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Streets Of Willow - Mar 29, 30 2008


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I'm taking Levels 3&4 at Streets of Willow. Any heads up on the track? It looks like it has some elevtion changes and some banking. Is it a fast track? (All tracks are fun - as long as they haven't been seemingly blasted by asteroids like the tracks in Michigan.)

 

What assumptions can I make about the temps by the end of March?

 

Thanks!

 

Peace...

 

Faye

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:shocked:

 

Er...why can't I edit my last post?

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I was trying to post a link to Google Earth. Never tried it before. I got sidetracked trying to figure out how to edit that jumble of code and then treying to figure out how to post the link last night and forgot all about your question in the process.

 

I've never ridden either 'Big' Willow or Streets, but, your description sounded more like what I've heard said about the big Willow track.

 

I suggest that you download Google Earth (free) if you don't have it already and go find Willow Springs. It will give you a decent idea of elevations and such.

 

Cheers.

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Faye;

 

There is a video of the Streets (I think on the School's web site) that I watched for hours on end not to mention trying to memorize the track map before going to CodeRACE in April of 2004. I even showed up a day earlier to see if I could get a better "feel" for the layout. To be honest, none of it mattered once I was on the track...I mean NONE!

 

There are elevation changes but you can't get a feel for how much from the video. To be fair, I did use the EA Games WSB2000 before going to Laguna Seca and that DID give me a sense of that layout but the one big difference was that sim game allowed you to see a cause and effect from using the controls of the bike. To my knowledge, there isn't a sim game that uses the Streets layout. Others here may know more.

 

As for the weather, I don't know about March but in April of 2004 it was scorching hot in the mid 90's and we cut short the second days practice sessions to avoid heat related problems.

 

Good Luck.

 

Kevin Kane

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I even showed up a day earlier to see if I could get a better "feel" for the layout. To be honest, none of it mattered once I was on the track...I mean NONE!

 

As for the weather, I don't know about March but in April of 2004 it was scorching hot in the mid 90's and we cut short the second days practice sessions to avoid heat related problems.

 

Good Luck.

 

Kevin Kane

 

Thanks for the feedback. Twist of the Wrist I says the same thing - you can study all you want beforehand, walk the track etc. and none of it matters until you actually ride it and make your own observations...

 

The 90 degrees weather comment is good info! I can leave my long underwear in Michigan!

 

Thanks!

 

Faye Coker

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I even showed up a day earlier to see if I could get a better "feel" for the layout. To be honest, none of it mattered once I was on the track...I mean NONE!

 

As for the weather, I don't know about March but in April of 2004 it was scorching hot in the mid 90's and we cut short the second days practice sessions to avoid heat related problems.

 

Good Luck.

 

Kevin Kane

 

Thanks for the feedback. Twist of the Wrist I says the same thing - you can study all you want beforehand, walk the track etc. and none of it matters until you actually ride it and make your own observations...

 

The 90 degrees weather comment is good info! I can leave my long underwear in Michigan!

 

Thanks!

 

Faye Coker

 

I wouldn't necessarily leave your long johns at home. I have been riding The Streets regularly for about eight years, corner working over six of those. The track is located in the high desert. We've been there in late March and had snow in the surrounding mountains. Morning temps can range from a morning low of 35 and afternoon high of 60 ... or if we're lucky, it'll warm up into the low 70's. The most fearful thing might be the wind. In the desert, it tends to gust up to 25 or 30 knots. That's when, if the temps stay low, you get cold. The wind is always a factor.

 

Many of us "regulars", including some of the coaches, pull heavy sweatshirts on over our leathers. Riding that way does not seem to be as bulky as trying to bundle lots of layers under the leathers.

 

But, as Kevin says, it can also be very, very hot. Like I said, you are in the desert, and the temps can be extreme over a 12 hour period. So, bring 'em in case you need 'em.

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Google Earth says there is about 70 feet of elevation change from the highest point to the lowest point.

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Likely to be somewhere in the 70's in March, but can go either way. We have had more nice days there than any other track.

 

Cobie

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  • 1 month later...
Likely to be somewhere in the 70's in March, but can go either way. We have had more nice days there than any other track.

 

Cobie

 

 

Looks like it's trending high 60's for this weekend.

