http://www.sportrider.com/ride/146_9306_motorcycle_pacing/index.html
Pace Yourself
The street is not the track--it's a place to Pace
writer: Nick Ienatsch
illustrator: Jon Berndt
Two weeks ago a rider died when he and his bike tumbled off a cliff
paralleling our favorite road. No gravel in the road, no oncoming car pushing
him wide, no ice. The guy screwed up. Rider error. Too much enthusiasm with
too little skill, and this fatality wasn't the first on this road this year.
As with most single-bike accidents, the rider entered the corner at a speed
his brain told him was too fast, stood the bike up and nailed the rear brake.
Goodbye.
On the racetrack this rider would have tumbled into the hay bales, visited
the ambulance for a strip of gauze and headed back to the pits to straighten
his handlebars and think about his mistake. But let's get one thing perfectly
clear: the street is not the racetrack. Using it as such will shorten your
riding career and keep you from discovering the Pace. The Pace is far from
street racing-and a lot more fun.
The Pace places the motorcycle in its proper role as the controlled vehicle,
not the controlling vehicle. Too many riders of sport bikes become baggage
when the throttle gets twisted-the ensuing speed is so overwhelming they are
carried along in the rush. The Pace ignores outright speed and can be as much
fun on a Ninja 250 as on a ZX-11, emphasizing rider skill over right-wrist
bravado. A fool can twist the grip, but a fool has no idea how to stop or
turn. Learning to stop will save your life; learning to turn will enrich it.
What feels better than banking a motorcycle into a corner?
------
http://images.sportrider.com/ride/146-9306-pace-02.jpg
Using all of the available lane while entering the corner (square line)
provides a number of benefits. It allows you to brake while upright, see
farther through the corner and use a later corner apex. With a later apex,
you can get on the throttle earlier as you stand the bike up out of the
corner. The low entrance line (dotted line) forces you to lean over even
after the apex and is a major contributing factor to overshooting a corner.
Always give the centerline some room: stay right except to pass.
-----
The mechanics of turning a motorcycle involve pushing and/or pulling on the
handlebars; while this isn't new information for most sport riders, realize
that the force at the handlebar affects the motorcycle's rate of turn-in.
Shove hard on the bars, and the bike snaps over; gently push the bars, and
the bike lazily banks in. Different corners require different techniques, but
as you begin to think about lines, late entrances and late apexes, turning
your bike at the exact moment and reaching the precise lean angle will
require firm, forceful inputs at the handlebars. If you take less time to
turn your motorcycle, you can use that time to brake more effectively or run
deeper into the corner, affording yourself more time to judge the corner and
a better look at any hidden surprises. It's important to look as far into the
corner as possible and remember the adage, "You go where you look."
DON'T RUSH
The number-one survival skill, after mastering emergency braking, is setting
your corner-entrance speed early, or as Kenny Roberts says, "Slow in, fast
out." Street riders may get away with rushing into 99 out of 100 corners, but
that last one will have gravel, mud or a trespassing car. Setting entrance
speed early will allow you to adjust your speed and cornering line, giving
you every opportunity to handle the surprise.
We've all rushed into a corner too fast and experienced not just the terror
but the lack of control when trying to herd the bike into the bend. If you're
fighting the brakes and trying to turn the bike, any surprise will be
impossible to deal with. Setting your entrance speed early and looking into
the corner allows you to determine what type of corner you're facing. Does
the radius decrease? Is the turn off-camber? Is there an embankment that may
have contributed some dirt to the corner?
Racers talk constantly about late braking, yet that technique is used only to
pass for position during a race, not to turn a quicker lap time. Hard braking
blurs the ability to judge cornering speed accurately, and most racers who
rely too heavily on the brakes find themselves passed at the corner exits
because they scrubbed off too much cornering speed. Additionally, braking
late often forces you to trail the brakes or turn the motorcycle while still
braking. While light trail braking is an excellent and useful technique to
master, understand that your front tire has only a certain amount of traction
to give.
