brian, certainly wasnt meant to be a diatribe. Its just that I disagree with your statements about a heavier having more traction and a lighter person will be more skittish in a corner. With the same tires as a guy who weighs 50lbs more than me, I can have lower pressures and have the same traction as he if I put it into the corner faster and harder.
Yes, of course downforce in racing puts more weight on wheels, but in bikes, I dont see how being heavier will be faster around corners when tire pressures can come into play and especiallywhen you bring in later braking and whatnot with a lighter rider.

basically I was responding to you saying that a heavier rider can corner faster.

I dont have the science background or any of the vocabulary to discuss this, but I do have a fair amount of two wheeled experience going around corners fast, some motorcycle racing on track, and bicycles, and just dont see that being heavier is faster around corners--as you did say, about it being a wash with having to change direction of momentum--that makes sense and like I said, I see it as going to the lighter rider because of the later braking and dirctional change quickness will add up to more than more traction due to heavier weight.