this is my first post here.Just got my bike, tried tuning the suspension and first time on the track! ( not exactly track day, just 20mins ) Seen many tire reading thread but cant seem to find one that is similar to my tires.
whoa... that was fast! !the track quality at where i am is kinna bad with patches all over and rough surface.. back feels like its sliding even at low angle.. but..
"Reading tires" has received too much attention as means for suspension adjustment/fine tuning. Read your tires to see if they are too over/under-inflated and are cold/hot-tearing. Other than that tune the suspension according to HOW THE BIKE FEELS ON TRACK. Not the way the tires look when you are parked in the pits.
I think most people ask this question because they don't know what's happening underneath them and don't know what to feel for. So they come in not knowing how to explain what the bike is doing and just say look at my tires and fix my bike. I call it the "Cole Trickle Syndrome" from Days of Thunder
To answer your question a little more thoroughly your tire looks fine. It looks like it's simply picking up rubber debris off the ground (generally going through corners slow, which is expected since it's your first time on track). It's not cold or hot tearing.
__________________
"I never drive faster than I can see...besides that it's all in the reflexes." -Jack Burton
yea.. i felt the same way about suspension. First 15mins it felt too soft, front kept diving too much and rear squatting from acceleration. but the wear pattern seems ok.. after making it harder, the wear pattern is the same but feels much better.
was wondering, on my right i could touch my knee down but on the left i cant seem to. Both sides it seems like it has reached the edge..( head at side mirror and butt half out ) Tried as hard to copy my left corner body position but .. yea well difficult
how do i know how much lower i can actually bring the bike down if there are no more ( chicken strips ) or that small bit left
yea.. i felt the same way about suspension. First 15mins it felt too soft, front kept diving too much and rear squatting from acceleration. but the wear pattern seems ok.. after making it harder, the wear pattern is the same but feels much better.
was wondering, on my right i could touch my knee down but on the left i cant seem to. Both sides it seems like it has reached the edge..( head at side mirror and butt half out ) Tried as hard to copy my left corner body position but .. yea well difficult
how do i know how much lower i can actually bring the bike down if there are no more ( chicken strips ) or that small bit left
you'll know when your left knee touches the ground just kidding
Some corners are more banked then others and sometimes need more lean angle.
Try to pay more attention to reference points on the track and getting faster at your own pace.
Stay loose and concentrate on what the bike is doing.
yea.. i felt the same way about suspension. First 15mins it felt too soft, front kept diving too much and rear squatting from acceleration. but the wear pattern seems ok.. after making it harder, the wear pattern is the same but feels much better.
was wondering, on my right i could touch my knee down but on the left i cant seem to. Both sides it seems like it has reached the edge..( head at side mirror and butt half out ) Tried as hard to copy my left corner body position but .. yea well difficult
how do i know how much lower i can actually bring the bike down if there are no more ( chicken strips ) or that small bit left
You're not to the edge of the rear tire yet, and you'll still have unused tread on the front tire. The difference with the rear is that as you approach the edge of the tire it doesn't remain perfectly rounded, its designed to deform slightly to flatten out and give more rubber down on the ground. You can kind of see this if you look closely at the rear in pictures of racers at greater leans angles. Generally speaking this being your first time on track.....you're very likely at alot less of a lean angle than you think you are.
__________________
"I never drive faster than I can see...besides that it's all in the reflexes." -Jack Burton
Ideal bp for a corner is a race tuck, shifted to the inside 6"-8". You were sitting up, not dropping your inside shoulder or head much at all. Make sure your grip on the bars is relaxed, and open up your elbows a little. Hold your body on the bike with your legs and core, not your arms.
I think your line is just as important though, from what I saw in the video you missed more apexes than you hit, and that isn't good, because it shows you were riding above your skill level. Take your time, learn the track, where you need to be mid-corner, and then set your entry and exit points according to your speed. While you don't need to use all of the track at your speeds, you still need to hit your apexes for sure.
__________________ Raced in 2011, won a few championships.
Currently on hiatus until I can find a new race bike and sponsors. Anyone interested, PM me please! Rest in peace Dad... I love you, and I miss you. 05.18.43 - 10.11.10
this is my first post here.Just got my bike, tried tuning the suspension and first time on the track! ( not exactly track day, just 20mins ) Seen many tire reading thread but cant seem to find one that is similar to my tires.
Any kind soul?
looks like normal wear at "faster-than-street" speeds...
Ideal bp for a corner is a race tuck, shifted to the inside 6"-8". You were sitting up, not dropping your inside shoulder or head much at all. Make sure your grip on the bars is relaxed, and open up your elbows a little. Hold your body on the bike with your legs and core, not your arms.
