JohnnyRobshaw

Emanuel First thing to check is that the tires are not worn and the pressures are good. If all that is good then you need to figure if you were making the bike slide- overloading the front by being off the throttle, or erratic with the throttle will shove weight to the front and push the tire out. It's important to be sure that immediately you have turned the bike that you do nothing other than roll the throttle ON. If you hesitate, or shut off the throttle, or put the front brake on this will put extra load up front and push the tire out. Tire size/ brand/quality are much less important on a modern bike. I imagine if the front suspension is extermely stiff that this wouldn't help either but I think it's a rider input issue. Unless you have those $30 Cheng Shin items on! Check your throttle inputs in the turn JR

Hi Keith mentions in one of the Twist books that Doohan 'breaks the rules'. For most riders it seems that getting securely 'locked on' to the bike in the turn using the outside knee and arm aids them in several important ways- you are comfortable, your arms do approximately zero work in the turn, you are not as likely to pull on the bars when actaully in the turn and track bumps/ripples are less likely to upset you/ the bike. If you are crooked on the bike it gets harder to 'lock on'. Doesn't look to me like your arse is off too much but you have left your shoulders behind somewhat. Certainly appears you look well into the turn- in pic #1 anyway. I'm just noticing that the tread on the tire is clearly visible- hell of a photo. You will be pleased to know there is a level 2 off-track drill- the Lean Bike- that addresses hanging off directly and precisely. get yersel to level 2 and try it! Good luck

No distinction based on gender. Everyone gets instruction and encouragement tailored to their particular skill level regardless of who they are or what their chromosome component is. In my humble experience the female students tend to listen a little better and are often easier to bring along, therefore. With 5 years experience of riding you will be able to do the drills without difficulty and will be in possession of more experience than many. All you have to do is listen and apply what Keith asks you to do. Easy! That really is all there is to it. You will have the broadest smile at the end of day 1- no bull. Numbers of females are variable- couldnt begin to quote you a % but you will not be alone. I would guess at 5-10% - maybe? PS What's a joonja? JR

Hellon2wheels Call me old fashioned here but if you are a first time rider and you are looking at those kind of bikes you may not be doing yourself a favour. I guess it depends on what 'first time rider' means but if, for example, you wouldn't feel very comfortable on an R1, accelerating braking as hard as the bike will go,even in a straight line, then that might not be the bike for you. I use that suggestion as a yardstick. If you mean you can just about work the controls safely and could get through the city OK but are looking for some extra speed on the track then you would be waayyyyyyyyy beter going with a smaller, more manageable bike to get the basics nailed. I don't think there would be too much dissent with me suggesting a Suzuki SV 650, or similar hardware. Cheap, available and easier to live with- and more forgiving. And lots of racers use them- no slouch for sure. And when you have tried the thing, got to be able to use it well, then a ZX-636 or R6 represents the next sensible step. I have an R1 and an R6 and gave up using the R1 on the track a few years ago. It's much less fun, and slower, than the R6 for track stuff. It's too much to enjoy, frankly. If you just want to out-drag 600s then that's another story! Look around- try a few- then decide- try the school's 600's!!- you'll find them to be more than adequate- and they are in essentially stock trim. All the best JR

Hi It goes like this-- all first timers with CSS, regardless of skill go to level 1. You do a day there and then you will be level 2 automatically the next day. You do the level 2 day and then next visit you are level 3. The reasoning behind this is that the drills are sequenced and it's hard, if not impossible, to do the drills for a certain level if you haven't done the previous levels. Everyone goes through this- regardless of experience, skill or bike type. No-one skips a level and I don't personally recall anyone being held back- I don't think it happens unless for some reason you don't complete the day. If you did Pocono you could do Levels 1 and 2 on the 2 days in the spring session- if you came back in the fall you would then do levels 3 and 4 over the 2 days. It's that simple. If you do the 2 day camp it follows the same principle- it's just that the student instructor ratio is improved as there are less attendees. You get more time to listen, ask, practice and improve! Most every person appreciates the drills as they are presented- they get you to approach corners in an organised, planned way so there should be no surprises. Start day 1 with the basics of throttle control -- when and how to turn it on, then into some turning exercises on and off track ( in the parking lot, ususally). Hope that helps. See you at Pocono JR

Not for me to steal Keith's thunder but I think the essence of the Body Steering drill is to demonstrate that very little, if any useful change in direction is achievable by shifting body weight alone. Sure you can arc the thing around with a turn radius of scores if not hundreds of feet, but that's not much use at Pocono etc. The judo analogy I think is closer to the power/pivot steering drill and is exactly that- setting up for the most efficient postion to push the bars without getting upset by the re-action. I'm no engineer but I know that's Newton's Third Law of Motion at work. Everywhere you go- erudite Englishmen.

