Off the bike less, yet going faster?

["Dangerous" Dan K]

I was doing some things different this weekend. Unfortunately, and not intentionally, one of them was not getting off the bike quite as much. Yet... I got a couple seconds faster than my previous PB? Could I have been slowing myself up getting off more than necessary?

Also, at one point coming out of the bowl (carrying speed but had not even touched a knee) I hit my peg so hard it kicked the rear of my bike out. Pucker moment for sure. If I was off the bike more would that allow the bike to lean less, keeping that from happening? I'd say it's just plain time for rearsets except experts on EX's running very low 20's are doing it on stock pegs.

Someone else (a fast expert I have a lot of respect for and tend to listen to) told me that throwing the bike in harder so I'm leaned over for less time might help too. Thing is, watching the REALLY fast guys from T6, they are knee down from T6 turn in to halfway up the hill to 7?

I don't mind scraping exhaust. It's an EX, it happens. I don't even mind scraping a bit of peg. Again, it's an EX, it happens. When my peg hits hard enough to relocate the rear of my bike, I mind. I'm going to have to put a stop to that.

[Pittenger5]

Body position. I did that a lot at first on the EX.
Im starting to scrape toe on the motard now too, I need to work on that.

Also, when you go faster you're using more of the suspension that you were before, you might just be compressing it enough that youre starting to catch again.

[CEO]

If I was off the bike more would that allow the bike to lean less, keeping that from happening?

Yes.

But the other thing in 6 is to make sure you get on the gas pre-apex... this keeps the bike from squatting down when you hit the uphill slope right after the apex, which is probably where your peg hit.

[-jro-]

Dan- I experience a lot of foot peg dragging/ pipe scraping as well on my CB. And yea, it mostly has to do with the fact that I sit on the thing like a sack of potatoes. More body movement= less lean = less scraping. I'll let the experts give the full explanation

[RyanNicholson]

I wouldn't associate your increase in speed with getting off the bike less... more likely that you're just getting more comfortable and learning the bike/track more, but were lazy with body position and ended up dragging.

Nice work on knockin a few seconds off the PB tho!

["Dangerous" Dan K]

Body position. I did that a lot at first on the EX.
Im starting to scrape toe on the motard now too, I need to work on that.

Also, when you go faster you're using more of the suspension that you were before, you might just be compressing it enough that youre starting to catch again.

Could be. My rear shock doesn't have the snap back the other Penski's do... it's going to PK over the winter. I just don't want to take it apart during the season if I don't have to.

Yes.

Thank you kind sir! That's most likely what screwed me then.

But the other thing in 6 is to make sure you get on the gas pre-apex... this keeps the bike from squatting down when you hit the uphill slope right after the apex, which is probably where your peg hit.

I'm on the gas pre-apex, and WOT at the apex. I was trying to stretch out the throttle cable when this happened. Well, until this happened. When this happened I was trying to keep the bike in control and not soil my shorts...

Dan- I experience a lot of foot peg dragging/ pipe scraping as well on my CB. And yea, it mostly has to do with the fact that I sit on the thing like a sack of potatoes. More body movement= less lean = less scraping. I'll let the experts give the full explanation

Thanks JRO. Sounds like the answer is just get off the damn bike again. I used to drag knee through quite a bit of 6, not sure why I wasn’t this time. Maybe just too busy thinking about the line I was trying that I saw work so well for everyone else from the T6 bleachers? This weekend was my first time ever up there, gave me some stuff to think about.

I wouldn't associate your increase in speed with getting off the bike less... more likely that you're just getting more comfortable and learning the bike/track more, but were lazy with body position and ended up dragging.

Nice work on knockin a few seconds off the PB tho!

You’re probably right on body position, and thanks for the congrats on the times. I’ll have to work on getting back off the bike for next weekend.

[OreoGaborio]

Wirelessly posted (Samsung Lube.... Er, Glyde: Mozilla/5.0 440x240 Samsung SCH-U940 NetFront/3.4)

I wouldn't associate your increase in speed with getting off the bike less... more likely that you're just getting more comfortable and learning the bike/track more, but were lazy with body position and ended up dragging.

Nice work on knockin a few seconds off the PB tho!

+1 to Ryan. There' a LOT that needs to be done to ride fast & youre learning a ton just by being out there. Lap times typically drop like crazy your rookie season anyway so that's to be expected as long as you keep pushing yourself. Good body positioning isobviously important, but the details of it are the least of your worries right now. Reference points & learning the craft should be your focus.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

+1 to Ryan. There' a LOT that needs to be done to ride fast & youre learning a ton just by being out there. Lap times typically drop like crazy your rookie season anyway so that's to be expected as long as you keep pushing yourself. Good body positioning isobviously important, but the details of it are the least of your worries right now. Reference points & learning the craft should be your focus.

While I concur wholeheartedly, I do consider keeping my rear tire on the track (under acceleration anyway, I don't care on the brakes) somewhat important, so I am going to need to avoid digging hard bits that hard .

[Paul_E_D]

I'd get rearsets. They not only improve clearance, but they improve feel. your technique will improve without rearsets, but your clearance won't. For now, they seem to be holding you back, so I'd go for it.

btw, I saw a red EX and another racebike on a trailer heading to hartford last night. Et tu? I think it had yellow plates.

[zx1012r]

Hey Dan!

Your footpegs are folding so you would have to be really far over for them to be the culprit. I would check and make sure the exhaust didn't cause it.

Maybe try lengthening the shock for now. I forget the proper length, but Dana can surely recite that from memory.

Congrats on getting times down!

Paul, I was going through Hartford from 91 south to 84 west around 7:00 or 7:30. I didn't cut you off, did I?

[Paul_E_D]

I was northbound, but that was definitely you!

["Dangerous" Dan K]

I'd get rearsets. They not only improve clearance, but they improve feel. your technique will improve without rearsets, but your clearance won't. For now, they seem to be holding you back, so I'd go for it.

btw, I saw a red EX and another racebike on a trailer heading to hartford last night. Et tu? I think it had yellow plates.

Thanks for the input. Mark makes a good point, the stock pegs fold, and I KNOW I drag exhaust through there. I may have just dragged it harder than normal. I'll still consider them for a winter investment. It just seems off to me with some of the fastest guys still on stock pegs.

Also, no, that wasn't me. I live in Dover, NH - 50 minutes east of the track. Also, my bike stays @ the track, I don't bring it back and forth. Mine's also orange, with white plates

Hey Dan!

Your footpegs are folding so you would have to be really far over for them to be the culprit. I would check and make sure the exhaust didn't cause it.

Maybe try lengthening the shock for now. I forget the proper length, but Dana can surely recite that from memory.

Congrats on getting times down!

Paul, I was going through Hartford from 91 south to 84 west around 7:00 or 7:30. I didn't cut you off, did I?

Hi Mark,
I didn't even realize setting shock height, besides sag, was an option w/ the Penski. Good to know. I'll have to chat with Dana, but this sounds like something I can fix with better body positioning. Also, I think you're right about it being exhaust and not footpeg. Thanks for the congrats as well!