I think your line is just as important though, from what I saw in the video you missed more apexes than you hit, and that isn't good, because it shows you were riding above your skill level. Take your time, learn the track, where you need to be mid-corner, and then set your entry and exit points according to your speed. While you don't need to use all of the track at your speeds, you still need to hit your apexes for sure.
alright thanks.. will take note of dropping my shoulder
it just rained so everyone warned me not to go near the apex as all the sand tends to flow there after the rain. so i kept to the center as much as possible. will post another video soon
whoa... that was fast! !the track quality at where i am is kinna bad with patches all over and rough surface.. back feels like its sliding even at low angle.. but..
will try! thanks!
It wasnt sliding. Trust me . What you likely were feeling was the tire actually just starting to work and MAYBE squirming because your tires are not "cleaning" themselves.
The wear looks good and smooth, but they are not clearing their debris. What that means is likely the tire was a bit hot or low pressured for your pace. Contrary to popular belief going super low when you are not fast enough to use it can be BAD for grip, for that reason. The "marbles" make the tires squirm a round a bit (not slide )
Quote:
Originally Posted by SPL170db
"Reading tires" has received too much attention as means for suspension adjustment/fine tuning. Read your tires to see if they are too over/under-inflated and are cold/hot-tearing. Other than that tune the suspension according to HOW THE BIKE FEELS ON TRACK. Not the way the tires look when you are parked in the pits.
I think most people ask this question because they don't know what's happening underneath them and don't know what to feel for. So they come in not knowing how to explain what the bike is doing and just say look at my tires and fix my bike. I call it the "Cole Trickle Syndrome" from Days of Thunder
To answer your question a little more thoroughly your tire looks fine. It looks like it's simply picking up rubber debris off the ground (generally going through corners slow, which is expected since it's your first time on track). It's not cold or hot tearing.
that doesnt look like debris pickup from other tires, but rather his are not cleaning themselves. Picked up rubber is round pebbles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fir3dp
yea.. i felt the same way about suspension. First 15mins it felt too soft, front kept diving too much and rear squatting from acceleration. but the wear pattern seems ok.. after making it harder, the wear pattern is the same but feels much better.
was wondering, on my right i could touch my knee down but on the left i cant seem to. Both sides it seems like it has reached the edge..( head at side mirror and butt half out ) Tried as hard to copy my left corner body position but .. yea well difficult
how do i know how much lower i can actually bring the bike down if there are no more ( chicken strips ) or that small bit left
It is likely something you are doing. If I had to guess it has to do with gripping too tight, and not supporting yourself with your legs, thus you are having trouble manipulating the throttle to the left and you are staying up on the bike a bit more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fir3dp
ooooh. always thought it would only be the edge.. wasnt expecting it to fold too much..
thanks for all the helpful comment!
As you lean, you hit the edge of the rear. As you go faster the rear sidewall starts to fold, and you continue until you get to the edge of the front as well.. then the FRONT starts to fold too on some tires... then you crash . you have a long way to go I am sure. That is not to say you cant crash well before that, but it wont be due to lean but rather due to a bad input into the bike.
did better the next 10mins after the track dried up but gopro ran out of batt
is the body position ok?
haha sorry for all the question. New bike so im pretty excited. awesome bike
No, the body position is not ok. Notice your head never moves from the middle of the top of the screen. You are moving your ass, but not your body. Look at my signature image, and notice how low and inside my head is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fir3dp
alright thanks.. will take note of dropping my shoulder
it just rained so everyone warned me not to go near the apex as all the sand tends to flow there after the rain. so i kept to the center as much as possible. will post another video soon
this is in malaysia. Pasir gudang
Unless there are PILES of sand inside, it is not a concern. You definitely were not using the track properly.
And I dont like the idea of saying "drop shoulder".
Imagine a full race tuck. Face behind windscreen, chest to the tank, elbows should be out....
Now slide that back about 4-6" front the tank. Now slide that OVER until the edge of the seat is in your ass crack, outside knee is in tank pocket, and inside knee is out (you never sat up to brake in this imagination... ). THAT is proper cornering position.
Where people miss it is when they pop to brake. They pop to brake, move their ass over, and never move the upper body over. It gets left in the center of the bike.
Seen many tire reading thread but cant seem to find one that is similar to my tires.
just kidding
)
. you have a long way to go I am sure. That is not to say you cant crash well before that, but it wont be due to lean but rather due to a bad input into the bike. 
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