~Losing the front

What does it feel like when you lose the front. I have pushed the front and know what that feels like (scary and makes me want to back off) But what about losing the front. When I do push the front is it OK up to a point that I don't have to worry about it? I am asking because I felt like I was going to lose it in turn one at Summit and ever since I pushed it a couple of times I dodont want to test the limits.

 

you "lose" the front a split second before your on the ground.

 

...

See God, back off......

Try the new Dunlops, may fix the slide

 

You know you have lost the front when you go to full steering lock...

hit the gas and skid on your knee and you'll be fine

sometimes.

 

Re: Re: ~Losing the front

it happens so fast it'll take you a few to get used to them so you can actually catch yourself with your knee...

Tex is right though...hit the gas...and ppppooooosshshhhhh with your knee

 

Re: Re: Re: ~Losing the front

Lever saved himself once that way on his Orange County Chopper STINGRAY bicycle. All the girlies at the elementary school went CRAZY!!!!!!!!! (this happened last week)

 

Lever just can't catch a break around here, can he?

 

yes, but only till he posts a thread that draws him his beloved attention.

 

ever slipped on a banana?? Losing the front is like that....


Slliiiiiiiiiiiiiipppppppp............BAM!

 

Go to your local waterslide park and go down the fastest slide. It feels something like this if you do it right.

 

Seriously though, you lose the front when you push the front too much.

 

Re: ...

The new dunlops, and the recomended tire presure (31front 32 rear) caused both myself and my bud to slide the rear arround exessively at nashville! hard to go fast when your tring to save a highsde!

I've been lock to lock on pirellis and somehow come out ruber side down, and have "slid' or "pushed" the front for about 3 "OH SHITs" and saved it. But there are times when I have found myself on the ground before I knew what was happening too.

 

It always happened at the one point in turn one where the end of the concrete end in the middle and where it met up with the asphault. I was told there is a little water seepage there by the race director and to take another line if I didn't like it because there was nothing he could do about it. I tried another line but the I was taking seemed to suit my style (read slow) best. I felt the front tire push everytime I went in there and it hurt my confidence because I didn't know, from experience, wether a little slide from the front was going to make me end up in the gravel or on the Jefferson Course where cars were running. To tell the truth I didn't feel comfortable but if someone tells me this is common it would boost my confidence tremendously.

 

Sometimes the front can start to push or slip if you have too much weight on the front wheel. Try a little
"maintenance throttle" on the way in and see if that helps.
I know it sounds counter-intuitive but if you have the weight distributed more evenly between the front and the rear, the suspension works better.

Hope this helps!

 

Did you have any sorts of probs like that in turn one Pete?

 

If you have access to a dirt bike especially a small one like a 100 or 125 four stroke, those are excellent bikes to learn how to react to loosing or sliding the front. After a little playing around youll find sliding to be a whole lot of fun. Its not the fastest way around the track but still fun.

I try to stay on the gas or hold it steady, loosen up on the bars and plant my knee. Like everyone else said, It happens pretty damn quick, so trying to stay loose even in spots where you know it may happen or has happened will speed up your reaction time. Youll know its actually letting go when front end feel just stops and the bars start to turn the opposite way you are turning.

Steel city, I love your response. You loose the front when you push the front tooooo much. - Got Milk?

Sorry man, I couldnt resist!

 

Dude,
There are those that say I'm a rolling problem out there!


I know I've has problems with the rear slipping out on the way out off the concrete. But I also know there are plenty of guys going thru there a lot faster than I am.

It's probably just a sistuation where your bike is just "out of shape" in that part of the turn.

Down at the Cornerspeed school a few weeks ago I heard a guy say something that really helped me understand suspensions better.

"A motorcycle works better when the top of the chain is tight."

Aaron has a 2nd level school called "More Cornerspeed" that really gets into some of these kinds of things.

Check out www.cornerspeed.net and get signed up.
I'll see you there.
:up:

 

Gotta agree with the Duck on this one.
A dirt bike will make you more comfortable with slides, for sure!

There are lots of guys doing the dirtbike thing as cross training and I think it helps them a lot.

That being said...if you ever see me in the dirt. IT'S BECAUSE SOMETHING VERY BAAADDDD HAS HAPPENED!
:wow:

 

Feedback is a wonderful thing. If you have a bike that you can really "feel" what the front is doing it is FRIGGIN AWESOME. Being hard but smooth into corners and having your buds say "dude, you had smoke comming off your front tire.." you know you have a very good front end. Being smooth and getting on, what one post mentioned earlier, "maitinence throttle" is key to not pushing the front beyond what it can handle. New tires every few races is also a must at that point.. Perry Melneczech (sp) said to me once "you cant lowside once your on the gas"..

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: ~Losing the front

I also lost the front going to fast around the schools hallways while riding Jerry's rascal scooter...cold tires....and i had the tire warmers daggumit! (that happened two weeks ago)

I'll hand it to Jerry though...he's usually at the front of his class..