Crash106

I hope to attend CSS in 2011--almost certainly at VIR. One of my concerns is with the shifting. I've had trouble with my left hand (carpal tunnel syndrome) and besides that, my muscles fatigue easily--especially when I'm excited (darned genetics). At home, my solution is a 650 maxi-scooter with an automatic transmission (three power modes by the way). With all the power the S1000RR makes, would it be possible to use the clutch but skip gears, or will the electric shifting allow me click up and down through the gears without using my hands at all? Thanks.

Hello Patrick, It sounds like you got a lot out of the DVD. I did too. If you get a chance, watch it again but don't listen to the narrator as much. Instead, listen to what the rider is doing with the throttle in the corners. I learned a lot by listening to what the engine was doing--especially in the on-track sections where they do several alternative lines and options through the corner. These make more sense when you hear what the rider is doing (and so, what WE should be doing) with the gas.

Well, I'll have to think about my sense of speed a bit more, but I do know there is one corner that I take almost every day that is posted as 35 mph, but everyone in a car takes about about 20 mph. If I take it on my bike and it feels fine, normal, effortless I'll look down and be exiting at 32 mph. If I go in and suddenly everything feels too freaking fast, dangerous and stressful, I'll look down and find I'm going (did you guess?) 33 or 34 mph. Gosh! That's fast. Darned fast! So, in that sense, my sense of speed knows within 1 or 2 mph what feels okay and what feel Scary Fast. The best way I know for me to go faster in that turn would be to use my whole lane and accelerate harder once I see the exit. Can I do that on the street? Nope. Every time I look for my darned flag man, he's on a break! With the real world sight lines and traffic, 32-34 mph is plenty fast enough.

You are right, of course, Dylan: Throttle Rule Number One. Then, as the narrator in the "Twist II" DVD says, "... at some point, you can PIN IT!"

Hello Slowest1, Good for you to know so well who you are and what you feel comfortable doing. If you are already safe and already understand and can run a good line on demand, the next "race" skill might be accelerating out of the turns. This could be the safest, most fun way to have a good time on a motorcycle! After all, you've already made the turn, all you need to do is learn to twist the throttle a bit harder AFTER the apex. Those acceleration Gs sure feel nice. Since the bike is coming up as you are adding throttle, this is fairly safe. Some people get carried away and slam the throttle open too early, but that probably won't be you. (I saw a YouTube video of a guy riding his brand new Kawasaki Z1000 on a mountain road. He snapped open the throttle, hit the apex and ran over a patch of sand all at the same time. The result wasn't pretty.) By working on accelerating a little harder AFTER the apex, you can still enter the turns at your same, safe, comfortable speed, ease on some throttle to stabilize the bike, and take the same wide, safe, comfortable line are used to riding. I don't think maximizing acceleration out of corners is something that's covered in Level I, but you can certainly ask to your CSS instructor about it. They'll look at your riding and have a much better idea of what you need than my Wild-As-Guesses. Good luck. Maybe I'll see you at CSS in 2011.

Horrible news. The story about Peter Lenz is so sad. I know that he was well trained and wearing the best protective gear money could buy. I don't know what anyone else could do to stay safe and enjoy the freedom of riding. My heart goes out to the Lenz and Zayat families. At the same time, I am glad that I got to see Peter in the "Twist II" video. I hope seeing his joyful face on the screen will be some comfort to his family in the days to come.

So, if Rossi's greatest secret is a Zenlike calmness (and it very well may be a big part of it), what does he do to get there? I certainly see that knowledge, training and experience can control SRs. So can looking well down the track. So can consciously noticing when you are tense, breathing steadily and making an effort to relax. What ELSE can we do to be calm, cool and collected at speed?

I try not to use engine braking under the theory that brake pads are easier to replace than piston rings. Don't much like having the rear tire chirp and lock when all I wanted to do was shift gears. Also, when I want to use rear braking, I have better control by actually using the rear brake. I try to match my gear, engine speed and clutch release so I'm smoothly into gear and able to accelerate through the corner, or after the apex. On the other hand, with a big twin, you can just roll off the throttle to set your entry speed, then roll on the throttle to power through the corner. Torque rules! (I want a 400 pound Triumph Rocket Roadster!)

I've never been to a track day--and won't go to one until I've been through all the CSS levels. What would happen if you just took your sighting lap at your own pace? How do you know what group is right for you?

Welcome! Thanks for posting. I'm glad to hear from someone else who likes the big scooters. I commute most days on a Suzuki Burgman 650 maxi-scooter and enjoy every minute (I call it my Halfabusa). I find the big scooter very easy to ride, but have enjoyed the effortless quality on most of the bikes I've owned. You said the Ducati was scary fast. What did you like, or dislike, about your maxi-scooter and Shiver? How much does what you learned in CSS apply to riding a regular bike, instead of a super powerful sport bike?

Try Meetup.com and if they don't have anything, you can start a group, or sign up for an e-mail alert when someone else starts a motorcycle, touring, travel, riding group in your area.

I've seen Valentino Rossi do some crazy stuff on the track. As I was reading "Speed Secrets: Professional Race Driving Techniques," I came across this bit that sounds like it might be one of Rossi's secret weapons. "Remember, anytime you slow slightly while trying to pass another car, you are not at the limit anymore. Therefore, you can probably alter your line to almost anywhere on the track without being concerned about spinning." What do you think?

