[CDNSXV]

Due to my roadracing background I have been leaning into corners with my body to the inside of the bike. But it just hasn't really felt all that right, especially in slower corners where the bike wants to wheelie or slide out of the corner.

Last night I tried the MX technique of sitting more upright and pushing the bike down into the corner. That felt a bit strange but immediately made the bike feel more planted and stable in the corner. As well when it slips or wheelies out of the corner, it doesn't upset my body position or the bike nearly as much.

Like this. He is still leaning his body into the turn but the bike is pushed down under him. Fundamentally different from how a roadracer does it.

 

[tawheed]

this works too

 

[CDNSXV]

You know I am a longtime and hardcore roadracer but that has just not felt planted to me. The bike feels nervous and a bit twitchy when I do that. As well, the SXV wants to wheelie out of the slower corners which is a bit alarming when using roadrace technique. I am certain that part of this is the suspension is just not right for my weight.

Sitting up on the bike, it can wheelie or move around abruptly without trying throw me off. I am going to practice this technique more and see how it works at the track this week.

BTW Nice pic!

 

[mikedabike]

Love guys who ride knee down at the track. Every tight corner they leave themselves wide open to be in squared off and have their line taken away on exit. Doesn't matter if it is faster or not they have nowhere to go. Go to any AMA Supermoto race and tell me how many guys are riding knee down.

 

[Barry]

+1 Proof is in the pudding.

Barry

 

[true520]

seems i read an article one time where niky Haden said he was consistantly faster with his knee out...BUT, during race time, he couldnt do it because the others would take his line...either entering or exiting.
NOW....i dont know...seems like is one guy got a nice lead, he would change to what was faster and smoother...and i have never saw a pro guy with his knee out...?

me, I am sure my knee with be out...just more comfortable to me..
Mitch

 

[M Dubya]

The World guys, and I believe the top 4 AMA qualifiers do a Superpole. One man at a time, empty track. Nobody rides knee down on their uninterrupted flying lap. I come from an rr background too. CDNSXV has it right. I can only imagine what a wild ride that SXV must be. :thumbup:

 

[Alcatraz1]

The eternal debate continues opcorn:

 

[CDNSXV]

After a few more weeks practice I find I am using a combination of the two styles. Roadrace in the rally fast sweepers and dirt in the slower stop and go stuff. Medium speed corners can be either roadrace or dirt technique depending on the corner.

One thing I am finding is that taking a tight entry with lots of brakes very late works really well with these bikes. The apex speed is much slower but it is quite easy to fire the bike out of the corner. It will take more time but I am starting to get used to the back end sliding around on the way into the corner.

 

[Jaro51]

For what it's worth, I prefer the face down technique. Tried that twice last night. For the first attempt, I used the front brake real hard on a wet track entering a right hander and manged to effectively slam my face into the pavement and scrub speed that way. Amazing how fast you bring youself to a stop that way...

For the second attempt, I decided to back it in real cool like and get a nice big slide to look good in front of the pits only to hear my bike pop and die mid slide with an empty tank of gas. This resulted in a more dramatic face down as I highsided and skidded to a stop.

Before yesterday I was a virgin crasher. I feel like a seasoned vet now

Good news was that I only had to push about 20 yards to the truck.

Thanks good for leather!

BTW SM rock! 2 wrecks and came out with a broken bark buster, scratched footpegs and a cracked side panel. I would have been out $1500 on a sport bike.

 

[M Dubya]

For what it's worth, I prefer the face down technique. Tried that twice last night. For the first attempt, I used the front brake real hard on a wet track entering a right hander and manged to effectively slam my face into the pavement and scrub speed that way. Amazing how fast you bring youself to a stop that way...

For the second attempt, I decided to back it in real cool like and get a nice big slide to look good in front of the pits only to hear my bike pop and die mid slide with an empty tank of gas. This resulted in a more dramatic face down as I highsided and skidded to a stop.

Before yesterday I was a virgin crasher. I feel like a seasoned vet now

Good news was that I only had to push about 20 yards to the truck.

Thanks good for leather!

BTW SM rock! 2 wrecks and came out with a broken bark buster, scratched footpegs and a cracked side panel. I would have been out $1500 on a sport bike.

:lol: Glad you are OK. Try "ass in the dirt" next time. It is a slightly softer version of face down.

 

[CDNSXV]

For what it's worth, I prefer the face down technique. Tried that twice last night. For the first attempt, I used the front brake real hard on a wet track entering a right hander and manged to effectively slam my face into the pavement and scrub speed that way. Amazing how fast you bring youself to a stop that way...

I watched you do that. The only negative to the face down technique is it produces a very slow mid corner speed which hurts laptimes.

On the serious side though, Jaro is BLAZINGLY fast on his Husky510. I watched him slide the bike all the way into a very fast and very wet decreasing radius turn last night. It was VERY impressive to watch from 50 feet back.

It rained though most of the evening so we had wet dirt and mud on the pavement which made for fairly slippery conditions. The fast boys were putting down long, lurid powerslides out of the slow corners. My SXV would spin all the way from the end of the dirt to the next turn. But I am bit too much of a newby to be doing any serious slides off the corners.

All in all it was a TON of fun. I went to bed exhausted and generally beat up.

 

[CDNSXV]

Some pics: The pics were taken before the rain hit.

This guy was incredible. Full knobbies and he had the back end hung out everywhere.

Jaro51 going past me. This is the same corner he crashed in.

Transition from dirt to pavement.

Unofficial Club Prez, Jim doing the double.

Me tiptoeing around a wet track. I might be slow but I didn't fall down. :bike:

 

[Jaro51]

CDNSXV,

Was a great night hey, even though it got a little wet! I had decided I wanted to push things a little bit and see what my limits were and I found them, twice

Hope no one took offense to me jacking a good thread, just figured I would poke some fun at myslef for riding like a jackass.

Pretty neat that CDNSXV has taken to this whole SM thing quite well. Coming from a road race background has helped but it seems that MX and dirt riders have an advantage with SM. It's a little strange to get used to sitting up on the bike, foot out and weighting the outside of the bike which are all kind of opposite of RR technique. He's deffinitely putting the big old SXV through it's paces and has taken to the dirt very well. Once he gets used to clearing the doubles and bigger jumps on that beast, watch out!!

And yeah, the clown on the knobbies who runs circles around us all is a sight to behold. :bowdown: He is a co-worker of mine and an ex roadracer (raced with Crevier and Duhamel back in the late 80's) who has now stopped racing but still teaches race schools and does track days as well as ride a lot of MX. Amazing to watch him charge into a corner and see both wheels just floating around on the verge of giving up all traction lap after lap. Should never have invited him out.

 

[CDNSXV]

ope no one took offense to me jacking a good thread, just figured I would poke some fun at myslef for riding like a jackass.

None taken. Just talking about how different people do things is helpful IMO.

I think just going out and riding on wet pavement and dirt and mud with street tires makes us all jackasses.

As to the jumps, I am getting better but still need lots of practice. I was thinking of trying the double but got tired near the end and figured that wasn't the best time to try it. The SXV is definately a handfull. Probably not the best bike to learn on but what the heck. It was a B-Day present to myself.

Your buddy is a maniac but definately knows what he is doing. It was highly entertaining to watch him slide that thing into and out of each corner. I hope he keeps coming out.