rondre3000

So jealous. Have a great time all!

Suomy makes a great helmet. I have no experience w/ the Vandal, only the Gunwind, Spec 1R and Spec 1R Extreme. Both Spec 1R's vent a lot and as a result there is A LOT of wind noise. I wouldn't even ride down the street without ear plugs on. Sizing on the Extreme is about a half size smaller than comparable brands. Try on before you buy. Not sure, but I believe their US branch is no longer in business so customer service may take longer to get a response from.

No problem Stephen. Will, the head mechanic for the school, or his helper for the day will mount and balance your new tires. Not sure if there is a fee involved or whether you are responsible for getting the wheels on/off the bike. -r.

Hey Stephen, Yes you're responsible for your own gas if you bring your own bike.. As long as your tires have very good tread depth you will be fine with street tires. Not sure that will be so on tires that have 3K+ miles on them. The school does offer a great discount on Dunlop tires for their students (Qualifiers, Sportmax GP's and even slicks). If you are interested in those you should call ahead to make arrangements. -Ron.

AB, Glad my mini review could help out somewhat. I don't doubt that you'll have a great time...and at one of the premiere US tracks too. I'm jealous! -r.

For those that have already done a school day at Laguna, is the track management still a stickler about noise reg's? I'd Love to do a day there some time. -r.

How about a video instead? Austin was there the same weekend we were at the school, Jay. You'll see Apex #1 pretty clearly...apex #2 is a little less obvious. Hope this helps. -r.

A little back ground on myself. Have been riding since Summer of 05. Decided to finally get some instruction after 2 trackday lowsides and the realization that I didn't really know what I was doing out there. I could turn a fairly decent lap time, but there was no consistency in my laps. Had previously owned two 600's and now being on a liter bike, I wanted to correct some bad habits. So somehow I lucked out and Cobie was my on-track instructor. He was working with 2 other students in Level 4 so I was also fortunate to be able to listen in on their coaching. I couldn't have been any luckier without winning the lotto that day. Maybe i should have played? Hahaha. First off, and I can't stress this enough, it is NOT a trackday. It’s not called California Superbike TRACKDAYS for a reason. If you go to the school fully aware that it is a SCHOOL and NOT A TRACKDAY then you will get A LOT out of it. It is NOT an environment where you’re just gonna run hot laps all day and get instruction on all facets of your riding. There is a strict curriculum they follow all day focused on specific aspects of your riding. Check your ego at the door and be open to learning what they are trying to teach you. Once I did that, the theories started making crystal clear sense and I started to enjoy myself. The steering drill I worked on with Coach Martel was particularly humbling and at the same time probably one of the more eye-opening drills I did that day. The school isn’t trying to teach you the fastest way around Streets of Willow (or whatever track you attend) They are trying to teach you a skill set that you can apply to ANY turn at ANYWHERE (track OR street). I didn’t run one clean lap without traffic and rode about 7/10ths all day but still had a TON of fun and got some good feedback from Cobie. I liked that he didn't spoon feed me answers, but led me to the answering most of the questions myself. Of course, he will still correct you as needed but the "guided discovery" really helps you understand the principles the school is trying to teach. Will I lap Streets of Willow faster than I ever have immediately? Probably not. But I’ll definitely feel less “busy” on the bike and ride more efficiently so that if/when I am dipping back into 26’s and 27’s again I won’t feel like I’m riding over my head. Thank you Cobie and rest of The California Superbike Staff. I’ll definitely go back for Level 2. Just not sure when. Maybe June? Until then, Ron Blakely.

Let us know what you find. One coach said it was harder to get through turns 4-8 on the bigger bike. CF So for anyone interested in the comparison... I was a but surprised at how well the R1 handled at Streets of Willow. I was expecting an uphill battle but by the last 2 sessions of the day I was feeling somewhat comfortable on the new bike. Sure it wasn't as light as my previous bike (05 636), but it wasn't a pig either. As Cobie mentioned above, I was definitely slower in sections 4-8 but for me it was more about being timid w/ the gas than line choice. I was still able to cut 4 and 6 shallow as I'm used to and I'm sure with more time I'd get back up to pace in Turn 8. One thing is for certain...the new bike isn't hurting for power. -Ron.

Glad to hear you had a good time in Vegas. Ahh, I remember that track well. It destroyed my very first EZ-Up. Hahaha. -r.

I'll be doing my own mini-comparo at Streets of Willow next weekend. I'd consider it my home track as I go there several times a year and am comfortable w/ the layout. I've previously only lapped there on 600's but this time I'll have my R1 out there. Comparing the 2 bikes at Auto Club Speedway, I was able to lap similar times but I know a lot of that had to do with the very long front straight at that track. It will be interesting to see how I feel about the bike after a day at Streets ( a much tighter track). I fully expect to be worn out at the end of the day after tossing around a heavier bike. Hahaha.

Thanks for the welcome all. I'll be taking Level 1 on 3/28.

I know the reservoir line issue you're speaking of as I had the same bike and rearsets. You're gonna have to trim that line if you want to get that right side as far up/back as possible. I'd start off by measuring where the stock rearset pegs are and then move up/back incrementally to find out what works best. Like a noob, I set mine up as far up/back as possible for a whole year and couldn't understand why my legs were so beat at the end of trackdays. After adjusting them to a far less insance position, my legs couldn't be happier. -r.

After smaller stuff like frame sliders and stomp grip I'd focus on tires, brake pads/lines and suspension. In that order. I will tell you though that a properly sorted out suspension can make a world of difference in your riding. Especially if you are a bigger guy (200+lbs). -r.

Hey Folks, Well after 2 lowsides in my last 4 trackdays I finally decided it was about time I get some instruction. I was getting along at a good enough pace (usually mid/slower end of the Race group) but felt like I was hitting a wall and not really understanding how to improve on my riding. Still can't explain what happened with my lowsides other than "I lost the front". Was previously on a ZX6R for 2 years and loved that bike. Such a great balance of handling and power. It was stolen recently so now I'm on another track bike and starting the learning process all over again. I'm on an 04R1 now and while I'm a bit over my head I am still having fun. Brake markers come up A WHOLE LOT FASTER NOW! I've taken the new bike out for 2 trackdays so far. Surprisingly, my lap times haven't suffered as much as I thought they would. I'm within a second of where I was pre-crashes on the 636 and on a totally foreign bike. The velocity and engine braking are difficult to get used to. So before I develop any MORE bad habits, I decided to invest in myself and take Level 1. I've cornerworked for the school since 06 and have seen first hand how it has helped riders realize their potential. Dunno why I waited so long but I'm anxiously awaiting my first day of class. Thanks for reading, Ron.