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In a non race situation I have a rule.. 3 laps. I figure I need my mind and concentration level up to temp and working first. It always seems the tires are ready to go before me. I wick it up a notch after each lap but it is never the same from session to session or day to day in regards to how fast of laps I'm doing. If my brain is warmed up and in " the mode" then it is easy to feel when the tires aren't ready. They slide and you correct for it. Sometimes by being stunned into no action. eheh.

I have been pondering this one for a while now. In watching a slow motion of Stoner alot became clearer to me. I for the longest time didn't know how to put into words for others to understand just how the bike feels under very heavy braking. Scott Russell gave me the one I was looking for this season in one of Speed's broadcasts. He said "hinging". In watching Stoner in slow motion it was very clear that he was using the leg out to balance that hinging motion of the rear wheel at the steering pivot point. He was also very clearly not using his knees to brace against the braking forces. He was actually using the leg out not only for correcting for the hinging effect but also moving it back as he went to keep his body weight more over the rear of the bike. It was absolutelly a thing of beauty to watch him do this in slow motion. When you think about it for the most part we have all agreed that locking in on the tank with the knees is the way to go for obvious reasons. One of them mainly is to avoid bar pressure that would start the hinging process. However if you could lock on the bike with one leg and use the other as ballast to keep your weight rearward you are effectivly moving that locked in position more towards the rear of the bike which obviously enables one to brake harder and later.I beleive that some riders have found this method helpfull weather they know why or not really doesn't matter it obviously works. Hmm fastest guys on the planet? I'm betting if their doing it...it probably works. In my opinion Casey has taken a good thing and refined it to the max!! Inovative riding techniques are a glorious thing to see evolve. Never the less being that I am not a motorcycle racing legend. I'm thinking when I get back on the track I will be locking into that gastank and doing everything I can to keep everything balanced and tidy before my TP.

Sanfret gets the gold sticky star! Pacific Raceway in Kent, WA. I will be out there again this weekend hopefully in a little bit warmer conditions. Unfortunately it's looking like the first dry stint will have to wait a few more weekends as it looks like we will be playing in the rain.... again! here is another snow day pic. Might be a bit small but it was definatley snowing. If you click on the pic you might be able to see the snow.

uh, no thanks on riding in the snow (at least on a track) unless I really had to C Yes I would agree under most circumstances. I however knew I would be racing the next day and the forcast was for more of the same. I figured I might as well try and get used to it for the Sat. race. It was my last race to graduate out of Novice. We did have more of the same for the practices but by the time the race came around it was just a monsoon of a rain instead of the white stuff. I would have to say I really think it was because of the skills and the aproach to riding I learned with the Superbike School that allowed me to keep her on two wheels. The skills I learned on the slide bike have saved my bacon on way more than a couple of occasions. I didn't fare as well as I would have liked in the wet race (took 3rd). Especially after leading the entire race up till the last corner. I learned there is another aspect of my game I need to put some effort into. "Racecraft" as I have heard it called before. I will have a better plan for that aspect next time out for sure.

This is a typical Pacific Northwest late March Adrenaline Freaks trackday. Gotta love playin in the snow!

I don't have alot of experience with dirt but as far as for on a road bike the key is to approach the loss of traction slowly versus abruptly. It sound like you are pretty much on the money. It sort of depends on where in the turn you want to initiate the slide. For me if for some reason you want to start the slide at turn entry (not really the fastest way through a corner) a more aggresive turn in with a little more aggresive throttle application will get the slide initiated. Once the tire starts to slide you will need to briefly ever so gently pause throttle application as well as stand the bike up a bit to stop the slide from continuing into a lowside. Once you have the tire right on that edge of sliding and gripping you can then get back into the throttle and modulate the slide with a combination of lean angle and throttle application. I can tell you that there is alot less room for error when sliding on pavement versus dirt. I first played with sliding the rear on corner exit rather than on corner entry. Its much easier to overcome the limits of the tire gradually on corner exit rather than on corner entry. Just gradually add more and more throttle while exiting a given corner remember to be in the process of picking the bike up so that you are ready to compensate for the slide (the bike will be making a sharper turn once the rear breaks loose). The key is to be smooth, any sudden abrupt actions could wind you up on your head if your not careful. The only thing that you stated that I think may not be right is trying to use your hips to somehow initiate the slide. Maybe more talented and skilled riders than I might try to input this way but to me its all done with throttle and lean angle.

If my memory serves me correctly you will learn all of what your looking for in level 3. Hints..flick that arse....both knees silly.

