warregl

Love the pix Timmer. That first one looks more like something you'd find in a raised floor room than on a track. I'm fascinated by the details that are attended to in the highest levels of racing. There are some tools out there for track day riders, I'm thinking of some smart phone apps I've seen but I think there are others available. What are you guys using to capture quantitative data on your track day riding? Anthem - how are you gathering and analyzing the data you are collecting?

Great find Eirik! You sure have a nack for finding cool footage.

+1 on the office, they are great help. And I have to agree with the advice on boots. Your feet and hands are at the highest risk in even a small off. I hit an oil slick on the street a few years ago (looked like someone lost their engine, mid corner ) and I went down. My right foot was caught under the bike but thanks to the Sidi's I was just sore the next day. And the boots were cheaper than an ER copay

So...did you like it or what? All kidding aside, I'm with you. Its a great program run buy a great group of people. Let us know when you get you next levels scheduled.

Well, I watched last weekend's BeIN Sports coverage of SBK. While it wasnt in HD, there was over 5 hours of coverage and they showed the races without commercial interruption (including the WSS race). All things considered, I was pleased. I hope they keep it up.

While I have not had this exact problem I did suffer from knee issues on my inside leg until I took level 3. While I thought I was in good position I was too far off of the seat so my pivot point wasnt solid and I had too much weight on my inside leg. It would seem to me that if your outside foot is not planted then you don't have an effective pivot point. Weighting the outside foot allows you to drive your knee into the tank and use the strength in your quads to help support your weight. For me, this was something that really didn't sink in by reading it. Having the coaches work with me on the static bike really helped. Hopefully one of the coaches can chime in and give us their thoughts.

We kicked off our track season on 3/30 and 3/31 at VIR and I got my pictures in yesterday. I'm slowly working on getting my old bones off the side of that bike. I think that will be a focus in my level 4's in May. It was a fun weekend (even with the rain on Sunday morning). And it was great to be at the track with friends again (it felt like a long winter). One of the things CSS provided me (in addition to world class training) is a whole new circle of friends. My core track day crew is made up of people I met at CSS so don't miss out on the opportunity to add some new friends when you are at the track

Great. You will not regret it. Another bit of advice - get the pictures. They are not oly fun to have and share, they are great learning tools. Most photographers I have seen have a deal where they will sell you all of the pix of you for a set price. If you get to them first thing in the morning and tell them you want the package you tend to get a bit more attention from them when you are on track.

The TT is in a class all by itself. Sadly the coverage in the US refelcts that (and not in a positive way - maybe if they ran in circles and fought with each other in the pits we would get more coverage). Not that I'm bitter... If you dont have any luck finding a TT rider here, I know Brandon Cretu has run it and he is somewhat active on the NESBA forum. You might try there. And if you want to read a good book that covers MotoGP and the IOM. Pick up "RIng of FIre". It is an interesting contrast between the old days of Ago and Mike the Bike, and the modern days since it became MotoGP.

Thanks for the link Brad. And I do know what you mean, Fox seems to be their own worst enemy. I may be hopelessly optimistic but so far NBC Sports seems to be doing ok with F1 coverage. I even noticed a new show called F1 36 where they follow a driver for 36 hours...I havent seen it yet (starts this weekend) but it has to be better than "R U Faster than a Redneck"...

The weather's been crazy here as well. Saturday it was in the 60's. I got the S out for a bit to test the new Brembo master cylinder (which is nice) and managed to pick up a nail in my new rear Q2 (not so nice ). Then yesterday we had 4" of snow. I'm hoping for a rapid swing back the other way as we are doing 2 days at VIR North next weekend!

I can honestly say that CSS is a fantastic introduction to the track environment. The focus is education so everyone is very understaning of the different skill levels that riders will have, and Trevor and the Course Control team maintain an iron fist when it comes to behavior on-track. If you have any specific questions or worries just ask. The one concern you should have is liking it too much. Best, Carey

Welcome to the forum Kawigirl. Have you done any track riding or will CSS be you first time? Are there any areas of your riding that you know you want to work on specifically? Regardless, you will find CSS to be a fantastic program. Whether or not you are a commuter, tourer, trackday junkie, or full on racer the coaches will make you a better rider! Jump in and start posting, there are a lot of sharp riders on this forum (just not me ) and they can provide a ton of insight. Best, Carey

Not uncommon and seriously fun to watch . Well said Tyler.

That's Rule #1 for a reason! I would spend some time explaining the basics to the wife (throttle control, SRs) and why they are valuable. I also have some write-ups on the schools from when I first took them (all 4 levels and both the one day schools and two day camps) if you think they might help. IM me if you want the links.

There are better track machines than a Busa but I would agree with Balistic and BVH, if you like it, spend some time setting it up. After you have done some schools and maybe a few track days you will have an idea what it needs. You will surely have fun on it and if you end up at a point that you feel a pure sportbike is needed then maybe a dedicated track bike is the answer. It sounds like you are on the right path, looking to get into CSS and improving your skills. From there you can decide what the right steed (or steeds) is for you.

I've never ridden a a Busa but I did have a K1200R. I finally decided to get a literbike because I wanted a track machine. If I wasnt doing track days I would have stayed with the KR, it was much more road-friendly. That said, I've have seen several Busas on the track so it's not like they cant do it... So what is it about your Busa that makes you think you might need a literbike?

