bradvanhorn
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Posts posted by bradvanhorn
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Since I ride almost exclusively at the track it now is hard for me to relate to the street all that well any more. At the track, I don't think of my pre-ride practice in a particular way so I think the closest description would be brief meditation. I try to devote a couple minutes (and nearly always do) before the upcoming session to sit quietly, relax my body, let my mind go blank (that's the easiest part
). This gives me a pleasant sense of calm in advance of leaving the pits. Once on the track, and when needed, I find the easiest way to calm myself is by talking myself thru a section of the track in a checklist fashion. "look for the turn point" "off throttle" "on brakes" "look for the mid-corner" "off brakes" "turn-in" and so on. Like YellowDuck mentioned, I too will sometimes say these things out loud. This gives me a system reset so to speak and the next lap around I'm usually calm and free flowing again. Honestly though, if I get severely rattled by something then I take a run thru the hot pit lane, stop, take a few deep breaths, and then go back on track (or else I just end the session if it were already close to ending). -
Anyone know if the School has these for sale yet ?
I just was sitting here wondering the same thing.
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I can't offer much to help other than with my own story. I was taking CSS Level 3 at VIR a few years ago and I crashed while riding my own bike (which was my street bike and not a dedicated track bike). I filed a claim with Progressive and they paid the claim on the basis I was receiving advanced training and therefore I wasn't negligent. Progressive was superb to work with during the claim process and never once hinted they wouldn't help me. Not only did they pay the claim on the bike, they reimbursed me for my helmet (which was brand new) which was damaged in the crash (I impacted more or less head first). I've no idea how other companies would handle a similar claim but I can say Progressive was outstanding.
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This is my sequence. It can happen pretty fast; sometimes near simultaneous.
* On the gas
* Knees lock on tank
* Shift body position/cheek off the seat
* Roll off gas
* Apply brakes
* Release brakes
* Inside knee swings out
* Push inside bar
* When bike is at lean and on desired line, roll on gas
On a related note, I had been pushing upward and too hard with my outside calf, driving the outside knee up (not in) and it was very tiring. Mikey and James helped me sort this out and now I'm using more modest calf tension and applying a firm inward pressure with the outside knee. This helps me rotate my hips into the turn while staying locked in.
From your sequence you indicated moving your butt after roll off/on the brakes. I'll suggest it's better to do this while on the gas if/when possible. The bike is stable on the gas so moving your body at that time should be less disruptive. Moving while off the gas/on the brakes can lead to extra, unwelcome behavior from the bike.
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Hi All, a little update on this hydration subject. We got a bunch of Dr. Price's hydration mix and brought it on the road. Pretty much everyone was over the moon with it, completely happy. We had some really warm days at the end it came in very handy. Saturday at the Streets of Willow was the hottest we might have ever had, and all the coaches made it through, and riding 3x what the students were riding. 6 students had to stop--they didn't drink enough, and didn't take enough electrolytes. Can hardly stress this enough for the warm days! I'm going to get some more info up here and I think Dr. Price is going to give a discount to CSS students...I'll keep you posted on that.
I used one serving, sometimes two servings, of Dr. Price hydration mix between each session during the NOLA 2-day. It wasn't brutally hot like 2012, but it was pretty hot nonetheless. Between drinking lots of water and plenty of water+hydration mix, one thing I had no trouble with was hydration. I was very happy and appreciative the school put out the hydration mix for student use because my personal stock had just run out. Time to order more...
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Really nice post about your experience at Barber. To some extent I can relate to your experience. I attended my very first CSS at Barber, which also was my very first time on a race track. Much to my wife's chagrin, when I got home from the camp I immediately began searching for a 600 sportbike
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Here's another recent tire review on the Q3. Sounding even more tempting at this point. They didn't comment on tire life in the body of the article but did include "No increase in wear resistance against mileage" in a sidebar, so not sure where the truth lies on if it'll be more durable (particularly at the track).
One thing I still can't find... when are they going to reach the market?
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In light of how Kevin Schwantz was treated in the entire COTA deal- I refuse to participate in anything to do with that track ! Including watching any race held there or attending any event there.
I'm with you on this point. And it wasn't just Kevin Schwantz, COTA treated a whole bunch of people very badly. They screwed one of their own partners to the tune of 10's of millions of dollars with the follow on lawsuit later settled out of court for undisclosed terms. In my opinion, this is indicative of a very unethical/unscrupulous business practice and I vote against such bad behavior with my wallet - you don't get my money.
