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"driving techniques" lessons of Gary Semix " Chapter 7.
Passing turns [A look at the world of turns]
Chapter 7.
Passing turns [A look at the world of turns]
There are many variables that determine the speed of passing a turn: speed, hook, type of terrain, angle of rotation, body position, gas control.
Of all these components, only the last two are usually subject to you; however, together they give hundreds of combinations, which makes the passage of turns very, very ambiguous.
Although passing turns does not bring the joy of jumping, climbing on rocks, some aerial joys of sports, this will probably be the most frequent obstacle for you.
In addition, it is the best place on the track for overtaking.
For this simple reason, you should devote a significant part of your time to working on passing turns, especially if riding occupies an important place in your life.
Jeremy McGraw is known for his "textbook" driving style; the picture illustrates this well.
Notice that his elbows are raised, his body weight is concentrated in front, the inner leg is exposed, the sock is raised up.
That's why he is one of the best riders in the history of motocross
A good technique starts with the body position, which, ideally, should lower the center of gravity and maintain grip on the surface for both wheels.
In most cases, it is necessary to sit, shifting the weight as far forward as possible, exposing the inner leg, loading the outer footrest.
In combination with the careful use of gas, which eliminates the front wheel stall and the rear wheel slip, this forms the basis for the development of good cornering techniques.
And although you sit almost all the time, it is important to maintain some ability to absorb potholes with the help of your knees and elbows.
In most cases, when passing turns, you should be relaxed, this will help the suspension to absorb any changes in the terrain.
Since you can feel uncomfortable when bending in a turn, most riders find it natural to put their foot out in case they need a little support. ”
When you put your foot out, make sure that you keep it in front of you, "says Jeremy McGraw," it will not be of any use if it slips back due to the lack of a lever to support the weight.”  ”
When you put your foot out, make sure that the toe is raised up, "says Roy Lichin," So if your shoe bumps into something, it will not catch your foot and drag it back."
As in all techniques, there are possible options here.
On high speed sections, you may find it necessary to stand, especially if the surface is too uneven, and with your sitting position, the suspension cannot cope with it.
When you pass a turn standing up, try to load the front part of the motorcycle so that the front wheel has traction with the surface; both feet are on the running boards.
At the same time, you can better keep your balance and soften the bumps with both knees.
It does not matter whether sitting or standing, most riders agree that it is almost always optimal to pass a turn in one, pre selected gear. ”
I usually try not to change gears in a turn, "says Danny Carlson," Before entering a turn, I make sure that the right gear is turned on; this is faster and much smoother.
The only exception is switching at the exit of a long turn, when the motorcycle is prone to overgassing.
And when overgassing, the power drops quite sharply, the speed decreases”"
Another important aspect is the choice of the trajectory.
"Try to turn smoothly," says Jeremy McGraw, " Any sudden movements can lead to the loss of the hook.
For this reason, you should also turn on the gas without using the clutch for as long as possible.
But it is always difficult to calculate how actively you can open gas”"
” If there is an embankment on the outer edge, you can use it, as it will provide a better grip than a flat surface, "adds Lichin," Also, look for good tracks that can serve you like tram rails.
If you meet one, you will be able to use the gas more actively and pass the turn faster”"
Turns with an embankment can be extremely convenient, as they provide much more grip for the tires and usually reduce the likelihood of a wheel failure.
Unfortunately, most of the embankments are located on the outer edge, and this makes such a trajectory longer, so that its use may eventually be slower than using a more risky internal trajectory.
Ultimately, it's up to you to decide which approach is best.
Tracks
In contrast, ruts are usually formed first on the internal trajectory.
When used correctly, the tracks make it possible to pass turns very quickly, but they can also be dangerous.
The most common problem occurs when the rider is too aggressive, enters a turn with a track at too high a speed and cannot clearly get into it with both wheels.
The idea of making turns on the track is to approach the track in such a way that both wheels naturally fall into the hollow.
If one wheel does not hit the track, your chances of falling increase.
When both wheels are in a rut, it is important to maintain speed.
In most cases, this requires moderate use of gas.
