Annoyingly, some dick was doing it in the fast group at a Silverstone track day today...

 

I forgot that was today! How'd it go for everyone?

 

I think that's just dirty racing. and/or some sort of psychological "weapon" against his opponents.

I think it was most obvious in this yesterday's GP race where Lorenzo was trailing in the final laps and Rossi stuck his leg wayyyyy out (I think it was T1). So Lorenzo tried going on the outside. I think it's to break the concentration of the other riders, or to even block an inside pass.

Gotta love all the hype and speculation though.:laugh:

 

Annoyingly, some dick was doing it in the fast group at a Silverstone track day today...

eeeeeedeeeeeeeottttttts.

 

I remember Ben Spies did it once this year. I think it was the race in Italy. He was coming in waaaay fast and braking really hard. I think he even did a pass.

I agree, I see it more as a mind fuck than anything. Or maybe its the equivalent of putting your hand up on track days indicating you're braking :laugh:

 

I remember Ben Spies did it once this year. I think it was the race in Italy. He was coming in waaaay fast and braking really hard. I think he even did a pass.

I agree, I see it more as a mind fuck than anything. Or maybe its the equivalent of putting your hand up on track days indicating you're braking :laugh:

I remember watching spies do that at that race and he was really pushing hard that race. His rear wheel popped up about half a foot braking for the chicane.

 

And another thing, Rossi himself said he doesn't know why he does it but it just feels right.

To me that right there puts it in the "form" ballpark. People do lots of different things with form, and while the fundamentals are similar there are idiosyncrasies that arise from what "feels" good.

Regardless, who are these people to interpret what feedback Rossi gets from sticking his leg out? Are they riding and braking at his pace... er, no.

Personally it reminds me of the bar a tightrope walker uses. Except the plane of rotation in question here is around the center of the bike and parallel to the ground. Under really hard braking bikes get squirelly, who's to say if this leg doesn't counterweight or provide better feel against some of this rotational tendency.

Bottom line, Rossi is as Rossi does. The guy is a spectacle.

 

It looks lame anyway - like he's an amateur worried about falling off. I can't believe I just said Rossi looks like a lame amateur!

 

First, it's Rossi we're talking about. I think one should be able to ride at his level before trying to experiment with advance techniques.

Second, he's not the only one doing it so I'm sure there is some benefit. Hey if helps steer the bike and keep things stable during braking then why not. These guys are looking for 1/100 second gains.

Everyone wants to be like Rossi. :biggrinjester:

 

Look for Alpinestars to come out with a new aerodynamic leg design on their racing suits in the near future!

 

stoner does it too, and i think i've seen haga do it as well

 

my thoughts as to why the do it is;

most times they seem to be faster than normal- very "hot" into the corner.
sometimes this fast entry into the corner has you turning in too early, clipping the apex too early, resulting in a slower exit speed.
By sticking your foot out your balancing the bike slightly more upright with the opposite leg.
This means by not having your foot on the inside peg, it stops you weighting the inside peg for the turn.

Result- you hold the bike more upright and turn in later.



If you don't believe me, try picking your leg up and forward to about where they put their foot, next time you leave a set of traffic lights.

You'll find you balance easier at slow take off speeds.:nod:

 

I've also heard it helps riders "reset" thier foot on the peg before entering the turn as well. Either way it works for Rossi and no one else can touch him. :notworthy:

 

But does it really work for Rossi? Just cause he does it sometimes does not mean it is making him ride any better (or worse)!

Rossi also picks his butt and adjust his nutz every time he leaves pit lane... It does not make him ride any better, but it is something he just does. However we don't see anybody else copying this!

Since none of the riders can explain what it is about this, it's obviously NOT a technique or they would be consciously making the effort to do it. It is simply a byproduct of the physics encountered while riding these 800cc at the level that Rossi and Stoner do it at.

