THROTTLE STEERING

Roberts introduced it, Schwantz exploited it, and Doohan took it to a new level. What is it? Throttle Steering of course or the ability to complete a turn by spinning the rear wheel and sliding the backend in the desired direction. Why Throttle Steer you might ask? The simple answer is to tighten the exit line but even more benefits are available to the rider willing to exploit them. A rider using this technique spends less time in the danger zone riding the front wheel and possibly loosing the front end. In addition an added bonus of increased RPM at the end of the next straight may result. Kenny Roberts applied this dirt track technique in an effort to make the overpowered GP bikes of the day square the turn because the useless front wheel was seldom in contact with the ground. Not unlike some of todays supermotards. The sequence goes a little like this; a rider leans the bike to get round a corner, then gets on the power after the apex to accelerate away. The amount of power he can lay down is limited by the amount of grip the tire has for the given lean angle. If the power overcomes the grip,the tire breaks away and spins. The front tire is still gripping, so the back of the bike arcs out of line, following a different wider line to the front. What happens next is up to the rider. If he shuts the throttle the rear tire will suddenly stop spinning and grip, which would be fine if it was still in line with the front. Trouble is it isn't. In an instant the laws of physics become painfully evident as the rider is flipped into the air. This for the uninformed is called a highside and is the second worst way to dismount your bike right behind collision with a solid object. If the rider manages to keep the throttle open,the spinning wheel will continue to follow its arc until it runs off its edge. This is a low side and the more preferable of the two when it comes time to crash. The trick is to keep the rear tire spinning somewhere between the two extremes. This is harder then it sounds because things are happening quite fast indeed.There are not a lot of safe fool proof ways to practice so use the following advice at your own risk! Once you have found an ideal location your bike and tires you use will determine how aggressive you have to be with the following technique.In first or second gear approach your lowest point in the corner well keeping the throttle a few thousand RPM below peak power. Keep your weight well forward and your head and upper body high on the opposite side of the bike MX or dirttrack style as you physically push the bike downward.As the bike gets to its lowest point get on the gas real hard. Feel for the tire moving through your butt and the outside pegs. Weight on the outside pegs is essential as it helps to control the resulting slide. The hardest part is not closing the throttle when the back end steps out. You have to keep it open but not too far open as this could result in a lowside. A bit like finding the balance point during a wheelie. Too hard you say? Well fortunately for those determined to master this skill one crucial piece of imformation solves the puzzle. By using the bikes normal power curve you control the slide by having the tire break away at PEAK POWER so as to have the back end come around just as the bike goes PAST peak power into over rev where the power suddenly but not totally decreases. It's as if the motorcycle helps you find the correct amount of power. 500GP bikes are specifically geared to exploit this feature as a means of contolling their brutal power delivery. As a final point, trial and error has shown the more you lean the easier it is to spin the rear wheel, but also the easier to make a mistake so proceed at your own disgression and wear all your protective equipment because "You will fall off........." :-0 .........Have A Nice Day !