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ThomasDark

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About ThomasDark

  • Birthday 02/08/1982

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  • Have you attended a California Superbike School school?
    Yes

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    The Beehive State
  • Interests
    Motorcycle riding, Learning to ride better, MotoGP, WSBK, BSB, Firearms, Fly Fishing, nerding out, my family, Civil Engineering, G.I.S., Alpine Skiing, Alpine Ski Racing, Competition of any kind

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    t.a.dark

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  1. Track notes: Perhaps start recording what gear you're in where. Also maybe where you're doing things like the "pick up". I had a battle with downshifting at my last track day and I found you can downshift as you brake if you practice it. Combine that with learning to blip the throttle like Hotfoot says so your engine is matching your wheel spin and not the other way around and I think you'll find your problems are over. I'm no racer, but I enjoy to "hold my own" at trackdays too. My typical downshift is a 4th to 2nd (on a 954rr, so it's basically a liter-bike with comparable compression) and after learning to blip better and brake and shift at the same time all was well and I was happy.
  2. I think you mean "you will die from it". Shedding the delusion of immortality is the first step to being a good rider, IMO. After that I think a good rider is someone who does their best to mitigate the threats to their person while sacrificing as little as possible in the pursuit of your personal goals. When I say "does their best" I mean on their own personal scale. You're best mitigation may be vastly better or worse than mine. In this regard I feel like it's an "A for effort" type of system. If you're a novice and doing things very wrong unintentionally that is much different then a seasoned rider taking unnecessary risks for no reason. When I say "your personal goals" I mean everyone throws a leg over the subframe for a different reason. Usually over the course of life people will happen upon others that share similar motivations for getting on a bike and they become riding buddies. Stunters always seem to find other stunters. Canyon carvers find other like minded souls. Racers have it easy cause their cronies gravitate to an actual geographic location but the result is the same... friends with common goals. In that light, everyone's motivation is different and therefore the risks they're willing to take are similarly wide ranging. A stunter would not want to risk a full-lean corner with their knee down at the threshold of rear tire traction but a racer would. A canyon carver doesn't find much joy in drifting the rear tire out in a parking lot or doing a 50' stoppie, but stunters may. A racer or a stunter may never be interested in a 3 state, 400 mile, 6 hour session of 2 lane mountain roads but a touring rider would take that ride every day if allowed. As long as you're trying your best to reduce your risk and staying true to your personal goals and motivation I'd say you're a good rider.
  3. See, I missed all that cool stuff! Walk the track? Are you kidding me? We would be allowed to do that? Wow! Definitely camping next time. Thanks for the tips! Sure you can walk the track. We showed up the day before and no one was there/Track was cold so we just walked the whole thing. I found a bent engine rod, part of a cylinder head and all sorts of bits and pieces. You can also look closely at the "tar snakes" and see how different they are from the ones you see on the public roads. You'll be surprised how far/big things are when you're on foot. Enjoy. Also, the water referenced above is potable (I think) so no worries there. You can back your car up to the SE corner of the building to assist in shade/wind shade. Check out the stars while you're there after all it is a desert. Befriend the people in the front office, they're fun too, as is the gate attendant. We lucked out and there were drag races on Saturday night (we were there for two track days) on the big track (Unfortunately we missed them due to some 'health' issues with one of our riders) It'll be good times, I'm sure.
  4. Franco802, I camped back in June. It was a little warm for me. I'd say it's totally worth the money to head into lancaster. There's something to be said for the quality of sleep the night before you hit the track hard like they do at CSS. If you do camp I'd recommend setting up your tent on the east side of the classroom building by the A/C unit. There's water available on the southwest corner of the building. Walk the track if you do because there's all kinds of cool stuff to see. Also, there is a thermometer in the fence next to where your tent will be for your own sadistic knowledge...
  5. For me it's always the electrolytes. Gotta take a salt and a potassium every session. Drink all the water you want but without those you're just as toast (or more) than if you drank nothing at all. Glad you had fun out there Franco. Discretion is the better part of valor. td
  6. That is the focus of Level 3. Is that Streets of Willow? I don't see any candy striping...
  7. I'd have to ask Mr. Doohan what his favorite memory was.
  8. Stay in Lancaster like KHP says. I think the CSS team likes to stay at "Inn of Lancaster"... I've stayed at the Town House Motel and it was just fine for $80/night with internet... and there's a large pool too!
  9. On the wall in my garage I have a whiteboard of all the drills I've ever done at CSS. I like to pick 1 or 2 for each ride and make them the focus. Every turn of the tire can be a turn toward improvement without sacrificing enjoyment. Lyle, I am jealous of your job every day I sit at my desk. You truly have a 'dream job' right there.... Just thought I'd remind you.
  10. Chuck, The quick and most enjoyable fix is to go get yourself a couple track days. I ride the Pilot Power 3's, Power Pure's before that, and have never got that mysterious flat spot in the middle of my tire... And I only do about 2 track days a year. I actually wore the sides out before the middle on my pures through canyon riding and mountain roads. It has a lot to do with the where and how you ride. If you're hard on the throttle off of the line at every stop light and obsessed with doing 30mph-90mph+ pulls whenever possible to show those pesky cars who's boss then you aren't going to avoid a flat spot. In the end tires are tires. If you're feeling squirrely in the transition to lean you're probably spending too much time in that transition... It's called a quick-flick because it's quick... quick enough you don't have time to feel squirrelyness. If it doesn't feel stable when leaned then maybe you're rolling too much tire pressure. just my $0.02 have fun out there and keep the rubber side down, no matter it's profile.
  11. I had the same experience as Erik. Glad it's back as I was missing my daily drop-in. Good work on getting it back up and thanks! td
  12. Tyler, I'm jealous. Even though I'm 6'5" and 230lbs I'm seriously considering getting a CBR250 just to get out there. I'm afraid with my size and that little bike I'd be just paying for an expensive track day though. To me there's no point in racing if it's impossible to be competitive. Good on ya for getting out there! Maybe I'll do the same one day.
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