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[Chris_H]

Dragging the rear brake can help a lot in tight U-turns. (Having saId previously that I only use it in the wet and for hill starts!)

[Sixstring]

As a biker of some 30 years experience, my advice is to use the gears in conjunction with the brakes, and both brakes to be utilised together, regardless of the fact they are linked electronically. My last Honda thou' had linked brakes, but they do not take account of the fact you have less "feel" through them. Personally, I hate linked brakes and am glad my 900 Suzi doesnt have them.

Mike

[feeutfo]

I have no problem with trackdays and learning limits of adhesion etc, absolutely none.  It does inspire confidence in road grip and your own cornering abilities but that comes with a price.

Unless you are intent on only using a bike on a track, it is very easy to transfer track habits onto the road.  No, its not just the ex cop biker in me (although, probably does play some part  ) but when you introduce traffic coming in the opposite direction, half the width of the available road, tar reinstatements, adverse camber, pedestrians, tractors and muck etc etc etc, thats where real world experience plays a more vital part.

You can be as fast as fck on the track but be a real liability to yourself and others on the real road.

And that is from riders who have done a basic one day bikesafe after doing regular trackdays, thinking they were invincible.

Ultimately, each to their own.   

I think we need to remember who this thread is aimed at, Tunnie is no stunt jocky afaict, without ever meeting him or seeing him ride.

I defy any individual to take nothing from any given training situation.

Tunnies chalenge imo, is to take it all in, pick what he needs and apply it correctly to his situation.

Your comments also remind me of a trackday at Oulton Park, local plod turned up to take part. 3 marked police bikes, a pan and a couple of beemers. They turned into the padock, all line asturn, feet up, and nearing the garages trying particularly hard to ride as slow as possible without taking a dab.

Apparently some derission was aired when told they would be in the novice group. Word spread throughout the paddock and pit wall was alot busier than normal when thier session started, you can imagine the reaction when the last of the group of 3 ran wide at turn 1 in his blind determination to perform a life saver before turning in.

Fair play though, they had a go, and found it, quote "eye opening", going by his tone and expression i'd say that was something of an understatement. Thier instructer said they took alot of possitives from it. Always worth a look at the other side of the coin...and ALWAYS with an open mind.
 
 One of our number is a Police pursuit rider, has a wardrobe full of unmarked gear for under cover work, and gets a range of bikes to ride from Bkackbirds to Speed Tripples to RF900s following him highlighted  several points of imorovement for me, living in Milton Keynes he was very good and accelerating into round abouts to avoid traffic with right if way, where normally you might pull up and stop and risk getting rammed from behind. Far safer.

[tunnie]

Dragging the rear brake can help a lot in tight U-turns. (Having saId previously that I only use it in the wet and for hill starts!)

U-turns was my biggest problem, nailed it in the end though. I don't risk it with beemer i just swing in the paddle back, the drive forwards in a 3 pointer.

[Chris_H]

<bla.. bla.. Edit>
 
 One of our number is a Police pursuit rider, has a wardrobe full of unmarked gear for under cover work, and gets a range of bikes to ride from Bkackbirds to Speed Tripples to RF900s following him highlighted  several points of imorovement for me, living in Milton Keynes he was very good and accelerating into round abouts to avoid traffic with right if way, where normally you might pull up and stop and risk getting rammed from behind. Far safer.

I was under the impression that they banned any bikes from pursuits.  Have they gone back on that?

[hotel21]

Read and understand what you say Chris, as regards who the thread was started by and who the subsequent advice is intended for.   

A trackday would be a good thing to increase learning and confidence.  What I would hope would not happen is that anyone, after attending such a day, starts to wear their underpants outside their leathers thinking they are now Superman after having a taste of a wide road and everyone going in the same direction.  How often do you see folks leaving a racetrack, be that bike or car, thinking that it was they themselves who actually toof the checkered flag?    

T is still very much in learning mode and, as you see, is still using some of the initial CBT basic info as regards brake use - order, dragging the rear and the like - as though it were writ in tablets of stone to be adhered to for everafter.

As you say yourself, the trafpol bikers were still insistant on a full headcheck before turning in and got rightly ripped for it.

Folks need to cherry pick whats important and then distil that into how it applies to their riding requirements, not how others round and about should now fit into theirs, if you follow.    

[feeutfo]

lets hope that truncheon induced bolt upright riding position doesnt take its toll on Tunnie too much. Have you told him about the initiation?