Lap of Cadwell before I binned my bike

[T0MMY]

Not much footage of the day but this is one of the few clear laps I had with almost no traffic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzZ1WjXlFoE&list=UUNohROcuyAD85CXJDQVaJ9g&index=1

I would welcome any comments from the quick guys on where I can find time because I'm struggling to improve now This one is about 1.45 flat so maybe a 1.44 with the tenth or two I lose at Mansfield overtaking someone so basically I am no quicker on this CBR6RR than I was on my crappy £800 ZX6R G2 road bike
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ZX6R + CBR600RR

[salty21]

if you want advice on how to reduce your lap times i can only suggest going faster

Looks like your going pretty fast already though, only thing i could suggest is going a gear lower through the chicane to give you better drive out or alter the gearing of the bike accomodate it? I know the RR3 i had was pretty wheezy in 2nd below 7-8k rpm
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04 NSR 125(sold) ---- 03 CBR 600rr(sold) ----90 pan euro ST1100 '' ----02 CG 125
94 CB400 Super Four ---- 2000 VTR SP1 (sold) ---- 08 ninja p8f(sold, meh) ----05 CBR600rr

[T0MMY]

Speed is relative

I have tried going down a gear there but it's much too low...the gap between those gears is massive.

The bike is still on road gearing so it's far too tall. If I downgear it that will also reduce the gap between ratios and I reckon it'll make a big difference. My old downgeared ZX6R pulls harder despite being 20bhp down.
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ZX6R + CBR600RR

[Sam_Y_93]

Not something that's going knock off a lot of time, but why aren't you clutch less shifting? Is there a reason or do you just prefer not too?
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Bikes Past: Yamaha Aerox (sold) Yamaha R125 (written off)
Bikes Current: Honda VFR 400 (awaiting restoration) Honda CB600f F-4
Theory passed July 21st Mod1 passed August 3rd Mod 2 passed 26th August

[T0MMY]

No reason, just habit.
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ZX6R + CBR600RR

[garth]

I wanna see the crash.

[Red Devil]

Definitely change your gearing, our bikes were evenly matched on the straights and they shouldn’t of been! Seen some good info on gearing for different tracks on motoforum, pretty sure there are some charts for your bike so have a search on there.

I know I’m not quicker than you but here are a few things I’ve read recently might help you start to increase pace, a lot of it is based of Mike Edward’s coaching and various other stuff I’ve picked up which I’m going to be using to try up my speed. The basic rules apply though – brake later, turn faster, get on the power earlier.

Apparently most people use one of two methods for picking their turn in points for corners; either a set mark on the track/around the track or a visual ‘picture’ of the corner. I definitely use a visual image, when the picture of the corner looks right to me, that’s when I turn. So to increase my speed by turning later and faster for a corner I need to reset the picture I have in my head for that corner but the only way to do that is by going out of my comfort zone to begin with. Once I do this a couple of times for a corner I can then create this new picture in my head and it becomes normal yet the first time I did it, I thought I wasn’t going to make the turn.
Depending on which method you use to pick when to turn is what you change, either push that marker you have for that corner back or make a new picture in your head. At Cadwell it’s slightly different for track days as they have the cones to indicate the correct turn in point, are you turning at these cones every time?

I think this can be used for braking markers and where you get on the power as well. Are you really braking as hard and as late as you could for a corner? It might feel like you are but if you push that marker back by 10 feet and brake harder and carry more speed into the corner it might feel like you aren’t going to make it the first time you do it but then this will become normal a few laps later and the new marker will be your comfort zone. I’m going to try what you said on here a while back and use 4 fingers for braking as I think I’m close to maximum power I can put on the brake lever with 2 fingers so might give me that extra bit I need.

Try make a note of where you get on the power in a corner then progressively make this sooner and more aggressive, it might feel like you are getting on it as soon as possible but even a few feet makes a massive difference to the final drive and speed out of a corner. I was at the BSB at Oulton Park yesterday and when I was watching for Britten’s chicane I was watching where the top boys (in all of the classes) were getting on the power compared to the guys at the middle and back of the pack and there was definitely a good 3-5 feet difference from the front to the back which clearly makes a difference. Even if you gain a 10th by getting on the power slightly earlier every corner over the lap this could add up to well over a second.

I think you could gain a lot by getting your suspension refreshed and set up as well, made a massive difference to my bike and it will allow you to get on the power harder in places with more confidence. You are going to start running into the problem of using scrubs soon though as you will reach the limit of traction and only new tyres will provide the grip you need.

One thing I picked up from your video was tapping the brakes at a few places - into coppice, could be a bit to gain there if you run it through and carry the extra speed into charlie’s, with the extra speed you will be carrying you will probably need to turn faster or slightly earlier for charlie’s 1 which goes back to the first part about changing your turn in marker or the ‘picture’. Could you drop a gear instead of braking and use the lower revs for a better drive up the hill? Also into hall bends, you tap the brakes on the entrance then between the first and second apex…could you get away with just scrubbing off speed into the first part and carrying the extra speed through that section? Just avoid that first curb as it makes quite a big impact on your front wheel

As I said mate, not advice based on my own riding…places I want to improve myself which you might find helpful. I’ve also bought a copy of Mike Edward’s DVD ‘How to ride Cadwell’ to have a watch before my race meetings later this month so I’ll let you know what it’s like.
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Thundersport Pre-National Sport 600 2014 #92
EMRA Roadstock 600 2013 - 3rd
www.facebook.com/MattJohnstonRacing

[Red Devil]

And where is the video of your crash?!
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Thundersport Pre-National Sport 600 2014 #92
EMRA Roadstock 600 2013 - 3rd
www.facebook.com/MattJohnstonRacing

[T0MMY]

Some great advice there Matt, thanks for that

In terms of braking, I think I'm very confident in terms of yanking the brakes on and not worrying about the grip but I'm far too scatty about picking the braking points so I'll deccelerate like crazy then realise I broke too soon and can let off again before the corner I don't usually brake into Coppice but on that video I'm on tyres well past there best and ironically was trying not to take risks as the front felt a little loose

I think I'm okish in terms of the acceleration off the corner...again in that video the tyres are seriously goosed so I'm not pushing it as hard as I usually would. Obviously I could gain something by being even more aggressive but actually I think the biggest improvements from all you've said will come from picking markers; both turn in and braking markers. I'm way too inconsistent and don't really plan my way into corners. This is the area I think I need to work on the most.

And apologies for the lack of crash video...I'm pissed off I didn't have the camera on the bike but given that I usually put it on the right hand side of the top yoke it would have literally taken the full brunt of the impact so it's probably lucky it wasn't there.
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ZX6R + CBR600RR

[Red Devil]

No problem mate.

Sounds like a good plan, just remember not to try tackle the whole track at once. Pick a couple of corners or a section of the track and focus on it for a session, no point trying to do it all at once.

Where did you crash and what happened? Much damage to the bike?
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Thundersport Pre-National Sport 600 2014 #92
EMRA Roadstock 600 2013 - 3rd
www.facebook.com/MattJohnstonRacing

[T0MMY]

I lost the back through the Gooseneck. It was kind of weird as I wasn't trying that hard at the time and there was no warning at all. I never felt a thing until it was already too late I have a thread up in general with pics and more discussion about it. I'm sure everyone is full of excuses when they crash but it was a bit odd how easily it let go and how little feedback I got that it was on the brink.

Cosmetically it's quite bad as the bike flipped but actually to get it back on track should be pretty easy. Just little bits and bobs, maybe £100 in parts. Every fairing panel is ruined but I won't worry about that unless I sell the bike one day.
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ZX6R + CBR600RR