If you use a majority of the front tire's traction for braking and then ask
it to provide maximum cornering traction as well, a typical low-side crash
will result. Also consider that your motorcycle won't steer as well with the
fork fully compressed under braking. If you're constantly fighting the
motorcycle while turning, it may be because you're braking too far into the
corner. All these problems can be eliminated by setting your entrance speed
early, an important component of running at the Pace.
-----
http://images.sportrider.com/ride/146-9306-pace-03.jpg
A tire has a given amount of traction that can be used for cornering,
accelerating, decelerating or a combination of these. A tire that's cornering
hard won't have much traction left for acceleration or deceleration. Imagine
a linkage connecting your rear tire to your throttle hand. As the tire stands
up from full lean, your throttle can be rolled open; the tire's traction used
for cornering can now be converted to acceleration traction.
-----
Since you aren't hammering the brakes at every corner entrance, your
enjoyment of pure cornering will increase tremendously. You'll relish the
feeling of snapping your bike into a corner and opening the throttle as early
as possible. Racers talk about getting the drive started, and that's just as
important on the street. Notice how the motorcycle settles down and simply
works better when the throttle is open? Use a smooth, light touch on the
throttle and try to get the bike driving as soon as possible in the corner,
even before the apex, the tightest point of the corner. If you find yourself
on the throttle ridiculously early, it's an indication you can increase your
entrance speed slightly by releasing the brakes earlier.
As you sweep past the apex, you can begin to stand the bike up out of the
corner. This is best done by smoothly accelerating, which will help stand the
bike up. As the rear tire comes off full lean it puts more rubber on the
road, and the forces previously used for cornering traction can be converted
to acceleration traction. The throttle can be rolled open as the bike stands
up.
This magazine won't tell you how fast is safe; we will tell you how to go
fast safely. How fast you go is your decision, but it's one that requires
reflection and commitment. High speed on an empty four-lane freeway is
against the law, but it's fairly safe. Fifty-five miles per hour in a canyon
might be legal, but it may also be dangerous. Get together with your friends
and talk about speed. Set a reasonable maximum and stick to it. Done right,
the Pace is addicting without high straightaway speeds.
-----
http://images.sportrider.com/ride/146-9306-pace-04.jpg
Using your brakes entering a corner, or trail braking, takes a delicate touch
on the lever. As the bike leans in and the tire begins cornering in earnest,
there won't be much traction left for braking. Imagine a connection between
the front-brake lever and the front tire: as the tire goes to full lean, all
traction will be used for cornering; grabbing the front brake at this point
will lock the wheel.
-----
Since you aren't hammering the brakes at every corner entrance, your
enjoyment of pure cornering will increase tremendously. You'll relish the
feeling of snapping your bike into a corner and opening the throttle as early
as possible. Racers talk about getting the drive started, and that's just as
important on the street. Notice how the motorcycle settles down and simply
works better when the throttle is open? Use a smooth, light touch on the
throttle and try to get the bike driving as soon as possible in the corner,
even before the apex, the tightest point of the corner. If you find yourself
on the throttle ridiculously early, it's an indication you can increase your
entrance speed slightly by releasing the brakes earlier.
As you sweep past the apex, you can begin to stand the bike up out of the
corner. This is best done by smoothly accelerating, which will help stand the
bike up. As the rear tire comes off full lean it puts more rubber on the
road, and the forces previously used for cornering traction can be converted
to acceleration traction. The throttle can be rolled open as the bike stands
up.
This magazine won't tell you how fast is safe; we will tell you how to go
fast safely. How fast you go is your decision, but it's one that requires
reflection and commitment. High speed on an empty four-lane freeway is
against the law, but it's fairly safe. Fifty-five miles per hour in a canyon
might be legal, but it may also be dangerous. Get together with your friends
and talk about speed. Set a reasonable maximum and stick to it. Done right,
the Pace is addicting without high straightaway speeds.
