First Track Day on the 696

[NekkedChic]

If I may strongly recommend either reversing the stock bars or adding clip ons. A huge part of getting a Monster to handle on a track is to get weight over the bars and tank which is difficult with stock bars. You'll find it much easier and more willing to tip in.

Anyhoo, here's a couple of me and my S4R at Barber.

INSPIRATION! Tks!

Oh yes...been having the discussion about swapping bars out but honestly, my Monster is a temp track bike and really rather push limits on the SV or another track bike, if it be an oler Monster. Just tooling around on this one to be a better rider on street in general, but if I were to plan on tracking it regularlu, AGREE completely about bar swap.

[Monstermonkey]

One of the things that the SV lacks in its stock form is tunable suspension.  I had my forks rebuilt for my weight and it made a huuuge difference.  Also, new brake pads and stainless steel lines are a necessity.

Here's my track whore:

[NekkedChic]

One of the things that the SV lacks in its stock form is tunable suspension.  I had my forks rebuilt for my weight and it made a huuuge difference.  Also, new brake pads and stainless steel lines are a necessity.

Here's my track whore:

Nice!

and YUP, on SV suspension. So we got Race Tec springs up front and upped the fork oil BIG DIFFERENCE!  Another option was a GSXR fork? 

Just 2 weeks left now before SECOND track event and hoping to get more than 1/2 day in this time. Signed up for 2 days and plan on riding every session possible, on SV and Monster, mostly Monster tho.

[gm2]

Another option was a GSXR fork? 

that's a really common SV mod

[zooom]

  Another option was a GSXR fork? 

that's a really common SV mod

or to put a whole Gixxer front end so as to get the better brakes and all too.

[NekkedChic]

This weekend is second track event, doing whole weekend AND riding Monster n SV!   

Hope rains hold off tho. 

[yotogi]

Just 2 weeks left now before SECOND track event and hoping to get more than 1/2 day in this time. Signed up for 2 days and plan on riding every session possible, on SV and Monster, mostly Monster tho.

I am sure it goes without saying, but take it easy and don't ride worn out. Have a blast and learn a ton!

[ducnymph]

update please?   

Some of us 696 owners are dying for another trackday this year!

[NekkedChic]

OK WHEW!!!!!!!!  I gots lots n lots of serious questions for my fellow Monster Racers here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

Had a BLAST this past weekend and improved by MILES!!!  However, I STILLLLL kept scraping sidestand in Turn 8 damn it so held my speeds WAYYYYY back and kept working harder and harder on getting WAYYYY off bike. 

I DID IT!   I WAS well off bike, and then scraped friggin stand ANYWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   



Seriously guys, this is driving me insane!  Besides removing sidestand (which I am most definitely doing for next track day now) my other concerns/questions and things bugging HELL outta me are as follows:

PLEASE remind/explain to me how getting off the inside of the bike helps?  Am I correct in understanding it turns my body into some kind of centrifical weight pulling bike around/into corner?   In which case, is my problem actually the fact that I weigh TOO LITTLE? to make a difference???  I am serious here, please help me with this.   I weigh, embarassed to admit almost, just 105 lb with leathers/boots and am not even 5'3" with SHORT legs!   

Please look at my pix/vids also? Unfortunately, however, the photographers did NOT get my last 4 sessions when I actually did FAR better, but think there are 1-2 on Monster showing my last session.





Look closely at me on SV. First glance, appears I am not off seat much, LOOK CLOSER-I am only a midget so you have to look close to see my ass IS at least halfway off LOL  This is NOT my best tho, as I said. I was still warming up to the SV.

This one shows my knee out WOOT!

[NekkedChic]

and here is YouTube link of me, but I don;t come in until around 5:00 I think? My knee was DAMN CLOSE a lot of the time also!!   A guy on a Green Ninja passes Tim around 4:22 then runs straight off at T1     There were a LOT of run-offs both days and couple crashes.  I will post a thread on one where bike ended up-side-down!!  Poor guy!   

Gettin nekkid on Speed Triple

this is off Tim's Speed Triple of me on Monster.

