the Fast One

[rivi]

Check this old video out,

A lap around Laguna - car vs streetbike vs Freddie:

http://www.zshare.net/video/freddievszvssabre-wmv.html

:048:

[LesKoh]

:thumbs_up: Cool video!!

[Bones]

Having been to Freddie's school a few times, having watched him ride and ridden as pillion around the track with him at the controls....this does not surprize me a bit. He is truly unbelievable.

[Promethean]

Bones,
In Lee Parks' book "Total Control", he mentions the Freddie Spencer technique of slowing down by easing off the throttle while applying the brakes before a turn. How does this work? I assume the clutch does not come into the picture. Which brake is/are used? Front &/ rear?


Having been to Freddie's school a few times, having watched him ride and ridden as pillion around the track with him at the controls....this does not surprize me a bit. He is truly unbelievable.

[BobFV1]

What a cool clip, but it was so 70's :) - I expected to see thses guys too...

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/59550589-S.jpg

[Dallara]

Wow!

Memories... That was a promo video Honda did back in 1984. They sent it out to dealers on VHS so we could plan it in our showrooms. You guys just don't know how amazing Freddie's ride was... Poor guy was on the ill-fated and damn near useless Honda NSR-500 V-Four that had the fuel tank under the engine and the pipes routed up over the motor where the tank is (and covered with what looks like a "tank").

Here's the evil, pig-boat SOB:

http://www.koutoushinku-giken.com/fz_hp/fz_hp_pot/nsr500/02_nsr500_1984.jpg

http://storage.kanshin.com/free/img_1/16928/89328391.jpg


It was this spectacularly horrendous piece of fecal manifestation that lost Freddie the World Title he worked so hard in 1983 to achieve. Had Honda simply left him on the 1983 NSR500 V-3 he probably could have won the World Championship again in 1984, but once again Honda had to try to do something a bit far out there and it flopped. Freddie struggled with this monstrosity throughout the first half of 1984, with Honda thankfully coming out with a more conventional NSR500 V-Four (with normal tank and pipe locations) mid-season. It was this development that went on to win Freddie and Honda the World Championship again in 1985. In fact, it was in 1985 that Freddie Spencer did the once thought impossible - he won BOTH the 500cc World Championship AND the 250cc World Championship in the same year - the only individual in history to do so. Imagine what a monumental feat that was? Think of Rossi doing the MotoGP and the 250cc races on the same day, and winning both.

Anyway, Freddie could have probably given Sam McDonald on that equally crappy VF-700 Sabre a 45 second head start if he had been on anything other than the *upside-down* NSR500...

Come to think of it... The guy who does amazing things in that video IS Sam McDonald - having to ride that evil handling, shaft-jacking, no damping, slow-steering, rear weighted pile of junk known as the VF-700 Sabre! I can't imagine having to try and ride one of those fast around Laguna Seca... Geez!

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NACD)

[DJ Down Under]

Thanks rivi...great clip...loved the little wheelies...imagine..Rossi could have waited another 10 seconds and still cleaned them all up..:icon_mrgreen:

Geees the track's come along way since then.

Dallara...thanks for the added info.

DJ

[Biff's R]

That looks like an absolute ball burner.

[Bones]

Abhijeet,
Freddie promotes trail braking. His approach is to be either on the throttle or on the brakes, 100% of the time. NO coasting, ever. His modulation of either throttle or brakes is very refined and subtle. No hamfisted approach to either.

HE is able to use both front and rear brakes, but most mortals on the track just stay away from the rear brake. But don't forget, he raced mostly 2 strokers on the track and they had NO engine braking compared to other engines, certainly twins.

Have a couple grand $$$ laying around....do the Freddie school. It really is worth it.

Hope that helps.

Jeff

[Promethean]

Bones,
Thanks for explaining it to a newbie. I still can't wrap my head around the fact though, I guess that will become clear once I go to the school. Thanks again.


Abhijeet,
Freddie promotes trail braking. His approach is to be either on the throttle or on the brakes, 100% of the time. NO coasting, ever. His modulation of either throttle or brakes is very refined and subtle. No hamfisted approach to either.

HE is able to use both front and rear brakes, but most mortals on the track just stay away from the rear brake. But don't forget, he raced mostly 2 strokers on the track and they had NO engine braking compared to other engines, certainly twins.

Have a couple grand $$$ laying around....do the Freddie school. It really is worth it.

Hope that helps.

Jeff