Do not accelerate too much, the motorcycle can make a wheelie, the front wheel will jump out of the rut, and this can bring you trouble.
You should also monitor the depth of the selected track.
If it becomes too deep, you, in general, can get stuck, as the edges of the track will begin to catch the rear sprocket, axles, fork.
If you feel that the track is getting dangerously deep, look for an alternative option; for sure, there will be one just a couple of feet away.
Choosing a trajectory
Regardless of whether you are turning on a flat surface, using embankments or ruts in search of the best hook, it always makes sense to experiment with as many trajectories as possible to understand which one is faster. ”
When passing a turn, look for the smoothest trajectory with the best grip, "insists Steve Lamson," Avoid potholes if possible, be careful on dirt and other slippery surfaces.
Also, if you see that you will have to overcome ruts in a turn, try to do this at a right angle so that they do not catch the side parts of the tires and do not lead to a loss of control.
Even if you donot fall, you will lose time and energy.
You should also avoid stones and any other objects that can lead to loss of control over at least one wheel.
If you hit something by tilting the bike, it will be difficult to maintain control."
It is also very important not to use hard braking in the turn, if you do not have to avoid a collision with another rider or something dangerous.
Locking the brakes will cause the wheels to slip, especially if you are leaning, and if you are leaning, then the natural tendency is to assume an upright position and forward direction.
"Brake before turning," says Mike Craig, " Most motorcycles turn better on gas.
If you brake in a turn, the motorcycle may straighten up at the same time."
External trajectory
This turn offers a set of trajectories.
On the inside there is a track, the middle is flat, on the outside there is a stop.
Steve Lamson decided that in this case, the external trajectory is the fastest.
There was a springboard before the turn, so Lamson is standing and still finishing braking, trying to move straight
In a split second, Lamson changes the position of the body and begins the actual turn, using the stop for a better hook.
In addition, Lamson released both brakes and leaned into the turn
After reaching the peak of the turn, Lamson opens the gas again, as evidenced by the abundance of dust.
Pay attention to how he holds the inner leg in case the wheel breaks off until he finally straightens the motorcycle.
Also, during the entire turn, it loads the external footrest to provide a better grip for both wheels
Note that when tilting the bike, Lamson holds his torso almost perfectly straight.
This helps it maintain its grip on the surface
As a result, the exit from the turn is insured against an error and acceleration to the next obstacle
Internal trajectory
This is the same turn, but this time Lamson chooses an internal trajectory.
It is extremely difficult to get on it, because just before the turn, a small double jump is performed.
To slow down faster, Lamson makes the first jump small and uses a second springboard to help braking
At this stage, Lamson finishes braking and aligns the bike to get into a rut.
The idea is to drive into the track as smoothly as possible, so that both wheels fit perfectly into it
Lamson moves into sitting positions in one quick movement and puts his inner leg out for balance.
Note that its weight is located as much as possible in front of the seat, which allows you to load the fork and get the best grip for the front wheel
As soon as the rear wheel hits the track, Lamson prepares to use the gas.
This should not be done too aggressively, otherwise the rear wheel may jump out of the rut
Lamson opens the gas.
Note that his weight is still concentrated in the front of the motorcycle, the inner leg is exposed, the toe is facing up, both elbows are raised
Coming out of the turn, Lamson begins to accelerate harder, keeping the body position unchanged.
If there were potholes in this area, he probably would have tried to avoid them by lifting the motorcycle on the rear wheel, pushing back on the seat.
Generally speaking, this would not be a real wheelie, but it is quite sufficient for the front wheel to barely slide over the tops of potholes, without making it difficult to control
At the last stage, Lamson begins to return his foot to the running board
Try it out and be sure of several trajectories.
Even if some trajectory is the fastest, you may have to choose another one to overtake or avoid the rider in front of you.
An excellent trajectory can also become optimal as the track breaks up.
Brake to turn
This series of photos shows from a different angle Lamson's passage of a turn along an internal trajectory with the rear wheel locked and how the use of both brakes helps to turn.
In this picture, Lamson uses both brakes hard.
Although his body is in the front position, he keeps his torso straight, keeping some of the weight on the rear wheel.
