BP critique

G.NYUS

Active Member
Hey everyone,

I would really appreciate it if I could get a couple suggestions on my riding position. Looking at pics of myself, I can pick apart a lot of things, but before I say anything, I wanna see if what I think I should do matches up with what good riders think as well. Being 6'3" on a GSXR 750 is a little tight, but I know there's people out there who are my size, and super fast. After these pics were taken, I lowered my rearsets straight down, and extended my clip-ons out a bit too. Seemed to help.

Thanks for any help anyone can give!!

P.S. - thanks to the photographer too for the awesome shots!


Glen.
 

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G.NYUS

Active Member
you are on a gixxer now. no need for better body position!

Haha, that's true, it does seem to be a cure all! Gonna try side saddle on the next track day! Both legs flipped to the inside of the corner of course.
 

teejay

Member
Im really short compared to you so i dont know what your going through, but I find body position has such a wide variety of different styles and looks, just seeing Jason Komo body where I find is more upright but fast as hell compared to say Craig Hubley whe looks like hes dragging elbows in every corner. But number 90 I know is also very tall maybe you could take away some tips from his pics.

http://www.epicphotos.ca/Motorcycle...64582_gzjGgW#!i=2639949982&k=zGXnfZK&lb=1&s=A
 

YZF1000jon

Well-Known Member
I found having my outside elbow resting on the tank through the corner helped steady both throttle and steering inputs, calming the bike and letting you relax more in the corner. One can never look too far through a corner, for racing anyway.
 

Dean

Active Member
If you look at picture 4, you'll see the person behind you has his arm parallel to the ground, and your's isn't. This because you have your top half over, but not enough on your bottom half. Arm should always be parallel to the ground.

Something is out of balance if it's not.
 

G.NYUS

Active Member
Im really short compared to you so i dont know what your going through, but I find body position has such a wide variety of different styles and looks, just seeing Jason Komo body where I find is more upright but fast as hell compared to say Craig Hubley whe looks like hes dragging elbows in every corner. But number 90 I know is also very tall maybe you could take away some tips from his pics.

http://www.epicphotos.ca/Motorcycle...64582_gzjGgW#!i=2639949982&k=zGXnfZK&lb=1&s=A

Thanks for the pic references. Yeah, it's pretty crazy how many different styles there are really. I guess you just gotta get a baseline, and do whatever works for for you. I find my hips hurt like a mofo after a session as well, but i'm not the most flexible guy in the world.
 

G.NYUS

Active Member
I found having my outside elbow resting on the tank through the corner helped steady both throttle and steering inputs, calming the bike and letting you relax more in the corner. One can never look too far through a corner, for racing anyway.

I actually have been trying to do that with my elbow. Wrote it on a piece of duct tape on my triple clamps at the last track day.
I just about blew corner 2 and had to figure out a way to make it around pretty quick. I knew I needed to counter steer harder but I'm gripping the bars too tight. I ended up hanging off my outside leg more, which took a bit of grip off the bars, and I ended up being able to make it around. Too bad it was the last session of the night, cuz i wanted to practice it more. I figured it out after the photographer left (first two pics are from my last track day), so BP might have changed a bit.

Thanks for the advice!
 

G.NYUS

Active Member
If you look at picture 4, you'll see the person behind you has his arm parallel to the ground, and your's isn't. This because you have your top half over, but not enough on your bottom half. Arm should always be parallel to the ground.

Something is out of balance if it's not.

Hi Dean, I see what you mean in the pic. I have read that you should be able to draw a straight line up the centre of the tire and it should follow your spine angle, so you're always centred over the bike. My upper body is definitely further over than that. I'm probly focusing more on resting my elbow/forearm on the tank and getting my head where the mirror would be thank getting centred. It's funny, cuz some corners feel a little iffy. Then there are others where I'm confident, and if the rear slides out a bit, it's no big deal. I'm thinking body position plays a big role in that confidence. Front end push is still a bastard tho! Haha.

Thanks for the reply.
 
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I had Royce look at your photos. He thinks for the most part you are looking really good. If you would like, he has some advice on your body positions and riding style. It is easiest to explain over the phone. You can reach us at cell. 403-393-0519. Todd ( Royce McLean's father)
 

G.NYUS

Active Member
I had Royce look at your photos. He thinks for the most part you are looking really good. If you would like, he has some advice on your body positions and riding style. It is easiest to explain over the phone. You can reach us at cell. 403-393-0519. Todd ( Royce McLean's father)

Hey Todd, thanks for the number! I'll give you a call for sure. Really appreciate the help. I just joined the EMRA this year, and I continue to be impressed by the friendly, helpful attitude of the members. Really good group of guys.
 

sand.man

Well-Known Member
If you're new this year, you might not know who Royce is. He's the teenage phenom that currently(?) holds the overall lap record at Stratotech - on a 600.

I would take any advice he and Todd could offer!
 

G.NYUS

Active Member
If you're new this year, you might not know who Royce is. He's the teenage phenom that currently(?) holds the overall lap record at Stratotech - on a 600.

I would take any advice he and Todd could offer!

