Ducati Monster Forum

WTF is going on with his left hand here?

I think I saw another pic of him doing that, but can't find it now.
I don't recall anyone else doing that.

(http://media.crash.net/original/PA2074375.0008.jpg)

Looks like he's just holding the bar with his thumb and index finger, and half holding with the middle finger "just like so". Looks real delicate like. I've never seen that. Is that what you're seeing?

   My guess would be that he's taking that brief moment mid-corner to relax that hand and wrist.   Might be trying to get just a bit more extension.   Either way, a good example of "soft hands" and only expending energy where it's needed.   I can't imagine there being many chances to rest any part of the body at that level of speed, focus, and machinery.   Hell, watching onboard footage of these guys charging in a straight line and it's like they're clinging to a beast that's trying to shrug them off !  Between tucking behind the bubble, full brakes, and driving out of a corner,  that run into the apex is where a lot of the magic happens and the  finesse and precision shows.  Or maybe he's tucking the front?!?

   From my own experience, if my hands or arms start to pump up it's usually from riding too tense.   I can relax my outer three fingers (when the situation allows) but always keep contact with my thumb and first finger.   That and spreading the fingers a bit also allows the air flow to cool the hands and dry the sweat. 

And if we really want to speculate from the arm chair...

Maybe he's running wider bars to help leverage the Ducati into corners?   I've ridden bikes with wider bars than I was used to. It would kink my outside wrist and limit how far I could get my upper body to the inside unless I pulled a "Lorenzo".   

Yeah, just the thumb and index finger.

I'll have to try that next time I'm out in the twisty bits, see what it's like, maybe get some idea of what he's trying to do.

My assessment of his general style is that it's very purposeful, thoughtful, and intentional, not instinctive.

I think he's waving to himself on the big screen. ;D

"There's my favorite rider on the screen, let me wave, again."   :)

Whatever he's doing, he looks slick as! 👍🏻👍🏻

Well put assessment. I might give it a shot too, and hopefully not kill myself. I'm usually hanging on for dear life at the track. ;D

Quite a few pictures of Scott Redding with a loose outside grip (when it's not the throttle).   Must go to show that when draped over the tank and extended mid-corner, that hand doesn't have to do much.   Makes sense.

https://www.google.com/search?q=scott+redding+cornering&espv=2&biw=1120&bih=590&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjMuLme3IrRAhUM7GMKHcvkDEoQsAQIGQ#imgrc=_

I'll do that when I'm thinking about it (which is to say, probably less than 25% of the time) on bicycles & motorcycles - for me, it's a way of focusing on counter-steering with the inside hand and not tensing up and pulling on the bar with my outside hand if things start to get funky.

Of course, there's about as much correlation between what a MotoGP rider does and what I do as there is between a bumble bee and an F-16; the same laws of physics apply, and that's probably about it.

 
 [thumbsup]
Agree, and 25% is flattery in my case  ;)

http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/lorenzo-says-ducati-won-t-force-him-to-change-riding-style-862633/

I tried it twice when I thought of it on my ride sunday.

Not a good feeling.

But I'm left handed, so it may take a while.