2022/3/20 “2nd Sporty Ride Challenge”
Even though I ran there last week, I came back again.
My daughter took a secret photo of me on her smartphone, and my running was so lame that I wanted to get revenge right away,
so I checked the STEC website,
and saw that they were holding an extra session this Sunday. And it was empty!?
So, apply!
Super Taikyu event date
The day coincided with the Super Taikyu event, so the city course was used as a parking space for those involved.
This lesson did not include a driving lesson,
only the “2nd Sporty Ride Challenge” was held.
The number of participants was 18.
I applied less than a week later and got bib number 6, so did this mean that the additional event was suddenly decided upon?
The bike this time is the usual CB400SF,
but I tried the relatively new model, No. 23.
Up until now, I haven’t changed bikes much, either number 2, number 9, or a single-digit number,
but I thought I’d try riding a nice bike for once.
Warming up
One thing I noticed right away while warming up was how mild the throttle response was!
I can now drive in first gear without any jerks!!
Wow, this is enough to make me think I’ve gotten better (laughs).
The front brake also had a mild response when I touched it,
and it felt like I was squeezing it in to brake.
Until now, the initial touch was quite strong,
so I was a little confused by the difference in feeling.
The rear brake seems to work better than before.
The suspension also moves differently. Would you say it sinks in more smoothly?
I don’t know if the brakes were worn out before or if the feel is different depending on the year of the car,
but I’m starting to be able to tell the difference in the brakes and suspension movement! .
Braking practice
I started practicing braking, but the ABS on the rear brake was easily activated,
and I panicked because I couldn’t apply the front brake hard.
The Monster I usually ride also has good initial braking,
so I position the brake lever quite far forward so I can’t squeeze it hard.
This time, I positioned the brake lever farther away and squeezed it hard to brake.
The advice I received when braking this time was,
“Put your tailbone into the seat!”
Tonico.
This was my first time with the instructor,
so I got some fresh advice.
I somehow managed to get through the braking practice,
but I still felt unfamiliar with the touch of the brakes until the end.
Slalom is always my weakness
Since this is the only event held for the “2dn Sporty Ride Challenge”,
the layout uses the entire site.
Starting next to the city course,
the first pylon was moved once, and then the course was a slalom around the perimeter.
I’ve been able to do one revolution around the pylon recently, so I think I was able to do it safely.
I’d like to see it on video. I think my body probably wasn’t moving and I was stiff
as I made one revolution.
I wrote that my goal this time was to get better at slalom.
Last time, I was praised for my ability to brake well,
and given advice on the timing of leaning,
so I remembered that and practiced!
Brake well and then lean!
Personally, I think it looks pretty good, doesn’t it?
But it’s just too slow and not smooth.
So, the advice this time was,
“You’re using the brakes and the accelerator too much!” Hey!
If you let them go ahead, they’ll flutter away!
Simply put, it seems like things have slowed down too much, but how can we improve things from now on?
Fun Course Slalom
This time’s course slalom was
huge!
This is a layout that can only be done with a charter.
Starting from the city course side, we made a steady circular turn, then munched the inside pylon.
Then, we went out to the outer perimeter and immediately went to the inner course.
We ran the usual S-curve in reverse, passed the usual starting waiting area with force,
and again munched the inside pylon.
Finally, we passed the three outer perimeter pylons and reached the finish line!
We made fewer tight turns and went faster than usual.
This was my first time making a steady circular turn,
so I followed the example of the two people at the front (who had experience in 3rd technical) and tried to run by example.
It seems that the banking angle becomes deeper when you bank for this long,
and I was surprised that my toes touched the ground with the same feeling on both the right and left!!
I gained a little confidence that I could lean this far.
And the real purpose of this time was to move my body in a big way! . This is revenge from a week ago.
I consciously move my body, intending to exaggerate my movements.
When I asked the instructor to follow me,
he said,
“You’re OK with each corner, but you’re slow to connect the corners and turn.”
He advised me to use my lower body more and make quicker changes of direction.
This advice finally explained why the pylons were so slow!
Just a side note…
I once filmed a rally, and at one complex corner, I wondered what the difference was between fast and slow drivers, so I compared them.
It was a corner where you turn right immediately after a left corner,
and the fast drivers kept their front tires facing firmly until the exit of the left corner.
They then turned right immediately,
but the slower drivers’ front tires gradually started to turn to the right even before they finished the left corner.
And it took them a long time to completely turn to the right, so they ended up slowing down their right turn and getting stuck.
By the way, which style of driving is more impressive? It’s the slower driver.
To get through the tight right corner quickly, they step on the accelerator all the way, kicking up the gravel.
If they’re slow to switch, they’ll get stuck in the next one.
It’s the same with bikes and cars.
The reason my slalom is slow may be because I switch slowly.
I will keep this in mind next time.
That concludes my STEC lesson notes.
