gkotlin;126880 wrote: Baby steps. It was only your second day, but your looking much more comfortable out there. A little body position and some more track time and you'll be rocking.
Passing is an art. It's one of those things. We always tell you to keep your eyes up. You need to have your mind "UP" as well, thinking of the next thing, not what your doing at that time. Passing requires you to think 2 or 3 steps ahead. Your mind has to think about the end of the pass, then think it backwards to how your going to set it up. So you have to be thinking much further ahead. So while your going through or entering a corner, you have to be thinking where will that bike be when I'm passing them. You then need to decide where you want to be so your path is guiding you away from their path. You have to figure out that line in your head. Adjust your speed, following distance and line so that you can execute what you just thought through in your head.
For example, I'm a big guy on the little SV. But I need to pass that Gixxer 1000 in B group right? I need to get ahead of him to show him a line.
So entering the chicane, before the key hole, I drop back about a bike length or two. The first right hand apex at the top of the key hole entry, I go straight to it and run it deep into the corner as I tip in to the right. I end up all the way to the outside of the track on the center of the key hole turn. Right now it may seem like I'm never going to make this work. The gixxer 1000 is probably 5 bikes ahead of me and on the tight inside line on the paint. I drop my head more and start to turn the bike for the exit. As I continue to drop my head, I reduce lean angle and begin to smoothly add throttle since it is off camber here. As I get to my apex, which is a way, way, way, late apex, I'm on the throttle full and already pointed to an exit point further down the back straight. The gixxer 1000 is still turning toward the outside exit point, toward the paint, but he can't add throttle yet. He can't do so because it's off camber and he can't reduce lean angle yet. As he gets to that paint on the outside exit, they can begin to roll on the throttle down the back straight. By now, I'm next to them and have been on the gas for probably 50 feet. I motor right on by, leaving them wondering. How the heck does a fat guy like that, go right by me. Must be an SV 1000. hahaha
Later in the day I was getting motored by a bigger bike on the straights, but his line was erratic and I couldn't make a complete safe pass in the back section. This was in A group as well. So the passing rules are different. Again coming into the chicane before the keyhole, I dropped back about 2 bike lengths at the entry. Then I got on the gas going into the chicane. From the middle of the chicane, I saw the rider taking a more "swoopy" line as they did the lap before. They went out wide in the middle of the chicane to turn in late for the key hole entry. This had them pointed toward the line I described above in the previous scenario. What they did differently was the straight line to the first right hand apex at the entry as I had done. They did not do this. They left about 18 inches on the inside. Since I was already on the gas, I dove to the inside, and put the tires on the paint and knee in the grass. I went up the inside, and hung tight on the inside line all the way through the keyhole this time. My drive wasn't as good on the exit, but I was able to get the pass done and hold the line. Thus leaving poor gixxer Dan to drag race the bike I just passed on the back straight if he wanted to keep up with me.
It takes time and planning, but passing is done with the mind and not with the throttle. It's always very difficult to pass a rider of similar skill and pace. Don't let it frustrate you. You'll make mistakes or poor passing decisions. Think of it as a challenge. Once which you must complete decisively and safely.
I hope that helps you understand the thought process that goes into setting up a good safe pass.