Note that Lamson took his right foot off the running board so that the brake could be used effectively
Lamson locks the rear wheel and starts skidding.
Notice that the outer elbow is raised, the shoulders are turned straight.
The front wheel is slightly turned to the left, anticipating a skid.
It seems that Lamson slows down a little with the front wheel, which keeps it more tightly on the trajectory
Braking with a skid brought the motorcycle to the main trajectory.
Releasing the brakes, Lamson immediately opens the gas, as indicated by a small plume of dust; the inner leg is exposed, the rider is ready to catch the motorcycle.
The torso is tilted forward, loading the front wheel and helping it to stay in the rut
Lamson is in a good position to pass the turn well.
Although, note that the wheels are not yet on the exit line from the turn.
So for now, he needs to keep turning.
In this regard, he uses the power of the motorcycle moderately and smoothly, working with the clutch and gas.
As soon as the bike aims for the exit of the turn, Lamson will start a hard acceleration to the next obstacle
At the exit, Lamson is on gas.
The front wheel is turned slightly to the left, indicating that Lamson is counting on a slight slip of the rear wheel, which will put the motorcycle directly on the exit line from the turn
All handling characteristics vary depending on the terrain and the quality of the hook.
On slippery surfaces, such as dirt, you should be less aggressive in terms of body position and gas application.
As a contrast, you can usually behave more aggressively on sand and good land.
Techniques of Gary Semix
The basis for cornering is the position of the body and the coordination of the brakes and gas.
You should slow down until the moment when you start to accelerate again, doing both during the transition.
Using the brakes will also help you keep the trajectory.
Remember, you should never allow a constant speed.
Either slow down or accelerate, sometimes do both.
External elbow raised #23
When passing turns, lift the outer one.
The inner elbow should be slightly lower.
If the outer elbow is lowered when passing a turn, the rider is inclined to tilt the torso in the direction opposite to the turn.
This does not allow you to have a proper lever and shifts the rider's body from the equilibrium point.
To use this technique correctly, grasp the external handle so that you can raise your elbow above the steering wheel.
Allow the inner elbow to be in a neutral position that will be convenient for you.
Keep your shoulders turned in the direction of movement and, starting from this foundation, work with your torso to maintain balance and control over the motorcycle.
Keep your balance, move around on the motorcycle and make it do what you want.
Do not try to tilt your torso in the direction opposite to the turn.
Expose the inner leg #24
When passing a turn, put your inner leg in front of you, even if it barely touches the surface; be ready to support the motorcycle if the wheel drives.
At the same time, load the external footrest.
The position of the inner leg when passing a turn is very important.
Typical mistakes are the use of the inner leg to maintain balance and the inability to lift the motorcycle if it bends too much or slips.
A typical mistake regarding the external leg is the location of the center of the foot on the footrest, not the toe, and its relaxed state instead of pressure on the footrest.
Your inner foot should slide along the ground, barely touching it.
It must be in a position that provides a good jerk to lift the motorcycle in the event of a slip of the front wheel.
You should not fix the hip, knee and ankle, but it is desirable to hold them firmly enough to maintain the correct position.
When the need to put your foot out disappears, return it to the running board as quickly as possible.
When doing this, keep pressing on the external footrest to maintain a low center of gravity, especially in turns without stopping.
Practice this technique separately, like any other, to develop your skills.
Put your foot out on time #25
Place the inner foot on the part of the turn where the transition from braking to acceleration occurs and return it back to the running board as quickly as possible.
Here, a typical mistake is putting your foot out too early.
Many racers do this so that it is easier to keep their balance.
They make the mistake of using their foot as a counterweight.
If you keep your shoulders straight and your body in balance, there will be no need to use your leg in this way.
After passing the turn, beginners do not return their foot to the running board for too long.
This forces them to sit, and when accelerating over potholes, all the blows are taken by the ass.
To perform the reception correctly means to put the foot out for as little time as possible.
The stop should be set at the moment when the transition from braking to acceleration occurs.
Your foot is placed on this part of the turn, and then returns to the running board as quickly as possible.
Keep your center of gravity low when loading the footrests, and use the levers and torso for control and balance.
