Chennai xBhp Track Day - 22 Feb '09 - The Discussion and Pics thread

[Praful]

Yep you were. I didnt realize then but on my ride back with Sksy I noticed my bike isn't pulling well after 6k in the 5th gear i.e after 83 kmph. And i was leaning a bit too much on corners and getting back up was slowing me down.

OT:Well maybe your bike is still young! Wait for the engine to open up post 10K kms! You'll love it!

[Samyaza]

I asked about full throttle, coz I was catching up with you on the straight before the braking points for C8!

Yep you were. I didnt realize then but on my ride back with Sksy I noticed my bike isn't pulling well after 6k in the 5th gear i.e after 83 kmph. And i was leaning a bit too much on corners and getting back up was slowing me down.

[Samyaza]

@Killer

At what speeds do you enter C10? You didn't mention in the reference lap. And do you stick to the inside of C10 and then cut across into C11? Because when I enter C10 I do sight seeing! Im completely lost there.

[Praful]

Yep full throttle after C7. Keep the throttle open into the small curve to the left and get upto 110-113 kmph.Then use the marker stones as a reference point to brake into C8.

I asked about full throttle, coz I was catching up with you on the straight before the braking points for C8!

[Samyaza]

Well then you are faster than me around the big sweep!

I enter at about 75-77 and go through it 80-83. And touch 90-93 at the entry small turn before the straight.

Btw, were you going full throttle on the straights?

Yep full throttle after C7. Keep the throttle open into the small curve to the left and get upto 110-113 kmph.Then use the marker stones as a reference point to brake into C8.

[Praful]

Most of the time my exit speed was 89kmph. Max i touched was 92. Can't say about entry speeds because i was looking ahead but if i care to guess then i would say in the range of 85 and keep the throttle steady throughout the curve.

Well then you are faster than me around the big sweep!

I enter at about 75-77 and go through it 80-83. And touch 90-93 at the entry small turn before the straight.

Btw, were you going full throttle on the straights?

[Samyaza]

Different people, different strengths!

But we should check the point of reference where you did 83-88. Coz my speeds in this section varies from 75-95 from entry to exit!

Most of the time my exit speed was 89kmph. Max i touched was 92. Can't say about entry speeds because i was looking ahead but if i care to guess then i would say in the range of 85 and keep the throttle steady throughout the curve.

[Praful]

Bro i was doing speeds of around 83-88 kmph in that section. I believe Joel mentioned that R15s would do over 95-100 kmph in that corner sometimes. Even he managed to get close to only 90 kmph on my bike.

Different people, different strengths!

But we should check the point of reference where you did 83-88. Coz my speeds in this section varies from 75-95 from entry to exit!

Not flawed but not entirely correct either.
Its not difficult to learn lines, in fact in order to be a good racer you have to learn multiple lines and shift to the appropriate one when necessary

Thanks for that bro!

[Samyaza]

Very Honest first timers talk about the track.... I can see what went wrong at c2.... I used to go out at C2 when i was at the track for the first time....
great write up bro, from the heart...

Thanks man. C2 is my Everest and C10 is my K2.

[Killer]

I think If I learn to improve myself on a bad handling bike, then maybe when I move to a better bike maybe handling that would be a cakewalk! Please let me know if this logic is flawed!

Not flawed but not entirely correct either. Being used to a bike that moves around will give you more confidence when you ride a bike that handles well, however the limits and levels of commitment required to do well on a better bike will be higher and whether or not a rider will find that easy is entirely an individual thing. I've seen many riders who are reasonably fast on crappy handling group C 2 strokes but cant go fast on a R15. Its not as easy as it may seem

Is it difficult to unlearn incorrect lines and then re-learn the proper ones?

Its not difficult to learn lines, in fact in order to be a good racer you have to learn multiple lines and shift to the appropriate one when necessary

[Samyaza]

At max I manage to enter the big sweep at about 76-79, from thereon I usually am around the 80 mark, If I do manage to feel a bit more confident I take it at 83.

