El Colibri
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Posts posted by El Colibri
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Welcome to the Forum. You’re going to have a great time at school - I’m stoked for you.
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Roberts,
Thank you for your response.
I too agree that being aware, skilled and practiced is extremely valuable and has indeed helped me to avoid some scary, and perhaps catastrophic, situations. Not only on the public roads but also at the track... We had a rider crash at Barber about a week and half ago and it sent some of the subsequent students in very unexpected directions. As I came upon all of that somewhat blind; wide vision, quick turn, staying loose and practice in making those my default reactions (and not the SR's) undoubtedly helped to avoid making a bad situation worse.
Much appreciated 😎👍
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On 6/5/2021 at 3:24 PM, Roberts said:
I just completed a Washington State DOL motorcycle safety survey.
Multiple choice, asking about experience, training, years riding, accident history, etc. One of the reasons I completed the survey was that they give you the current average response chart after you complete the survey.
One statistic jumped off the page. over 50% of respondents stated that the main cause of motorcycle accidents was inattention of OTHER DRIVERS. Over half of all respondents believe that the main cause of motorcycle accidents is out of their hands. It's fate, and it's up to the performance of other people.
If I believed that, I would sell my bikes today and never ride again.
I believe my life is in my hands, and that choices I make on the road are 100% in my control. One of my principle reasons for coming to CSS was to clean up my own bad habits and misconceptions and to point me in the right direction for continued improvement. I can report that this training has actually saved me from myself on a few occasions, and certainly given me better insight into how my motorcycle interacts with the riding environment.
A few specifics: Where is the actual limit of control? What is '80%'? and how do you know how much margin you have left? When you are at speed, and committed to a line, how can you make fast changes without crossing the line into uncontrolled flight?
The road is not the track, and in theory we should not exceed the limits of control on civilian roadways, but if you put in unpredictable road surfaces, other vehicles, road hazards, and wildlife, you now have an environment where the same skills you need at high speed are required to survive slow to medium velocity travel.
So, this is my plug for CSS. We all want to learn to get around the track faster every lap. There are few things better than that. Control is control, and CSS training is absolutely 100% an improvement in your understanding of what control is and how to get it.
We also need to learn how to read traffic, observe changes in the riding ecosystem, and learn to pay attention and stay focused. All necessary life skills, but it's all just information that allows us to choose and act. CSS will help you learn how to take action so you can come back to the track in one piece.
I appreciate the spirit of what you're saying and agree that skills, training and practice are extremely helpful. However, I am extremely bothered by what you're saying here - perhaps I'm misunderstanding but I'm reading that you believe avoiding accidents on the road are 100% in the the riders control (if we, gain/practice skills and "learn how to read traffic, observe changes... learn to pay attention...). That is just simply not true and perhaps even a dangerous fallacy IMHO.
My personal counter example: Light turns green, I proceed through the intersection, on the other side of the intersection are a series of cars parked parallel to the curb. I'm traveling in a straight line at 20, maybe 25 mph (well within that 80% you refer to). As I approach the rear bumper of a parked car I observe a change (the car begins to pull out when my front tire is about 2 feet behind and 4-5 feet to the left of that bumper), instantly I realize I can't brake fast enough so I try to swerve (i.e. I put some skills to use and took avoidant action)... Had that driver been paying attention/seen me, perhaps she would have stopped and my swerve would have avoided the accident (I could not however control her actions). She did not stop, and she didn't stop until she was half way down the block, maybe 50 yards from where my bike and I lay in the middle of the street.
Yes, the choices I/we make on the road are 100% in our control (or should be). However, my best attempt at paying attention and avoiding the accident was not enough. I have had 2 surgeries, 30 months of PT and OT, an accident investigation and a police report that concludes the other driver was "100% at fault," as well as a sizeable insurance settlement that proves - some things are just out of our control despite our best attempts to be focused, aware and use our skills to avoid them.