I have not attended a 2-day camp. I have though completed all the levels individually. From what I have gathered it seems there is a lower student to instructor ratio in the 2-day camp over the individual sessions. Which lends itself to more individualized instruction. Also with fewer groups I understand that there is some more ontrack time. Again I have not attended one but this is the info that I have gathered. I will say that I came away from every level feeling as though I received a very adequate level of individual instruction and that my riding improved greatly each time out. I'm getting ready to take level 4 again (this time on my home track of Pacific Raceways) on Thursday then in Feb. 07 I will probably do level 4 again as a 2-day camp to prep for next years race season. You pay a little more for a little more with the 2-day but you don't get slighted in my opinion at all in the individual classes.

I'm wondering will you have tire changing services for riders on their own bikes in the event of rain?

Poor throttle control is to blame from what I saw. Looks like after he turned it in he gave it a healthy dose of throttle rather than a smooth roll on. Then hmm? Think he chopped it which transfered more wait onto the front tire than it could handle. To me it looks like he lost the front.

I had a close one at the school last time out at infineon and I have done alot of thinking about what went wrong and right. T-11. came off the chicane with great drive got it flicked to the left fast and kept on the gas as I flicked it back to the right and headed toward my turnpoint at the entrance of 11. I carried more speed than I had all day going into the turn got set up made a downshift and realized my TP was coming up at a much faster rate than normal. I turned it in. This was my mistake because for the added speed I faulted in thinking I needed to turn it in before reaching my "standard TP". After thinking about this more I think I could make the corner with the speed I was carrying by using another TP that would take me just maybe a foot past my previous one. I beleive this to be the solution because I elevated my rate of turn in such that it put me way inside my normal apex. I think by accelerating the rate of the turn I could move the TP down the track and still get to my normal apex for 11. However I had turned it in probably a foot earlier I took the bike to a fairly steep lean angle I got into the throttle for my roll on then realized I was running up onto the blue and yellow paint. Some paint I have found to be fine to run on but I made a big mental note to myself after this one that Infineon paint is no good to try to corner on. My front tire seemed to just go in a heartbeat. No gradual transition from grip to loss of grip but rather a complete and sudden total loss of grip. I then went from a standard roll on to application of the throttle at a quicker rate. (as I had visions of my brand new bike not looking new for too much longer) This action did as I hoped. It got the front back inline and grabbing a bit but it was at this time that my rear (on the paint as well) stepped out in a very big way. I then haulted acceleration and maintained throttle position while gradually putting pressure on the left clip on to stand the bike up a bit as it was standing further up I went back to on-gas. The rear then came back into alignment with a little twitch in the bike as it grabbed grip again. I was off the corner ready to blaze down the straightaway for another lap. I think the track martial was debating about black flagging me and having a chat with me though. Needless to say I fouled up, but I just wanted to post this because this is what I love about riding a high performance machine at speed. It can always be broken down and analyzed. No matter what, you either did something right or did something wrong at a given time at a given place. After I analyzed this I realized that although I fouled up in the beginning I was very pleased that I didn't let SR's get in the way of me making this save. At the time although it was a little scary I felt incontrol and knew what I had to do I stayed relaxed, reacted to the grip issues I was having with what I beleived needed to be done with the throttle. I totally feel like this is a direct result of using the knowledge from both of Keiths books as well as the training on the track at the school. I'm a very average rider but feel that the road to being an advanced rider will be greatly determined by my ability to break down the things I'm doing on the bike.

I think you actually stated it in your post. I'm pretty sure that if there were no weight transfer at all front to rear the rear would actually want to rise under acceleration however if I remember right the whole idea is to counter that rising motion by using proper throttle control to get the proper weight shift front to back. This counters this "rising" and ensures good grip as well as putting the suspension of the bike within proper range. I think when it is said that "the rear wants to rise" is only true when the application of the throttle has not met the load requirments of the suspension to "sit the tire down".

I am coming down from Seattle WA and was wondering where the closest shops are in relation to Sonoma? I'm thinking I may need to do a tire change after the first day of school. I'm not sure cuz the 06 R6 came with the new Dunlop Qualifiers and I'm not sure how they will do. I have one trackday scheduled before the school and although I know I don't go thru the tires at school the way I do at trackdays I just want to make sure I have a plan incase they don't hold up for 1 trackday + 2 school days. By the way anyone have psi recomendations on the qualifiers for track use?

"pick a spot and stick with it" I agree I am never moving around in the seat other than when im setting up or after the bike is stood up. I do not however stay in the same position front to back for all the corners on a given track. Is that what your suggesting?

