Use the right gear
During the first day my attention was drawn by the weak drive I was getting out of most turns. I would catch up with people when getting on the brakes, was ok through the turn but lost them at the exit.
A chat with Chris quickly led me to identify the sources of the problem:
- I was taking the turn in the wrong gear not revving enough the engine to get the power needed
- I was getting on the gas too late, underestimating the amount of traction I had
- I was holding the bike back rather than relaxing and leaning into the turn
During that first day I paid more attention to the gear I was in at different key points of the track and experimented with more or less up and down shifting
Body position and trusting the bike
A recurring problem I have been struggling with is my lack of trust in the bike when leaning. I have been riding motorcycles for over 20 years now and way back then neither the chassis nor the tires fostered a rider's blind trust in the amount of traction available. Things are obviously very different today but I had to blame my reaction to something. My bent frame/fork might also have something to do with the matter
Long story short, I found myself stiffening up when leaning in as opposed to relaxing and fully embracing the turn. Embracing might be a bit of a strong word here, we naturally don't want to get intimate with the pavement.
Excellent photographs from Dito made the problem quite clear.
While viewed from the front it seems I adequately lean in with my shoulder first,
a picture from above reveals the following flaws:- crotch to close to the tank
- frog position
- head center while the butt hangs off