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With the camps, you have more sessions and a little less down time between sessions. That said I wouldn’t say camps *require* a higher level of physical fitness.
Off track training and conditioning helps tremendously. Even if you just do a week of it before your school, it will help. At the minimum, stretching- being limber will help a lot with fatigue and muscle recovery. I add to that cycling and Pilates. With cycling you obviously need a bike/stationary. Pilates = core strengthening exercises that help tremendously with the correct body positions and braking required on the track. There are numerous exercises that can be done without a Pilates reformer or equipment - free YouTube videos can help you with that.
At the minimum, stay hydrated and do some stretching before and after your track day. I also add/take branched chain Amino acids (BCAA) daily, they help with muscle recovery. You can find them via online retailers or at your local dietary supplement store.
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New2mac, welcome to the forum. I’d say that the skills learned at the school are very easily transferable back to your bike on the street. My first time at the school was on a school bike and I had no issues taking what I learned out to the street on my bike.
I don’t know that it’s necessarily ’better’ to mix it up and learn on different bikes. I can imagine for some, getting on a sport bike when never having ridden one before may actually take away from focusing on the drills in each session (a lot of attention *could* necessarily go toward just getting accustomed to a new/different bike). Even if that’s the case, I’ve been to the school a bunch of times with a lot of non track/sport bike riders who gain a lot while riding the school bikes.
The flip side is the time and energy you will necessarily and possibly expend on your bike while off track. Things like getting your bike track ready, getting it to the track, fueling your bike between sessions and possibly making any repairs or adjustments to your bike. Down time between sessions in the single day format is not significant (~20 minutes), though you would have time to do these things, you might feel rushed to attend to your needs + bike off track between sessions.
Some people don’t realize how energy intensive track riding can be and if your not in track condition physically, just riding and learning all day can fill up your cup pretty easily. Riding a school bike allows you to just focus on learning, practicing the skills taught, digesting those skills and keeping your body hydrated and fueled.
Either route you decide to go with, you’ll learn a lot and have a great time doing it.
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16 hours ago, Hotfoot said:
I look forward to seeing you guys at Barber!
Yes, though we’ve never directly worked together, I always look forward to seeing the entire CSS team.
It almost feels like extended family to me, but even better, because it’s always more than a pleasure.
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I’ll be back for the 3 single days on my bike. Looking forward to seeing you again 53driver, and hope to see you there this year Cobie.
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From the article: “
Erik Buell will not have a role in the new company, according to Melvin, because Erik Buell is currently involved with the electric motorcycle and bicycle company Fuell.
“At the end of the day, it’s just a brand name,” Erik Buell posted on his personal Facebook page. “At one time it stood for innovation, but it was parked by H-D for 12 years. Time will tell what becomes of it next.”
Link to article: https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/buell-is-back/
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Hey Brick, welcome to the forum. Unlikely I’ll see you at VIR, but I’m sure you’ll have a great time.
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On 11/19/2020 at 2:10 PM, Keith Code said:
El Colibri;
Yes please, do come back after your COTA tarck day and let me know but I'm willing to wager that if you can get it to work on the street, it'll that much easier there and the COTA apex 'curbing' is already pretty friendly.
Keith
Quick report:
It rained and rained some more this past Saturday at COTA so I was never able to really put outside peg/foot to a true test on the track. I was much more concerned with smooth braking and smooth throttle than I was with trying to hit the apex/curbing with my tires (Q4s, unfortunately I didn’t have rain tires). Judging/feeling tire position just didn’t seem to be that difficult, or much of a big concern, at maybe ~35-40° max lean on a really wet track.
I still stand by my previous leap forward/value statement about outside foot/peg though.
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Keith, Merlin here.
You were my off track coach for all 3 single days at Barber this past May. I believe it was on day 2 - I was able to shave 5-7 seconds (can’t remember exactly to be honest but it was a huge gain) off my lap times with a single drill you assigned to me.
if that helps with “credibility” 😉
The freed attention and consistency in my lines with outside peg/foot “felt like” a similar leap forward for me. I think you’re on to something valuable here.
