The TRX900 Project kicks off

[bagmaker]

dog looks like it just made a deposit into your riding boot

[coxylaad]

I have to say I am not totally convinced with the twin spot look.

[dandywarhol]

I have to say I am not totally convinced with the twin spot look.

Have to say, nor do I but who am I to be critical on an excellent project but I think it might be the white plate and it's shape which detract from the overall look.
Allllllan

[coxylaad]

it needs some new paint and a bit of tidying up, it doesnt stand up well to close inspection.

I might ditch the twins spots in favour of something else like on of those round led headlights.

[coxylaad]

Now then.
little bit of a write up from latest track day from Tuesday gone on the new track bike. I know this is about a fireblade, but the TRX used to be my track bike so its sort of TRX related.

The prep for this one was a little bit hap hazard, but I managed to fix the quickshifter, albeit I had to adopt the 'race shift' pattern for it to work (which turned out really good btw)

I fitted a set of adjustable rearsets so I could get me legs into a much more comfortable position, last track day I was welded to the spot as the pegs were too high.

radiator guard was made up and fitted as its right in the firing line from the front wheel with zero protection. Other than making a camera mount for the yokes I was good to go.

As usual it was pissing it down on the morning, so the wets came on and we were away. I actually really like riding with the wets on, the level of grip they over is so big you have to completely readjust your senses to what is possible on a soaking wet track.

it dried out at dinner time and we put the supercorsas back on and back out we went.

The bike is just everything worked perfectly, I had possibly the best tool on the track to improve on.

I had a plan of action for this track day after watching simon crafars dvd 'Moto Vudu' and the 2 things I had in my mind to try were:
1. light grip on the bars. no more death grip - that's causing me problems
2. enter the corner on a closed throttle with enough speed to carry me to the apex.
3. 'Wait!!' more on this later.

I have to say just those 3 points were a massive success. the lighter grip on the bars stopped the bike from pushing its nose wide in the corners, and made the bike change direction so much faster and easier.

the 2nd plan of entering the corner on a closed throttle took some building up to. my normal plan of attack is hard on the brakes, then off the brakes and apply some maintenance throttle to hold a constant speed through the corner. I went in with the plan that even if I am too slow tipping in not to get back on the throtttle. that way it will emphasize how much faster I need to go. sure enough the first couple of times I hit the apex so slow I had to fully stand the bike up otherwise I would have been on the grass on the inside way before the apex. as my confidence built I found myself braking later and a lot less, and making up huge ground on the entrance to corners over the bikes around me.

Crafer states 'A bike well never handle better than when it is turning on a closed throttle' and he is right. my lean angles were greater than ever, and the bike just held a super tight line. The science behind it is that the front has an amount of weight transferred on it because of the engine braking, increasing its grip and feel and slightly shortening the wheelbase, but because there is no front brake applied and its just rolling all of its grip is being just for lateral forces. It just flies round.

So closed throttle to the apex, then crack it open just to maintain the corner speed, then wait... I used to try and get on the throttle as early as possible, but as crafar says 'on a litre bike its not who gets on the throttle earliest, its who gets on FULL throttle first', so instead of trying to squeeze every bit of power out of the bike exiting the corner I was waiting a fraction longer, which allows the bike to continue turning sharper, then getting it sat up and pointed down the track on full gas! it was fantastic.

Huge leap in my confidence as I felt the bike was doing everything I asked of it!

Nothing booked for September, but we may get a cheeky late one for Cadwell. We shall see.

Some stills looking back from the wifes dad's R1 when I was stalking him haha





The Bat Bike:




edit: and a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8IU82-eeEI

note the TC led on top of the clocks flashing away when I am coming out of the corners, that is a superb confidence inspiring piece of kit.

[cobbadiggabuddyblooo]

Good narrative on riding style...
.I took on a similar style a after rebuilding the bike Coxxy.
I was a bit of a Divitzioso style rider before too, late on the brakes but changed to a much more comfortable style and just let the bike do the work and give it it's own head, just like riding a horse.
Really changed the whole dynamics and allowed for a lot more headroom for the unexpected. Previously riding a little harder was beginning to distort a lot of other elements and really as you mentioned creating more work for myself to keep things in check.
It's a lot kinder on the suspension, brakes and tyres too riding as you mentioned..
Following a couple of guys on their Moto 3 bikes helped me get more confident in practicing just as you discribed.
The last track day allowed me to purely focus on foot positioning and steering more with the knees.

[coxylaad]

Exactly cobba, I was nearly 5 seconds a lap quicker and I felt everything felt a lot less rushed

It was great. I can see much more improvement coming now

[ac@39]

not having done a trackday for years now, i'd be really cautious of the closed throttle approach, had a novice low side at brands on a closed throttle, lean angle was great till the front went away, after that i wasnt exactly on the gas but always just a tad of throttle. Wonder how much of that theory is down to the bike style/geometry though as i binned an aprilia rsvr? horses for courses though and if it works for you then its a good thing. crafar is a great guy too, he was at almeria when i did that.
the level of grip on the bars though definately makes the experience more or less intense, less grip more relaxed and things flow from there

and the wets i gotta agree are brilliant , used to hate wet weather but my last track trip was snetterton in the wet and what a an absolute blast that was!