 

I've been reading and re-reading TOTW I and II. It had been a really long time since I read TOTW I (early 90's) and I was surprised at how helpful it's been and how much more I could relate to it - now that I have more experience. As for TOWT II - that's been awesome to read AND re-read. I can't wait to try the some of the techniques. Pivot steering with the outside leg? Wow - I'd been resting all my weight on the inside peg, kind of perched on the side of the bike rather than hanging off!

 

Destructive advice vs real technology, when to get on the gas, charging and dis-charging, gaining 500 rpm when leaned over and how that affects redline and the rev-limiter in turns...I realized that I've been riding around with a lot of folklore (chatter) in my head. It's been great to get an authoritative (and funny) guide to what's really going on with the rider (me) and the bike and what SHOULD be going on. It blew a lot of the folklore out and replaced it with the calm voice of Keith explaining matter of factly why my SR's happen, how that adversely affects the bike and what I need to do to minimize or eliminate those barriers.

 

It's going to be a great weekend!

 

Faye

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Likely to be somewhere in the 70's in March, but can go either way. We have had more nice days there than any other track.

 

Cobie

 

 

Looks like it's trending high 60's for this weekend.

 

I've been reading and re-reading TOTW I and II. It had been a really long time since I read TOTW I (early 90's) and I was surprised at how helpful it's been and how much more I could relate to it - now that I have more experience. As for TOWT II - that's been awesome to read AND re-read. I can't wait to try the some of the techniques. Pivot steering with the outside leg? Wow - I'd been resting all my weight on the inside peg, kind of perched on the side of the bike rather than hanging off!

 

Destructive advice vs real technology, when to get on the gas, charging and dis-charging, gaining 500 rpm when leaned over and how that affects redline and the rev-limiter in turns...I realized that I've been riding around with a lot of folklore (chatter) in my head. It's been great to get an authoritative (and funny) guide to what's really going on with the rider (me) and the bike and what SHOULD be going on. It blew a lot of the folklore out and replaced it with the calm voice of Keith explaining matter of factly why my SR's happen, how that adversely affects the bike and what I need to do to minimize or eliminate those barriers.

 

It's going to be a great weekend!

 

Faye

 

Faye,

 

Excellent!! I'm looking forward to seeing you there.

 

Heading up to the track tomorrow early, won't be on the forum likely until next Wednesday--we've got six days of schools.

 

Best,

C

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I had an awesome time this weekend. You all rock and I learned a TON. It's going to improve my trackday/racing tremendously.

 

Cobie, you gave me some very helpful advice - once I had the chance to process it. You said I make mid-turn corrections, the root of which can be traced to my not being relaxed on the bike/bars. I had to figure out why I'm not relaxed on the bars sometimes - what is causing that? I feel relaxed, I have loose fingers, elbows etc. I'm having a great time and my skills seem to be improving so what's up? Am I not really enjoying myself and I'm all tense on the bike? What a bummer! I was very surprised to go back and remember instances of where I was tight or 'muscling' the bike through turns. I went over the turn in points, I'm hitting them. The two-step - I'm getting consistent with that...the knee-to-knee is starting to feel right and then I realized what I do wrong. In my quick turns...after I make sure I have the correct throttle control, keep a wide view, find my turn point, look into the turn for the apex/exit and then steer the bike. I sometimes 'forget' to counter-steer into the turn! I do a calf raise to lock the outside knee into the tank, go knee-to-knee,move my butt and stick my knee out, trying to stay loose on the bars into the turn. What? Loose on the bars into the turn?! I forget to apply opposing pressure on the bars at the turn points and the bike won't be pointing right in the turn so THEN I have to make a correction and at that point - doing a quick flick will send me into the yellow and black curbs or into the dirt! I do that frequently. The problem is my inconsistent counter-steering at the turn points. Wow.

 

Like I said - you all rock - it's like racer psychoanalysis. This is happening - why - look really deep - there's a reason these things are happening. Once it's identified it can be corrected. Awesome! Now I'm really excited.

 

Peace!

 

Faye

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Hi Faye!

 

I was really glad that you came out, and glad the school was helpful.

 

The mid-turn corrections are not that uncommon to be honest, we see it quite a bit. Counter-steering changes the directon of the bike, whichever way one uses it, into or out of the turn, same thing is happening with the bars (pressure is being put on them). Modern bikes and tires work so well, it often seems like it's not much effort, and can fool one into a sense they aren't doing anything.

 

It's a big skill to get a bike turned one time, and then leave it alone, worth spending some time to master.

 

Keep us posted on how it goes.

 

Best,

Cobie

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