Welcome to the forum! I second Hotfoot, you should explain to your wife that the best safety equipment is between your ears. CSS is the best money I have spent in motorcycling and that includes all of the bikes I have ever owned (the fact that it is seriously fun is a bonus). Tell us about your off, maybe understaning where education could have helped you will make a winning case to the wife. The books and DVD are awesome but there is no substitue for great coaching (no matter what you're into). Abd the CSS coaches are fantastic. They will make you a better rider, all you have to do is listen. Best, Carey

I know what you mean Kruizen. His old Georgia roots do show through and while he might not be my choice to host the Oscars, I have to admit I enjoy listening to him call a race. Somehow he seems so much less formal, and that seems to fit very well with AMA. Now Jonathan Green on the other hand. I think someone needs to up his dose of ritalin. He and Steve Martin make for an interesting dynamic in the commentary booth. Now if we could only use our keen powers for good...

You guys are echoing my thoughts. Lorenzo/Pedrosa battling for the title, Rossi should win a few, Cruchlow should find the box, and Audi…er…Ducati still looking for the solution to their woes. Like a lot of people I am most interested in seeing what #93 brings to the table. Last season Moto2 was the most exciting racing to watch and mostly because of him. There were races where Marquez showed what is either sheer brilliance or ridiculous luck (maybe a bit of both?). The lowside save at Barcelona was one of the most amazing I have personally ever witnessed. I literally came out of my chair when pulled that one off. And his run through the field from starting last to winning the race at Valencia was impressive in a whole different way. Personally I hope he is successful in the premier class. MotoGP could use another alien. In SBK once again the Ape’s look dangerous. I like Laverty so I can now pull for them (while I respect the former Roman Emperor I was never what you would call a fan). And I have to admit to being a fan of Careless Carlos so I hope he gets the new bike up to speed and is able to challenge. As for Sykes, if his bike improves he may be the reason Marko doesn't take it all (if Marko doesn't do himself in as Eirik mentioned). I agree the Josh Hayes show continues in AMA Superbike, in Daytona Sportbike I’m interested to see how Cameron Beabier matures. I’m also glad to hear Martin Cardenas is staying in AMA because I love how much Scott Russell struggles with pronouncing his name (is that wrong of me?). No matter what I am looking forward to an entertaining season! That is, if I get to see much of it with Fox dismantling Speed…

Brad is (as usual) right on point. I've stayed in the Paddock Suites and the Lodge and I prefer the Lodge, the beds were more comfortable (the ones in the Paddock Suites fold up on to the wall for hospitality usage), Either option is a bit more expensive than hotels in South Boston or Danville (about 30% as I recall) but those hotels are ~25 minutes away (VIR is very rural). Plus if you stay at VIR its eaiser to meet the other riders. The crew I do track days with now is made up of people I met at CSS over the last few years. +1 on the rest and hydration advice as well, start a day or two in advance. August in Virginia can be hot. Two years ago we had a fellow suffer from heat exhaustion. That's a bad way to end your day. As for crashes, yes it happens (this is a risk-intensive sport) but CSS is not a track day and the focus should be on learning not setting lap records. Trevor and his Course Control team do a fantastic job keeping the environment as safe as possible. So much so it spoiled me. When I started riding with track day organizations it felt a bit like the Wild West compared to the attention to rider behavior that you get with CSS. In short, ride within yourself, avoid the Red Mist (the intense desire to pass the guy in front of you regardless of the consequences) and you should be fine. And when I did the 2 Day Camp all the off track bikes were available but that was a couple of years ago. I'm sure if you IM Cobie he can tell you. You are in for a great experience. I hope you post up about it afterward. EDIT: If you do stay at the track there are limited food options. I can recommend Aunt Millie's Pizza and Subs in Milton. It's about 5 minutes from the track and the pizza is great.

Ian, Sorry to hear you were not feeling well but glad you you are getting back to riding! As to your question, I don't see any reason not to do Levels 1 and 2 in back to back days. In fact, I remember when I took my Level 1 I was extreemly disappointed that I had not scheduled Level 2 for the next day. In subsequent seasons I have scheduled more back to back CSS days (and even a 2 day camp) than singles and personally I feel that doing 2 days is better as the second day really allows the training to "sink in". But it is a lot of ridng so show up well rested and hydrated. Best, Carey

Welcome Vignesh! It's ghreat to see all the excitement about CSS in INdia. I understand from Dylan and Cobie that the schools they have done in INdia have been very successful. There seems to be much support and enthusiasm for the sport so hopefully they can expand the schools offerings and reach more riders. So what do you see as your issues wirth body position? Are you crossed up or hanging off too much? Are you having issues transitioning from side to side on the bike? What do you think your blocks are to improving? Best, Carey

Welcome Jan. Wow 6 days in a row! I suppose you really want to make the trip over count. So tell us about your riding; are you a communter, weekend rider, track day enthusiast, hard core racer? Do you have a specific goals in your riding that you hope the school will help with? Good luck with the long week. I know you will find it fun and educational (as well as exhausting ). Best, Carey

I'm with you Cobie. I'm sure I'm not he only one who thought about Rossi's flirtations with the Scuderia a few years ago. Apparently he was fast enought to make it at least plausible. Of course the cash he could bring with him didn't hurt... I wish we could see some of those V8 Supercar races here in the US, maybe they'll be on YouTube.