JTNYC

Cobie, Since we're talking about quick turning... isn't it somewhat incompatible with trail braking, which all racers do? Seems like if you're coming into a corner faster, you would need to brake harder and at the same time you also need to turn quicker, which would seem to increase the chances of tucking the front...? Also, when coming to the end of a straight and the rearward rider comes out of the draft to take the inside line for passing, isn't he essentially turning earlier? i.e. earlier turn-in point?

any coaches care to chime in on why the pros have their outside knee pointed straight up in the air and don't grip the tank with their outside knee like we're usually taught?

Is there a reason why his outside leg (left leg) is not gripping the tank (just sticking straight out)? I noticed similar BP in MotoGP and WSK. Also noticed that most of those bikes don't have tank grips (e.g. Techspec pads)...

sorry for the multiple posts... I kept getting error messages when I tried to post yesterday

Cobie, I will be at Thunderbolt next Monday and Tuesday. Do you think you could bring some foam for me to try on? thanks

Cobie: thank you very much! I'm bringing my own bike, and I don't think I'll have any problems with the other requirements. Now I just gotta figure out how to mount the camera... Kai, how are you mounting yours?

Would someone from CSS reply to this? I'm signed up for Levels 1+2 next month and would really like to know if it's possible to bring my own camera and film myself. Thanks

I paid about $500. It's basically brand new w/o tags and this model comes with a back protector

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Most of my riding is just casual but I do ride twisties every now and then (I plan to do more of it this year). I haven't done any track days yet, but I imagine that could change after the school in May. I'm open minded I found a pretty good deal on the local craigslist and bought an Alpinestars MX-1 suit. Apparently the seller gave up riding after a friend's tragic motorcycle accident and he actually never got to use the suit so it was basically brand new. Aside from the good price, it was the only suit out of the 5 that I've tried on at dealers that actually fit (or I could fit myself into) due to my massive legs. The only thing that I'm not sure about it is that it's in all black. Now the search continues to the boots and gloves. I'm thinking of getting a more casual pair for now to save money (rather than a full-blown racing pair since the only ones that would fit my tree trunk calves are the $$$$$$Sidis). What's the school requirement? And for gloves?

I just bought a GoProHD. Hopefully will get it soon and let you guys know how it works. Prob won't be able to get any track footage until I goto the school in May though.

That is great! I will be there on Saturday with a few friends who will also be attending the school at Thunderbolt with me in May! Looking forward to meeting you guys. ps, if you need any suggestions on restaurants or things to do, please let me know. JT

I went to try on a bunch of suits yesterday, and none of them fit. I'm about 5'8" and currently 175 lbs (I'm usually between 170-175). I tried on the Size 42, and the upper body all felt fine, but I could barely squeeze my legs in, and on most suits, was not able to pull the knee sections up to my knees. Even if I did, the leg sections were still too long. I'm basically built like a running back with huge thighs and calves, but my upper body is just a normal athletic built... It was not only frustrating, I worked up a big sweat trying to fit into and out of the suits. Do you guys have any suggestions? The suits I tried on were: Alpinestars RC-1 Vanson Volante Speed and Strength I forgot what the 4th one was... but it was one of the cheaper/lesser known brands ps, does the school have anything that would fit someone like me in case I rent?

I've been looking for a camcorder, too, and I've narrowed my choices down to 2: 1. GoPro HD 2. ContourHD They both have a ton of mounting options (supposedly the ones from ContourHD are slightly better). Apparently very similar video quality as well with slight edge going to the ContourHD. The GoProHD is completely water and shock proof and designed to take the abuse. At the moment I'm leaning more toward the GoProHD...

hey Jody, Are you signed up for those 3 days, too? It would be great to meet you, too. Not sure how to find you, but I'll be riding my black Triumph Street Triple down there so you can look for my bike (I doubt there will be too many there, if at all). Now that I've got the bike more or less figured out, the next thing is gear. Not sure whether to buy a suit and boots or just rent...

I've been thinking about getting this vest, since it's got both chest and back protection (+ extra padding in the shoulder) and it's designed for the street. What do you guys think? Icon Field Armor Vest Cobie, if I rent school's gear, does it come with back protector? the same one you use?

khp, I just reread that paragraph and I think you're right. I must have read it wrong the first time since it was the end of a reading marathon (finished the book in an afternoon)... and also because it reminded me something he mentioned earlier in the book about the 500... on page 180 On the 500cc the trick is to come in very fast and then brake as much as possible inside the turn... Anyway, what a fascinating book!

