Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > General Motorcycles only > Help me improve please!

[kwikbitch]

Originally posted by Iconic944ss
Some good articles in Ride mag this month on 'active counter steering'....

Just wish I had a bike running to practise on!

That was an EXCELLENT article...I just need to go out and have a practice...Isn't Andy Ibbott a nice man!

[loverobot]

will go have a look-see at that article then!

[Jools]

Well from the photo's you do exactly what I do...stick your knees out into the breeze and think you're hanging off the bike, you still seem to have at least one cheek on the saddle, whereas if you were really hanging off the bike as much as you could your ass would be over more - thus bringing your outside leg so as it was braced up against the tank and didn't have any daylight between it and the bike.

The other thing is you seem to swivel your hips around the tank when in theory they should be at 90 degrees to the direction of the bike.

Thats according to CSS level 3, which I've done, but then again I wouldn't presume to tell you you're doing it all wrong because I do both those things myself, despite knowing the theory I can't do it in practise.

[Iconic944ss]

Lisa, I think you have a soft spot for Andy somehow

Yes good read though this month - he brought a scarey CSS R6 bike with him that I'd never heard about before. It has a set of handlebars with a remote linked throttle mounted ABOVE the screen using the mirror mounts I think!!!

The idea being to show above any reasonable speed, leaning actually does little in terms of initiating a turn. The riders present had to move hands from the 'normal' clip-ons to the hi-rise at about 50 mph and then try it for themselves - I felt a little queasy just trying to imagine doing it !!!!!!!!!!!

[loverobot]

Originally posted by Jools
Well from the photo's you do exactly what I do...stick your knees out into the breeze and think you're hanging off the bike, you still seem to have at least one cheek on the saddle, whereas if you were really hanging off the bike as much as you could your ass would be over more - thus bringing your outside leg so as it was braced up against the tank and didn't have any daylight between it and the bike.

The other thing is you seem to swivel your hips around the tank when in theory they should be at 90 degrees to the direction of the bike.

Thats according to CSS level 3, which I've done, but then again I wouldn't presume to tell you you're doing it all wrong because I do both those things myself, despite knowing the theory I can't do it in practise.

now that is interesting - i do feel like i am miles off but thought my outer leg looked odd being stuck up and out like that

[Fordie]

I would really like to no if all this hanging of milarky really does make you go any faster. Has anybody got any clear evidence to that fact. The Star of yester years Mike Hailwood never left the saddle and that man could ride. The tyres in his day were not like there are today either,he like me just rode the bike, didnt bother to change body position only to climb back into the seat again. It looked good for the pictures but I can see no real purpose in it . I would like to be corrected on this . 4D

[Monty]

Loverobot, looking at your pictures I would say you need to sit slightly further back, this will allow you to 'lock in' to the tank cutout(it's what it's there for) to give you a more stable body position and will stop your outside knee from 'hanging in the breeze' as Jools pointed out. This is all level 3 CSS stuff-which I just did at Almeria at the weekend with Butch, Michael, and Duncan.
And Fordie-yes it does make a difference mate-it allows you to either keep the bike more upright and therefore on the fatter part of the tyre or carry more speed for the same lean angle. I know the great Mike Hailwood didn't do it but the tyres he rode on didn't offer enough grip to take advantage. You and I both know as we rode on them too-old ain't we??

John

[loverobot]

i managed to drag my knee for the first time in cartegena and once i had i managed to be able to do it all the time, both sides and on most corners

i had to hang off to do it

i found it helped me as when i got to the corner i could keep leaning and putting power on until my knee touched down and then i knew i was far enough

dont know if that is the general concensus of why but it certainly helped me in my limted way

[Jools]

Originally posted by Fordie
I would really like to no if all this hanging of milarky really does make you go any faster. Has anybody got any clear evidence to that fact. The Star of yester years Mike Hailwood never left the saddle and that man could ride. The tyres in his day were not like there are today either,he like me just rode the bike, didnt bother to change body position only to climb back into the seat again. It looked good for the pictures but I can see no real purpose in it . I would like to be corrected on this . 4D

Errr...Fordie mate, look at yer avatar. does that look like Hailwood to you? You're hanging off like a good un

[loverobot]

by the way i feel i could hang off further as per the above comments which are v helpful thanks