When are you suppose to transition from brake to gas? If I read it right, you said your on the brakes when you are going into the turn....but how far into it before you let off? I'm afraid if i go into a turn with a fist full of brakes, ill loose the front...
There is not one correct answer here because it depends on what you are doing in that corner. If you want to take the corner at a high cornerspeed, you are going to end your braking early. You will use the brake to set your corner speed and it will involve a little trailbraking but not a lot. You would also use the entire corner by starting wide hitting the apex tight, then running out wide on exit. This is if you want to carry high corner speed.
If you want to get into and through the corner before someone else (passing), then you are going to use less of the track and delay your braking, downshifting routine until later. You will start your braking later, and hold it longer. On most corners when doing this, you will brake all the way to the apex because you are trying to outbrake someone. You are right about the front end...you will load it hard. This is where you better have good suspension and front tire, because you will push the front end hard.
I routinely slide the front end but I'm on the UK Dunlop slicks that are AMA spec and they hook back up nicely. Late braking is what I'm known for. Here's a video from our last school day. In the video you will see two students, (who are racers, and not slow) come up on me in T3. (BIR's new short course) They are on an R6, and a gixxer750. I am on my 620. They come into this turn at approx. 145, I come into it at 120mph. They try to split me and pass on both sides. I can see both of them next to me so I just start my braking later, hold my line right through the middle, and carry a lot more corner speed then they are. If the guy on the inside was real fast, he could have passed me, but the guy on the outside would have possibly been pushed out if this was a race and he tried to stick the pass. They have way more hp, but if you keep watching, they can't get around in any of the turns. It's not until they can get on the power that they pass. Here's the vid. Go to 8:00 for this part.
http://www.youtube.com/user/CRA5150#p/u/4/b3az2gZYBpESo it depends on what you need to do and all corners are not equal. There are some corners that you can be back at full throttle just before the apex, and some that you are braking hard past the apex. You other question was about getting back on throttle. If you want to get faster, and smoother, you need to learn to eliminate the pause between chopping throttle, then doing your braking and shifting, then getting back on. You don't want any pause where you are coasting. You should be on throttle or on brake and not have a pause in there. You should go to what is known as a maintenance throttle as soon as your done braking. You can see it in motogp when they show the braking and throttle meters on the screen. You just ease the throttle on to keep the engine rpms up and start preparing for that drive out. This also keeps your suspension planted in the right stance. A little bit of throttle unloads the front slightly and hold the bike right where you want it. The you ease the power back on and the bike will start to stand up and run wide.
The proper way to grab the brake, and start that maintenance throttle is with smooth, controlled inputs. Don't ramp those inputs up fast, then drop them off. You mentioned grabbing the brake hard but you actually want to squeeze that lever slow and smooth. If you watch the front end of racebikes going into a corner, the front drops but it's a smooth controlled drop. You ease that brake on, set your suspension for the corner, then tip it in.
Ok, I typed this up fast, and now dinner is calling
So, I'll read this later and see if I'm leaving something out.