I got Valentino Rossi's autobiography What if I had never tried it for Christmas and read it over the holidays. There's a lot of interesting things in the book, but one comment (quoted below) on cornering is particularly interesting (and baffling) to me. Maybe it's because I don't fully understand what he's saying, but what do you guys think? A motorcyclist at the beginning struggles to understand that you shouldn't brake before a turn and then go in. You need to break once you're "in" the turn. You've got to come in on a full throttle and then slam hard on the brake, going into the turn at a high speed. That's the only way you can do it properly. This is taken from page 268 of the book.

Thanks for the advice, everyone! Cobie: The way the schedule worked out, I'll have 2 days off between Levels II and III (while the school hosts a 2-day camp) at Thunderbolt. I'm hoping that it would give me enough time to rest up, while giving me an opportunity to come back and ask all the questions that may come up after the first 2 days. I can totally see how I may worry too much and not push as hard as I could on my bike... How likely (or often) have students crashed? Has there been more crashes on the school's bike vs their own? It was actually 50 here in NYC yesterday (Sun) and I went out for a nice ride. I've been reading TOTWII and had just watched the TOTWII DVD, so I experimented with some of the things that were covered in the DVD. I also tried to lean forward in a more sportbike-like position, but the geometry of the handle bar (being so high) makes it a little awkward (I feel like I'm "crawling" on my bike with my arms folded) and doesn't really allow my body to lean against the tank. From what dbtriple said, this seems to be more of an issue in Level III which covers body positioning, right? ps, I'm really looking forward to meeting you in person. dbtripple: Thanks a lot for the info. Did you do levels I and II on your bike or the school's? What is the long leg syndrome? I imagine it must be a lot easier for tall people to drag their knees due to the length of their legs? Also, on the track, did you ride in the "normal" upright position or the tucked-in position? I'm 5'8" and about 170lbs. I'm very comfortable on my Street Triple, but it seems like my legs are slightly too short for most sportbikes... I usually need to tip toe a little to reach the ground. Yea, I really love my Street Triple and plan on riding it for at least a few years. I think I will follow your suggestion and do Levels I and II on my bike, and then III on the school's bike since it seems like I may benefit more that way (also to have something to look forward to the first 2 days). Harry-nyc: I'm also taking levels I and II on May 10th and 11th, and then I'll be back to take Level III and the 14th. It would be cool if we can all ride down together. I would definitely be interested in setting something up for hotel, too! You can reach me at messagejeff@gmail.com ps, any chance you would be interested in taking Level III on Friday, too?

There's nothing wrong with NGK. They're standard in a lot of bikes (including my Triumph). From what I've read, the more expensive iridium plugs actually do no perform as well as the cheaper version... the only thing they're good for is their longer life. This is because iridium is not a good conductor (but this is part of the reason they can last so long). Silver and copper are better conductors, and therefore provide better performance, but do not last as long. It's easy enough to replace the spark plugs so I would suggest sticking with the stock plugs.

Hey guys, I had been trying to get a group of us Triumph riders to sign up, but everyone's been taking their sweet time deciding while there weren't too many spots left. I've been wanting to do take the class for a long time now, so I signed myself up today to make sure I got a spot! A few questions: 1) I'm signed up for 3 single days: Level I on May 10, Level II on May 11, and Level III on May 14. Do you guys think that's too much in too little time to really maximize the experience? I'm a long time street rider, but have never been on the track. 2) I've signed up to use my own bike mainly because of the costs. I have a 2008 Triumph Street Triple, and I know there are people who use it on the track... but it's got a handle bar and is designed to be ridden in an upright position. I'm replacing the rear shock with one from the Daytona 675 (the sister, sport model) this winter, but the stock front forks weren't really intended for the track and have no adjustability. On the one hand, I think using my bike would really allow me to gain more confidence on it. But on the other hand, I'm not sure if I'll be missing out not learning on a real sportbike? Also, how much wear and tear would I be putting on my bike? 3) Anyone else going from the Tri-state area? Looks like I've got lots of studying to do this winter! I really can't wait for the class!!! Cheers, JT