Riding Habits: Troy Baliss' heel kick before turning in

[butcher bergs]

Can anyone shed light on Troy Baliss' heel kick just before he dips in to a left-hander?

I noticed he was doing this on just about every lap at Donington in a particular left handed turn.
Seems like he'd down shift, remove his left foot from the peg, straighten his leg out (sometimes making contact to the track with his heel) and turn in.....what gives?

[eboos]

I've seen several MotoGP riders do that as well.

[nmendell]

I have to change my foot position when I go from downshifting to cornering, and the g's of braking and turning in sometimes pulls my leg forward while my foot's off the peg. Maybe it's the same for him? Also explains why you don't see the right foot swinging forward like that too often. That's my theory.

I don't think he meant to actually hit the ground with his foot, though.

[LaRNZ]

balancing act...?

[butcher bergs]

I have to change my foot position when I go from downshifting to cornering...

I hear ya but did you take a look at how severe the motion is? Almost like he has a "tick" about him that makes him do this or he wants to go "motard" on his Ducati...

It seemed to me that in one turn in particular he'd do this...I'll have to watch the footage (no pun intended) again but as the track was drying out it became more often he'd kick his left foot down.

[Puppet]

This has been asked before and if I understand correctly it's just to reposition the left foot prior to the turn. Rossi does it as well...so does Pedrosa, and a few others.

When they are coming into a hard breaking zone followed by a left they are downshifting multiple times (remember downshifting is pulling UP on a GP shift racebike so the foot is under the lever, not on top like your streetbike). To get the foot out from under the lever and back to toe on the peg, those guys find it easier to "reset" their leg position by lifting it off the peg and bringing it back to where they want rather than try and slide the foot around. Because they are doing multiple things at once, the foot isn't always settled before turn it, so they occasionally hit the ground. Obviously, the later they are braking, the later they are shifting, which means the later they'll have to shift their foot. Which is why when they're riding harder (overtaking, etc) it seems like they carry that movement further into where they are leaning for the corner

[Puppet]

I hear ya but did you take a look at how severe the motion is? Almost like he has a "tick" about him that makes him do this or he wants to go "motard" on his Ducati...

It seemed to me that in one turn in particular he'd do this...I'll have to watch the footage (no pun intended) again but as the track was drying out it became more often he'd kick his left foot down.

Donington Spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen the race yet.........



















I think in this instance, Bayliss was riding harder because he had to make up the aggregate lead that Sykes had after the re-start. I think it was 4 seconds, so even though he was the first bike, he had to be more than 4 seconds in front of Sykes to win.

[butcher bergs]

I think in this instance, Bayliss was riding harder because he had to make up the aggregate lead that Sykes had after the re-start. I think it was 4 seconds, so even though he was the first bike, he had to be more than 4 seconds in front of Sykes to win.

What a crazy race it was! I can't believe the come back....what was it...something like .1 seconds at the end?

When they are coming into a hard breaking zone followed by a left they are downshifting multiple times (remember downshifting is pulling UP on a GP shift racebike so the foot is under the lever, not on top like your streetbike). To get the foot out from under the lever and back to toe on the peg, those guys find it easier to "reset" their leg position by lifting it off the peg and bringing it back to where they want rather than try and slide the foot around. Because they are doing multiple things at once, the foot isn't always settled before turn it, so they occasionally hit the ground. Obviously, the later they are braking, the later they are shifting, which means the later they'll have to shift their foot. Which is why when they're riding harder (overtaking, etc) it seems like they carry that movement further into where they are leaning for the corner

Thanks for your insight. I never noticed other riders doing this maneuver.

[brady]

Casey Stoner addresses the question here Soup :: SuperBikePlanet.com Interview: Ducati's Casey Stoner :: 07-31-2008:

"Q I ask because I noticed last year when you were running it in really hard on left-handers, your left foot would go light on the peg once in a while.

A Yeah, but Valentino does the same thing, and so does Dani, and they've got almost no dirt-track background or experience.

Q Is it a comfort thing?

A No, all it is is leverage, really. As you go on the brakes, before - you go back your gears, and then just before you put your foot back on the footpeg, it's sort of a leverage, to sort of help it tip in, I suppose. But there's nothing you can really explain of why we do it. It's just it's a natural thing, the way we ride. But it's not any particular reason. It's definitely not coming from dirt- track."

[Dieseldan]

^^^^^^^ read that also.

[Trackday Guru]

....what was it...something like .1 seconds at the end?

1.2 seconds over Sykes

[nt650hawk]

This has been asked before and if I understand correctly it's just to reposition the left foot prior to the turn. Rossi does it as well...so does Pedrosa, and a few others.

When they are coming into a hard breaking zone followed by a left they are downshifting multiple times (remember downshifting is pulling UP on a GP shift racebike so the foot is under the lever, not on top like your streetbike). To get the foot out from under the lever and back to toe on the peg, those guys find it easier to "reset" their leg position by lifting it off the peg and bringing it back to where they want rather than try and slide the foot around. Because they are doing multiple things at once, the foot isn't always settled before turn it, so they occasionally hit the ground. Obviously, the later they are braking, the later they are shifting, which means the later they'll have to shift their foot. Which is why when they're riding harder (overtaking, etc) it seems like they carry that movement further into where they are leaning for the corner

Sounds like what I do in T11.

[SVRACER01]

Sounds like what I do in T11.

yeah but they do it without crashing

[DuncanMoto]

I always notice on the rossi on board cameras near the end of a race, that Rossi will downshift all gears in neutral as he's braking. I've seen 190+mph down to 40mph from 6th to 1st gear with no engine braking at all. He takes his left foot off just as he engages the clutch. Is there a reason for that? He does not move his right foot that I have seen... Just his left foot whether he is going for a left or right turn in, so I don't buy Stoner's expanation. I think Stoner was just trying to look cool like Rossi.