Choose one thing to work on this year.

Another idea shamelessly stolen from my internet perusals, but it was so good that I thought it would generate some good stuff here.

Name the one thing you feel you need to work on this coming riding season and would really like to get right to your satisfaction

It could be visual, braking, cornering, you name it.

And though finally nailing the divorcee that lives down the street may qualify as your goal, please try to think RIDING . Hahahahahhaaa

I will start off, I am going to work extra at keeping my vision looking through and way ahead, and I need to work on when to finally let off the throttle and begin braking later in a more consistent way.

I have seen racers responding to a similar quiz name vision, in fact one guy said if he doesnt have someone in front of him, he catches himself looking dead ahead of the front wheel..........so even the fast guys have their issues, what's yours?

 

how about I'm working on hitting the lotto so I can quit my job and ride all the time?

 

I will start off, I am going to work extra at keeping my vision looking through and way ahead, and I need to work on when to finally let off the throttle and begin braking later in a more consistent way.

Bear one of the things I do is, when driving in your car, keep looking ahead ( best to have a passenger to confirm ) using your periferary vision try to call out the color of the cars passing by you in the op lane ( highway works best cause of the jersey barrier ). Remember to keep looking ahead while you do this. To bump it up a notch, try at nite on the highway.

no cheating and moving your head or eyes, just keep looking ahead.

 

I do the drill you described, and it helps, the hard part is doing it at really high speeds. Heeheheheee

 

just keep at it, its all really training yourself and your eyes.
Remember when looking ahead not to fixate staight ahead.
oh and don't hit the car in front of you while you are looking ahead of him LOL.

when you feel comfortable w/ that, I can throw in something else to add to that exersize.

 

Interesting. I have no doubt that my biggest issue is not looking ahead. Its for this reason that when I'm riding with others, I hate being the lead. Not that I'm following the other guys line when I'm trailing/sweeping, but I spend more time looking ahead when I'm trailing.

When I ride at night I'm almost always looking ahead. I guess the field of vision is narrowed down to where the head lights are shining, and therefore I'm less likely to be looking at that "rock" or 'tree" on the side of the road.

And BTW - Nailing the divorcee down the street could be considered a form a riding. Freestyle, I believe.

 

I would have to agree on that as well.

it is alot more then looking straight ahead, its being able to take in everything in you field of view w/o focusing on just one thing.

 

I'm aware of the undirected focus business and the need to avoid fixation. More than any obvious safety benenfits this technique confers, its major benefit is having the effect of making high speeds seem slower and allows you to pick your next point early. This gives you a plan, and avoids panic. I suppose my real issue is doing this all the time, which means I lose concentration

 

Fuck man, my list is too long...even for this board LOL!

God willing this will be my first full trackday season on the TZ. I am taking the advice of the wise 2T sage who has taken me under his wing:

"You are on a two-stroke now Dan, take small bites".

Part of those small bites is trusting the tires and bike to it's fullest.

BZ

 

Yes Bubba your list has grown. I appreciate the responses. It's getting close to the season and we all have that one thing we really want to get down. That's the challenge. Think of that one thing most outstanding in your mind about your riding and work on it this year. It appears mine is concentrating harder.

Interesting note: the racer I mentioned earlier that catches himself looking just ahead of his front wheel is an Isle of Man participant. I thought when I read that holy shit if there's anywhere you had better be looking ahead and concentrating that would be it. Just goes to show you I guess. And a great comment on how honest he is. Heeheehee

 

One thing that sticks out for me is:

DO NOT ROLL OFF THE THROTTLE!

I struggle with that and have been already doing mind exercises visioning going around NJMP-Thunderbolt on the TZ and anythime I start to 'coast' or 'roll off' I say NO! you can't do that. If you are getting tired and want to coast and roll off then pit in. Otherwise stay on the throttle dummy.

BZ

 

When it's too cold to go for long rides, I practice my slow speed work. I've know several guys that dropped their machines in the middle of the street while trying to make a U turn. They couldn't turn around on a 2 lane road without see-sawing back and forth - even though they could tear up the twisties. I go to a nearby deserted parking lot on weekends and work on looking way deep in to the turn - almost back over my shoulder and then make the U turn while leaning the bike over and leaning my body off to the inside. I keep working to build confidence and to see how tight I can make it. My goal is to comfortably make a U turn in less than 2 lanes. Helps my obstacle avoidance confidence too. Check out the youtube videos of the Japanese police force competition sessions - they ride 5th gens. I would never have thought these bikes could be flicked around to such a degree at low speeds.

 

Some good points here. I have two I should focus on. I still deal with target fixation a bit but I manage to overcome these after almost splitting a van right down the centre, front to back, a couplke years ago while trying to keep up with Reggie. But there is still room for improvement. And the U-tun thing is also an area that needs work. I just don't practice this in reality at all cause most my riding is highway commuting.

Maybe this is the year I will take some courses at the track. Better not tell the wife that one.

"But dear...It will make me a more capable rider. You do want me to stay safe don't you?"

"NO!"

 

Dan, get use to higher entry speeds going into the turns.
Be super smooth in all of your body movements, throttle, brake, etc.
Learn to steer with your eyes . . . and enjoy. Two strokes rule!

 

left turns........

 

Thanks PB.

Many 2T owners, both past and present, really do lend some great advice. It's just hard to believe what that little machine can do. I did get a quick glimpse as I was coming into a turn hotter than I meant to. I missed a downshift as I am not used to GP shift. I thought "well try and make the turn" and snapped the bike in and that 125 zipped through like it was on rails. The scariest part was the bike could have gone even faster! Another "Dan" who has a 99 TZ125 shared a story with me that he too came into a turn way hotter than he meant and thought for sure he was going down. Well he stayed relaxed, pitched it in, and zipped through the turn at an absolutly blistering pace. He just laughed and said; "these machines are way beyond us".

You along with every other 2T rider has said in some form or another "attack the turns".

BZ