Do you always ride the racing line?

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by RobVG, Sep 7, 2016.

  1. RobVG

    RobVG Member

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    I've found if your not really going "that" fast you don't need to take the line.
    It's totally different to ride how cagers drive and breaks things up a bit. Not quite as fun though.

    There is the advantage of giving you a split second more reaction time going around around a blind corner.
    Might need that someday...
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2016
  2. RobVG

    RobVG Member

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    Bored this morning...
     
  3. RVFR

    RVFR Member

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    Really depends. My take isn't so much the race line as just figuring out the most efficient way around a corner, but that changes as the corners do. Open and clear sweepers vs. blind, like out of Legggett hwy 1, as twisty fun it is, man you can't tell how the corner goes, closing vs. opening up, decreasing radius vs. off camber, down hill vs up. it's hoot, but when it come to lines taken, depends on the whats happening. Yea ain't the weather just grand.
     
  4. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    I'm always playing with lines and trial braking but if I'm doing a more "spirited" pace, chances are I'm taking race lines. On some of my favorite roads, I'm taking the lines I know work well for me.
     
  5. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    The same applies to bicycling,skateboards, rollerblading and possible even track and field in the sprints (400 meters and below) On a motorcycle, it might be more prudent to pay attention to the double yellow than the racing line for the obvious reasons.

    Fast and slow are relative unless ya got one of them 180mph VFRs that some of the fast guys have.
     
  6. RotaryRocketeer

    RotaryRocketeer New Member

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    Solid question! I've often wondered how everybody else approaches this. I find myself always taking the fastest line. Unconsciously so, most of the time. Bike, car, truck, company car, makes no difference.
     
  7. Lint

    Lint Member

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    Whenever I drive or ride, I am practicing the lines that I got advised to take from David Anthony. I figure that in martial arts, you practice slow for muscle memory, then I'd do that driving/riding for the same reason. I have found it helps a lot when riding new roads, like this past ride on the 4th. Since virtually everything was new, I was focusing on how to set myself up for the correct line, as I didn't know what was around the turn. I still got caught out a few times, as those behind me can testify. But, due to a more correct line, I was able to get on the brakes hard and at least stay in my lane.

    Every day I need to learn more.
     
  8. 01ragtop

    01ragtop Member

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    I never set out to use the race line, that doesn't mean I never end up on the race line, but I much prefer the late apex on Canyon roads. On roads I know, I may not use either line if there are pot holes, ripples, tar snakes, etc that will upset the bike more than being off the ideal line. On one of my favorite roads, Banner Grade, there is a back to back turn where the exit speed of the first turn is too fast for the following turn, and the area to brake while straight up is not long enough to shed enough speed to enter the second turn. If you go through the first turn on the race line, you will be inside the following turn going way too fast and you'll be over the fog line before you know it. By taking a late apex, you keep the speed down a bit, and you can hit the second turn from the outside of the turn. Yes, you sacrifice some speed by taking this approach even on turns where it isn't critical to do so, but it isn't a race anyways.

    Micheal Dunlop made a similar observation about the Isle of Mann. He noted that the best line at IOM isn't always the race line because the race is on public roads. Hearing him talk about this was an eye opener for me. That's why I take comments about my line with a grain of salt. Sometimes the comment is spot on, other times they don't know the road the way I do.
     
  9. Lint

    Lint Member

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    Similar. I always look for the line that will link the two turns together in the most efficient way. I almost always use late turn in. It's always dictated by the road.
     
  10. V4toTour

    V4toTour New Member

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    Yeah, take whatever line is free of gravel, tar snakes, road kill etc...
     
  11. RVFR

    RVFR Member

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    ^ There's that too... and other vehicles
     
  12. duccmann

    duccmann Member

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    Glad you asked that question Rob---always thought the quickest most efficient line was the ticket--- off course + what V4 said


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  13. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    The biggest lines are yet to come.
     
  14. Jeff_Barrett

    Jeff_Barrett Member

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    I know some fellas that do white lines all the time .... not the best sorts of folks ....
     
  15. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    Im with ragtop on this one. Late apex, especially on tight, blind, turns could save your life.
     
  16. riprocop

    riprocop New Member

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    What line? I don't see any. I need to hang out with you guys more often so you can show me.
     
  17. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    The two yellow lines are the one's to look for in a blind corner. Another indicator is that sometimes when going over the line (s) there's these little stick em up things in the middle of the road that make your front end go bumpity-bump.

    The big indicator is when ya get in the fast guy mode and ya go splat on the nose of a semi. Aka the thrill of a lifetime.
     
  18. Jeff_Barrett

    Jeff_Barrett Member

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    It isn't all that it's cracked up to be, trust me, I know. ;)

    The semi truck driver needed a lesson on making corners in my case .....


    Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
     
  19. ridervfr

    ridervfr Member

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    I ride with a reserve, my tyres are worn all the way to the edges even though there are few turns were we live. The good ones are on huge over passes that are high, on more than a few occasions there have been some squids that lost control and did a super man to their deaths :rip: its about arriving alive and going on to fight another day. I raced, when i was on a track in an organized sanction, i let it hang all the way out. 100% fast as you could. Just my perspective.
     
  20. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    If we all rode as well as we thought we did, we'd be on the tracks full time, whuppin ass on those so called fast guys. Notice that I mention no names of those fast guys in case I have to BS my way oot of this one..;)
     
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