol. .. .. awesome for you to make the trip Chris. When you coming to TX lol.

[csmith12]

Maybe next year. The wife says I am not allowed to spend any more $$ this year on big trips to ride track.

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Maybe next year. The wife says I am not allowed to spend any more $$ this year on big trips to ride track.

Tell her it's for hookers.

[backinthesaddleagain]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Yes. In the NE corner of CT where CT, Mass and RI meet.

of course I look at the track map and first thing I see is they spelled quarter wrong. hopefully I study the layout better prior to my track days there.

[adouglas]

Greg: Since you've not been there, the map is slightly misleading. TTD runs clockwise (so far). The dogleg in the straight exists but it's not as sharp as shown. Barely noticeable.

Turns 1 and 2 aren't quite as depicted. It really feels more like a long double-apex than two separate turns.

Heavy braking at Turn 1 (of course) and going into the Turn 4 (Clubhouse) hairpin, which falls away. Lots of passes happen between 3 and 4.

Turn 5 (under the bridge) is also a double-apex and for my money one of the more fun corners on the track. The line is not obvious. Nail the first apex cone, drift out to mid-track directly under the bridge (look for a seam in the pavement) and dive back in for the exit. There's a triangle of pavement where the new track meets the old... hit the apex of that and you're perfect. You don't want to run wide there... the NASCAR oval falls away and it'll upset the bike. People went off doing that.

Turn 6 (NASCAR oval) can be fast if you want it to. The exit reference is a star painted on the wall... aim for that and you're good. I target fixated in that corner and actually ran off to the inside.

You'll feel like you want to brake into Turn 7 but you can carry more speed through there than you think.

The "Diving turn" (turn 8) doesn't really dive much.

There's also a hump coming onto the main straight that you can wheelie off of if you're feeling particularly sporty.

Tony sets out cones at the entrances of 5 (under the bridge) 7 (leaving the oval) and 8 (diving turn) to force safe lines, since the runoffs are a bit dodgy in places. They don't really get in the way, so they're nothing to worry about. You can see them in the on-board videos people have posted.

Hope this helps...

You're doing the Monday, right? I'm trying to figure out my schedule, with family commitments putting me in flux. I heard the Sunday is sold out.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by adouglas

The "Diving turn" (turn 8) doesn't really dive much.

They don't mean the dive of the geography. It means... to get any drive out of this turn you have to "dive" in. On a 250, this is an "on the gas" turn, preferably, WOT. WOT sounds odd for that turn, but it actually plants the bike firmly on the tarmac. Although, it will take some extra muscle to get the bike on line and the turn-in completed. When you get it right, it feels really good to be on the rear tires of 600's. The corner worker at the crest before the front straight go a good show from me. Also, if you can carry enough speed through that back section and hug tight to the right side... even the 250 will get light over the crest.

[simook]

[adouglas]

My name is Andrew and I approve of this image.

Awesome shot.

[fred smoot]

I think I need to gain some more flexibility in these old bones to get into the proper position.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by fredsmoot23

I think I need to gain some more flexibility in these old bones to get into the proper position.

Punk. I can out-old you any day. Bring it.

[fred smoot]

Can you do better than 61?

[adouglas]

Not quite, but close. Double nickel.

[fred smoot]

The kids these days are something else . . .

[#19]

Practice day at the cone course

[Alex]

link to relevant How Old Are You thread...

[Xtina]

On my friends 250. I scraped some of his feelers off...

[csmith12]

Nice pics ladies and gentlemen. Gitter done!

[algs26]

2nd full track day on a 250 (FLAP) rental. Should be turn 2 at T-hill. Pretty tame compared to everyone else.

Undecided about buying this pic:

[Sirref]

have at it with your harshest criticisms! these are all from mid ohio day 2 yesterday

[adouglas]

Nice suit

[burningscooter]

Went to Shenny yesterday. The guy parked across from me in beginner group got a helivac on the first session. Hit another rider going on to the front straight and then got ran over by the rider behind him. Other than this, Shenny was a successful day. I had forgotten how much stop/go Shenny was and how it is quite the upper body.