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Help my body positioning

Discussion in 'Information For New Racers' started by AC792, Aug 22, 2018.

  1. AC792

    AC792 Well-Known Member

    Hi guys, this is my first year riding track on a sportbike. Grew up riding motocross and started riding track on a supermoto last year. Well I got hooked and bought myself a dedicated track bike.

    Anyway, after looking through pictures I noticed my outside leg/knee is always sticking out and not tucked against the tank like I think it should be. What am I doing wrong? Am
    I not getting off the bike enough? I drag knee pretty consistently and don’t feel that I am forcing the knee to drag by any means but maybe I am. I feel very comfortable on the bike but look kind of awkward in pictures. Are my rearsets out of wack?

    Here are a couple pics for reference. These were taken in Intermediate group and I have since been bumped to Advanced, but my body positioning is still the same and I want to fix it.

    Any help is greatly appreciated.

    Thanks!

    Bike is a 2010 Aprilia RSV4.[​IMG][​IMG]


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    Last edited: Aug 22, 2018
  2. Hotfoot

    Hotfoot Well-Known Member

    How close are you sitting to the tank? It can be hard to get your knee locked into the tank if you are too close, and that can also make you counter-rotate your hips, which can cause you to straighten/ brace the inside arm instead of dropping your upper body down into the corner.
     
  3. TX Joose

    TX Joose Well-Known Member

    Everybody's got their own style, but you should be using the outside leg for leverage and have the inside of your knee up against the tank.
     
  4. stangmx13

    stangmx13 Well-Known Member

    I think 2 things will definitely help.
    1. scoot your butt back. if u are sliding around too much to stay there, get grippy tank pads or a grippy seat
    2. lower your head. if you don't feel your outside arm touching your gas tank, your head can prob go lower.
     
    flygirl, noles19 and Percell Hunter like this.
  5. TurboBlew

    TurboBlew Registers Abusers

    http://forums.13x.com/index.php?threads/new-pod-cast-from-ken-hill.328579/

    heres a resourceful thread about riding... gratis.
    Something that helped me... put your bike on a rear stand then practice pivoting on the balls of your feet from one side
    to another. Your heel should be on the rear set guard, toes on top of the peg... to give you some leverage and your opposite butt cheek on the seat edge. Also your grip should be loose on the bars at all times.
    Also this should be done in advance of a turn. Rarely should you be "center saddle" unless youre doing wheelies or entering pit road! :D
     
  6. AC792

    AC792 Well-Known Member

    I sit right up against it. I thought the same thing after analyzing the pictures. I will try and adjust. Thank you!


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  7. AC792

    AC792 Well-Known Member

    Thanks all for the tips and helpful advice! I’m going to do a little practice on the stands this weekend. I’ll be at the track in a couple weeks and hopefully will have some updated pictures to show progress.




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  8. Ra.Ge. Raptor

    Ra.Ge. Raptor wanna_be_fast

    I can see in your 1st photo that your inside foot positioning on the peg is wrong. you can't put weight on it and subsequently you might be putting weight on your inside arm so you're not letting the bike turn and you can't lower your upper body.


    You should be on the balls of your feet and the majority of your weight should be on your inside foot, in the middle of the corner.Your outside thigh should be against the tank and your core muscles engaged. No weight on hands!

    Your outside knee could be sticking out (thigh against the tank) depending on how far inside you sit on the seat and your height but yours is too much. You must be sitting too close to the tank and that contributes to your crossed up BP.

    As @TurboBlew mentioned, listen to all of Ken Hill's podcasts, they're extremely helpful. Or even better go work with him.
     
    AC792 and TurboBlew like this.
  9. JBall

    JBall REALLY senior member

    How tall are you? My first impression of the picture was you were riding an R3 or some other small bike and you just didn't have enough room. If you have adjustable rearsets, I would move them down and back a bit.
     
    Phl218 likes this.
  10. AC792

    AC792 Well-Known Member

    Thanks guys! I greatly appreciate the helpful tips and suggestions. I’ve been listening to Ken Hill podcasts today and am excited to get on the bike and start working on it.

    I am 6ft, so I could try adjusting the rearsets. I haven’t touched them since I bought the bike. I left them in the same spot as the previous owner since he was similar height.


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  11. Phanuel

    Phanuel Well-Known Member

    How does weight on the bars prevent a bike from turning? You have to put weight on the bars in order to trail brake to the slowest point of the corner.
     
  12. Ra.Ge. Raptor

    Ra.Ge. Raptor wanna_be_fast

    The key phrase in my post is this one: "in the middle of the corner".
    Of course you're gonna have pressure on the bars while trail braking. But having weigh on them in the middle of the corner, doesn't let the front wheel turn to the inside and you're using more lean angle than needed for your speed.
     
  13. DmanSlam

    DmanSlam Well-Known Member

    Just read this and have to say that I gleaned a few, good nuggets of information. Only wish the OP had posted the "after" pics of their improved riding position. I'm much shorter but look the same way as the "before" photos.

    Listening to the podcast soon...
     
  14. AC792

    AC792 Well-Known Member

    Unfortunately, I only had one more track day since this thread and didn't get any more pictures. I will be working on it this season and will come back with updates!

    Thanks again all!
     
  15. _indy

    _indy Well-Known Member

    I'll throw my 2 cents in.
    Your trying to UN-learn bad habits. For most knowing isn't doing.
    For me, it's taken many, many track days to slowly do what I know.
    Still the track pictures show what I think isn't anywhere near what I thought I was doing.

    I'm trying to say, be patient with yourself.
    Have fun, stick with it and if your enjoying the day and improving at all then it's all good.
    Pick one thing for today or at least this session, race. Work on that. Just that nothing else.

    Send me your paypal email, I'll send you 2 cents. That's what my opinion is worth.
     
  16. AC792

    AC792 Well-Known Member

    Thank you for the insight, much appreciated! I can tell you that I had a ton of fun last season, and am looking forward to it again! I will post new pics once the season gets going and hopefully they start looking better [emoji1303]


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  17. moto316

    moto316 Well-Known Member

    Had the same problem as OP and what made a huge difference is forcing myself to position my outside foot so that the peg is in the sole of the foot, butting up against the edge of the heel. I had the same positioning as you at first because i didnt feel comfortable having to reposition my foot so that the ball was on the peg once it was time for that outside foot to become the inside foot in preparation for the turn. Once I got used to putting that peg in the sole of the foot my outside knee was much closer to the tank in on track pictures. Mid corner support from the outside leg was also greatly improved.
     
    badmoon692008 likes this.
  18. AC792

    AC792 Well-Known Member

    Thank you for the feedback. So if I am understanding correctly, you moved your outside foot forward/down so the peg was resting right up against the heel?


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  19. moto316

    moto316 Well-Known Member

    Correct
     
    AC792 likes this.
  20. flygirl

    flygirl Well-Known Member

    Always a struggle for me. Thanks for posting the thread. I like reading the different input from everyone
     
    AC792 likes this.

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