From: kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu (Kent D. Polk)
Newsgroups: tx.motorcycles
Subject: Re: AAahhhh, wipe-out!
Date: 3 Jan 1993 23:23:07 GMT
Organization: Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
Distribution: tx
NNTP-Posting-Host: swrinde.nde.swri.edu

In article <951@rider.UUCP> joe@rider.cactus.org writes:
>kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu (Kent D. Polk) writes:
>]- I practice picking better lines through corners. A technique more recently
>]called 'late apexing' needs to be learned. 
>
>is this the opposite of the keith code technique of getting the turning over
>early or have I misunderstood you?

Not familiar with this one, but is probably the same thing. Basically, when
racing, one should set up quick and power out of the corner ASAP as corners
cut down on the time you could spend accellerating.

Late apexing is a fancy name for simply identifying the true apex of the
corner and having the vehicle set for accelleration at that very point. One
way I think of it is to have the bike line work out so it is perpendicular to
the apex radius line at the apex (the line, not necessarily the vehicle).
However, how to get to that point needs some explaining as it is different
for different corners and I don't think I better go into that here. The term
'late apexing' refers to the act of hanging wide on the curve till the last
moment and then diving into the apex and rolling on the throttle to power out.

BUT, Lets' not go practicing this on public roads during a SPLAT. MAybe we
can talk about it at a later Splat.

>]Go pick up a book on auto racing
>]that describes how to pick appropriate lines. I don't have an references as I
>
>aren't the do's and dont's of 4-wheeled racing a little different than the
>do's and dont's of two wheeled racing?

From my experience, picking lines for suspended cars and motorcycles is
pretty much the same. How one controls the vehicle on that line is what is
radically different. The only vehicles that don't follow these lines are
unsuspended vehicles like the old atv's and racing go carts. Race carts don't
have a suspension, or rather have a nearly perfect suspension and can head
pretty much full throttle straight through a corner. Talk about a RUSH!!!
(Always did want to Kart race :^( :^( )

[Deleted the part about sticking your foot out]

Yes, Boot planting is generally for dirt biking and doing so at speed will
typically NOT result in what was intended. However, I did manage to save my
neck once when I lost it in gravel at about 60mph once. Planted the boot and
jerked the bike back underneath me. Don't ask me how it worked. I never
figured that one out. It was those old dirtbike reflexes at work. I guess
they kicked in due to all the gravel around and having the bike disappear out
from under my hiney :^) I just remember that the boot was only down for a
split second as adrenalin had set in and allowed a massive burst of muscle
power to pull that whole bike back around and underneath me again in much
less than a second. And the boot didn't slide either... At least not more
than a couple of inches.

>michelins :-) when my battleax's get here, you're gonna get a phone call kent,
>we're gonna visit that one again :)

Ok, I'll probably have to let you lead as it doesn't look like shocks will be
arriving anytime soon :^(

Kent Polk: Southwest Research Institute (will disavow any knowledge of me)
Internet : kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu
(DoF #)  : Beware! DoF on the loose!