The Breakdown: Corners
Saturday, February 4, 2012 | 11:25 AM
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PrintBy: Matt Walker
Photos: Garth Milan
This week on The Breakdown the focal point is corners in Oakland. Let's take a look at some corner shots to see if anything catches our eye.
Martin Davalos
This is a normal right hand bowl. What makes this tricky is it is your rear brake side. Normally riders make more mistakes in right handed corners. To me it looks like Martin decided to lift the leg a little to late causing his head to go forward. Anytime a riders head gets forward his leg will always be dragging the ground. It's impossible for it not to. Notice the top 450 guys are doing these right handers without taking there foot off the peg.
Zach Osborne
Again look at his head and shoulders. Look how far forward the two are. You see, the leg does what the head and shoulders do. If they go forward the leg drops down. Always. Not to mention when the mouth guard goes over the crossbar pad like here, it puts weight on the front end causing it to wanna tuck. A lot of riders, including myself, have a hard time remembering to keep their head and shoulders back.
Chad Reed /Jake Weimer
Look closely at Reed in this pic. This is top level stuff. He keeps both feet on the pegs and never takes his right foot off the peg for balance. Weimer, as you can see, is in the middle of the track. Reedy runs it in hot , and brakes slides the turn early. This puts him coming out of the turn right beside Jake. Keeping his feet on the pegs allows Chad to make his turn a lot sharper, perfect for making a pass in the next section.
James Stewart/Justin Brayton
In this pic Brayton runs it in on Stewart for a typical block pass. Notice where the pass is made. The center of the turn. If you make a block pass anytime after the center of the corner the rider you are passing can not see you (Stewart /Reed 2011 Atlanta). Brayton, like I said before, made this pass in the first half and you can see James saw him before he committed to the next section. This is a good clean, but aggressive pass. Had it been done anytime after it would have resulted in both riders going down.
Matt Walker is a former professional motocross racer that now owns and operates the newly-formed Moto X Compound. One of the country's largest MX training facilities, Moto X Compound is located one hour south of Atlanta in Forsyth, Georgia. For more updates, follow Walker on Twitter #mattwalke122 or head to www.schoolofmotox.com.
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Man, I can't get enough of these. Why someone is faster is often perplexing but these show what the best do and the talent it takes to do it.
Metta is right, this is good stuff. Another article to look forward to. Thanks Matt and Racer X!
Great feature and awesome work Matt, keep the breakdown coming its great stuff!
Stewart's left leg is off the peg. Is this because he checked up hard and dove back inside ? or is he trying not to turn down, but ride out the berm instead?
I WANT MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stuff like this is what I want to read. When you watch feetball or other ball sports their are aways breaking down the players moves and pointing out the good and bad. we need this more in our sport. Thank you Racer X.
I agree with all above comments, this is the type of detailed analysis I want to read on my cloud.
I have been riding for 45 years and still at, you can never learn enough. Its great to read advice and tips to inmprove your skills. i find myself still practicing things when bikes had wooden wheels. Keep up the great articles.
agree with you guys - good stuff
Great analysis, Matt.
The photos are key and really helpful.
I'm sure everyone here will be looking at the Boys' cornering techniques a bit more closely this weekend @ A2.
Thank You.
Hey Matt: would you also say that the "head forward/leg dragging" is also a result of the rider leaning his body too much WITH the bike (instead of 'lean the bike not the body') and then the bike sliding away (out-from-under-him) when he gets on the gas? Reed and Brayton are "on top" of the bike, instead of leaning with it. This way, when the bike slides under power, the rider's body can stay in good position (think flat-track), moving sideways with the bike. If the rider is leaned to the inside, now his body mass "falls" to the inside because his support (bike) is sliding out from under him. The leg drag/head forward is classic position of fighting for the last bit of traction before you have to get out of the power to allow the bike to hook back up so you can get back on top of it (Osbourne and maybe Weimer), where Reed and Brayton look like they're about to get great drive out of the corner and maintain power.
I don't know(?). I love this stuff, though. Keep it comin'!
Ride2, looks like JS was caught a little off guard by Brayton with the block pass and checked up a bit, trying not to turn in on Brayton. He looks like he is just trying to maintain his balance becasue of the move. Good explanation of blockpasses and the timing involved.
Davey
This is a keeper !
JimM
Pala374
Yes I went through a corner onetime? Very early when I started racing I was trying so hard to keep up , then I asked one of the local fastguys what I was doing wrong? He said I try to be perfect in every corner and do it for the whole race, that was the best advise I ever got. Then when I tried flattracck I learned to keep my feet on the pegs as much as I could. I deos not work in moto as well though but it helped me.
awesome stuff, Racer X, add The Breakdown to the Regulars, and Mr Walker, make 'em longer :D
For those of you clambering for more of this "stuff", you can head on over to Racer X Virtual Trainer and check out the Trackside feature.
http://www.racerxvt.com/category/professor-baileys-trackside-analysis
Wow! It's nice reading the positive comments.
I will do better about making the comments longer.
A Lot is going on at the moment with my training compound that
has me scrambling for time. I do appologize and I really appreciate
You guys reading my column. Please leave any suggestions of things
You wanna see and learn more of and we will try and get it.
Matt Walker