Cobie Fair
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Posts posted by Cobie Fair
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Hi Tom,
My phone will figure this out for me now, I don't have to be very smart any more, but I know LA to Melbourne (back when Steve Brouggy would talk with me), and Melbourne is 19 hours ahead of LA.
Oh and while I'm whinging about Steve, how about a family pic or one of the kids?
Does it matter that I haven't sent you one, no not really!
CF
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I can't believe no one "took the piss out of me" for my post, guess I'll have to work on my forum humor more.
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Don't know that braking (upright at any rate) will warm the sides of the tire as much as needed, though trailing it off would add some heat.
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Interesting, what some riders do in the different modes of riding. For around town riding, I find it very easy to leave the clutch alone on all the upshifts, accelerate a little, roll off and click. Downshifts at low rpm can be a little harder, and a while back I realized I blipping a little too much.
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The crew on vacation right now Cobie?
As much as we get! KC and Judy went up to the Sequoias and King's Canyon for a few days, I took a few days when my dad came in town we went rollerblading on Venice beach--full of weirdos, my dad loved it!
Will has been working pretty much hammer and tongs, we still have a few of the old fleet to get rid of, and been keeping parts around for them (really glad when that's done).
I hear young Peter did well at Thunderhill, only this faster was the Aprillias and I'm just assuming they had sick amounts of HP in comparison.
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I know we've gone over this a bit elsewhere, but I'd like to know what you guys do shifting, so all are invited to respond, even lurkers:
Shift with the clutch up and down.
Upshift without the clutch, but use it going down.
Downshift without the clutch.
Might be nice if you added if you are a street rider, or also do track riding.
I'll start:
I mostly track ride (at the schools) but also commute now and again. I don't use the clutch up or down, 90% of the time.
What do you do?
CF
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Only having ridden 2 tracks, Streets of Willow and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, i'd have to say I would prefer Streets for training, as fun as Fontana is quite frankly anyone can crank open the throttle on a straightaway although I don't know how much fun the no brakes drill would be coming off the straight at 140+ into the chicane would be
Fontana is great as it's smooth and Streets is well not so smooth and oftentimes appears to be dusty (damn those bumps in turn 5!)
I think I would rather be fast on a slower more technical track.. Before I lost it in turn 5 I was lapping just under the 1:40 mark, quite fun.. I am going for Cobies job although I may need to shave 1-2 more seconds off my laps
Level 4 still to come!
Doing a 1:40 on that VFR, not bad!
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Hi Jason - didn't stop riding, just stopped doing the schools (did L1 in 1998, and my last (L4) was Almeria 3 years ago) - had a mate who did me some very good deals on track days in Spain - did (multiple times) Calafat, Montmelo, Valencia, plus lots of road riding in Spain too.
That's not an option now, so I'm going to do more schools - don't really like 'normal' track days - I'd rather do one CSS than 2 or 3 ordinary ones :0)
Hi Greg,
Well, welcome back at any rate!
I keep threatening to go to a track day, just to ride and not to "work" but can't get too motivated, ours really are run pretty nicely (I'm allowed to be totally biased aren't I?).
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Hi Ace,
If you get/have a description or quote, that might help narrow this down a bit.
The throttle is the in-turn load adjuster in terms of weight front/back. I wonder if you might be on the mark with your comment about tire temps though. We know for sure that tire temps can change quite a bit if one is not riding them in the correct range, meaning too slow, or the wrong tire for the conditions/track.
CF
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Just like Hansi, I was at Gelleråsen for CSS classes in the past weekend.
All in all a big thumbs up to the entire CSS UK team and the SMC team for organizing the days, and providing the wrangling, cornerworking and other services.
Cheers,
Kai
Kai,
Glad to hear this. A standing request to you (and any student really): if your training is not going as you expect/hope it should, don't hesitate one second to talk with either Jet or Andy (in other words the Chief Riding Coach or School Director).
Level 4 is a different animal than the previous levels, and takes a shift in what the students have to do, and how they interact with the coaching staff. It's designed to be personal, so it requires the rider/athlete to make sure he is communicating with his on-track coach, as well as the L-4 Consultant.
The previous levels are more structured, but L-4 is the time to make it individual. Some students really enjoy the L-4 group discussions (most I'd say). But now and again I come across a student that actually does not like that, just muddies up what he needs to work on. In that case, we just work with him individually, he's not required to sit in on the group.
CF
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Great points.
I know what you mean about already knowing the track, there are some pluses to that. We think it's outweighed by the benefits.
CF
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Talan,
Outstanding, really!!