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17 hours ago, Keith Code said:
This thread started me thinking. Dangerous, I know.
Some riders, very good ones, claim they just know where the tires are and can hit a tight apex. I can't but I'm happy for them.
Knee to curb is workable, or, more descriptively, Knee Over Curb. 9 out of 10 students reap substantial improvements with that drill. [...]
One other thing just struck me as a possible device for estimating the location of the tires in a corner. It's the position of your outside foot.
[...] I say "if it was a help" because I have no idea if this would work for anyone.
You could call it a research project at this point and I hope to try it out for myself as well.
Keith
I just went for a great ride on my favorite local twisties and I'm super glad I checked into the forum this morning and saw this post before I headed out.
I practiced knee to curb in one of my sessions at Barber this past May - indeed it was helpful. But as this thread inquires about tire vs eye position at apex, I found practicing/focusing on my outside foot to be tremendously helpful today. For me, it really tied together vision (keeping vision and attention well down the road) and precise tire placement through the corners. I played with both knee to curb drill and outside peg drill, and for me, without a doubt, my tire placement was much more precise with outside peg.
It also freed up a lot more attention - with outside peg I was able to draw an arc with my mind's eye that essentially had the same radius from where I was to where I was looking. With knee to curb, I noticed some of my attention was eaten up with feeling and visualizing two of the same arc with different radii (if that makes sense).
Regardless, I really enjoyed playing with it on the street as it also helped me navigate debris and potholes in the middle of some of those turns - never had a tire out of place. It also helped me compensate better for hanging over the double yellows at full lean.
I'll be on track at CoTA next weekend and look forward to playing around with the outside peg concept on track. Will report back on the track practice of it if I have any additional insight.
Cheers!
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Perhaps it’s because I started riding on the dirt and continue to do so on KTMs, or perhaps it’s my Austrian heritage, but mostly, I’m super excited to see another manufacturer getting competitive in the GP class. That they have become competitive in a relatively short amount of time (4 years if I’m correct) is very impressive.
I’m very happy to see some new competition in MotoGP.
And WOW [last week spoiler alert]
That multiple rider yard sale crash! SO close to being much worse and I wish all those involved a speedy recovery.
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Though October in Vegas will likely be nice weather, I’d bring a fitted thermal base layer (top and bottom that’ll fit under your suit) just in case. Unlikely that time of year but the desert can get cold.
I don’t know your age or fitness, but I typically spend some time on fitness and conditioning (especially my lower body) before 2-3 days with CSS - cycling and/or a stationary bike, core strength, plus stretching. Day 2 can be brutal sore if you’re not in track shape already.
You’ll have a blast!
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53driver, it was great to meet you. I’m so glad to hear you had a great time and were able to enjoy being a student again.
4 days in a row - wow, way to go! I was beat after just 3.
Thanks so much for helping make our “camp” a great place. I hope to see you at another school again soon.
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Years ago I definitely felt better/had a preference for lefts. When I first came to CSS I had a coach ask me if I prefer lefts, as he observed my body position look at home on the left but I was tight and twisted up going right. My left was the first knee I got down.
Today, after multiple level 4 days and working on it, I can’t say I have a preference. Currently, my right knee puck is probably twice as worn as my left (more the result of riding COTA 5-6 times a year - long sweeping rights, tight short lefts; and MSR Houston - clockwise track).
Proper body position, both left and right, was the first piece of the puzzle. Vision is the toughest but most rewarding piece for me currently.
On public roads, I’ve got a few favorite turns and they’re all blind rights. So, for me, it’s not actually being able to *see* through the turn, but where my head and eyes are pointed that affects good body position and confidence in the turn. Granted, I know those turns (and typically scout them first), so perhaps I don’t *need* to be able to see through them. Regardless, I notice that when I’m practicing good body position and vision fundamentals I feel confident to charge those blind rights pretty hard.
