[narula123]

March'25 Trackday update:

Hit BIC again with Apex Racing and this time with a 1-1 guidance from coach Jeeva since I was still not 100% confident of what I was doing at most parts of the circuit.
Needless to say when you get 1-1 coaching from someone who has trained and groomed national champions then it will not just make you see tangible results but also start strengthening your self-confidence.

The bike performed flawless specially with the brand new set of Michelin PowerSlick 2 tyres, to my mind these are definitely an edge above the more commonly available Metzeler TD Slicks. I also realised what a boon the Puig winglets and brake cooler ducts continue to be.
I am considering changing my quick throttle to a slightly less aggressive setting for the next outing post monsoons to see if it makes me manage the power better. With the current mid-level QT setting the power comes on fast and like an avalanche which does take some management to handle. Lets see if a toned down QT setting will make it more linear and hence smoother.

I also realised that this track literally chews out your brake pads. I went in with a brand-new set of EBCs and by the end of day 2 I was 60% through them. Infact the spare parts vendor at the trackside ran out spare brake pads by the middle of day2 and some folks sat out the latter half of the second day thanks to shot brakes.

I am now also in the market for a new suit and airbag system and have few options in mind. My Rev'it is now almost 7 years old and showing its age a bit but the biggest challenge is that its not an air-bag compatible suit. Will keep my cards close to my chest for now and update when something new comes in.

Leaving you with some lovely shots from very talented photographers

[Mr.Ogre]

Nice and crisp article. I think I need similar guidance, as I am not able to ride the way I want when I hit the tracks.

This is why I booked my session with CSS in September when they scheduled their visit to Sydney Motorsports Park. Until then, would you or anyone else be able to help me out here? I am going to the tracks again in May before the CSS session.

Am I not moving out enough? Should I be moving my knee out even further? On the Ninja I scrape my pegs a lot, and that unsettles me a little.

In addition to all this, I am not yet comfortable with my suit and the boots and the gloves. It feels like I am riding with lot of weight. I think this is just a lame excuse.

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by Mr.Ogre

Am I not moving out enough? Should I be moving my knee out even further? On the Ninja I scrape my pegs a lot, and that unsettles me a little.

- Going by the pics, I feel you don't need to move your body further out.
- Couldn't make out much of how much you are behind in relation to the tank. It feels like you can move back another inch or so and that should help the knee come out without much strain. Your checklist here would be that the outside thigh is anchored to the tank and your body weight is focused there.
- With regards to the feet posture, you can try pointing the toes slightly towards the inside of the corner vs. keeping them parallel to the kerb, which would again help open up the knee.

[narula123]

Originally Posted by Mr.Ogre

Nice and crisp article. I think I need similar guidance, as I am not able to ride the way I want when I hit the tracks.

This is why I booked my session with CSS in September when they scheduled their visit to Sydney Motorsports Park. Until then, would you or anyone else be able to help me out here? I am going to the tracks again in May before the CSS session.

Am I not moving out enough? Should I be moving my knee out even further? On the Ninja I scrape my pegs a lot, and that unsettles me a little.

In addition to all this, I am not yet comfortable with my suit and the boots and the gloves. It feels like I am riding with lot of weight. I think this is just a lame excuse.

Hi,

Thank you and great to see you deciding to go for a good coaching school like CSS.

While I am not qualified enough to give you specific feedback basis just your pictures and your query, I can give you few suggestions and leave the rest to your learning curve with capable coaches and schools.

1. When in doubt, go slow. When you cut your pace to a comfortable limit, your mind has more time to process the visual and sensorial inputs while riding.
Most coaches will recommend you do a no-brake drill for first few laps to get your mind accustomed.
2. Your body position is a by-product of multiple things and the knee being out is just one of the many output metrics. I use my knee slider as a reference feeler for my lean angle and grip. Vignesh above has shared some very apt pointers for you to consider too.
In any case, grinding pegs is never a good idea and is a sure shot sign that either you are leaning a lot or your bike suspension is not set up for the use case. CSS will correct this for you but in the interim use your body weight to lean more in corners than absolute lean on the bike to the point of grounding pegs.
Also remember the Ninja 1000 wasnt built to set laptimes around a circuit and hence the stock pegs are also set low for rider comfort. As you start picking up pace you will have to consider making changes to the bike including a set of rearsets among other things.
3. There is no substitute for track time. The more you spend time training yourself the more comfortable you will become at it.
4. Your gear is essential and there to not just protect you but also to enhance your functionality on the bike. Get well fitting gear so that its less of an obstruction. If you are noticing the weight of your gear or the discomfort while on a lap then maybe you arent wearing the right kit or your mind is too bothered by it. The gear has to be invisible to your mind while riding.

Good luck, have fun out there and be patient with your learning curve. Rome wasnt built in a day!