jodypresti

Agreed with Cobie on the gradient. We worked in this specifically several times last season and decoupling braking with the downshift made it easier to apply. The first two sessions (no brakes) helped to work this in at track pace. Later in the day it became more natural but I must admit I am still going through several gears and blipping on the last shift. This is a goal for next season's schools to improve.

Deeply saddened by this news. We lost a rising star today. RIP Peter and prayers with the family.

AQAJR; This is one of the greatest aspects of our sport IMHO. Especially when you can start breaking down corners of similar type and then applying what you know about this type and how to minimize the time it takes for you to get through it. I think of Carousels at Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, Lightning (at NJMP) Sears Point (aka Infineon) or the Streets of Willow Springs and how to approach them or 180 degree tight turns like 11 at Sears or Pocono or the Bowl (6) at Loudon...High speed kinks like VIR, Mid-Ohio, Mosport or Beaverun...esses like VIR, Sears, Bus Stops like Watkins or Mid-Ohio it's all good! Personally, I love learning a new track - but that's just me. Rainman Well said. Learning a new track helps me get back to the fundamentals of riding well. I ran into a lull last season riding the same track several times. As I ventured away from home I found comfort in using the drills to gather RPs. Our visual skills are the most important aspect of riding. Learning a new track awakens them quickly for me.

YAHTZEEEE!

If you have seen The Rainman ride, you will know he is being a bit modest. Looking forward to seeing all of you there.

Welcome to the boards. I'm in Annapolis and am trying to get there for Monday and Tuesday as well. Hope to see you there. Jody

Hi Harry. I can't answer with 100% certainty but the lean bike has made its appearance at Thunderbolt in 2009. Are you doing a single day or a two day camp?

Well said Kevin and likewise!

You are only nervous because it is exciting. Your going to have a memorable experience and the grin your face after the day will be evidence enough that it was worth getting excited. Have a blast! Hi mate, Really glad you enjoyed your day, it was great weather (which always helps of course), and the new Stowe circuit and facilities are dramatically improved to say the least. Your coach would be Trotter, Aka Jet, who's the Chief riding coach and a top bloke to boot. Mediteranean he is not though, he just has had a few holidays of late. I'll pass on your comments and remarks. Bullet LOL....it must have been the holidays, yes that must be it i had a pic with the last half of the name...duh. Thanks Bullet!

Stu stole my thunder. The most important thing I have when riding a motorcyle is free attention for sure.

Crash, These are great questions for sure. I think you would really enjoy the training aids that Keith has developed. Specifically, the lean and slide and brake bikes. Both give you the confidence to take the bike to its limits and find your own sense of what is too much for the machine to handle. How much is too much of each is a painful lesson to learn outside of a safe training environment. Situations like you discovered invoke many of our survival reactions, including being too stiff on the bars and visually fixating on the place you don't want to go. If you had more free attention at that moment could you turn the bike quicker? Could the throttle have gotten you out of the situation? I look forward to reading your thoughts. Jody

Bobblehead, Welcome to the forums. Which schools did you attend? Did you feel that the experiences improved your riding? Looking forward to reading your thoughts. Jody

Elton, well written my friend.

I'll safely agree with Stu. I have ridden the same track, with largely the same group just weeks apart and had entirely different experiences. The track day sponsor makes all the difference. The good ones have a thorough rider's meeting, everyone understands and commits to the passing rules / zones for the day and groupings are earned and not self selected. Just last season I attended a track day sponsored by the local Hyabusa club and all 25 of them signed up for the Advanced group. It was a chrome soaked mess. My advice would be to find a good promoter that puts safety at a premium and stick with them. If your on the east coast, I would be happy to help. Jody

If a tree falls in the forest... No pics, no story. Back to exciting nick names. Popcorn in hand.

If I were on that bike you would have heard me yelling many a @#$%^*(! Thanks for sharing this for sure.

I have tried my best to stay away from this thread. Stoney = Mini Me is just fantastic. That one sticks. Pete as Mr. Perfect reminds me too much of a wrestler from the 80's. My age is on full display. If I were to play the part of Cobie I'd hang The Prodigy / Protege on Pete. Windscreen decal on order.

Welcome aboard J-man! Tell us more about you and specific goals you have for the school.

I'm guessing you were not a NEW rider at the time? My only street incident in 20 years of riding was similar. If I had understood the Quick Turn and Pivot Steering back then I'd probably still have that old ZX7. It is easy to read the experienced and safe riders on the street by their body position and gear. That "love seat" probably takes down more than half of the folks I see in flip flops and t-shirts. Thanks for posting.

Congrats J. Our little girl is just a few days older than yours. Its a BIG life change. Good health to you and yours!

PhillyJoey, welcome to the board and congrats on signing up for Level 1. You can expect to meet a great group of folks that also have the same goals in mind of becoming a safe and better riders. Come well rested, eager to learn and be ready to have a great time. Are there particular areas of your riding that you feel could improve and make you a safer rider? What prompted you to take the first step?

Yeah, won't be long now! My goal for this year is to break into the 1:30ties, so I can keep up with you! Except in turn 6. If you don't mind, I'm sticking with my line through turn 6 rather than adopting your rim-bending, low-siding line! That was quite a crash, dad! Jody, I remember you from CSS in August. Jody = fast! ACK! I do remember that little off track incident. I think turn 6 offers plenty of opportunity to improve. And yes, I'm a proud Dad as of late. Still working on the getting fast part. Looking forward to seeing you all at NJMP this Spring.

Welcome to the show! The track isn't for everyone but it is the best laboratory for bettering your skills. I think of the track as just a private road. Was it the track that bored you or something else about the day?

Your k8 GSXR 600 does have a slipper clutch, but I found that it lacks the cohesiveness of its competitors. I don't street ride but did use the same bike for the track last year and upgraded to an aftermarket setup. Not saying you won't enjoy success with it but I found the same problem with the OEM as have you.

Sorry I'm late to the thread. Anything that reads Thunderbolt and I'm typically on it like a hound. JT, you made a great choice in venue and attending the school. For me, I was eager to try the school bikes during my first camp. At the time the school was using the ZX-6R and I hadn't ridden a Kawasaki in nearly 15 years. In your instance, you will have the opportunity to ride one of the most anticipated motorcycles launched in recent memory with the new BMW. You can't make a bad choice after making two really good ones. Let us know what you decided and be sure to say hello. I look forward to meeting you.