OK, so a few members asked for me to give some BP tips, so I decided I'd put it up here, if it helps anyone, great, if it doesn't help or you think I'm full of crap, I refund your admission. I'm a coach/instructor for TeamPromotion.com Ifanyone on this forum comes out to one of our days, look me up and we'll play/work a session or two.
I struggled for years with BP. I am also 54 yrs old and pretty busted up, actually been riding the last year with a 60% torn rotator cuff. In the process of getting my BP right, I found a good lesson plan. We all KNOW what we should do, getting there is the tuff part.Ghostdog hit the nail on the head, I tell students "I used to think I had Marc Marquez's BP until I looked at the pics, they looked like I was searching for my Mom in the grandstands.
For you guys with some trackdays under your belt, the first tip is the hardest. To get BP right you MUST slow down. If you are riding at 90 or 100%, you will NEVER change your BP. We lived long enough to grow up and buy ducs because our survival instinct kept us from doing something to kill us. If you approach a corner at your usual speed,no matter how much you want to get all motoGP and put your chin on your hand, you'll pull your head back over the windsheild where you feel safe, hell, it got you thru the last lap! Also, it looks like a different track down there. You need to spend a couple sessions going 60 or 70%. just a fast cruise.
Now, while getting off the bike properly allows the bike to use less lean angle, yada yada yada, its not my primary reason for getting BP right. Good BP brings awesome vision. First, the further you look down the track, the smoother your line will be, the better your situational awareness will be, and the SLOWER IT FEELS, allowing you to go faster comfortably. Next time you are on the highway, look out your drivers window straight down at the white dashes. seems like you are going 300 mph! That is what happens when you are "looking short". You dont need to look at the cones or curb, any more than you need to look at a curb when you take a right turn in the city.
I see many guys really reaching to get that knee down and their inside shoulder rotates forward, seriously cutting off their vision. My "end game" in my lessons is to ALWAYS have your shoulders square to the bike, regardless of how far off the bike you get. The biggest culprit in getting "crossed up" is being tight on the tank. This forces you to "pivot" your crotch on the tank, and that will rotate your torso forward on the inside. Sooooo, here is drill one. Put bike on syand or have some one hold it up square. First, put nuts against tank and try to slide one cheek off the seat and put your knee out, you will see what I am saying as you rotate. Now, get on the balls of your feet on the pegs. slide back so that there is 4" (fist length) between your crotch and the tank. Now lift up a bit and squarely put one cheek off, rotate your foot on the end of the peg, and turn your knee and foot out at the same time and amount. Practice this left and right. Half of your inner thigh should be dug in the tank. You will be surprised hoew the tank is shaped close to perfectly for this exact position. Don't worry about getting you head down yet, do this first. work on keeping yourself square, do not pivot. You are shifting squarely left or right. If anyone likes, I will continue this step by step.Tomorrow I will move on to explaining how to actually pull this off at the track. Pay attention and be willing to slow down and "go to school" and we'll get you that elbow draggin' pic for your profile pic!
