Saving a Front End Slide?

[sobottka]

danch;149275 wrote: Stage 1: you're pushing the front - it's sliding a bit and your going a little wide, but it's still bearing the weight of the bike. On a good tire you'll feel a kind of gritty feeling in the bars as it tries to get hooked up. All I really do here is get on the gas a little to unload the tire, maybe stand it up a bit. I only crap myself when this happens at 100 or over, now.

Stage 2: It slides enough that it weights your knee. Here, I (mostly instinctively) push with my knee, get on the gas a bit, and stand it up some to let it hook up. Now you're wide, so don't expect to finish the turn the way you would normally - adjust!

Stage 3: I feel the bars turn in - a classic 'tuck.' At this point there's probably quite a bit of weight on your knee. Same as stage 2, but you need a little more luck to save it.

sounds like you have set-up issues! come find me at the next event and we'll duscuss.

 

[danch]

sobottka;149278 wrote: sounds like you have set-up issues! come find me at the next event and we'll duscuss.

It only really happens when I'm off line and either pushing hard or on crap pavement. But we'll talk! I'm too quick to blame my riding in general.

 

[greeny]

damn guys, i really need to ride the front end of my bike harder haha. i've had one incident where the front end started to slide when i was off line in T1 at blackhawk. my reaction was to get back on top of the bike and apply pressure to the outside peg. it worked - and that's the extent of my front tire traction loss experience.

edit: actually, i DID lose the front end at putnam in the rain, but i was on the ground quicker than you can say fudge

 

[Kegger]

What about when it slides, but it feels controlled and predictable? Ive had instances where I consistently slide the front end through a particular turn all day. I am talking about a slide from just after turn in to apex. Is it a wrong line, too much trail braking pressure, in too fast? I typically dont trailbrake unless i think I am gonna miss the apex, and have done it while dragging a bit of brake as well as on maintenance or applying throttle. I have only done about 10 trackdays so still really new to this.

 

[betarace]

here is another article on confident braking that may be helpful
http://forums.superbikeschool.com/index.php?showtopic=310

 

[Southerly]

dbakerpa;149272 wrote: But If you look at your avatar your head and shoulders are midline on the bike.

Believe it or not, that is why I put that picture up as my avatar; the view from the back really shows it. Every time I see it, I get reminded to work on my body position. Looking at the few pictures on picsofyou from Barber, I think I am getting better. I am still having to consciously force myself to move the upper body off more, so it is quite possible that I was back into bad body position again when I lost it. I wish there had been a camera or video there at the time so I knew for certain what happened, but I don't think I will plan on a repeat with video any time soon.

 

[sobottka]

Kegger;149411 wrote: What about when it slides, but it feels controlled and predictable? Ive had instances where I consistently slide the front end through a particular turn all day. I am talking about a slide from just after turn in to apex. Is it a wrong line, too much trail braking pressure, in too fast? I typically dont trailbrake unless i think I am gonna miss the apex, and have done it while dragging a bit of brake as well as on maintenance or applying throttle. I have only done about 10 trackdays so still really new to this.

most likely a geometry issue

 

[danch]

Kegger;149411 wrote: What about when it slides, but it feels controlled and predictable? Ive had instances where I consistently slide the front end through a particular turn all day. I am talking about a slide from just after turn in to apex. Is it a wrong line, too much trail braking pressure, in too fast? I typically dont trailbrake unless i think I am gonna miss the apex, and have done it while dragging a bit of brake as well as on maintenance or applying throttle. I have only done about 10 trackdays so still really new to this.

That'd be my Type 1. If it were happening conistently in a corner, I'd either be cussing out whoever dropped oil or looking at my setup. Unless I were setting track records.

 

[Kegger]

sobottka;149444 wrote: most likely a geometry issue
danch;149459 wrote: That'd be my Type 1. If it were happening conistently in a corner, I'd either be cussing out whoever dropped oil or looking at my setup. Unless I were setting track records.

Most excellent! It was happening pretty regularly to me last year, and before this season started, a couple of CR's from our region came over and we went through my suspension settings. Since then it hasnt happened, but I wanted to make sure that it wasnt something I was doing differently. My next question is: How did you both conclude that there was a set-up/geometry issue just by what I posted? (I really want to learn)

 

[sobottka]

Kegger;149519 wrote: My next question is: How did you both conclude that there was a set-up/geometry issue just by what I posted? (I really want to learn)

because it shouldnt be happening at all untill you are, at least, at the front of the A group. i have experienced similar problems along the way that went away after improving my set-up. just to be clear its not a rebound/compression/spring issue, its most likely an overall geometry issue, ie- too much trail, not enough trail or a weight distribution problem.