[cobbadiggabuddyblooo]

As you said, what works for 1 may not work for another.
When I made all the suspension upgrades, was when I tried experimenting. I even tried a bit of a Ben Spies style riding up on the tank but in the end I just went back to what I was comfortable with.
Ride it like a dirt bike I say...

[dandywarhol]

Good vid. Had a bit of a hoot on my SZR660 at Knockhill last week. Not convinced on the trailing throttle bit but each to their own - whatever works best. It's like "ideal" lines, IMO there isn't one - it's the one that works for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyg-upQZ_Qo

[Mincehead]

Dandy you`ll remember old `Velcro leathers` Dennis Gallacher? Not an inch of `hanging off` but a bloke that was smooth and fast and who MANY followed learning his lines and skills.
I don`t hold with moving much from centreline of the bike myself, knee down? Pffft, I see morons doing 30 mph round roundabouts, half their bodies off their cloned plastic rockets, knee sliders scraping and I can go underneath them (if there`s room) on an old Donkey. Hahahahah.
Did you find any carbs for that SZR yet, any more thoughts on the HSR Mikuni / branched manifold?

[Mincehead]

Good vid. Had a bit of a hoot on my SZR660 at Knockhill last week. Not convinced on the trailing throttle bit but each to their own - whatever works best. It's like "ideal" lines, IMO there isn't one - it's the one that works for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyg-upQZ_Qo

GOOD MAN, nice to wee a well ridden single destroy some much more powerful machinery, you enjoyed that I know. Mike Hose on his Tigcraft SRX680 could do the same, NO-ONE could stay with him at East Fortune or Knockhill, a joy to behold and he still has the little flyer too although he`s not raced it for years. He`s out on his rapid Ariel Leader at Aintree in September, I`m heading up there to catch up with him and maybe Gary Bryan too (RGB guru).

[coxylaad]

not having done a trackday for years now, i'd be really cautious of the closed throttle approach, had a novice low side at brands on a closed throttle, lean angle was great till the front went away, after that i wasnt exactly on the gas but always just a tad of throttle. Wonder how much of that theory is down to the bike style/geometry though as i binned an aprilia rsvr? horses for courses though and if it works for you then its a good thing. crafar is a great guy too, he was at almeria when i did that.
the level of grip on the bars though definately makes the experience more or less intense, less grip more relaxed and things flow from there

and the wets i gotta agree are brilliant , used to hate wet weather but my last track trip was snetterton in the wet and what a an absolute blast that was!

I never felt anything but grip grip grip from the front. The only way you can lose the front on a closed throttle is lean angle so great you run off the side of the tyre, something on the track, or transitioning from closed to open throttle too sharply at big lean angles. In the 4 years I been doing track days I have never seen anyone lose the front due to too much lean.

[dicky]

I have never seen anyone lose the front due to too much lean.

I've done it a couple of times with my KTM super motard on a go-kart track.
Stupidly tight corners, fully closed, leaned over more than I thought possible, and you can feel the front letting go.
Sometimes I didn't react quick enough.
At least you're not going fast.

[dandywarhol]

I re-read your post again Ian re. closed throttle cornering - I misunderstood what you were saying, I thought you were running past the apex on closed throttle

My technique (albeit on less powerfull bikes) is to slightly trail brake into the corner (unless it's an adverse camber corner, like on some road circuits) letting the camber help the tyre dig in then as the brake is released, I apply pretty much full throttle immediately just before the apex. Having said that, no corner is the same so the technique varies slightly.

The last two sessions on that last track day were on an Aprilia Tuono Gen2 on Michelin Pilot4s. Within a couple of laps I had developed a different style - the braking power of the radial Brembos on wavy discs was phenomenal and although the 'bars waggled a bit, I could trail brake much harder before gently feeding in the power, again just before the apex. One advantage of trail braking is that the steering geometry steepens under braking and turn in is quicker. Next time try cornering with the clutch disengaged and no front brake - weird feeling!

After around 12 laps the rear tyre was sliding out of the turns and I wasn't happy with that - nor would the bike owner if he was watching so I pulled in!! The front felt completely planted though. Looking at the tyres when I came in showed a different story - the front was in a bit of a mess while the rear seemed fine. The Michelin techniciams found the pressure to be at 42psi hot, so they lowered it to 30 (hot) and asked for some feedback. By lap 12 the rear was starting to slide a little but less than the previous session. The chart Michelin supplied on the day gave pressures of 18 psi cold for their track tyres!
The 4 year old Pilots on the wee SZR worked perfectly all day

PS That Fireplace is going some at the fast bits - hadn't realised Croft was so fast. I was there helping a friend with his Bultaco 200 at a CRMC meeting earlier in the year and had a walk round - nice track

Tuono front, 15 miles



Tuono rear



SZR660 rear after 80 miles



SZR660 front



The next day out was a trip with a friend and his Moto Guzzi 750 powered Pembleton - a different kind of hoot!