My impulse was to make a lame joke about 7 months with unsighly nurses, but I'm sure I'll get a needle in the forehead for that! And honestly been pretty impressed with the nursing care I've seen so far.
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Work on everything at once and try to go fast right from the start.
Or you could try Stuman's plan.
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Stuman, with his very large attachements, hilarious!
And he nicely brought up how to look at this subject, a puzzling subject to many. So, what do you guys think?
CF
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Waking up and hanging off the bed, that is brilliant, I love it!!!!!
CF
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A quick-shifter allows you to change gear in about 2 milli-seconds (2/1000 second), that's what it does - it cuts the ignition just enough to do the gear change. A "normal" clutchless shift requires you to slightly close and then reopen the throttle, to take the forces off the clutch gears (this takes maybe 50-100 milliseconds).
As discussed earlier at length, you can do clutchless up- and down-shifts without a quick-shifter.
Try a bike with a quick shifter and then we talk. I know that I can do my upshift in my bike without a clutch. but there is a big difference
in speed and timing when I used mi quick shift. Also, there is a reason that the quick shifter was invented and at all levels of racing is been used.
Cheers to you too.
The razor.
Hi Razor,
I'm probably dense today, but where exactly do you disagree with my post?
Best regards, Kai
Hi Kai and Razor,
It sounds to me like you are both really saying the same thing, let me summarize see if I understand it as you mean it:
A bike can be shifted without the quick shift/shift assist, but it's not as fast as with it.
Do I have that correct?
Best,
Cobie
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Will the Lean Bike be available to train on at Thunderbolt in August?
Thanks,
Amid
Yes it will. We can't run the slide bike (the area is too small), and we can't run either in the rain (can spin and fall of the thing).
CF
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Not yet, I've just found out about this site! lol
I'm thinking about signing up for Level 1 and 2 at Thunderbolt in Aug ) I've been learning so many things here for past few days. Man, it makes me feel like i m already in school
Amid,
Call or e-mail the office asap, those days might be full or near full already. 800-530-3350, or registration@superbikeschool.com
CF
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...but in either case, what do you guys recommend for getting them to stick? i put tried stomp grips but they came off. I (thought I) cleaned the surface well, used isopropyl alcohol to clean, but still they wouldn't stay. My tank has a Pringle Potato Chip curve in that part of the tank, so the adhesive has to work hard. I have since bought some tech spec pads but haven't put them on until I'm sure I've got a good formula to make them stay.
Stevo,
I talked with the Stomp guys recently, they had had a bad batch of adhesive a while back, we'd heard of some guys having problems. But what Fossil says worked well in terms of applying it (heat gun/hair dryer). I did one recently, and it worked well.
Some guys think the Stomp is too much through the jeans, but Jason doesn't mind obviously.
CF
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Pretty interesting thread, you guys have thought about some of this stuff obviously.
There are a few different parts to this: Street riding, track riding or racing, what happens when one gets in low traction conditions (gravel, etc.), what is good for the rider (keeping it more simple?) and hwat is best for the bike.
Let's start with what's possible from each of the brakes as a maximum. What percentage of the braking will the front brake do on modern sport bikes? We can also look at cruisers/touring bikes too, but for this, any modern sport bike built in the last 20 years, good tires, good working brakes. OK, tell me what the percentages are, front/rear.
CF
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Can't really disagree with Darren on this one. Riding at your own pace is a great fundamental approach that can be used throughout one's riding career.
Also Jason has a good point, good to get on a track, the school guys will look after you.
If I had one additional suggestion (in the perfect world) I'd go for doing 2 days in a row for the first time. Might not be possible due to schedule, funds, etc., but we've had very good results that way.
OK--after your school, we'd like to hear how it goes!
Best,
CF
PS--prepping by the books and DVD's is excellent background, good job on doing that.
PPS--Welcome! And good for posting up here, not lurking in the closet!
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Good thread KHP!
Like to hear more of what guys think on this, so chime in.
The tracks that have a turn and then straight, turn and then straight are in some ways easier, they are a bit simpler (like Laguna) for the newer and medium speed riders. This can be good and very easy to see exactly what the skills are doing, a turn at a time. But also Laguna has a few things that grab guys attention, the Corkscrew, Turn 2 and Turn 11.
As one gets more skilled and faster, the tracks that have series of turns get very challenging.
CF
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Pretty sure it is the GP Tech glove.
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Hotfeet,
Yeah, they also have replacement liners (they come out very easily too), easy to adjust the inside if needed.
CF
Whose Riding Do You, Did You Like, And Where Are They Now?
in School Questions/General Discussion
Posted
Mad Max is really looking good this year, no doubt. Rea can be outstanding too, impressive at times, very.