Hey, thanks for the replies. I'm a track newbie so that's a lot to keep in mind for the next event. I guess my biggest problem is controlling the brake and throttle at the same time. When downshifting and trail braking, I can't seem to blip the throttle to without doing something unpredictable with the brake lever. Not smooth at all. So I wind up having to get all my downshifting done before I apply the brakes. Seems like I'm losing speed well before I need to. Guess I just need to practice.
It's a matter of practice. I've blipped for nearly 30 years now, and it simply becomes part of your routine once you get used to it. For what it's worth, most of the guys I know who practice the technique use either one or two fingers to brake and the others, along with the palm of their hands, to blip while braking. I use my middle finger to brake with my index finger either laying on the lever or the lever pivot (depending on the bike) and my ring and pinkie fingers to blip. The "trick", if you can call it that, is to maintain constant pressure on the lever....so don't grasp the lever at a knuckle, but rather use your fingertip or the "pad" of a finger to modulate the brake. This way it's more natural to maintain a constant pressure instead of a constant position. Bear in mind that these manuevers are pretty small movements, as a blip isn't a "pin the throttle" motion, but rather a scant throttle movement. It doesn't take much when the clutch is pulled in. Also, easing the clutch out over a quarter or half second works better than simply dumping it.
My shiny, new Panigale has a slipper. I don't depend on it, despite the advice of several riders more skilled than I, simply because I fear it might interfere with my normal corner setup and put my rather sensitive ass on the ground. I hate sliding without a bike, despite considerable practice since I began racing in the '80s.
Now, that whole speed shifter thing is entirely too easy to get used to! And I LOVE Engine Braking Control....it's not two-stroke good....but it's pretty darned good, nonetheless.