Hello Ace, Welcome to the group. If you like to ride and want to learn more from a great group of people, you're in the right place. What kind of scooter did you/do you ride? I ride a Burgman 650 and find most everything about riding a regular motorcycle applies Except--you can't lock in with you knees--I have to lock in my lower body by using my legs to push my seat against the seat back. I also wonder about the Brammo Empulse electric bike. You have chosen two interesting alternatives to a regular motorcycle. Is there a story there? I don't mean to pry--just wondering.

It's not nice, but your story made me chuckle. Thanks. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do, and if that means "parking" it in the gravel, well ...

One thing I did not read in "Twist II" or see in the video, is "working up a track." I guess that topic is, and probably kind of HAS to be something for Level 3 or 4, but for people that want to go faster on a race track, I should think it would be very important. I'm not a racer, but from what I've read, one way to work up a track is by measuring all the straight, then working to make sure you have the bike accelerating strongly through the last corner before the longest straight. Then they work on the line for the corner leading to the next longest straight and so on. The theory is that these top 3 or 4 corners have the most potential for high speeds and fast lap times. Sometimes working up a track means grading the corners as 1) Corners that lead into straights 2) Corners at the end of straights 3) Corners that lead into other corners On the street, I think of corners as 1) Open (I can see the entrance, apex and exit and so can take any line I want), 2) Blind (where I'll usually need to slow down and stay on a outside line), and 3) Compromised (by a truck or kids walking, which means I almost certainly need to slow down, abandon MY line, and take the SAFEST line based on the actual situation as it develops). I just seems to me that having a plan and working on a few corners at a time would be a better idea than trying to follow riders who are too far above your level. (Of course, it's easy to say "ride your own ride" when typing at a keyboard and harder to do when it feels like everybody is passing you by.)

Yes, Dave. I DID mean HP2. Thought I had typed that. Darned oil company must be taking over my brain! And you know what, I'd probably buy an HP2 also. The reviews I read said the bike was very light but very stable at all speeds, not that it was hard to turn, but that it just felt solid, light and very comfortable. Comfort is important to me. If they made a Goldwing race bike, I'd probably put that in my dream garage too!

I just try to keep my body a bit on the INSIDE of the turn and look where I want to go. Usually that means I lean a bit forward and in. So, yup, that's toward the inside mirror. For me, the less weight on my hands the better. Trying to go fast and be aggressive definitely makes the bike feel awkward and sluggish. I believe this is because my arms get stiff at the elbows, and then I over-control the bike which makes the everything from the tires up wobble and weave in the wrong directions. When I trust the bike to do more, it usually takes over and shows me a good time.

I'm not trying to be rude, I just don't understand why BMW makes the $25,000 BP2 Sport AND the $15,000 S1000RR. I love the traction aids on the new 4 cylinder superbike, but think the BP2 is delightfully funky. I just wouldn't spend an extra $10,000 on one. Is there a certain race class or clearly defined market for the funky Super Boxer?

Yeo Talan, I like that Catch and Release idea. My only problem is that when I get paralysis attacks, it's my whole body! I had that happen to me on the road one day. I had been riding two up on The Tail of the Dragon--a famous motorcycle road here in the USA. My wife and I were almost back to the hotel when everything caught up with me. I started to go into an attack while riding on a very curvy mountain road. The road suddenly felt exactly like it was covered in ICE! I slowed down to 35 then 30 then 20. We finally coasted into a gas station and barely made it to an outside bench before my legs completely went out on me. I couldn't hold my arms up to drink my rescue medicine. Sip. Set hands in lap. Take another sip. Set hands in lap. Set drink on table, dry to take sip. That was the end of the fun for that day. Part of the reason I bought "Twist II" and the DVD, was because they deal specifically with SRs. Cutting down the SRs helps reduce adrenalin and since my paralysis is muscle related, also helps reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. Using the techniques has helped my riding and well being a LOT.

Bullet makes a great point: You get through the corners to setup the straights. Slow in. Fast out.

Wasn't Peter hurt pretty badly not long ago, when his brakes failed? It's good to see him back on the track and looking in fine form.

Hello Bullet, I would pick the BMW S1000RR. I'm not even a racer, and I want one! I would take it for the very reason you're not sure about it--the electronic aids. I'd keep the bike basically stock (only fixing what I need to change to make it race legal), set the suspension once and forget about it for the rest of the season. Then, I'd buy a trailer full of fresh tires, load up the bike and go have a good time. Granted, nobody has won a Superbike race with the S1000RR in Europe or the USA, but the bikes have been in the top ten. Since I'm not a top ten rider, I'd be doing the whole thing for fun anyway, so why not make it easier and safer by picking the BMW? On the other hand, at least in US Superbike races (sorry, I don't get any coverage of endurance racing), the Gixxer 1000 takes half the places in every race. Hard to beat that!

Hello VIR Riders, I'm trying to find some way to attend CSS this fall at VIR. Of course, it would really help my case if there was something for my wife to do while I was riding around all day. She's not ready to take the class herself yet. So, what is there to do in VA besides play with the traction control settings on the BMWs? Shopping? Teacher supply store? Outlet mall? Go karts? Fine dining? Good hotels? Thanks.

Hello Slider07, I'm like you--nickname "Crash," learned a lot from the CD and want to attend the school as soon as I can collect the cash. Nice to hear the techniques helped you save SEVEN SECONDS from your lap time. Awesome.

Good topic. I'm also interested in body armor, but I'm mostly looking for something to wear to and from work. The ICON Field Armor or the yellow Field Armor Vest look like good deals. My summer jacket has CE pads all around, but it would be nice to have something to wear under my leather jacket that offered a bit more protection. Do you have a favorite chest and back protector? Do you have favorite leg padding like maybe the Bohn Armor Pants? Anyone wearing an Aerostitch suit with CE pads? Thanks.