RideSmart charged me $500+ a day for the opportunity... How often do you get the opportunity to ride on a track like COTA?On the other hand: I’d like to ride NOLA too.
$500+ a day just for the track day fee?! There's no chance I'd pay $500+ only to ride a track day and no matter how great the facility. If the $500+ included hanging out in the pits (between our riding sessions) with MotoGP or WSBK riders then I might consider it.
You definitely should come to NOLA. You'll have a great time and it'll cost you a whole lot less. TrackTactics.org is the main track day group that runs here. If you watch for special deals you can get track days for ~$180 per day. We're doing two days this coming weekend - come join us.
Thanks for describing the track though. It sounds like a challenging course.
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Wow, I just knew I should've made the trip to Barber...
If the Q3 will perform equally (or better), last longer, but still carry the same price as the Q2 then I'd consider the Q3 a prime choice.
My main concern with the Q3 will be track day durability. I really like Q2's and I would gladly run them all the time if they lasted longer. However, I am mostly track day riding these days and GPA's last much longer. I wore out Q2's in three track days; my current GPA's already have four track days and I'm doing two more track days this weekend (this probably is their last event). GPA's are a bit higher purchase cost but it's more than offset by the longer track day life.
One thing that concerns me about the GPA's is marginal wet weather traction (and it can get wet with little warning here at NOLA). By comparison the Q2 is great in wet weather. If the Q3 is as good or better than the Q2 in wet conditions then that's one more reason I would consider the Q3.
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We agree but in different ways perhaps? The Q2 is better for street riding and the D211GPA is better for serious trackdays and racers.
Yes, and Agreed.
Good follow up post, thanks. That track map looks to me like a lot of fun.
Some of my comments were not necessarily specific to your previous comments. For example, others have suggested GPA's don't heat up as well or fast as Q2's and so I commented on this because my experience says this is untrue.
I think the main difference I've experienced is Q2's are great tires across the tire temp spectrum and in nearly all road conditions whereas GPA's are great tires as they warm and then become even better when they're hot but are not suited for wet conditions.
I saw it noted elsewhere, apparently an AMA pro rode Q2's to within one second of his lap times on GPA's. That's pretty amazing and a testament to the quality of the Q2.
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Brad - I agree with you except for maybe one caveat. The Pirelly SC1/2's that I use are essentially the same or better than the SP's for just about every temperature range at the track. It exhibits wide temperature just like the d211gpa's. . The only time that I think that that might be true is when the outside weather is really cold. . . . IF its 40 outside, the road OEM SP's seem to be a bit grippier as any normal tire in cold weather. The SC's almost seem really "hard" and will wiggle on you for the first mile or so. . . so in that particular super cold case (where you should be careful regardless), I'm not sure the DOT race tires are as grippy as say OEM road going tires. But anything beyond that - I think its the same or better.
Anthem, that is a good, well stated point. I concede I have not rode both tires under those colder conditions (anything below 50 deg) and so my experience is of no value when it comes to assessing that aspect of the respective tire performance.
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All that said, can a person successfully ride GPA's on the street.......or while they are cold....most certainly, but the tire will not be anywhere near its optimal temperature which also means it won't be near its optimal grip. So how much confidence is that going to inspire? How much of your preverbial $10 of attention are you now going to spend wondering, stressing, worrying about tire grip?
I disagree with much of your post. I used to ride Q2's and now ride almost exclusively GPA's. The GPA provides equal or better traction as a Q2, except in wet conditions owing to less siping on the GPA, regardless the respective operating temperature. A GPA at 130 deg is not less traction than a Q2 at 130 deg and it does not take any longer to heat up a GPA than a Q2. From what I have seen, this is mythology perpetuated by riders making other mistakes and blaming it on the tires - Steve has refuted this notion repeatedly and my experience matches his comments. None of this is a criticism of the Q2 - I rode the S1000RR on Q2's this week and they are fantastic, inspiring tires. For my money however, I get that same fantastic performance and more from the GPA's, but I also get more longevity so my overall cost per lap on GPA's is less than on Q2's. We all are captive to our experiences so if your personal experience has been different then obviously we are unlikely to agree on this subject.
All this said, if I were only street riding, I would chose the Q2 hands down if for no other reason than it will be better in wet conditions. GPAs in the wet are not inspiring.
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Anyone else do these sort of things on a regular basis?
Yes, absolutely. Since I ride almost exclusively at the track, this isn't something I think about with regard to street riding. Every time I leave the pits and head on track I have a specific drill to practice.
I'm curious, what is your drill for "getting the bike leaned"?