Pay special attention to this technique, and you will notice how quickly the acquired skill will start working for you.
Coordination, balance, and foresight give you control.
Brake or accelerate #26
On the motocross track, you should either brake or accelerate.
Sometimes you need to carefully combine one with the other.
Now we are moving on to more advanced techniques that require a lot of time and practice.
But they allow you to drive fast and constantly maintain control.
Novice racers slow down, accelerate, or do neither.
Usually these things are done independently.
They miss the benefits of not only controlling speed and inertia, but also the feeling of how the motorcycle obeys the controls and keeps the track.
Professional racers feel so well all the elements are controlled they know that they can use them simultaneously, while maintaining control over each.
Often, when a professional racer goes from braking to acceleration and vice versa, he uses the clutch, gas and both brakes at the same time.
This is done at the time of the transition.
And even when the rider does not use everything at once, he is either in one state or in another.
No intermediate is given.
Start of braking #27
This is the moment when you go from acceleration to braking.
There should be no pause between these actions.
You will encounter this technique every time you encounter obstacles that force you to make the transition from acceleration to braking.
This can happen before entering a turn, a certain type of springboard, a wave, on a slope, etc.
Novice racers here, as a rule, have an extensive field for improvement.
Beginners tend to pause between acceleration and braking, then pause again and continue braking.
The right thing is to directly switch from one action to another.
Often, acceleration and braking will overlap.
This improves manageability and gives you more control over the situation.
Do not resort to panic braking, train smooth controlled braking.
Braking Completion #28
This is the moment when you go from braking to accelerating.
As you understand, there should be no pause.
This is similar to reception #27, but here we are talking about a different kind of transition.
This situation is most often found in turns.
A typical delay error is when switching from braking to acceleration.
This increases the probability of a front wheel failure.
In some turns, you should switch from hard braking to hard acceleration, but more often you will switch from hard braking (when entering a turn) to braking more and more gently until you start a light, hard acceleration.
This means that the transition from braking to acceleration should always be controlled, whether it is hard or soft.
In most cases, braking and acceleration will overlap.
Motocross is not so much willpower and courage, as accuracy and control.
Link Transitions #29
At the beginning and end of braking, you make the transition from acceleration to braking or from braking to acceleration.
You need to link the braking and/or acceleration forces with how and where you want to direct them using the control levers.
This requires proficiency in using all five controls.
Yes, we are still talking about the beginning and end of braking.
This is because these elements are so important in motocross.
One of the reasons for this is the duration of the transition from acceleration to braking and from braking to acceleration.
Because of this duration, the transition must be carried out correctly, constantly maintaining full control.
Having subdued the front and rear brakes, gearbox, clutch and gas, you will gain control.
This is because the correct use of these elements leads to a certain behavior of the motorcycle, depending on how you use these elements.
For example, when you tilt the motorcycle when entering a turn and lock the rear wheel at the same time, the front wheel moves back and inside the turn.
This will prevent the front wheel from sliding.
And when you release the rear brake, it is better to be on the gas to maintain control, because a pause will lead to a breakdown of the front wheel.
This is just one example, there are several more.
Just remember: acceleration or deceleration, no pause.
Lightly engage the front brake #30
A slightly pressed front brake when passing a turn with a stop will hold the front wheel in it and allow you to turn sharper.
A typical mistake when entering a turn with a stop is releasing the front brake too early.
The rider releases the front brake, considering that he has slowed down enough.
When the brake is released, the front wheel tends to go over the embankment.
The professional will keep his finger on the front brake until he opens the gas.
Then it will automatically release the front brake.
That is, he slightly presses the front brake until the moment when he is ready for a hard acceleration to exit such a turn.
When you tilt the motorcycle while passing a turn with an embankment and use the front brake, this reduces the angle of rotation, slows down the motorcycle, makes the turn sharper.
The advantage is that you can enter the turn with an emphasis at a higher speed and at the same time not fly out of it.
This is especially true when turning to the right, when you need to release the rear brake to put your foot out.
Learn how to use the front brake and gas in turns with emphasis at the moment of transition from braking to acceleration, and you will never fly out of it again.