The group I ride with couldn't care less about outright speed between
corners; any gomer can twist a throttle. If you routinely go 100 mph, we hope
you routinely practice emergency stops from that speed. Keep in mind outright
speed will earn a ticket that is tough to fight and painful to pay; cruising
the easy straight stuff doesn't attract as much attention from the
authorities and sets your speed perfectly for the next sweeper.
-----
http://images.sportrider.com/ride/146-9306-pace-05.jpg
Riding fast everywhere hurts our image, your license and eventually your bike
and body. Set realistic freeway and city speed limits, stick to them and save
the speed for the racetrack or dragstrip.
-----
GROUP MENTALITY
Straights are the time to reset the ranks. The leader needs to set a pace
that won't bunch up the followers, especially while leaving a stop sign or
passing a car on a two-lane road. The leader must use the throttle hard to
get around the car and give the rest of the group room to make the pass, yet
he or she can't speed blindly along and earn a ticket for the whole group.
With sane speeds on the straights, the gaps can be adjusted easily; the bikes
should be spaced about two seconds apart for maximum visibility of surface
hazards.
It's the group aspect of the Pace I enjoy most, watching the bikes in front
of me click into a corner like a row of dominoes, or looking in my mirror as
my friends slip through the same set of corners I just emerged from.
Because there's a leader and a set of rules to follow, the competitive aspect
of sport riding is eliminated and that removes a tremendous amount of
pressure from a young rider's ego-or even an old rider's ego. We've all felt
the tug of racing while riding with friends or strangers, but the Pace takes
that away and saves it for where it belongs: the racetrack. The racetrack is
where you prove your speed and take chances to best your friends and rivals.
I've spent a considerable amount of time writing about the Pace (see
Motorcyclist, Nov. '91) for several reasons, not the least of which being the
fun I've had researching it (continuous and ongoing). But I have motivations
that aren't so fun. I got scared a few years ago when Senator Danforth
decided to save us from ourselves by trying to ban superbikes, soon followed
by insurance companies blacklisting a variety of sport bikes. I've seen
Mulholland Highway shut down because riders insisted on racing (and crashing)
over a short section of it. I've seen heavy police patrols on roads that
riders insist on throwing themselves off of. I've heard the term
"murder-cycles" a dozen times too many. When we consider the abilities of a
modern sport bike, it becomes clear that rider technique is sorely lacking.
The Pace emphasizes intelligent, rational riding techniques that ignore
racetrack heroics without sacrificing fun. The skills needed to excel on the
racetrack make up the basic precepts of the Pace, excluding the mind-numbing
speeds and leaving the substantially larger margin for error needed to allow
for unknowns and immovable objects. Our sport faces unwanted legislation from
outsiders, but a bit of throttle management from within will guarantee our
future.
The Pace Principles
1 Set cornering speed early.
Blow the entrance and you'll never recover.
2 Look down the road.
Maintaining a high visual horizon will reduce perceived speed and help you
avoid panic situations.
3 Steer the bike quickly.
There's a reason John Kocinski works out-turning a fast-moving motorcycle
takes muscle.
4 Use your brakes smoothly but firmly.
Get on and then off the brakes; don't drag 'em.
5 Get the throttle on early.
Starting the drive settles the chassis, especially though a bumpy corner.
6 Never cross the centerline except to pass.
Crossing the centerline in a corner is an instant ticket and an admittance
that you can't really steer your bike. In racing terms, your lane is the
course; staying right of the line adds a significant challenge to most roads
and is mandatory for sport riding's future.
7 Don't crowd the centerline.
Always expect an oncoming car with two wheels in your lane.
8 Don't hang off in the corners or tuck in on the straights.
Sitting sedately on the bike looks safer and reduces unwanted attention. It
also provides a built-in safety margin.
9 When leading, ride for the group.
Good verbal communication is augmented with hand signals and turn signals;
change direction and speed smoothly.
10 When following, ride with the group.
If you can't follow a leader, don't expect anyone to follow you when you're
setting the Pace.
This article was originally published in the June 1993 issue of <i>Sport
Rider.</i>