I also even scraped something on SV in T8. I swear I heard/felt it. Tim argues I did not.  Obvious now I did on Monster-foot step on sidestand is scraped up badly oooops.   Scared HELL outta me last time tho cuz it made Monster skip to side!!   

I had help from the Control Riders, but I am not so sure any of them were sure themselves about the MONSTER and how to track it.  We even tried more Motarding it which helped IMHO.   

THANK YOU!!  Now, will some of you bring YOUR damn Monsters out with me in September??!!   

[stopintime]

To me, it's quite clear that you still don't position your upper body correctly.
Your knee and ass is inside, but your upper body resists and turns the other way, at least on the Monster. Such a position will reduce your control and make the bike lean more (scraping) WITHOUT going fast(er). It's exactly what squids do to scrape a knee in order to show off. It has little to do with going fast (and safe). I'm not saying you're a squid, just trying to visualize

I was told, I read it in Total Control and then I practiced until it worked: look through the turn, point your head in that direction and let the upper body follow. It has been called "kissing the mirror". It's like you want to make your head come first through the turn. A little scary, but it's very effective. Hanging the ass off might help leaning/pointing the upper body even more, but it's not required to practice the above mentioned technique.

I hope you keep on practicing - when you manage to do it right you will be a whole lot more confident and much lower lap times will follow. [moto]


edit: look at JBubble, first page, she's one of VERY few doing it right - head first, twisting her upper body in the turning direction. Some others are pointing the head right, but still resisting with their (mine too) upper body turned away from the turn.      http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=24848.0

[NekkedChic]

Stop, Thanks.  No worries about even if you ARE calling me a squid-Cuz that's what I am on the track fer sure :lol:   
Odd how I have full confidence on street and at speed FAR and above on our "private tracks" what I can seem to get out of the real track also. 
As far as kissing the mirror, 2 things.  Pretty sure the few pix they got where when I was trying a bit more of the "Tard" positioning a few laps, since I have the high bars etc etc.  But again, even when I thought I WAS kissing mirror, funny how friggin far off you really are when you get pix n vid back huh?  :lol: 


Hey, all I could do was stretch this old arthritic broken up titanium patched body as far as it would allow :lol:

I REALLY want input about how our body weight helps when off the bike-and then serious consideration put to fact that I am too damn little?  Sure it is not impossible, KIDS do this-but sure they are required more muscle or ? to make up for weight difference??!   
Frustrating becuz I SOOO wanted to pick my speeds back up to where they where before I scraped sidestand    AND I am at speeds/consistency that body position/getting off bike IS very very important now.   TKS for input-I am NOT offended by any means and NOT here to make any axcuses.  NEEED to do this right!! 

[NekkedChic]

oh and here is one of me after T14 coming up on straight so not so much off bike (SV), but here is issues on that bike-look at left arm. I have no more room to move upper body further to right without losing grip of left bar 
It sux to be a midget  :'( 


tks again anyone/all for advice. Please chime in some more!!!

[tufty]

oh and here is one of me after T14 coming up on straight so not so much off bike (SV), but here is issues on that bike-look at left arm. I have no more room to move upper body further to right without losing grip of left bar 
It sux to be a midget  :'( 


tks again anyone/all for advice. Please chime in some more!!!

Your body and head position doesn't look too bad to me. You could maybe hang off the bike a little more. You aren't carrying a lot of lean angle which suggests you aren't going fast enough to need it. Don't be afraid to tip the bike in quickly, if the tires are hot you won't come close to losing the front and you'll be amazed how fast the bike will turn, THEN you'll be carrying speed and NEED lean angle and VOILA!! knee down.

One other thing, seeing as you are kinda tiny have you considered putting a pad behind you to move your butt closer to the tank? being on top of the tank and bars will give you loads more feel, control AND confidence. You'll be able to keep your arms bent and loose and feel looser on the bike. Maybe it's worth a try?

Looking good though.

[zooom]

comedy remark break for a moment.

maybe you need to change your track bike to something more akin to your frame and size like a Yamaha YSR50 ?!?!?!...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...I crack myself up!


J/K-> end of my comedy remarks for now!