Brake coordination/gas #31
You can use the front brake and gas at the same time.
Press the brake lever with one finger.
This technique is similar to the previous one.
Many motocross techniques are used together, providing comprehensive control.
In this case, we are talking about the control that you will gain by learning how to use the front brake and gas at the same time.
This is most often done in turns with a focus.
Many racers use only one control at a time.
For example, they can release the brake lever before they open the gas.
You will not achieve absolute control over the situation with rough use of the controls.
In addition, some novice riders put two, three or even four fingers on the brake lever.
This is not good, while it is impossible to properly hold the throttle handle.
With disc brakes, one finger is quite enough.
As noted earlier, you need to maintain control over speed and torque constantly, especially when switching from acceleration to braking and vice versa.
One way to achieve this is the ability to control both the front brake and the gas at the same time.
Of course, you will not use both elements rigidly.
By simply pressing the brake lever and opening the gas, you achieve absolute control over speed and torque during the transition from braking to acceleration.
This control also allows you to turn sharper and better.
If you want to increase your level, you must clearly master these techniques.
The only way to do this is to practice.
Using the front brake when braking with skidding #32
When braking with a skid, use the front brake to guide the skid.
In this situation, you can use the front brake as hard as necessary because when braking with a skid, the front wheel will move straight and without sliding.
The front brake has a greater braking force than the rear.
Many riders lock the rear wheel in a turn to do braking with a skid, but release the front brake too early.
When this happens, they have very little control over where the skid is directed, because the motorcycle just slides.
Without any braking force.
When the bike is still in a skid, you can use the front brake.
The front wheel will move straight and will not slip.
This way, you will be able to enter the turn deeper and at a higher speed and at the same time direct the drift exactly where you want.
Learn how to use all the controls at the same time.
From Skidding Braking to Acceleration #33
Finish skidding braking where you want to turn and use the clutch, gas and brakes to switch from skidding braking to controlled skidding in one motion.
When you want to enter a turn by braking with a skid, and exit it with a controlled skid, keep in mind that braking with a skid is the easy part.
Even small children can do it on their bicycles.
The trick is to switch to a controlled skid just before the braking stops with a skid.
If the time is chosen incorrectly, the motorcycle will do absolutely everything except what you want it to do.
Make sure that you are skidding deep enough into the turn.
By the end of braking with a skid, you must overcome at least half of the turn.
In this case, you will have the right basis for starting a controlled skid.
Make sure that you clearly coordinate and control the release of the brakes and the start of a controlled skid with the help of the clutch and gas.
Do it at the right time and in the right amount.
Practice this transition on various surfaces, from tenacious to slippery.
Brake to maintain control #34
Use the rear brake when entering a turn to shift the front wheel back and inwards, preventing it from sliding.
As we showed above, releasing the front brake too early takes away your control.
This is also true for the rear brake.
A typical mistake made by racers is releasing the rear brake when entering a turn.
This deprives the rider of the ability to slow down even before the motorcycle is at the exit of their turn.
This means that they are forced to slow down earlier and at the same time lose some control when switching from braking to acceleration.
Your toughest braking should be done when you close the gas before turning.
At this time, you should quickly reset the maximum speed.
Then, as you pass the turn, you brake more and more easily until the moment of transition from braking to acceleration, when you finally release the brakes and use the clutch and gas to switch to hard acceleration.
You will feel control when you learn to hold the back brake up to this point.
If there is no accuracy , there is no control.
Passing turns
1.
Most of the turns are done sitting, as this allows you to lower the center of gravity
2.
Load the front of the motorcycle, this will help the front wheel to keep the hook
3.
Train yourself to open the gas at the exit of the turn, this will make its passage smoother and allow you to start accelerating earlier
4.
Perform most of the braking before entering the turn
5.
When possible, try to write smooth trajectories to keep the pace
6.
Look for stops and ruts, they can help you pass the turn faster, especially if it is located on a slope
7.
Try different trajectories
24 Dec 2002 02: 37
"driving techniques" lessons of Gary Semix " Chapter 7.
Passing turns [A look at the world of turns]
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