Back to the Basics

The first half of the 2011 track season has been a struggle…a struggle to get under 1:39 at Thunderbolt, my fastest time from 2010. My goal for 2011 was to do a 1:35, but half way through the season, i still hadn’t beaten my fastest time from 2010, and i started to think that i’ve reached my limit, plain and simple; i wasn’t capable of going any faster. My interest in going to the track started fading. Thoughts of giving it all up creeped into my mind and i just couldn’t shake it. In preparation for his first outing since crashing out in June, Randy brought over his “new” track bike that he picked up in Virginia, a 2006 Suzuki GSX-R750.

While getting some basic maintenance done on his new bike, oil change, brembo rcs install, bleed brakes, etc., I began telling Randy how i was slowly losing interest in riding at the track. In a desperate attempt to keep me from abandoning a hobby i once described to him as my passion, Randy suggested i bring the 1098 back out to the track for a change of pace and to bring the fun aspect back into riding. Coincidentally, I had recently been thinking about doing the same myself after Jen had asked me why i don’t ride the Ducati anymore. With less than a week to go before my next event, i began prepping the 1098 for track use, taking a couple hours each night after work to get it done (which, i admit, was really just an excuse to not have to work out instead).

1098 fully naked

Half done

Isaac trying to fit the race fairings on his bike so he can go knee dragging

Swapping on the track tires

My trusty tire changer

Fully prepped and ready to hit the track

Full House

Despite loading both bikes into the trailer, i already knew i wasn’t going to be riding the R6 much, nor was i going to transfer the laptimer over to the 1098. When i got to the track, i tech’d both bikes just in case i wanted (or needed) to ride the R6 at some point. This being my first NESBA event of the year, i was back to riding Intermediate (i had just gotten bumped to Group 4 for Absolute and Blue Advanced for TPM at my last two events), but knowing that NESBA riders tend to be somewhat faster than other clubs, i was a little wary of riding the 1098 especially since i hadn’t ridden this bike at speed for nearly 2 years, and i wasn’t ready to put her in the gravel on her first time back. So i took my time getting up to speed, but by my second session, a sense of familiarity started surfacing. I felt comfortable on the bike, primarily with my form hanging off the bike. With each turn that i took, i began remembering all the basics i had taught myself and practiced over and over when i first began trying to drag knee. Hang the upper body off more than the lower, put your head in a position as if you were trying to kiss the rearview mirror, bend the elbows, etc. I was also able to incorporate new things i learned at a recent body positioning class that i attended at my last TPM track day; inside elbow should be nearly touching your knee when hanging off the bike. I began focusing more and more on my body positioning, and less so on my speed, and it felt good! The bike was turning so well, not like how i remembered when i last rode it in 09. I was able to finish turns and it felt like i was getting a lot more speed and lean angle through corners. I really felt like i was flying on the Ducati, but when 4-5 guys came flying past me as if i wasn’t moving, i realized i wasn’t going quite as fast as i thought, but the best part was, i didn’t care! I was having so much fun just riding the Ducati it didn’t even bother me that i was getting passed left and right. Once i got back to the paddock, i texted Jen and told her that i haven’t had this much fun riding at the track all year! I finished the day riding the R6 for only one session, but that 1 session made me realize how much faster i can actually ride the R6 than the 1098. I only did a best time of 1:40 on the R6, but i felt like i was making progress because i was able to apply some of the body positioning changes i had been working on with the 1098. This change in my body positioning made me realize how lazy i’ve gotten with my form on the R6 over the past year and a half. I wasn’t using my upper body to attack the corners anymore, i was just lazily hanging off the bike to make the turn. I had my homework cut out for me, but at least i knew what i had to work on. Just for fun, Randy and i switched bikes for one session. He rode my R6 and i rode his Gixxer 750. The suspension on his 750 needed some setup as the bike felt really bumpy mid corner, but the power on that thing is amazing. It didn’t handle much different from a 600 but it was very apparent on the straights that it had a lot more horsepower.

Randy riding the Green Beast

My first chance to apply some of the things i learned riding the 1098 came three weeks later, which also happened to be my first full event riding in advanced. My first session out on track i could tell i was riding faster than normal as i applied my new techniques. This is was also the first time i got a chance to use the Brembo RCS master cylinder i swapped over from my 1098 which really gave me added confidence to brake later into turn 1. As i pulled into the paddock, i knew i had beaten my previous fastest lap of 1:39.23, but it was just a matter of by how much. As i navigated the laptimer menu, i was ecstatic to see that i did a best lap of 1:37.66! I finally did it! I finally broke 1:39! What i had thought was an impossible feat just three weeks ago finally became a reality. I still had some seconds to shave before i reached my target time of 1:35, but at least i knew i was capable of getting faster, so it was just a matter of time now. I knew as the day dragged on i would only get slower and more tired as the temperature started rising, so i used the next session to push a little harder just to see if i could gain any more time. I don’t remember feeling like i went any faster than i did the first session, but when i checked the laptimer after the session ended, i was speechless when i saw 1:35.94. I reached my 2011 goal, although it may have been just barely, but to me it was confirmation that i was improving and perhaps with more practice and track time, i could go even faster still. My ultimate goal of sub-1:30 at Thunderbolt didn’t seem so impossible anymore, but at the same time, as you get faster, every millisecond counts and shaving time off your laps gets harder and requires even more precise riding. The journey to the sub-1:30 realm is still a long way away, but at least i have a glimmer of hope.

My first sub-1:39 lap

My 2011 Goal reached

As a memento of this milestone in my riding, i decided to buy the professional photos from that event. Also, i wanted to see how much difference i’ve actually made to my body positioning on the bike. Here are some pictures that i thought came out pretty nice as well as a picture from last year for comparison purposes.

Turn 14 at 100 mph

Leading the bike through the turn with your body while looking ahead

Getting your upper body as low as possible and off to the side of the bike

It’s all about dragging knee

Here are two photos comparing my body positioning and what changes i’ve incorporated recently. The first photo was taken on September 18, 2010, where i ran a 1:39 for the first time. Both photos were taken at turn 3, the left hander in the middle of the chicane. The bike in both pictures have roughly the same amount of lean angle, however, it’s pretty obvious that the body positioning in the bottom photo looks more aggressive. The lower body and the leg are extended roughly the same amount in both pictures. The upper body is where you will find most of the differences. Notice the right arm in the bottom photo is extended more because the upper body is leaning further off the bike. Also, the head is lower, pushing the upper body further off to the side of the bike, which allows you to carry more speed through the corner without having to lean the bike over any further.

September 18, 2010 – Thunderbolt Turn 3

August 8, 2011 – Thunderbolt Turn 3