Body Positioning

[xx CURVE xx]

Originally Posted by Avatard

Gee, that makes Rossi gay.

Rossi was 2 years old when on a pocket bike.. not 30

[Avatard]

Originally Posted by xx CURVE xx

Rossi was 2 years old when on a pocket bike.. not 30

Nah, a lot of cats (Rossi included) still ride pocket occasionally just to stay sharp. It requires reaction times about 5x quicker than that of a big bike. When you get back on the big bike, it's almost like you can do no wrong, the bike seems so big and lethargic...it almost telegraphs its balance and motions by comparison. Feels like slo-mo. It's actually cool as shit, and can boost your confidence and control on the big bike like a motherfucker.

Don't laugh before you try it, is all I'm sayin'.

I'm not talking about $150 China toys, I'm talking about all handcrafted Italian billet handmade racing parts, extreme 2-stroke pipe tuning, and thus tiny 2-strokes with positively evil powerbands. The power-to-weight is just sick.

Most of the real open class shit starts about about $3500, and is almost all handmade.

It's all real racing shit, just very small, and the "small" is what teaches faster reactions. The example I always use: You can balance a broom on your hand, right? How about a pencil? The smaller lever telegraphs its direction faster, and makes you need to react faster...in this case, too fast to counter-balance. Small bike makes similarly insane demands on your balance. It's a huge challenge, actually, and teaches you to be so goddamn subtle with your weight, it's fucking silly.

You can laugh, but that shit taught me a lot.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Avatard

Nah, a lot of cats (Rossi included) still ride pocket occasionally just to stay sharp. It requires reaction times about 5x quicker than that of a big bike. When you get back on the big bike, it's almost like you can do no wrong, the bike seems so big and lethargic...it almost telegraphs its balance and motions by comparison. Feels like slo-mo. It's actually cool as shit, and can boost your confidence and control on the big bike like a motherfucker.

Don't laugh before you try it, is all I'm sayin'.

I'm not talking about $150 China toys, I'm talking about all handcrafted Italian billet handmade racing parts, extreme 2-stroke pipe tuning, and thus tiny 2-strokes with positively evil powerbands. The power-to-weight is just sick.

Most of the real open class shit starts about about $3500, and is almost all handmade.

It's all real racing shit, just very small, and the "small" is what teaches faster reactions. The example I always use: You can balance a broom on your hand, right? How about a pencil? The smaller lever telegraphs its direction faster, and makes you need to react faster...in this case, too fast to counter-balance. Small bike makes similarly insane demands on your balance. It's a huge challenge, actually, and teaches you to be so goddamn subtle with your weight, it's fucking silly.

You can laugh, but that shit taught me a lot.

Skip the mini bikes, we had a nice polini and blata try and race with our suped up fiddies and they were just in the way. Get yourself a mini motard if you want fun.

[Papa_Complex]

On the original topic:

This is what works for me. It might not for you. There are many different "right" styles and you'll have to find one that works best for you.

Head vertical and up. Look through the corner as far as you comfortably can. This will make the corner seem slower and proper head position, and looking where I wanted to be improved my riding 100%.

Get both cheeks off the seat. Carry your weight on the balls of your feet and use the inside of the high leg to locate yourself on the bike like an archer uses the corner of his eye to shoot consistently. DoNOT use it to carry any significant amount of weight. By doing this you'll be carrying your weight low on the bike and allowing it to move independently from you. This takes endurance and a lot of leg strength, but you'll be amazed at how much the bike will correct for bumps and pavement imperfections all by itself, if your body weight isn't restricting movement.

This kid has just about the best natural body position I've seen, close up.



Coming off the corner and moving into tuck on the front straight.

[Switch]

Thanks everyone for the comments.

I will work on this next time I'm on the track... ( a couple months maybe...)

[Avatard]

Originally Posted by Trip

Skip the mini bikes, we had a nice polini and blata try and race with our suped up fiddies and they were just in the way. Get yourself a mini motard if you want fun.

Yeah, it's funny...here in the US, it looks like Mini Motard may take hold better.

Pocketbike is literally the class under 125 Moto GP (televised) in Europe, however. I just think the pockets are cool because of the size.

You can actually put two in the back of a Corvette, and go racing.

[byron12]

Originally Posted by Avatard

Yeah, it's funny...here in the US, it looks like Mini Motard may take hold better.

Pocketbike is literally the class under 125 Moto GP (televised) in Europe, however. I just think the pockets are cool because of the size.

You can actually put two in the back of a Corvette, and go racing.

The mini motard is cheaper I agree completly that the small bike is tje best way to learn body posistion.

[Avatard]

Originally Posted by byron12

The mini motard is cheaper I agree completly that the small bike is tje best way to learn body posistion.

Yep.



That's the current pocket champ (Italy)

Here's the bike:

http://www.minimoto.it/cap/bike/bk0....xpd/expo_i.txt

Gay? No way, Jose.

Note damper, wavy rotors...

[ceo012384]

Anytime you post up pictures of yourself riding, someone will have something to say. Usually it's "get your head/torso down".

Now, I know that is true, and it would help you... but everyone has their own comfort zone. The more you push it the more you need to try to go for that "ideal" body position. However I personally find that position can be uncomfortable and tiring. I try to often reserve my really extreme hangoff and getting my head down by the clipon for the laps when I'm really trying to go fast...

Overall, you look pretty good. Just try to slide your chest over on the tank a bit and you'll be golden. As you get faster and faster it will be more important to get your torso and head way down there, and it takes some strength and endurance to do it for long periods of time. This offseason I am going to be working on my physical condition.

[shmike]

Originally Posted by Trip

Skip the mini bikes, we had a nice polini and blata try and race with our suped up fiddies and they were just in the way. Get yourself a mini motard if you want fun.

Agreed.

You want to learn body english?

Wrestle a 14hp fiddy on 10" slicks over a double and through a dirt section without face planting.

The pocket bikes are fun too but mini motard has definitely taken hold state side.