Hotfoot

Oh yes, if you were riding the Ninja 300 you will definitely feel a lot of difference; I rode a Ninja 400 recently and I was amazed by how much it wanted to decelerate when I let off the gas - and I discovered that my roll-offs were NOT as smooth as I though they were (see Throttle Control rule #2)! On the S1000s you can adjust the engine braking amount; after switching from another bike to my S1000rr where it is set very low it takes some getting used to, since I feel like I am free-wheeling into the corners, but it is a good learning experience as it makes me pay a lot of attention to my entry speeds. Personally, less engine braking helped me bring up my entry speeds (not always entirely on purpose!), and since I like the suspension set very soft in the front it minimizes (as Dylan said) the bike pitching forward when I roll off on flowing corners. I had trouble with the Ninja on that point, it would decelerate so rapidly on engine braking that it would compress the front. If nothing else the change to less engine braking may break some habits on entry speed and roll off points and force you to take a new look at judging the approach to higher speed corners.

How did you watch racing in the stone age?

Good point. We used to have a News/Announcements section and that is where those would have gone in the past, but that topic didn't get a lot of traffic so we removed it in an effort to streamline the layout. Per your comment I will look through current posts in the section and see how they would be classified, that is a good way to determine needed categories.

Thank you all for all of this GREAT input. I have had multiple requests now to separate School Questions and General Discussion, because it is a little confusing to have them together, and multiple requests for Tire and Gear areas. Here is my question - and I really need some input on this, please - post your preference even if you don't feel really strongly about it, I'd like to get a good sample of opinions to work from: If we have (for example): New Members Area Articles by Keith School Questions Cornering and Techniques Tires, Tuning, Suspension Riding Gear and Equipment Racing as categories, do we still need a "General Discussion" area? Or do those categories pretty well cover it?

Since that was a front tire crash, you might want to ask a few questions - did she have the wheel turned and touch the front brake right before it slid out? Were her arms stiff, adding more load on the front and/or restricted the movement of the bars? Certainly makes sense that cold tires contributed to the crash, but even with that info I imagine it is very mysterious to her why the bike would go down at such a slow speed, probably a good idea to explore other contributing factors.

We are so glad you are active now on the forum! Thank you for your participation and thank you for your wonderful comments about the school and the forum. Corner marshall at a MotoGP race! Awesome, and what an amazing facility, too, COTA is really something. Welcome!

That sounds like a hoot, and I bet a heck of a workout too.

Those sound like good goals and we definitely have drills to help with them both! When you say consistency, in what specific area would you like to improve your consistency? Lines? Apex accuracy? Entry speed, exit speed...?

Level 4 is still an individual, customized program. However, there are many, many new, specific Level 4 drills that address a variety of problems riders encounter. So the basic format is the same but the array of tools and drills that are available (there are over 100 level 4 drills) has been expanded considerably, along with some other nice improvements in AV tools and video capabilities. You mentioned you've been asking yourself what skills you need to work on - come on out to a school and your coach will work with you on your goals and closely observe your riding to create a custom program to address this. In other words, you don't have to have it all figured out before you get here, your coach and your level 4 consultant will work with you personally to identify what skills need improvement.

Where were you riding today?

GREAT, thank you for letting us know about that.

It was filmed in the summer of 2008. There is a lot of really cool info on the making of the film and a great interview with Keith on this website: www.twistofthewristii.com

I did an American Supercamp school, which uses 125cc dirtbikes on dirt to get riders more comfortable sliding and spinning the rear tire. I think I'd need to do more of it to get comfortable backing it in or sliding a lot on the asphalt, but it did help some, and it helped my dirt riding confidence a lot. Most of all it was really a fun day, and we had a great time dicing it up on the short dirt track. I don't do it as much as I'd like, but I'm sure dirt bike riding would be a great way to keep in shape and cross train. Mountain biking, too, probably, but I'm definitely in not good enough shape for that!

OK, if you don't mind - please look again and see if it is gone now, I am told that it should be and I can't find it anymore under my login...

I escalated this issue, we should have it taken care of very soon. Tagging articles with keywords is definitely possible, that's a good thought, that would make searches easier, I'll look into ways to group articles.

