[The Crashing Tomato]

This is not about lap times or personal best or any other b.s.

??? after a get off like my T3 olympic exhibition .... how do you get that loving feeling to return?

I am numb to the feedback coming from the bike. I know it's there and I know somethings are supposed to happen on certain parts of the track ... a bump here, a turn there, the brakes somewhere here, a shift somewhere.

does this happen to everyone?

If so How did you get it back?

some people say a track day is the cure I tend to agree but will that bring back the lost connection to the bike?

[Doc]

Time is on your side.

Give it time... more laps... more track time...

Don't push it, just focus on smoothness and not speed. Now is a great time to reasses all you have learned and reapply what works. Slowly.

[The Crashing Tomato]

Sorry Mike

That is as vague as the feel i get from the bike

Time yup got that

slow yup got that

smooth got that

application of what's learned that's what I am having trouble with .... I can't feel when to do what. I can't feel the bike's 'braile' anymore.

maybe I am asking the wrong question

[Doc]

I understand the question...

I am on my phone in a class and need to be brief... or vague. sorry.

more later

[eboos]

Filter out any other crap that is in your head and only concentrate on the track and what you are doing. Don't even worry about how you are doing, only what.

Maybe do another track walk and gain your reference points back.

[Kurlon]

Switch things up. You've got another Hawk, prep and run it for a track day. Borrow a motard, an EX, anything, so when you're out there, it's 'new' to you. That'll slow you down, and make you focus on what you're doing vs panicking over what you're not doing or feeling.

THEN jump back on the Hawk and see how it reads.

Also remember, if you're too tense, you'll damp out any feedback the bike is trying to give. It's all subtle, clench up and you'll miss it.

[Doc]

Maybe ask Gino or Alex or other more experienced people...

[Kurlon]

Another thing to try, come play on minis some time, lots of practice reading feedback from the bike, mis-reading it, crashing, and trying again. : )

[union]

I know exactly what youre talking about. After my get off in 4 bike felt a bit wierd the first two sessions out. It just felt all wrong. Turing, braking accelerating, nothing felt like it did before the crash.

I found the best thing you could do is to get back out there in the mix. I wasnt back 100% but I went out there for my race and did it. My lap times were off what I could do but the most important thing to do is just get more laps in.

[zx1012r]

Sounds like you are riding all "locked" up. You are so tense and probably stiff arming, death gripping, and knee squeezing the feeling right out of the bike.

I know for me when I have had a bad get-off I have to constantly remind myself to relax and loosen up my body english. The bike can't give you any feedback if you are forcing it to do things it can't do.

Loosen up on the grip and the arms and let the bike follow the contours of the pavement. It needs to move around and tell you what's going on!

[a13x]

Just gotta ride more bro. Spinning some laps on another bike might help lil bit. Non-race enviro as well. Just out there not thinking about anything crazy (or having crazies all around you all weekend with RACEFACE).

I know after I piled it in T2 I was riding thru that turn like a puss for a while and felt no feel in that turn. Just had to keep riding thru it and building the speed back up.

[The Crashing Tomato]

Thanks guys

the more I read about what you all have done / regognized ... the more I recall not being relaxed out there.

I said to myself "relax" ... but you all know how well that works.

I have a couple of TD's lined up before next race weekend so I will give both a try.

new / different bike

some no-pressure laps

Sounds like you are riding all "locked" up. You are so tense and probably stiff arming, death gripping, and knee squeezing the feeling right out of the bike.

I know for me when I have had a bad get-off I have to constantly remind myself to relax and loosen up my body english. The bike can't give you any feedback if you are forcing it to do things it can't do.

Loosen up on the grip and the arms and let the bike follow the contours of the pavement. It needs to move around and tell you what's going on!

thanks Mark

I think that's why I binned it in T2
__________________

[OreoGitorio]

yeah, recovering mentally from a crash can be tough sometimes.... the only thing I can add to is remember why you're doing this.... it's for FUN. Yeah, going fast & doing well is a big part of having fun and if a crash sets you back then it's tough to enjoy what you're doing when you're out there when you're way off your pace.

It's tough to do, but just ignore the lap times for a while, forget about the trophies and keep a smile on your face when you're out there. Work on hitting and refining your marks and just enjoying the ride. It'll take some of the stress off helping you relax more which will help you get back into the groove.

[The Crashing Tomato]

I have the bike set up on stands in the garage. I'm gonna crank up the tunes and just hang off the bike in hopes of recovering some of the muscle memory of hanging off. like Mark said 'relaxed body english'

even in this pic from last Nov's Penguin I see how much more I can relax those arms and head

[Stupidhawk007]

Try doing a trackday, like you said. Riding on the track with friends in a non race environment helped me a ton!

[97BladeRider]

Dude, hit up the TTD on 9/29 or 9/30. I'll be there both days. It'll be like a group ride.

Just what you need to get the confidence back. Just having fun.

[hammadown]

Originally Posted by 97BladeRider

Dude, hit up the TTD on 9/29 or 9/30. I'll be there both days. It'll be like a group ride.

Just what you need to get the confidence back. Just having fun.

+1 Im doing the 29th to get a good last day in before finishing the track season. No pressure and just fun, like was said before, thats why we do this in the first place. Forget all the BS and just have some fun. T6 is still plaguing me, so Im just gonna get out there and run as well as I feel I can, back to the basics and that's it. Come out and play the 29th...itll be fun!!

How Tomato Got his Groove Back, in theatres now!

[Pittenger5]

Throw on some Pantera, or old Metallica, or whatever gets you goin and have at it.
Course, I'm still not at pre-crash level in 11, and Im fighting through it, its not easy.

[ku996r]

i hear you brotha. after my get off at VIR (and together with my months in cast), I was seriously considering giving up riding all together.

do something that would bring back the love, ride a scooter, a trike, rollerblade, or dirt bike, whatever that is would get your mind off and just ride. remember, its the smile that you are going after ...

its funny, the more you think about it, the more you started to analyze and listen to the little voice inside your head.

yes, don't think just ride. it will come back.