Your sense of speed

[Stuman]

Can you tell how fast you are going without looking at the speedometer? Can you judge how fast you can go into that next corner? How accurate is your sense of speed?

[Termin8r]

I'm actually thankful that I can't. Knowing hard numbers scare me. Even seeing the speed limit at some corners out in the canyons make me nervous, where I'm better off not looking. I'd rather judge the bike purely on what I think it's capable of turning at without knowing the actual speed. Even to date, I still tape up my speedo on the track.

[maestro]

my speedy senses are always off...i always think im going faster that i actually am..when im caging it its the other way around...i always feel like im moving slower than i acutally am until i get pulled over for speeding.:errf:

[Bryant]

Can you tell how fast you are going without looking at the speedometer? Can you judge how fast you can go into that next corner? How accurate is your sense of speed?

This is a good question... I found that the fastest way for me to learn just how fast I can go into that next corner is to follow someone faster than me. I went from 1:29's to 1:26's at WSIR in a single day following a faster guy. Suddenly my bike that felt not so great doing 1:29-30's felt awesome doing 1:26-27's... it's a strange but cool feeling. I guess for me I have to see it to believe it when it comes to racing a motorcycle... I am my own biggest bottleneck in terms of just how fast I can go around the racetrack. I will go only as fast as my mind will let me. I used to think knowing just how fast I'm actually going in terms of MPH would make it easier for me to try to go a few mph faster the next time around.. but it seems to hold me back more than push me forward (not to mention taking my eyes off the racing line is not the best way to go fast either I'm sure).

bk

[melonheadR6]

I am my own biggest bottleneck in terms of just how fast I can go around the racetrack.
bk

couldn't have said it any better...

[Dissident]

I have a general sense of what rpms in what gear I usually take certain corners I know well at, but no clue what speed I am usually doing. there are afew corners that I know well, and I've looked at the speedo now and then in the middle of, but I almost never look at my speedo when riding.

[Captain G Force]

i have been pulled over too many times to count because my comfort zone for speed is about 90 mph. i dont feel like that is fast, so i guess that my sense for speed is quite a bit off. but like bryant and rich said, if you know a number, that can mess you up more than just feeling out what is comfortable for you. just have someone else just tell you how fast you were going later.

[brownbrown4]

my sense of speed when i'm riding = ticket
sense of speed when driving my truck = ticket
sense of speed when i'm walking = ticket
no such thing as a sense of speed, thats why we have speedo's and radar guns. :(

[Mael]

On the track my sense of speed has two settings.

Not fast enough, and too fast.

Sometimes I'll take things just slightly too fast to see how it feels. Usually it feels better and once is all it takes to increase speed in a corner.

As bod said, following a faster rider is incredible for learning to go faster. Besides, I figure if you ARE trying to judge speed in MPH on a track, your brain isn't in the right place.

[Stuman]

You can look at this sense of speed thing a few different ways. Can you tell how fast in MPH you are going without looking at the Speedo is one way. This can certainly help you avoid some tickets, but it’s something I’m not that good at.

Can you go into the same corner at the same speed each lap on a race track without looking at your speedo is another. Most good racers’ sense of speed is accurate to within one or two MPH when entering a corner. The top guys are more accurate then that, they are accurate to within less then 1 MPH. You need to be able to do this on your own and not rely on the guy in front of you. One of the best ways to improve this part of your riding is to try doing a session at the track without using the brakes. This gives you more time to sense your speed when entering the corner. Believe it or not if you can get good at this you will find that you may be able to go into corner a bit faster then you thought. On the big track at Willow you can come pretty close to your best lap times without using the brakes. I know a guy that can to 1:27s without the brakes on the big track.

[Wingswheels]

haha, my illumination lights are out(need to fix them), so whens its night, I can't see **** on my instrament panel. I know what speed feels right, and the speeds IM comfortable at, I need to get these fixed before I get a ticket. I almost never look at it when Im out riding. Hell, the bike I learned on didn't even have a tach.

[Kurt'sSV]

How accurate is your sense of speed?

Beats me. I just try looking as far ahead of me as I can so that the sense of speed my eyes are perceiving is pretty slow.

[MrCrashRR]

Can you tell how fast you are going without looking at the speedometer? Can you judge how fast you can go into that next corner? How accurate is your sense of speed?

i would say im pretty good at this,..but i have over cooked a few turns...

i always want to go faster...one of the track days guys siad i could probably drop a few seconds if i slowed down and picked better lines ...