CephasGT

^^ More good advice. Chances are the problem is, as Schwantz would say, "between the ears." The only reason I would have the bike checked out/set up to at least a baseline is because all riding technique advice assumes that the bike is in mostly good working order. If that isn't the case, you'll have to work that much harder to ride around a problem the bike might be giving you.

I've been using MapMyRun/MapMyRide for awhile now. Pretty slick little app, but of course has all the limitations of a phone-based GPS. Hopefully when I get a better phone it'll be more precise, but for now it's pretty decent for free.99.

Really? Everyone I've talked to who uses some sort of minimalist shoe says they're easier on your knees. The reason is that you're forced to maintain a proper midfoot/forefoot strike instead of heel striking. Mid/forefoot striking takes advantage of the natural spring/cushion afforded by the entire muscular system of your legs and back, instead of relying on an inch or less of foam rubber. I'm running the Air Force half marathon tomorrow. What I've discovered while training all through the spring and summer is that if running hurts your knees, you're probably doing it wrong. And I have bad knees to start with, including a reconstructed ACL and meniscus tears in my right knee.

^ Do that. Have you had the bike checked to make sure it's straight after the crash? But also you have to relax. If you're running wide or can't get into the corner, you're probably just riding "tight," muscles tensed and looking too close instead of out in front of you.

Inland Empire is in Southern California. Riverside/Rancho/San Bernadino area. I was there last year.

That's just amazing.

Darwin fails us yet again...

Specifically, any that would be interested in a free track day/school at Mid-Ohio this fall? The wing safety chief at my base and I are working with the Ohio AG for Air to try and get in on Jason Pridmore's STAR Guard days. The Army National Guard owns them presently, but we want in. First though, we have to convince the guys who control the money at State that it's a good idea. That's where you come in. Within the next few weeks, Pridmore and Greg White will be coming to Mid-Ohio to demo their school during the 1 Oct rider appreciation day. Officials from State will be there to see how it runs, and we need 8-10 Air Guard members who are willing to ride all day at Mid-Ohio for free, receiving some world-class instruction. I took the school earlier this year at Blackhawk Farms, and I can tell you it's absolutely top notch. You will definitely leave a better rider. If you're interested, please let me know as soon as you can, so I can get your name into the coordination process. Thanks!

If we manage to damage the track with a motorcycle, somebody fucked up pretty hard. For that matter, if you manage to crash a motorcycle going in a straight line...

Oh yeah, I'll have a spare slot on my trailer too. Maybe more than one, if I get to upgrade over the winter like I want to!

Still on the fence about the 18th. Anybody have open space in a garage?

I've been to a private rental at Norwalk before, helluva good time. I'd do it again. Keep us posted.

I've got a DID tool as well, if you need it. Broke 2 MoPro tools before I got this one.

Forest Ridge area, south of Huber Heights.

Yeah, I don't buy it. While they are certainly something different, I don't think it's in a good way. They're the 2 wheeled equivalent of school bus racing, and I don't mean that as a slight in any way to the riders. The racing is good, but of course it is, it's a spec series. I just think that on an international stage, trotting out these lumbering, slow, antiquated, 500+ pound oil-slinging Harleys to showcase American racing is incredibly embarrassing. If AMA wants to run a spec class and showcase it at Indy, they ought to do it with the EBR, or with one of the new electric superbikes being built here, or something that we, as a country and they, as a series, could be proud of. But instead, they're taking the check from HD/Vance and rolling this silliness around a place like Indianapolis. Embarrassing.

It's incredibly embarrassing to me that we bring that series to the Indy GP. Way to showcase our best, AMA...

Welcome! I'm probably right up the road from you.

I don't take my car tires on a race track. But even then, there is a definite difference in the traction offered by a new set of street (car or bike) tires and an old set. And you can chalk a large part of that down to heat cycling.

Of course they heat cycle, they're made of a rubber composite. You might be able to get away with many, many more heat cycles than a race tire, because of the design and intent of the compound, but they do heat cycle. And depending on your pace, style, bike, pavements and a whole lot of other things, you'll get more TDs or less TDs out of a tire. But that front tire, and the one you're referring to, are well past their change-date IMO. I used to run street tires on the track, and could most definitely tell the difference in performance as they were cycled, even with fairly minimal tread wear.

I didn't see the crash, but that is one old front tire. They can have plenty of tread on them and still have the rubber heat cycled too many times. Definitely get some fresh rubber of any kind. What sort of times are you running?

Learning how to countersteer quickly is something you don't have to be at the track to do. You can do a slalom drill in a big empty parking lot at 25 mph to really get a feel for it, and it'll only take an hour, tops. I used to do that all the time when my bike was still in street trim. Find a nice big open space and start swerving back and forth, like you see the Moto2 guys doing to scrub their tires. If you're using countersteering to do it (and you almost definitely will be), you'll be able to swerve very quickly and aggressively. Then all you have to do is transfer that feel to your corner entry on the track.

In! I'll be there with my buddy Chuck and our pit bi... I mean wives. I said wives!

Dude, that is awesome! Congrats! I won tickets a couple years ago (after I had already bought two weekend tickets, of course), but wasn't part of the show. Good luck, I'll be looking for your bike to vote for it!

Thanks!

That's beautiful.