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I have, and like, Pilot leathers. They have a few suits on the rack but mostly they make the suits when you order. Before they finalize your order they will ship to you a test suit for you to try (in your home and not on the road however) and make sure you are happy with the fit. They can do custom suits for a few hundred dollars more. Sadly, I crashed in mine the very first day I wore it on the track, but it came through mostly unharmed (just some scuffs).
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It was a beautiful day with CSS at NOLA! I can't believe there were open seats for the school. You guys need to come to NOLA!
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Well, you said you want a 180 but the 190 GPA Dunlop is a fantastic tire - and obviously the AMA Sportbike/Supersport class tire. I've used Q2's and really like them - track and street. I'm currently using the 190/60 GPA on my ZX-6R (track only) and, again, it's fantastic. Not trying to sabotage your search but I think the Dunlop is worth a try.
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I got an email today from the CSS office on a different subject but in addition to the other info they also let me know there still were a couple seats open for NOLA. C'mon down to NOLA people! You'll have a great time!
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Counter-steering is NOT how you should turn the bike on the track. Body steering. I know Code doesn't agree here but it's true!
When you come into a left turn, move your butt off to the left, and your upper body as well.
You will not be able to move alot of your upper body to the left while still in a straight line, but try - like 6 inches off the center line.
Obviously - at this point, you are on the brakes coming up to your turn.
So let me explain what has happened here.
When you shift your butt and body to the left in a straight line, your bike will be slightly leaned to the right to maintain a straight line.
You basically just spring loaded the bike into potential energy. The bike will want to lean. Let go of the handlebars and the bike will dive in all by itself.
Wow, I needed a good laugh this morning. Thank you.
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As far as I can figure you can never use the inside leg to "lock" on the bike as if you drag your knee it's not touching the tank for most of the turn anyway.
This is partly true. Locking on the tank with both knees while you're braking prior to the turn allows you to keep weight off the bars, upper body relaxed, and thereby reduce unwanted bar inputs. Once you initiate the turn then it would become a lock with only the outside knee. However, the GP guys are letting their leg hang out while they're braking so there's no lock on the tank and all the force is on the bars. They're the best of the best and maybe this works for them; I don't think it's necessarily good for the rest of us.
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Cobie knows the answer.
Cobie knows ALL the answers!!
That is for sure
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Two riders, perfectly equal, exit a turn side-by-side. Assuming no other wild disparity, if one is on a BMW then I'm betting my money on the BMW every time; it shouldn't even be close. BMW's are beating the snot out of Busa's at the dragstrip, let alone at real cornering. If the Busa is winning, then things are not otherwise equal as stipulated.
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Are you asking for recommendations about products like Stomp Grip or Tech Spec to help you lock on the tank? If so, I prefer Tech Spec; others prefer Stomp Grip. Tech Spec generally is a bit softer and not as aggressive and hard edged as Stomp Grip. It really is just a personal preference; either will help you lock on the tank. There may be other brands but those two are the most dominant from what I've seen.
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I'm a bit late in asking... who's coming to NOLA next week? I did NOLA with CSS last year and it was fantastic. A few months later I moved to New Orleans and now I ride NOLA roughly two days a month. I'll be out there with CSS next week and the anticipation is killing me
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In May at Barber, in the WERA Superbike Expert class, 600's took two out of three podium spots and three of the top five in the superbike class. That's not a condemnation of liter bikes but an reflection of how good 600's can be.
Finishers:
1) #43 James Rispoli Suzuki GSXR 600
2) #94 Bobby Stoker Suzuki GSXR 1000
3) #5 Corey Alexander Suzuki GSXR 600
4) #183 Robert McLendon Triumph 675
5) #55 Justin Neyra Kawasaki ZX-10
If you build your turbo Busa then I hope it all works out for you.
). This gives me a pleasant sense of calm in advance of leaving the pits. Once on the track, and when needed, I find the easiest way to calm myself is by talking myself thru a section of the track in a checklist fashion. "look for the turn point" "off throttle" "on brakes" "look for the mid-corner" "off brakes" "turn-in" and so on. Like YellowDuck mentioned, I too will sometimes say these things out loud. This gives me a system reset so to speak and the next lap around I'm usually calm and free flowing again. Honestly though, if I get severely rattled by something then I take a run thru the hot pit lane, stop, take a few deep breaths, and then go back on track (or else I just end the session if it were already close to ending).
Backing It In
in Cornering and Techniques
Posted
As I recall, last year when I trained with another school (it was provided free or I wouldn't have gone), the instructors were backing it in using engine braking and clutch modulation.