I did a 2 up ride with a pro racer when I was still a brand-new track rider. It scared the hell out of me! I got on, he told me to put one hand on his chest and the other on the tank (no handholds on the tank back then) and took off. He was moving all over the place, hanging off for the corners, and accelerating and braking hard - I was sure I would fall off. After about 3/4 of a lap I started to think I'd be OK - then as we started the 2nd lap he yelled over his shoulder, "Ok, I'm going to go faster this lap!" and I yelled "No!" but he obviously didn't hear me because he DID go faster. What did I learn from it? Well, I got a new perspective on how fast one COULD (potentially) enter a corner, and how close a pro rider really does get to the inside edge of the track, and how HARD you can brake. I was, at the time, such a new rider that it all seemed somewhat unreal; I probably would have gotten more out of it if I had done it later when I had more experience. But, I'll be honest, I have no desire to do it again. I haven't done much riding (or fast paced driving in a car) as a passenger - I would much rather be driving! Going at race pace with someone else in control is definitely a scary experience, I am always amazed and impressed by those people that ride in rally cars as the navigator.

Well that "Welcome to Pages" article was something I could not access either, it was apparently some sort of systems announcement on a new feature on the back end of the forum. I did a refresh to clear the cache and on mine it disappeared - John, please take a look and see if it fixed it for your account. I'll speak with Cobie about rearranging the articles to make them easier to find, see if that is something we can do.

This is really helpful feedback, thank you. I found the post you are talking about and I can't access it either; whatever it is, it doesn't belong. I'm at the track today and on a mobile device so I couldn't delete it but will do so tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up on that.

Weather looks pretty uncomfortable for Fontana. 😕

Did you know that there is an app available that will let you download and watch A Twist of the Wrist II on your iPhone or iPad, or Android device? If you ever wanted to have the movie with you on the go, at the track, or if you just want instant access to watch it right now, instead of waiting for a DVD to arrive, there's an app for that. For iPhone or iPad: In the App Store, search "Twist of the Wrist Keith Code". Download the app. Once the app is installed, open the app and you will have an option for an in-app purchase of either A Twist of the Wrist, or A Twist of the Wrist II. Once purchased, the movies are available to watch at any time on your device and you can even go straight to whatever chapter you want to see. Instant access, and it costs less than the DVD, too. This is SO COOL, I didn't know until recently it existed and thought I would share the info with all of you. UPDATE: It's also available now to watch instantly on Amazon Video! Link below - or just search the title on Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B089ZNVBW9/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

That's great, sounds like you have a specific plan and have thought out a good series of steps required to execute it, let us know how it goes!

You will learn to how to have more control over your motorcycle, be able to predict where it will go in a corner and be more able to make it do what you want and expect it to do. Yes, you could potentially use the skills to become a coach, see this post for LOTS of information about what it takes to be a coach and how to apply: http://forums.superbikeschool.com/topic/4785-2018-need-more-riding-coaches/ Yes, you could also potentially go on to be a racer. I came to school as a Level 1 student having never ridden on a track before. I went through the levels and got faster and eventually started racing and then became a coach, so yes, for sure it can be done. Two day camp versus half camp is described in detail here: https://superbikeschool.com/the-curriculum/ But in short, a half camp is exactly like a 2 day camp except only one day instead of two days.

Ha ha, that is an excellent point! Well... in a corner like you describe, where, as you say, you can be anywhere and be almost right, do you still choose a specific line with specific reference points (like you would in a very tight corner), and try them and then adjust from there? Or do you go in with a completely new line/new approach every time and see how it feels?

Oh, yes, those are the ones I find the hardest to figure out for racing. For me, I LOVE to ride them but I have trouble determining the quickest way through, whether I am better off to stay more to the inside and cover less distance, or go out wider to carry more speed, or swing out then back in to get a good drive out... of course I probably make it harder on myself by riding both a low HP bike and a high HP bike, and the answer is likely different for each bike. The corners I find the scariest are downhill corners, I know I shouldn't brace on the bars but it is hard not to, and I worry about overloading the front, between the deceleration, the downhillness (is that a word?) and the effort not to lean on the bars, and the worry makes me tense, which is counter productive as well. The thing that helps me with those is a really good wide view, or if I can't manage that at last some good reference points. What skills do you use to HELP you with your tough corners?

What sort of corners are most challenging for you? Road or track, which ones do you find most difficult to ride or hardest to figure out? Post up, we want to hear your answer, whether you are a brand new rider or a regular track junkie!