ANORXIC51

BIR 2-day 7/21-22 Short 2 lap vid- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQX4jqj_vUg BIR on 8/31- Headed down to Barber for NEBSA's trackday season finale weekend in a couple of weeks, but bringing the new-to-me CRA-prepped CBR600RR instead of the 848 to get a feel for it, as I'm looking to start club racing next season. Would much rather bring a bike I'm familar with to a track I've never been to, but figured it best to see what this the CBR is like before being committed to it next year. Signed up for 'B' group due to the reputation of NESBA's upper B riders being on par with upper I group riders in most other organizations. Moreso, I NEED to develop passing skills....as it is a huge hole in my riding...and I think starting in B with a new-to-me bike will force me to develop smart passing skills once I get comfortable with the bike. Thanks to everyone at CSS that has given me a good base to start my track riding with before I really even had the chance to develop bad habits. Gerry (Sigs) is a huge asset to your coaching staff, as I had him for both days. Vision skills learned at the school are invaluable!! Hoping to make it back for Lvls 3&4 early next season. -Christian

Few shots showing my progress this season: Back in April: CSS Levels 1&2 @ Infineon- First trackday of 2012 & first on my 848: Road America May 28- BIR on 6/9-

Just wanted to hear people's thoughts on the different types of ways to get through a corner, and if you think it is bike dependent, corner dependent, skill dependent, or a mix of all three. I've always heard that for bikes in the smaller engine classes (up to ones in the SS class), you want to carry as much speed into the turn as you can and maintain/ build on that momentum thru and on out of the turn. For bikes in the SBK class, as well as bikes of the twin cylinder flavor, that it is more 'point & shoot'. Braking at the latest point possible and sacrifice a bit of entry speed, quick turn the bike, and get the bike stood up as soon as possible to utilize the available power for the drive out. I'm looking forward towards my first trackday on this bike (middleweight twin) May 11 at BIR, and can't help but think that I could use BOTH of these styles depending on the turn. Main reason I say that is there are some turns that have a small straight afterwards, so having a higher entry speed into and thru would be beneficial to having a higher exit speed. Then there are a couple where I think that sacrificing entry speed into one corner by squaring it off would set up very well for the following corner (thinking T4->5, 12->13). I'm just thinking out loud here. I already know it is going to be a trial & error sort of thing (this way felt great for T__, that way felt slow/horrible,_____). Feel free to share your thoughts. OH, and IB4justgetoutandridethething. -Christian

I'm using the Dainese Wave w/ shoulder blade protectors, due to it being one of a very few back protectors that covers the blades. -Christian

Well done video. I linked it to my FB to show my friends and familly what the school is about. To say I'm overly excited to finally be doing this (signed up for Levels 1 & 2 @ Sears Point for 4/2-3) is understatement of the millennium. :-) -Christian

Lol @ bike choices. A freind gave me first dibs on his stock 848 when he bought another one that was already modded almost exactly how he eventually wanted to build his up. Offered his old one to me for the same price I paid for the GSX-R, so the Suzuki was sold the next day and picked up the Duc in an apparent "no brainer". Man, you nailed it on struggles adjusting to the new bike. It probably was a bit quick to hit a closed course after only having ridden it a week...maybe 4 or 500 street miles total beforehand. I figured I could become comfortable rather quickly considering I had done the same thing on my previous bikes (~500 miles after first learning to ride in 2010 on an '09 Ninja 250R before doing a DCTC ARC, then another one 100 miles later. Then about 300 miles on the GSX-R600 at the beginning before doing a DCTC ARC to start last season off, and was at Brainerd for my first taste of a real track @ ~1000 miles of seat tine on it). I had put about 3,100 total in on the G6 before the move to the 848...but I was feeling so in tune and getting so comfortable on the GSX-R that I was regretting the decision to sell it for the Ducati. Characteristics of a twin vs I4 had me at almost tip-toe speed thru the corners of DCTCs road course (18 turns in less than a mile length-where the on track pic of me on the Ducati was taken). Steering differences had me exhausted in 5 min (the effort needed to turn AND HOLD the 848 from running wide on exit compared to the "set it and forget it" nature I was usedbon the G6) and regretting the move to the new bike. Trying to clamp on/ keep from sliding forward into the tank (TechSpecs got a failing grade from me as they neither had as much grip as I was used to nor stayed on...and the OEM seat seems very downward angled--on the GSX-R I had StompGrips which are phenomenal and the seating was definitely more "sitting in" than it was "perched on top" like the 848) which also contributed to me fighting and expending extra energy just to keep myself in proper position on the thing. All better now, because along with a host of bike improvements for this upcoming season, I am confirmed for spots in Levels 1 & 2 on 4/2-3 @ Sears Point!!! Will be using the schools S1000RR, and although I am nervous about the whole "new bike that is more capable than anything I've ever ridden" thing, I trust that the skills learned on the BMW will transfer over to the 848 once our season starts. :-) Here is a quick shot of how my bike sits now....waiting for the '12 trackday season to begin: -Christian

Hi all. I have not yet taken CSS, but plan on attending Level 1 (& possibly Lv2) @ Infineon this coming April. Here are a few pics of my first and only trackday (due to the new bike springing a radiator leak the day before the final trackday of the season, forcing me town miss it) on my former bike ('08 GSX-R600) at BIR's Competition Course. Hoping CSS will help with confidence issues that I have on the new bike ('08 848) going into next season. I did an ARC at a local short road course after I had the bike for a week and didn't feel comfortable at all....despite the instructors telling me I was doing well fundamentally. Added a bunch of upgrades and was excited to see how the bike would feel on a real track with new tires/grippier seat/adjusted suspension/Stompgrips...but alas, the radiator spoiled that plan. See ya in April! -Christian