How hard can you brake and turn? For instance somewhere like the end of the back straight at Snetterton. I get the whole '100 points of grip" and the more you lean the less you can brake but it's hard to know what the limit is without broken plastic and lots of sparks. What's the limiting factor? Feel? Suspension? Tyres? Balls?
If the bike don’t feel like its turning in when you turn in, and you get that, “might have overcooked this one” feeling, you are breaking to hard or to much into or in the corner. And the limiting factors you state are all applicable. You will only truly find the limit, when you have gone past it.
All of those. But you’d be surprised how hard you can brake at moderate lean. I don’t brake right to the apex. I possess neither the skill or the balls. I’m sometimes still quite hard on the brakes turning in though. But I’ve released completely before the apex. The trouble is feedback. I have lost the front before and stayed on by pure luck. Other times I’ve been sliding along the deck with zero warning. The rear gives loads of feedback. The front gives bugger all IME.
If you have a really good front end then you can trail brake right to the apex while gradually releasing brake pressure. I had great front end feel on my GSXR 750 and could trail brake right into the corner until the bike started to fall on it's side then I could pick it back up on the throttle. I've never had a bike with that feedback since though.
So, in retrospect, would you have enjoyed TDs just as much/more by keeping it? What year was it and what did you do to it?
It was a K7 and I ran it for about 3 years and raced it a bit in the 1000cc class. It had a K-tech 20mm fork kit sprung to my weight and a Nitron top of the range rear shock. QA throttle, Brembo RCS and HM Quickshifter which was about it other than rearsets, clip-ons etc. I loved it and was competitive on it but I really like the power and top end speed of the 1000cc bikes although they are harder to ride to my limit.
CSS mate. Early and hard and not trail braking. Grip is the limiting factor, which is pressure, tyres, tarmac, conditions, braking system....
IMO FWIW CSS is ok for fast flick corners (like bomb hole or Hamilton) but doesn't really work for Brindle Not for me anyway.
All of the above. As predominantly road riders, trail braking is alien and in your brain dangerous and a no no, due to shitty surface, diesel spills, cow shit, potholes etc. So the longer you have ridden solely on roads, the harder it is to try and adapt to this new witchcraft that you've heard about, seen on TV watching the pro's racing. Whenever I've had tuition on Euro track days, (Pitt/Almeria, Cummins/Jerez) also Kirkham/Donington@ Haslam race school, they've all said basically my positioning is reasonable, speed good etc. and it all comes down to the obvious....Brake Later, Accelerate Sooner. Easy to say, harder to do. It's even harder when it's your own road bike, you're getting older and less inclined to not give a toss if it all goes to ratshit !!! For me, the hardest part is to brake still hard after about 30 degrees lean.
Had a great day mate! The weather was a bit dicey in the morning but didn’t impact track time too much. Feel like I’ve been in a car crash this morning. My fitness has slipped with all this getting pissed in the garden during the nice weather I was bolloxed packing up.... And you’re right, you need to trial brake quite a bit into Melbourne Loop and then the next one
Glad you had a good day. I was the same after my last trackday, I couldn't walk the next day! I'm there next Monday but the weather forecast is a bit iffy at the moment.
Fingers crossed for the weather. It’s hit and miss for the foreseeable. I’ve stopped checking weather apps every hour. Does my nut in. And my wifes I’m there the day after (Doocardi day)
I need brake pressure to the point where I need gas otherwise the front wheel doesn't steer well. You will be amazed how late and how much pressure you can apply. I have pushed it too hard and the warning sign is a very clear front end vibration that ends if pressure is released. I work really hard on reducing the no brake, no gas interval as it kills lap-times. I am still learning.