Goods You refer of course to Performance Bikes' Ronnie Smith. Also famous for his Gold Wing wheelie antics http://www.1888fastlap.com/images/GWingWhly.jpg Sadly killed last year on a motor scooter near his home.

Xtrmln You might find it tuff to switch about bikes during any one day as there are logistic issues like numbering and tagging the bikes and getting the transponders for your laptimes coordinated properly. The other thing is you wont have a whole lot of time as you are kept busy from 0730 till the afternoon wrap up. When you are not in class you are on track, or getting ready to go on track. Best thing is sign up for 2 days back-to back and do one day on yours and one on the school's. I used the school's bike first when I did that then once I got the idea of what was expected I could be more comfortable on mine. JR

Mashuri I sense the frustration here. It's not for me to argue the returns policy of the CSS, that is between you and them, but for a school that is structured so deliberately (and so well) it is possible, isn't it, that there are fundamental elements that the school wants to instill that may have faded in your own mind over 9 years? Just possible? Level 1 drills underpin all the other levels from an educational standpoint as well as being a platform for smooth riding in all other circumstances. I know for a fact I received huge amounts of education in 1995 but if you presented it to me now I may just adopt a blank expression. Level 1 skills are the basic skills for cornering- I use basic in the sense of fundamental, indispensible, and not in a trivialising sense. If you can't specifically get the throttle on, turn the bike quickly and at the right moment then the rest becomes rather a more difficult proposition. The only way to be sure is to do Level 1 and see what you make of it this time. I would All the best JR

Hey Monsieur Ibbott, Qu'est-ce qui se passe? You have to hand it to Foggy that he stirred the show up a bit. And could ride a smidge too. Modelled himself on me, I feel. Later, my cockney reject friend JR

John Robinson was the English tech journalist ( he died in 2002 I think) and I found this quote on the net ( in an ad for light wheels). I vaguely remember the original article and will try to find it- He wrote for 'Bike' magazine. First, a quote from John Robinson in his "Motorcycle Tuning: Chassis" book: "The wheels and various things attached to them are critical to the bike's performance. The masses of these parts have rotating inertia which has to be increased or decreased whenever the bike is accelerated or braked: it is unsprung mass, and therefore governs how the suspension performs; it is steered mass which affects the steering response and creates gyroscopic forces which interact with the steering. Every pound of material carried on the wheels is worth two to five pounds carried elsewhere on the bike"

Kevin, Don't worry. Console yourself with the fact that Stuman has provided concrete pictorial evidence that he is only confident in right hand turns. Must be tight on the bars, not locked on, poor vision etc. ...........

Dear Paroxysm I couldn't quote you a percentage but I would say more than 50% of the students at the schools I have been to as both student and instructor are level 1 students. That means, for most, that this is their first foray onto a track. I well remember my first track session at the Glen about 7 or so years ago with my head filled with exactly the thoughts you have. "Everyone will be quicker, I'll get in the way, I will be too inexperienced to learn anything" etc. I can only say that at the end of the day my only thought was "Why didn't I do this before???" At the end of every new student's day there are SMILES -EVERYWHERE. As Jaime says there is solid instruction from 7 am till you leave. How to get on the track safely, how to exit safely, what the flags mean and, of course, how to ride the bike smoothly and with more confidence. Do the drills and you WILL improve- that's how the days are designed. Anyone who gets a little carried away is always spotted, pulled in and counselled. 'Hooning' (as we English call it) is not tolerated and will not be allowed to spoil your day. The off track drills will assess and address your steering skills, body position and comfort on the bike. There are all levels of experience there and it's like learning algebra- it might look unfathomable to begin with but you can be lead through it, one drill at a time. there is no minimum speed. All you need to do is apply the drill of the moment. You will improve. You will have fun. Johnny Robshaw

The best racer of recent years? The skill, the style and his loveable friendly attitude- King Carl Fogarty of course. The fact that he is English and by that token must be better then most, is a mere detail.