Doug

The school has been run at Pocono east for the last two year for all levels.

Hi all, I did level 1 and 2 this year in august at Pocono and I loved it. I really improved my techniques and I want to go again next spring but I'm not sure if I should do level 1 again to work some more on basic skills or if I should do level 3 to learn new stuff! I'm not a racer and I don't have the opportunities do to track days, but I want to continue to improve. So, wich level do you think would be the most beneficial for me??? I'm not the fastest out there but in Pocono I was fast enough and confident enough to drag my knees in a few corners. Sorry for the writing and spelling, english isn't my first language.

Never mind, i found the answer myself!! I just finished reading Lee Parks, Total Control book and he covers the subject pretty well! All the exercices are simple and I should have tought about them myself....

Last night I re-read TOTW 2 and I realized that I'm definitely a lazy turner and because of that I'm doing every mistake covered in the book between chapter 15 and 20! Everytime I approach a corner I start my turn too early and I slow down a lot more than I should, realizing when I reach mid-corner that I could have gone a lot faster! I know that the best way to learn is to go to CSS and that's why I signed up for level 1 and 2 in august. Is there any drills I can practice to learn how to turn quicker and to make later entry turns until then?? Thank's

After a lot of reading (on this board) thinking and calculations I've decided to become a student of the CSS next year! The closest track to where I live is Valley Motorsports Park (Corse Moto), courses will be held on the 28 and 29 of August. I would like to take the two days camp but it's not offered. So what would be my best choice, to take Level one twice or to take Level one and two? Or, can I make reservations for both days and the instructor will tell me after the first day what would be best for me ? Doug

I have at home the Mach 2 video made by Fast bikes magazine, with Rob ''frosty'' Frost and Shane ''shakey'' Byrne as two of the riders. Both of them are now well know rider in WSS and BSB. At the beginning of the video, one of them is seen changing lane on the road so fast that he has time to touch the ground with his knee everytime time. He's actually going left-right-left with full knee down on a single lane road!! Is that something that racers do to practice quick turns likes esses, like an actual drill or are they just goofing around? If it's a real drill, at which level does a rider becomes good enough to be able to do it ? Doug

I wish to thank you all for your answers! I'm very surprised and pleased of how much help you have provided, making this a great forum. I still don't have a perfect solution but I'm going to follow your suggestions and try to do track days as often as possible next year! Meanwhile, I'm going to play some MotoGP2 (can't hurt) and try to learn tennis. It was suggested to me as a great way to get better hand/eye coordination (can't hurt either). Doug P.S. I really liked the cattle prod idea. It's certainly going to make the game more challenging!

Kevin, I wish I could! Actually, before I did my first track day I took a riding class with the local track school. Both instructor were also racers but weren't really good instructor. The day was spent trying to follow them on the track going as fast as possible. That was before I found out about Keith Code and the TOTW books. I wish I could go to CSS but they don't have a school around here. The closest track for me would actually be Watkins Glen , it's something like 350 miles from Quebec city, but with the exchange rate, travelling, lodging etc.. I might as well forget about it. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining or anything, but that's why I'm trying to learn as much as possible by reading books and by asking for advice. If I have to learn by myself and by asking question than that's what I'll do!! Bye, eh Doug

Thank's Bones for the quick answer and your help ! I re-read the chapter you told me to and it's not exactly what I meant. I'm not feeling that I'm going too fast entering the turn or into the turn. It's when I'm flying down the straight line and looking at my turn point. I always slow down before the turn because I'm telling myself that I'm going too fast and that it's dangerous. Too fast for what? Just too fast! Once inside the turn I regret going so slow ( relatively) because I know I could take it a lot faster. It's like a voice of reason or something. I do believe that a big part of my problem is that I'm never driving or riding that fast except on the track, and not being use to high speed in my everyday life is slowing down my progress. So how can I train my brain and eyes to react to the flow of information I receive at high speed? Fighter pilots have simulator and I read somewhere that before a Formula One race, some of the drivers play video game of the track they're going to race on in order to have their brains already in fast mode. I was thinking of maybe something like that, in order to speed up the process of getting use to speed and to get back on the track next spring ready to go fast! Thank's, Doug

I need to know how you guys got rid of the fear of speed (if you had any)! I did a few track days last summer and even tough I knew the track, I always had this little voice in my head telling me that I was going way too fast. I read TOTW 1 & 2 and the Soft science of road racing motorcycles. From those great books, I discover that I'm spending way too much attention thinking about a possible crash and not enough about what I should do at the moment! I have a piece of tape that covers my speedo but my eyes are still telling that I'm going too fast for my own good. Is there any trick I could use to get my brain and eyes comfortable with speed this winter? I was thinking of video games maybe, like motoGP or something like that, any ideas?? What's your training method?