Sounds great. Thanks.
 

teejay

Member
Thanks for the pic references. Yeah, it's pretty crazy how many different styles there are really. I guess you just gotta get a baseline, and do whatever works for for you. I find my hips hurt like a mofo after a session as well, but i'm not the most flexible guy in the world.

If you have not done to many track days you'll def feel it. At the start of the season near the end of the day there was times where I had to pull into the hot pits after 5 laps or so cause my left hip was on fire, after a while and my body getting use to it I don't notice or get it at all any more. Look into taking an OTP course every fast guy out there started from there, but one thing I would say, is over exaggerate your body position. from previous experience I found that it felt like I was leaning off and pushings my bike up, and looking deep through the corner, then I see pics and looks like Im sitting straight up on the bike. It def is a lot to explain over text, but having the OTP follow and examine your body position is a really usefull thing, giving you advice mid session, giving you the feed back of are you pushing your bike up enough, are you on the verge of crashing, do you need to look through the corner more etc.
 

Ducbert

Active Member
6'7" and @270 lbs in leathers here.........

Make sure you are relaxed, outside arm against the tank like Jon said. Push to initate turn in from behind the bars, not down and through. Down and through = getting tired. ;) Head down = shoulder down = lower center of gravity. Do not sacrifice being too far out or over for contact and stability with the bike. You need to be able to stay in your position while the bike does it's thing, which might be move around etc and you should be able to feel it, while be loose and relaxed on the bars. Connect at the frame and tank, not your hands....

Lastly, There is no 1 correct way to ride, as all styles differ. You have find what works for you in the end. Small changes....
 

G.NYUS

Active Member
If you have not done to many track days you'll def feel it. At the start of the season near the end of the day there was times where I had to pull into the hot pits after 5 laps or so cause my left hip was on fire, after a while and my body getting use to it I don't notice or get it at all any more. Look into taking an OTP course every fast guy out there started from there, but one thing I would say, is over exaggerate your body position. from previous experience I found that it felt like I was leaning off and pushings my bike up, and looking deep through the corner, then I see pics and looks like Im sitting straight up on the bike. It def is a lot to explain over text, but having the OTP follow and examine your body position is a really usefull thing, giving you advice mid session, giving you the feed back of are you pushing your bike up enough, are you on the verge of crashing, do you need to look through the corner more etc.

Hey teejay, I know what you mean by thinking you're a lot more leaned over than you actually are. I thought I was looking like Marc Marquez, then I see the pic, and I might as well be turning into Starbucks! lol I actually did the race school this spring and it was fantastic. First time ever on a track, and I got the bug right then and there. So much fun. Got a lot of great advice from all the instructors, but since its been a few months and 3 track days later, I thought I'd see if there was anything too blatant that people could spot.
Lots of great reponses.
 

G.NYUS

Active Member
6'7" and @270 lbs in leathers here.........

Make sure you are relaxed, outside arm against the tank like Jon said. Push to initate turn in from behind the bars, not down and through. Down and through = getting tired. ;) Head down = shoulder down = lower center of gravity. Do not sacrifice being too far out or over for contact and stability with the bike. You need to be able to stay in your position while the bike does it's thing, which might be move around etc and you should be able to feel it, while be loose and relaxed on the bars. Connect at the frame and tank, not your hands....

Lastly, There is no 1 correct way to ride, as all styles differ. You have find what works for you in the end. Small changes....

Thanks Ducbert, I'm going to practice better hand position and gripping more with the lower body on the next track day like you say. I grip pretty hard on the bars, not enough to get get blisters in my gloves, but I can tell I'm gripping too hard. Shoulders kinda shrugged too, I'm always trying to relax/drop them down. Good thing practicing is super fun!
 

YZF1000jon

Well-Known Member
To make sure I wasn't holding onto the bars too tight, or leaning on them, I made sure coming into a corner that I slid my butt half off the seat and used the inside of my thigh against the back of the tank to brace myself. Then actually getting the bike on it's side and you with your knee out doesn't mean you move around while trying to turn, as it's already done under braking, smoother less hurried corners, means more relaxed (a theme here?) through the corner.
 

G.NYUS

Active Member
To make sure I wasn't holding onto the bars too tight, or leaning on them, I made sure coming into a corner that I slid my butt half off the seat and used the inside of my thigh against the back of the tank to brace myself. Then actually getting the bike on it's side and you with your knee out doesn't mean you move around while trying to turn, as it's already done under braking, smoother less hurried corners, means more relaxed (a theme here?) through the corner.


Thanks for the advice Jon. I'm picking up on that theme I think. :) On the last three laps of my last session, I ended up doing that exact technique (inside of thigh on tank). I was trying to keep my knee in tight before, and it felt awkward. Using just the inner thigh on the back part of the tank was way more comfortable, and I was able to get my knee down easier because I wasn't doing the splits as much. Wish I had one more session to play around. Gonna get some stomp grip for the tank to help out too.

Sheesh, I need 3 more months of summer!!
 

Jason Henton

Active Member
I can second the OTP classes, They are a good group of guys to learn from! I would also look at your knee slider, looks like your going to touch your knee, not the slider.
 
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