Cobie Fair

Vegas in March---should be excellent ! CF

James, There is a really good chapter on braking in Twist of the Wrist 1, chapter 8, even has drawings on the downshifting part, might want to check that out. Best, CF

If under downshifting there is a front tire skid, how is it happening? The front won't skid unless the brakes are being used (front brakes). Sure you aren't feeling a rear wheel skid? Or, as mentioned earlier, doing sometihng with the brake lever? Best, Cobie

Hi Jason, First off, thanks for asking, I know what you are referring to. Normally these references are given out AFTER the schools to students, so someone could remind themselves, go over in more detaial, etc. Since this comes from our diaries, and is copyrighted, let me check with Keith before we give this out, but I don't imagine a problem. Best, Cobie

Alan, OK, take the competition out for a moment, and you are just going for a fast qualifying lap. What will get you the best time? Ultimately, if guys charge you see a lot of mistakes: most of them have the result of late on the throttle, and what is the result of that? Cobie

You have sure worked at it, and your riding shows it CF

yeah, it would jar your fillings going at a good clip! CF

Hey All, I heard from Keith that they repaved that bumpy section at Pocono---won't that be a relieve. It was very entertaining to get through there quickly (yikes). Cobie

Hi Lachie, PI, one of my favorites, and welcome aboard! Nice to have the Aussies here Cobie

As the rider goes through the wet patch, the rider needs to be on rolling on and have the bike standing up as much as possible for that corner/speed combination. - so he/she needs to be locked on, back in the seat, cheek off, body :- down, forward and to the inside, eyes locked onto the exit target and rolling on. If possible, doing the level2 last session "pushing away" so the bike is even more stood up. Pretty thorough answer! One point I was looking at is how to get that right weight bias on the tires? Most guys don't think that all the way through, and realize the adjusting the bias is done with the throttle. Getting the suspension in the sweet spot is another key item. CF

The whole backing it in, honestly seems like a fad that is fading a bit. A few years ago when Rossi and Nicky were teammates, Rossi suggested that Nicky not do it. If the rear wheel is in the air (possible on any modern sport bike), what exactly is the back doing? Also, what's keeping the bike stable? CF

OK, we are pretty agreed that being in the brakes isn't going to help the traction picture, but how exactly can the rider get absolute best possible traction for this situation? There is keeping the suspension in the sweet spot, but how about also keeping the exact correct weight bias on each tire, how is that achieved? CF

Lookin pretty good, but I think you are right, picking it up a little more will give you that bit extra.

Yikes! I typed a long reply and lost it Short version, Racer has described it fairly well on upshifting--simply roll off the throttle, and at the peak of the roll off upshift. The only real don'ts on this: Don't preload the shift leaver! Don't stomp on the lever, and if you miss a shift and get a false neutral, don't stomp on it until the RPMS come down. Downshifting is matching the engine speed to the rear wheel, done with a blip of the throttle (small one), after you let the RPM's come down a little. Easier done using a little front brake at the same time. Both of these are trained on our Control Trainer (that was the reason Keith made it). If you come out to the school, or we have it at one of the races, you are welcome to use it. Best, Cobie

Brian, Nice to have you aboard! Cobie

Excellent. Not everyone is willing to do the experimenting. I did my own on a bicycle a few years back, that's when countersteering came to light for me. Letting go of the bars, leaning hard right, the first thing that happened was the bars countersteered (turned left). Intesting thing was, while going around a right turn, I couldn't turn sharp enough, and had to reach down and countersteer more, as I was going to hit the oppostite curb. Let us know what you get! Best, Cobie

Yeah, come on out and play Will (our chief mechanic) has the bikes working very well, he really stays on that. But the clutch play thing can be a preference. Some like no play (like Keith and I), others like some play, like Will. On some of the bikes the mapping for the fuel injection is not as good as it can be. The older ZX-10 was a little more abrupt, but the 6's are perfect. As for the clutch, I virtually never use it after taking off from a start, and sometimes into 2nd gear. If you let the RPMs come down a bit, then you don't have to blip as much. That's correct for the track too, use the brakes to slow it down first. It can take a little practice, but can be done smoothely. If you come out to the school, I can take you aside in the parking area and work on this with you, problemo. Cobie

The bars do of course move right, but the bike leans left, as soon as the bars are relaeased it will stay at that angle and go through the turn. If the bars aren't released, the bike will keep leaning.

In the article, it says that Robbie Kasten (the inventor) believes that he can trim the weight significantly from the prototype. The problem is that these rotors may not be legal in many racing classes, so it's hard to see how they'd catch on (and their usefulness for street-only bikes is less obvious). -- Ulrich Well, if they work that well, you'd think the factories would give them a shot in the GP classes.

James, Just to clarify, I use the same procedure for street riding, and riding in the dirt. Shifting up is easy, just rolling of the throttle for a moment. Down is only slightly harder, requires a little blip. It's harder on big twins, with big flywheels. Haven't ridden a Harley in a while! Now, how about that throttle response on your CBR? One reason I ask, is for some is was the way the throttle cable was adjusted. I take all the play out personally, makes the transition easier for me. Cobie

Ulrich, Thanks for that. I wonder if it will pay off in the end, the weight saving's compared to the improved handling. CF

One could spend a lot of attention using the clutch and to how much gain? Pretty much all the coaches at the school don't use the clutch up shifting, some don't even use it downshifting. I'd for sure have a hard time trying to modulate it going fast, nor would I want to take my left hand fingers off the bar. Don't know of any pro riders that do it (maybe some do, but I don't know of it). On the trottle response being abrupt---is this a mapping issue? The ZX-6's are terrific, I'd assumed the Honda was pretty good, but maybe it's off? Best, CF

Tim--just to clear this up, what is your understanding on how you steer a motorycycle, from the practical standpoint, what do you do. Lets say at 30 mph. Cobie

Hi Juergen, Each level takes a full day. Even when we train top pro racers, it's done the same way, and you wouldn't want to jam 4 levels in 2 days. Level 1 is not beginner, it is the most important stuff first. You won't have to go slow or anything, but we are very firm with the passing. That being said, I don't know if there is room at Laguna Seca, it might be sold out. Please contact the office right away. If you can't do Laguna, maybe one of the other schools, like in Vegas or at the Streets of Willow Springs. Best, Cobie

Here's the scoop on this: sometimes we can do this, but you can't count on it. Reason being, the bike is often used for 3 different riders (at a regular school), and the majority use street patern. Changing it all around on a schoold day can get very hectic, so in the end, we can't promise this. Best, Cobie