I would love to see some more replies on this as I have wondered for a while what the proper technique would be. For me in thinking about my riding I decided the faster the corner the farther back in the seat I would try to be and for the slower stuff I would hug the tank a bit more. I'm not sure if it's right but when I tried it it felt comfortable. In the slower stuff it especially felt like the way to go as it seemed to give a little more bite on the front end for the turn in. This is what I do most of the time however at my home track (pacific raceways) there is a right left chicane that is fairly fast and the exit is a hair downhill before it goes dramatically uphill on this particular turn even though it is fast I hug the tank to an extreme. It seems the bike gets alot of traction through this area and it seems to help keep the bike on the line I'm looking for to set up for my turnpoint for the turn at the top of the hill. Like I said this is what I came up with that seems to work well for me. Would love to hear other peoples take on this.

KSS, I am of the same mind as you on technique I took level 1 last feb and am taking level 2 this feb. My only goal while at the school is technique not speed. Since my last school I did about 10 trackdays about everyother one I ran in the begginer groups so I could concentrate on my technique and identify my problem areas and try to come up with a plan to improve. I think by riding well within my abilities I was more able to observe my riding and get better. I love to go fast but when I am making a concious effort to improve fast goes on the back burner. For me I think it has worked well I made steady advances throughout the year. None bigger than after one day at CSS though, I hope to do the same this year again by concentrating on technique rather than speed.

Fine reading. I think there is alot of good advice. For me I found along with determining where I wanted to be in the corner one basic fundamental helped me the most in regards to entering corners deeper (or at the proper point) rather than earlier. That was getting quicker with my steering input ie quick flick. I made a point of working on improving the speed in which it took me to get the bike to the desired lean angle. To be honest how fast I can flick my bike now, I once didn't think was a possibility. After improving my speed I found that I just naturally took the bike in deeper because of my confidence in my ability to get the bike turned in the amount of time needed to accomplish my goal for where I planned on being in the corner.

If your saying it's awkward to push on the bar midcorner. It probably shouldn't feel right as the best way to corner is with only one steering input at the designated turnpoint. For me though I found that while getting ready for the corner by hanging off I also played with my hand positioning for that initial bar input to feel more comfortable.

Thanks for the input. I think thats what I will work on next time I'm at the track. I guess I actually just need to relax a little more through that section and really find my turnpoint for the next corner earlier rather than putting so much attention on turn rate through that fast section. Hmmm I think a lightbulb just came on here eheh thats what I should have been doing in the first place.

I am actually thinking of a specific turn. It's at pacific Raceways in Kent WA. It is actually a long straight which makes a left kink then a shorter straight which at the end makes a right hander. The whole section is under acceleration until I have my bike straight up and down heading for my turn point going into turn three which is a long sweeping 2nd gear left hander. The left kink is off of parallel for a small distance and the right is a long graduall right. The whole section is fast. For me 100-150. There has to be 2 steering inputs to make both these corners 1 left 1 right. At that speed I can turn the bike quickly safely (of course not as quickly as lower speed corners) but I could also turn it slower and still make the turns. So my question is which way if any would be faster? I have not been able to get splits as of yet to work on this and see by experiment for my self.

I would recommend the CSS course to anyone who throws a leg over a motorcycle. Knowing how to properly corner a motorcycle with the right fundementals is crucial to becoming a safer rider in my opinion. For me though it started an addiction to track riding. I found that I had become a safer rider by what I learned at the school and I do apply what I learned while street riding it's just that to be safe on the street you can't take it to the same level as on the track. That's just me though. No matter what or where you ride I am a firm beleiver that the CSS school will make you a better and safer rider.

I attended the level 1 at infinion in feb. and I have a question on drill #3. Coming into the class I felt as though I had a pretty good steering rate. I practiced that alot after reading TOTW II. While at the class however with the instruction and the drill I knew that I had improved alot and could improve some more. I know that I still need to improve more. My question though is this. From attending other trackdays I'm wondering if the quickest I can do it at my present level is correct for every turn? At high speed (for me 120-150mph) its obviously not as quick as a low speed corner. However I could surely turn it slower. Is rpm-speed effected more from turning the bike onto the edges faster than slower in this case? It obviously doesn't require a steep lean angle for the given corner I'm thinking of but I could easily do more of a weave than 2 short quick direction changes. Which is faster?

Lets see, riding for four weeks?

absolutely do not take your friends advice. He is destined for a date with pavement using that method

I just got back from a class at Sears point with CSS and I'm pretty sure that if you haven't already been to one you should start at 1. I don't think the levels have to do with your skill. The way the school is from what I understand, is the levels are very structured and the previous level is needed to keep with their teaching process. I was very impressed with how well I improved in level 1. I had read and reread and reread and am still reading Keiths books but the class and the drills give you something tangible that you can work on and improve. Thats my two cents anyways.