I am not able to go any faster than that around the big sweep.

At the exit before leaning in for the Left hander I manage to reach about only about 93 before straightening up for the straight!

Still am not really clear about the lines man, I guess If I keep at it like I am, I guess I won't be able to unlearn the incorrect lines that I'm following right now!!!

Bro i was doing speeds of around 83-88 kmph in that section. I believe Joel mentioned that R15s would do over 95-100 kmph in that corner sometimes. Even he managed to get close to only 90 kmph on my bike.

[Praful]

You also have to realize that the speeds i'm speaking of are with reference to the R15's speedo. Unfortunately i dont have any other reference, but we know that the R15 is about 8kph or so optimistic. You Pulsar will be a little more accurate.

Yes, I realized that after I put up my post! I did not check my speeds against your post on the R15 speeds at various corners, will do that. But I have ridden the RTR carb and I surely remember doing atleast 3-5kmph more around every corner on the track.

You're also aboard one of the worst handling bikes on the track, so dont beat yourself up over it.

You got that right!
Well its not the handling I'm worried about, rather than looking for things to improve in the bike I'm looking at improving the flaws in myself so when I move to something 'better' I can be better of than the state I am in.

I think If I learn to improve myself on a bad handling bike, then maybe when I move to a better bike maybe handling that would be a cakewalk! Please let me know if this logic is flawed!

Yes there may be room for a little improvement with the lines, however at the big sweep the line is pretty straight forward on the small bikes. Start turning in about a foot and a half away from the inside kerb, then work your way to hugging the kerb all the way through.

The line around the big sweep is pretty straightforward, what I meant was the lines around the whole track in general.

Is it difficult to unlearn incorrect lines and then re-learn the proper ones?

[Killer]

At max I manage to enter the big sweep at about 76-79, from thereon I usually am around the 80 mark, If I do manage to feel a bit more confident I take it at 83.

I am not able to go any faster than that around the big sweep.

At the exit before leaning in for the Left hander I manage to reach about only about 93 before straightening up for the straight!

You also have to realize that the speeds i'm speaking of are with reference to the R15's speedo. Unfortunately i dont have any other reference, but we know that the R15 is about 8kph or so optimistic. You Pulsar will be a little more accurate.

You're also aboard one of the worst handling bikes on the track, so dont beat yourself up over it.

Still am not really clear about the lines man, I guess If I keep at it like I am, I guess I won't be able to unlearn the incorrect lines that I'm following right now!!!

Yes there may be room for a little improvement with the lines, however at the big sweep the line is pretty straight forward on the small bikes. Start turning in about a foot and a half away from the inside kerb, then work your way to hugging the kerb all the way through.

[Praful]

Pic 1 looks good at that point. If Pic 2 is the middle of big sweep then you're not going fast enough there. The bike wouldn't be so upright at that point if you're carrying enough speed. Just before tipping into big sweep you briefly go to maintenance throttle and then from that point you are on positive acceleration throughout, you should be at around 100kph at that point.

At max I manage to enter the big sweep at about 76-79, from thereon I usually am around the 80 mark, If I do manage to feel a bit more confident I take it at 83.

I am not able to go any faster than that around the big sweep.

At the exit before leaning in for the Left hander I manage to reach about only about 93 before straightening up for the straight!

Still am not really clear about the lines man, I guess If I keep at it like I am, I guess I won't be able to unlearn the incorrect lines that I'm following right now!!!

[Killer]

Pic#1 is in the middle of small sweeping right hander before the big sweep.
Pic#2 is in the middle of the big sweep.

Pic 1 looks good at that point. If Pic 2 is the middle of big sweep then you're not going fast enough there. The bike wouldn't be so upright at that point if you're carrying enough speed. Just before tipping into big sweep you briefly go to maintenance throttle and then from that point you are on positive acceleration throughout, you should be at around 100kph at that point.