Gymkhana

I really want to start doing this in San Diego.

That was fun today! Glad you guys enjoyed the course.

Photos courtesy of Eddie. I downloaded a few and upped them to my flicker account for easier sharing here.
For the entire album, you can go here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.183355328508822.1073741834.146953692148986&type=1

No video this week, as my camera is busted. Although a few guys had their goPros so maybe not all is lost.

You guys are seriously fast!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanley550/9479968121/" title="12 by rkcilf999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3708/9479968121_0d6b52968a.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="12"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanley550/9479968135/" title="11 by rkcilf999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3752/9479968135_e1fdf78e45.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="11"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanley550/9482759058/" title="10 by rkcilf999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7362/9482759058_ffa989a43c.jpg" width="500" height="188" alt="10"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanley550/9479968205/" title="8 by rkcilf999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7347/9479968205_64d6c40e60.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="8"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanley550/9482759124/" title="7 by rkcilf999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2841/9482759124_93036fa46c.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="7"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanley550/9482759182/" title="6 by rkcilf999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2828/9482759182_278432578f.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="6"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanley550/9479968307/" title="5 by rkcilf999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3795/9479968307_266951c009.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="5"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanley550/9482759256/" title="4 by rkcilf999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7354/9482759256_86bc46f508.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="4"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanley550/9479968387/" title="3 by rkcilf999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3732/9479968387_511673a74f.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="3"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanley550/9482759332/" title="2 by rkcilf999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3722/9482759332_85d7373b0e.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="2"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanley550/9479968419/" title="1 by rkcilf999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5348/9479968419_8536fa4a19.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="1"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanley550/9482759066/" title="9 by rkcilf999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5326/9482759066_a5aa0d3b01.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="9"></a>

Great day today guys
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MGG66CQsxBo?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UWGdsuAa85s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Yup yup, pro at work. Our goal and inspiration.

I'm liking that camera perspective, you can see what he is doing with his hands. One finger on the front brake, clutch not covered at all. On a 2t....
Throttle & rear brake.
Great photos Vulfy, some commitment going on there.

Welcome edge2edge glad you like the thread.

there's a discusion going on over @ amgrass about insurance and stuff.

I've never had my license checked, insurance verified, or had -any- request for a display of rudimentary skills at any group ride, from any group/club/forum.

gymkhana folks do this, have waivers, etc, but still there is so much hand wringing about insruance and lawyers.

why ?

Because it is an "Event" held on "private property".

Hi Vulfy, I know you're trying to keep your bike standard, but these guys have a range of SRV brake solutions might be worth asking them?
www.svracingparts.com/products....

Yes, I've made my decision that I would need to change calipers and master cylinder. Ebay has them pretty cheap from used bikes. I'm looking at a CBR600rr.

This weekend it was much better, at least I didn't loose pressure in the front, but by the end of the day, my lever was still pinching my fingers on the throttle.
If its just air, then I have no idea how to get rid of it, since I've tried every possible way of bleeding brakes, regular way, inverted with a syringe, mytivac, and already installed a bleeder valve at the master cylinder to vent any bubbles that might travel up there.

However I'm really happy that I'm using so much of front brake on the course. Just a month ago, I wouldn't even dream of braking so hard in a tight corner like we have, at the lean angle we have.

My initial reaction to Total Control class that I took, was a let down. However now I'm realizing that thanks to them, I'm so much more confident in front brake and trail braking in the turns.

I'm also noticing that I'm throttling up between tight corners, instead of coasting on same RPMs as I used to.

Confidence in the front brake, really gives me this ability to speed up to a corner, and brake really late into it, rather than have everything segmented like I used to before. I used to brake before the corner, and then initiate the turn, and only after the turn was completed would get on the throttle. Now it all overlaps and overlaps quite a lot. Its pretty awesome!

Same as me, while riding into a corner that requires a rapid reduction of speed, I use aprox 80% front brake together with a little rear, braking so hard I can feel a real, but progressive dip in the front suspension as I am banking, never snatching at the brakes, I would guess I take 2-3 seconds to get to the required brake squeeze.

I ease off the brakes to the apex, then at the same time as I counter-steer to lift the bike to the new direction, I am opening the throttle, hitting my max required throttle just before I get upright, which on the Kawa 1000 should fire me quickly towards the next cone.

The key is to do it smoothly and not upset the balance of the bike too much.

This is fastest rider on our course, so take notes.

Wise words from Jezza!

Of course, it's not possible to counter-steer the bike if the steering is at full-lock so we have to use the throttle and brake combination to steer the bike instead.

To see this technique in action check out Sakuta-san as he negotiates a rotation turn.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gGtLh8UcXU8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

you're done with (front) braking and on the throttle again by apex, right ? assuming we can call it a real apex in a 180 degree turn etc

I'm getting a lot harder on the front than in the past, very close to lock up prior to turning, then light rear and tapering off the front as I push the bike down and it falls over, with a little bit of rear braking even after starting to get heavy into the throttle. the hardest part I'm finding is getting completely off the rear (habit) brake during the heavy acceleration sections of short stuff like gp8.

Thanks Moto G man, great example, there is so much you can learn from theses few seconds of slow-mo. Nice wide approach, tightening quickly on the brakes to full lock at, I would guess at the 9.5 second mark. Body position, upright slightly pushing the bike down to increase the bike lean, thereby allowing the bike to turn tighter. Right toe is always low, holding on the rear brake while turning.

And as you say, already on full lock, so you can't counter-steer out (hadn't really thought of that before) at 31 sec you clearly see him early on the gas, then as the forks extent and speed builds, the bike sits up and he's quickly away. I guess he will hold very slightly, a tighter angle of steering on exit as he comes off full lock, to get that counter-steer effect and make the bike sit up quicker?

Yes, by the apex I am pretty much off the brakes, trying to set a fixed throttle position to keep the bike at a constant speed, with tiny changes of gas if corrections are needed, I also use my foot pressure and/or hips to change the bike lean. My Kawasaki Ninja 1000 is quite heavy and I have found if I set my tickover to 1500 rpm, it prevents the bike from slowing down too much and wanting to fall down into a attempted full lock turn, which I am still not getting consistently, but I'm working on it, also I am still not using my back brake enough, but I'm guessing these two failings are connected?

I'm not sure about it being a failing... just a different style of trying. I'm over using the rear, or using it too long. back when I used dirt gearing, I would keep on throttle all the way around, and only chopping for the heavy braking, and then modulating rear for speed/stability.

if there were more events, id definitely have a 14/47 on the drz for better slow speed stuff and a lot less clutch work.

may go out for some rain work this afternoon if stuff cooperates. :)

tomorrow is the weekly gp8... we should have TWO events less than 20 minutes from each other, at the same time.

how cool is that?

Well, I'm definitely going to start to follow the front brake advice at the next session. I boiled my rear brake fluid after a few successive laps last time and had the pedal fall through. The next day I thought I'd take a look at my rear rotor and counted 8(:huh) cracks in it.

Perhaps our 919 rear rotors weren't meant for such abuse. 1 of my cracks is about 3mm wide and runs down the entire surface of the rotor. Bike still brakes fine though with the rear, but I have a new set of rotors and pads coming tomorrow.

Had to post this, to show gymkhama is nothing new, except perhaps the phrase itself. This is a pic of my dad, in 1948, at age 26 on his Jawa 350 during a street competition in Oss, Holland