 

Aerodynamic leg design :laugh:

 

Some douche was doing it at Barber as I blew by. :laugh:

 

Did he stop doing it after he got passed?:laugh:

"datalogging shows a tiny amount of weight is transfered to the front"
So there is something to it. Of course when you are a world-class rider, you try to get everything you can from the machine.
But it would more of a distraction for us mortals.

Could be Rossi just fuckin' with everybody!?

If Rossi rode his bike side-saddle and won races, people would emulate that as well.:nod:

 

It's obvious! We all know the qickiest way to fart is to spread the butt cheeks and Rossi figured out how to do it during a race in full leathers. He's just perging some of that pressure so he doesn't shit his leathers later!

Leg out = widened butt cheeks = quickiest way to fart = less pressure build-up = more relaxed riding style = better results!

Therefore, in conclusion, leg out = better results!

 

Vale is very superstitous and therefore will not stop doing it, whether it helps him or not l:laugh: this goes with him kneeling down at the right side rearset of the bike, picking his ass and the nut adjusting he does down pit lane........its just something he does and part of his routine

 

head games it is all head games

 

"datalogging shows a tiny amount of weight is transfered to the front"
I think you guys are missing the point here. If ONE leg out affects it a tiny bit, BOTH legs will make a big difference! Rossi is just practicing right now, getting used to one leg off, before he tries both. Looks like all the noobs with their "landing gear" had it right all along :laugh:

 

:rofl2:

 

Someone was also suggesting it may block anyone trying to nip up the inside, i.e wow he is already braking for the corner I better back off.

 

I've tried sticking my inside arm out to aid the leg, but it's a little dicey on right handers.

 

^^^I dunno dude, race data from Brembo at Mugello showed that the hardest braker in Moto GP is Loris Capirossi, who hits exactly 1.5g at the end of the straight going from 200 mph to 65 in 6.4 seconds, and I've never seen his leg dangle. Have you?

 

well that's just the thing... They don't all do it... I'm not saying the hardest of the brakers does it... I'm saying that this phenomena is a byproduct of the physics involved with the current era of MotoGP. So some riders will do it, others may be making an effort not to or they may just be strong enough or small enough that it does not affect them...yet. (Loris is both small and strong)

One thing is for sure - none of the riders doing this are claiming it to be a technique that they are purposefully engaging in as part of an effort to ride better. When Kenny Roberts started dragging his knee, he could literally prove that it was in fact a technique that improved his riding, thus it caught on and became standard form in road racing...

If MotoGP does in fact switch to steel brakes next year, I predict this leg dangling thing will practically disappear.

The true tragedy is that if Randy Mamola were still commentating the races, he'd explain it to us all!

 

I'm not sure Randy could explain it when neither Vale nor Casey can themselves, but yeah his commentary is awesome. July issue of PB quoted Rossi "when I take the foot off the peg it feels like I can brake harder, but I don't know whether it's really true" & Casey "when you're braking into a left hander the left foot seems almost useless on the peg. So I bring it down to help tip the bike into the corner. We're using a lot of corner speed now and these bikes have a lot of gyroscopic effect, so it's quite difficult to get them into the corner fast. Maybe this way we can put more effort into it. But we haven't got a real understanding of it."
You're right, it's most likely useless for anyone not riding at their level & is definitely just a distraction for the average track-dayer.

 

This past weekend we were racing at PBIR, and some dork, hung his leg out coming into a corner with heavy braking, I was right behind him, he blew the corner and went off track (plenty of runoff area so he did not go down)...I couldn't help but laugh all the way to the next corner... :laugh:

Some things are best left to to the pros...

 

Finally, mystery solved...

From Rossi,

"Sometimes now I take the foot off the inside footpeg because it feels like I can brake harder."

He says he "feels" he can brake harder... Does not mean he actually does or does not, but mentally, he feels like he can - so it is a psychological or confidence thing - nothing more!

This quote comes from the current issue of Roadracing World, from anarticle where Rossi breaks down and analyzes how to corner, "Rossi on Cornering"

 

^^^I read that article too, but then Stoner says something completely different. I agree though, it's totally a mental boost for those guys whether it physically works or not.