moto gp question

[Peter-C]

Just been watching the race at LeMans. Can anyone tell me why the riders dangle a leg as they come up to a corner. Is it for the braking effect or cramp or something else.

Its bugged me for ages.

Peter

[rpjg1975]

Handyandy may well be able to answer that being an ex bike racer. Sure he will be along shortly. Isn't normally far away :)

Russ

[baz-r]

iirc it started a long time back with some riders lifting thair foot off to stop them using the back brake when thay swithed from riding 2 to 4 strokes and found the movement helped the bike tip in as c of g moved.

i would feel out of control and un nurved if i did it personaly :eek:

[alga]

My guess is that the riders shift their weight inside the turn so the bike is more upright. Perhaps this gives better grip?

[MarkB]

It's a weight distribution thing also helps get the bike turned in and scares the shite out of the lad behind who is lining himself up to go underneath in the corner...some still "back" the bike into a corner then crack open the throttle and slide the bike round the corner,it's stuff like this that sets bike racing way above that farce they call F1.

Yes modern GP bikes of traction control, anti wheelie gubbins etc but 250+hp thru a couple of inches of rubber takes some bottle to control.

[HandyAndy]

As all have said, its a combination of lots of things, CofG, the size of the contact patch of the tyre,
As Mark has said too, with the ever increasing BHP of these bikes & with the addition of traction control etc,
a whole new way of getting the machine lined up( whilst scrubbing off a huge amount of speed) prior to the apex of the corner to give the quickest/smoothest line possible had to be learned.

Alot of riders that do this "leg off pegs" thing also have a thumb operated back brake to aid settling the bike at the this point of foot off the pegs.

In my bike racing days I preferred riding 4 stroke bikes without a slipper clutch( easier to use the engine braking effect without a slipper clutch) as I liked to "back" it into the corner, it sounds easier than it actually is, as you are more or less forcing the bike to slide at the rear using the amount of movement available from the headstock ( similar to a speedway rider doing it on gravel ) but on tarmac which is alot more grippy there is a VERY narrow line of getting it right or getting it wrong BIG TIME :eek: .

Those guys are amazing :cool:

[Deanno]

all I know is if it was me i'd be shaking my leg on the way out of the coner as i would have S**T myself doing those speeds :D
I thought it was more for braking / Balance?

Anybody watching the Isle of Man TT?

[HandyAndy]

S**T myself doing those speeds


Anybody watching the Isle of Man TT?

I recall coming close to that at times :D

Yes, been watching the TT :cool: its the side car passengers that make me shudder:eek: total trust in the rider...but those walls come soooooo close :cool:

[ozzy1]

I went to the TT in 95 with the old man.Watched the 750 class in Ballacry(i think) which was after a long flat out straight ,they would drop down 1 gear for the slight right hander then straight on the gas(916 was something to behold at full chat) where they were over the yellow line and right next to the kerb flatout.We were stood in a carpark behind cotswold stone walls about 3 foot thick and still scared the shite out of us both.

[HandyAndy]

I once got asked to do the TT by a team ( connected by sponsors to the team I rode for ), but I wimped out :o ...too many kerbs, walls & lamp posts for my liking :eek:

The only circuit I know that has walls that close is Mallory Park, the chicane called the "Bus stop", is a chicane of 1 bike in 1 bike out at a time, tho a few riders tried the 2 in scenario but it usually ended in tears ,
Its a left right left flick in about 40ft of tarmac(sounds alot but I assure you it was/is tight, they don,t use it for car racing), its concrete walls on both sides with spectators approx 10ft above looking down on the riders...its a weird sensation .

My favourite corner on a UK circuit is "Paddock Hill Bend" at Brands Hatch, its at the end of the main straight passed the pits, so you go into it rather rapid ( chuffing fast :D ), knee on the ground then all of a sudden the tarmac under the knee seems to disappear as the bend then drops like a roller coaster at a fairground , imagine the last time you road a Big Dipper...heart in the mouth feeling............its like that whilst trying to control the bike with other riders inches away ....GULP:cool:

I know I know ....I was mad LOL

[baz-r]

im a big tt fan and went for a full 2 weeks for the 100th year tt :)
you cant watch racing anywhere like it!
i would mainly go to the bridge just after ballacraine sit on the bank and watch them enter the twisty bit before glen hellen
one guy slid wide and rode the kurb like a rail :eek: lookd like a brown moment i can tell you

just bring back all the odd classes like supermono etc.