Going Faster.....

[Yankee]

my question to all is:

What was the single-most main thing that made you faster than previously thought possible????

>just years of experience?
>track dayz?
>ride dayz?
>???????

or you're like me, not fast yet! I find roads that I know are great and I can zip along on them great, but, get me off my "home turf" and I get all squimish! I've yet to do a track day of any sort, but don't have the where-with-all to do one (minister of finance wouldn't pass the notion)......
so anyway, just wondering.......

[kempy]

Trackdays. Most definately, trackdays.

You learn so much, and become so much more confident and relaxed on the bike.

[icebreaker]

Mate if I could lose 30kg's that i've put on since i've been with my misses.. Then that would outway any mod's I recon...

But each mode i've done only has a small affect.. I think it's a combination of 2 or 3 small mod's that is the key.. I've done, Can and front sprocket.

I think full system with re-jet and air filter together as a mod would prob be the best. But haven't done it so I can't really comment.

[Bluefly]

After the PI track Day on November 22, I thought I'd have improved my speed in & out of corners by at least 50% when transferred onto the road. After going for a ride to Eildon with Corbywan on Saturday though, I realised how wrong I was. I used to be wary of the blind corners and cliff drops on the sides of the road before - now I'm REALLY wary of them. And moreso of oncoming traffic. I think I got spoilt at the track. Riding on the roads is stressful and disapointing now.

So....lots more track days coming up....unless they block the roads for motorcycle users only!

[Duane]

I generally just close my eyes if i'm going faster
Works for me!

On the serious side, when i first got the tiller, i described it as "what the f**k" when you start going fast, cant register anything..

Eventually after a while its no different than riding at a slow pace.
Once your mind and eyes figure everything out

[red_dave]

I'm the same Marty... Unfamiliar roads on a bike i'm not yet completely comfortable with and I struggle...

Practice, and more practice...

[ty]

Track days
Track days
Track days

[icebreaker]

Realistically.. going faster, and not in a straight line..

Suspension setup is the most crucial thing of all, Tony from Suspensions R US ( I Think ) tweaked my set up for me at the Nov 22nd Track day, and I was cornering 10+ k's faster in most corners during the last 3 session.

The bike felt so much better coming into and out of corners. I'm sure there is a long way to go yet, but it has certainly help my riding heaps.

[Nanna10r]

Eyes ...... learning how to use them better n assessing that information in the most appropriate manner for any given situation,
Had eye surgury 20 years ago n you have no idea what good vision is worth especially for the fun stuff.
Cheers Brett

[Smitty]

yankee...

one thing-
the realisation that lifting your head and looking further ahead
makes you faster (and safer ....and thats not a contradiction!)

and this applies to the road and track!


cheers

[Quarkz]

Um, Id say knowing the road. I really hate being on roads I don't know.

[Blackzxr]

My new bike, I'm a lot more comfortable on it. But I'm not quick yet either.

I try and not ride fast on roads I don't know, unless I have a guide (someone who knows the road). I think this is just common sense, as you can come unstuck pretty quick. I have a few roads I like, but will generally give them a pass by and check out the condition, prior to going hard at em. You never know what's in a corner, especially if it's blind.
Tracks will help, but they are predictable, roads are not.
Ride within yourself and speed will come with confidence and experience.
Not much help, just my opinions.

[MickLC]

Falling off.....seriously!

After I fell off I knew I would be nervous as hell about going round corners so I made a concious effort to improve my cornering, and ended up going faster round them than I used to and now I can keep up with the fastest guy that I go riding with.

[mattyv74]

For me it was learning to never ever ever give up trying to ride. Even when you are sure your gonna come a buster.
I learnt this the hard way a couple of times when I was a newish rider.
On a couple of ccassions, I found myself out of my depth, I froze and just ran off the road. Then figured out that the bike was far more capable than me, and if Im going to come off, it cant possibly hurt to keep trying to ride it out.
Many riders seem to think they lean a lot further than they actually do. It is amazing what the bikes can do if you just keep leaning, have some conidence in them, and ask them to go round the corner.
Having said that, if you over the bike's and your limit, its all down hill.

[aardvark]

Looking is the most important thing. Lean to "lift your observations". A track day can help you to improve the way you look, but Bobbis right in that you "may" very well lose interest in riding on the street afterwards.

And remember, if you get into trouble on a corner, and you aren't scraping anything, then lean a little more.