76GMC1500 said:I've been breaking the bike loose with the breaks. How do you flat trackers do it? The races I've been to, it seems like the riders are entering the turns at full throttle.
76GMC1500 said:Cool, thanks. I was going to go practice some tommorow but it rained. It will be a while before our blue groove comes back. The track is unrideable when it is wet.
76GMC1500 said:Oh, I'll be out there, but I won't be able to make more than 5mph. I ride rain or shine, I love it so much. I might change out my balding Dunlop 752 for a Michelin something really agressive looking I picked out of the dumpster. Maybe that will hook up better in the mud.
IndyYZ85 said:My dad and uncle raced flat track here in Indiana back in the 60's and 70's. They were pretty good, and if you raced back then in the Midwest, you probably got beat by my uncle a time or two.
76GMC1500 said:Well, the TT track was closed today. I was wondering about the feet, so when I see the guys on TV dragging their foot are they putting pressure on it or no? QUOTE]
TT track! You must be going to Hollister?
No, we really don't put our feet down in the corners. If you notice in photos, you'll see the skid shoe just skims the ground. It is there to use as an outrigger in case you start to slide out. Then you can bear down on your foot to keep you up. That's why we wear steel skid shoes so they skim the track and don't bite in. If you wear regular boots and put pressure on your foot to stay up, the sole will stick to the track and you will kick yourself in the back of the head. Especially on tacky surfaces. There are some instances where we do rely on our left foot in the corners and that is on a loose or very slick short track. For the most part it is only there for balance and just-in-case.
Learning to slide with your feet-up teaches you the balance so that you don't have to rely on your foot in the corners.
If you are really serious about learning to flattrack, check out this link. www.americansupercamp.com
Ol'89r said:Indy.
Yes I did race in the midwest in the early 70's. What is your dads and uncles names? I raced mostly AMA and also some Badger fair circuit stuff. Some great tracks back there and some of the best fans on the planet.
GMC. I don't remember a guy named Joe Huff. But, I can't remember what I had for dinner last night either. :ohmy: BURP! Oh wait. It's coming back to me now. Burgers. Mmmmmmm. :nod:
I would not recommend practicing your sliding in the mud. Like gwcrim suggested, wet grass works good and also gravel or any loose surface where you don't need to use a lot of speed to break traction. You want to find a slick yet predictable surface. The faster you go the easier it is to do but, when your just learning keep the speed low. Use the worn tire until you get the hang of it.
Body position is also very important. When entering the turn you want to be up on the gas tank. This gives you better traction on the front wheel and less traction on the rear. Makes it easier to break the rear end loose. When you are exiting the turn you want to slide back to give yourself better traction on the rear. If you are in the middle of the turn and you want to break the rear tire loose, slide forward more or lift your butt off of the seat. If you want better traction, slide back or weight your outside foot peg or both. Also, try to keep both feet on the pegs as much as possible. This will give you better balance and feet-up slides look cool too.
Let us know how it's workin' for ya. :cool:
dezryder said:Other than making a big mess of your bike and tearing the ground up a bit, what is the downside of going sideways in the mud?
QUOTE]
Nothing really, except that when a person is learning to slide, it is better, imo, to have a more predictable surface. You have to develop a feel for the traction on the rear wheel. In mud there is very little traction.
Also, good call on the gyro effect GMC. A motorcycle is just like a big gyro. Actually, a bunch of little gyros. Everything that goes round and round like your wheels, crankshaft, clutch and other parts in the engine give you a great gyro effect. On mile dirttracks where you are entering the corner at 120 to 130+ mph, you have a tremendous gyro effect. The bike feels very stable, almost like you can't fall off. Almost. ;) This is why it is easier to powerslide at higher speeds since the gyro effect helps your balance and makes the bike more stable.
Ol'89r said:dezryder said:Other than making a big mess of your bike and tearing the ground up a bit, what is the downside of going sideways in the mud?
QUOTE]
Nothing really, except that when a person is learning to slide, it is better, imo, to have a more predictable surface. You have to develop a feel for the traction on the rear wheel. In mud there is very little traction.
Also, good call on the gyro effect GMC. A motorcycle is just like a big gyro. Actually, a bunch of little gyros. Everything that goes round and round like your wheels, crankshaft, clutch and other parts in the engine give you a great gyro effect. On mile dirttracks where you are entering the corner at 120 to 130+ mph, you have a tremendous gyro effect. The bike feels very stable, almost like you can't fall off. Almost. ;) This is why it is easier to powerslide at higher speeds since the gyro effect helps your balance and makes the bike more stable.
Hey, if you know Sam Ingram, you must also know his boy Danny. He ran National Number 31 until abou 93 or so.
He was one hell of a shoe..
I was in a bar the other night, a couple of guys next to my brother and I were talking about him. They had a stack of
photos of him riding.
The guy said he was there to meet Ron Burton, a really good painter. Ron does work for the Indy 500, and has for decades.
He's going to do one of Dan. The pick they chose is awesom.
He's coming out of a turn on a mile, got his left toe draggin back by the wheel, the front wheel about 6 inches off the dirt, and the front end is still locked dead right.
One bad a$$ picture.
I can't wait to see the final painting.. When he gets it done I'll get a photo of it and post.
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