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On 4/17/2020 at 6:14 PM, Cobie Fair said:
I'm SOOOO looking forward to getting on my dirt bike tomorrow! Hope you get some moto time in soon
Hope you had a great time. Did you get your daughter out there too?
We had a beautiful day today and decided to ride for a few hours... Yes, it felt really really good. My wife decided to take her bike out as well.
So nice to be in the moment on two wheels.
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I trust my own ability to moderate my hooliganism, it’s the other people out there on public roads that I’m more fearful of. I might not be able account for their actions.
That said, you’ve got me thinking about risk/reward - my mind, body and soul could really use some happy moto freedom.
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Watching some old races (MotoGP just put up the top 10 underdog races for free). Installing a few new parts/trying to support local parts retailers that offer online purchases. Pulled the rear wheel and gave that entire area a thorough cleaning. Gotta spread these things out so I’ll probably pull the front next week, then I’m due for an oil change. Studying video of Barber in anticipation of May.
I just ran across all my class/level notes from past schools yesterday and will spend some time looking over those.
Super tempted to go for a spirited ride as we’ve had beautiful weather, but erring on the side of caution for the sake of unnecessary load on healthcare just in case/accidents happen.
And staying in shape riding my road bicycle trainer and we have a Pilates reformer too.
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@Red_Baron I do love birds, I used to be a paraglider pilot and spent a sunset outside Sun Valley Idaho soaring wingtip to wingtip with a bald eagle (years ago), soaring on the foothills looking West over the high desert. Since then, I've lost count of the times Ive been inspected by hummingbirds, as in circling and chirping within 1-2 feet of me for more than a minute or two on some occasions. El Colibri was the name I gave to the KTM 990 I rode to South America and back (2010-2011). I miss that bike and fondly remember the journey so I adopted that name for myself here.
Stay safe and healthy all,
Merlin
Since we digress... Cuba didn't want to let me leave with that sticker on my bike, but we gave up trying to peel it off before we sailed back to Cartagena (I also had a Cuban Driver's License and plate for two weeks, they made me surrender those).
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Hey 53 and Red, as of now I've still got the trip on the books but I'll need to reevaluate the Virus situation in about a month and perhaps again 10-14 days out (I assume CSS will be doing the same as per local ordinances/public health concerns).
I've been planning to arrive a day early and spend Friday at the Museum, might do a combo of hotel and trailer camping but haven't booked accommodations yet. I have room in my enclosed trailer for an extra bike (coming from Austin area), but my trailer only has a queen bed.
Been looking forward to these dates and I'm hopeful we will all be able to safely attend.
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Comotocon, the company many of us haven’t heard of is growing.
Comotocon Holdings, which already owns Revzilla and Cycle Gear, has acquired J&P Cycles in order to increase its presence in the American V-twin market.
Article here: https://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/comoto-revzilla-j-and-p-cycles-acquisition/
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Yes, I’ve looked into cutting the cord and streaming options. It does appear getting BeIN through Sling is the most economical option ($60+/yr), if the goal is solely being able to watch MotoGP. Unfortunately, for our house, cutting the cord isn’t an option (many out of market programs only available through our current provider).
Also, there’s a big difference between race coverage on BeIN and MotoGP/Videopass, which offers access to free practice, press conferences, races going back to 1992, etc.
I was simply wanting to inform the people on the forum that there’s a discount for Videopass currently available.
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Wanted to share: @motogp on Twitter is offering 10% off for this season’s subscription - via the link found there. That plus the current $:€ exchange rate makes this season $136.27 vs the standard price of $159.99 (when you see it offered in $’s).
Like everyone else.... hello from a new old guy.
in New Members Area
Posted
Welcome to the forum, I know you’ll have a great time with CSS at VIR. Enjoy