Jump to content

SilverTongueJim

Members
  • Posts

    11
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by SilverTongueJim

  1. Getting excited and NERVOUS about Willow Springs next week. I've only taken the 2-Day at Las Vegas, and that was Halloween 2021, almost the end of my riding season. I wasn't able to practice as often and apply what I learned. This time I'm starting with a CSS 2-Day and riding INTO good weather at home to practice on (mostly) clean roads. I just don't know if I'm Level 3 worthy with a year and a half between camps. :unsure: 😆

  2. Hi Cobie,

    I have a couple of questions now that I've completed a 2-Day CSS camp.

    • When I register for another 2-Day, does that mean I'm coming in as a Level 3, and how does that differ as far as course/track instruction?
    • I just added a Ninja 1000 to my garage and I'd like to get to know that bike better next spring/summer when the riding season comes around. Can I ride that bike in a CSS class? Is that limited to a 1-Day session?

    Jim Soltis

    1. SilverTongueJim

      SilverTongueJim

      HA! I guess all I had to do was look at the website again. I just answered my second question. Duh. I guess I'm still more inclined to stay in the 2-day camp scenario. There's just so much more track time considering I have to travel to every track where the school operates. The 1-day would be hard to justify given travel time AND riding my bike to get there.

  3. Thanks for responding, Cobie. I was deciding between one of the fleet bikes, or a new (dealer unsold) 2019 Ninja 1000 ABS. I pulled the trigger on the Ninja the weekend before the class in Las Vegas. After riding the RR for two days on the course I realized the Ninja was the better choice for my open road sport touring interests. I couldn't imagine I'd get as much use out of the RR on a daily basis. I love the RR, so I'll just keep coming back to CSS to ride them where they deserve to be - on the track!
  4. I learned an awful lot more about what I already know (got exponentially better at it) and got direct feedback about what I didn't know (learned what tendencies I have and how to correct them). I had to work out more kinks than the typical attendee. I'm used to looking much farther ahead due to open road riding/touring, so the 2-step and 3-step were very important to me for riding on the course in Las Vegas. I've never done a track day, but did the BMW Performance Riding School and rode on their track. But that was a lower-level skill and safety school. This was a racing school. More so than I realized. I wasn't intimidated by any of it. I used to live in north Georgia and rode the GA-TN-NC mountain twisties regularly and carrying speed through turns isn't something unfamiliar. The difference is I didn't (probably still don't) know how high my ceiling is. I'm 58 so it's not like I want to start racing, but I'm a perfectionist and a safety nut and there's always room to improve and survive the real world off-track. I do plan to take the CSS 2-Day at other tracks. My coaches were Mark and Ben, who were both very good at sharing information and sensing my strengths and weaknesses. By the last two riding sessions on day 2 it was all coming together. I'm a bit headstrong, and did have one near mishap (potentially a really bad situation) that was entirely my fault and a misjudgment of my ability on my second to last lap session. But being an engineer and understanding physics, I caught myself in time to avoid a catastrophe (the other rider didn't feel the same, but he let it go after I apologized profusely). Ben felt (as did I) that my last riding session on day 2 was my best. I'm not an easy student, and everyone at the school was super patient and did their best to keep me thinking positive. The CSS team is REALLY GOOD at their craft.
  5. I realize I'm probably late to the game. Is the most recent fleet sale sold out?
  6. Street: 3, 4, 1, 5, 2. Track: I'll find out at the end of October!
  7. I'm anxious, excited, and nervous all at the same time. An odd combo for a wise old dude like myself. 😆
  8. I'm already signed up for Oct 30-31 in Las Vegas. Looking forward to it.
  9. Even though this will be my first CSS course, I took the BMW Performance Riding School a couple years ago and it convinced me I wanted/needed more. That one-day course was a long 8+ hours, filled with close to 30 riders of different skill levels, and somewhat exhausting, but from a pace and patience perspective. Not that I'm an expert rider. I'm smart enough to know I'm not. But I've taken all the MSF course levels, I work on my skills with purpose on some of my rides, and I found myself getting frustrated at the BMW course because I realized I had a higher level of riding confidence than more than half of that class of students. So putting 30 people on a track together was not as beneficial for me as I'd hoped. Did I learn how to do circus tricks like riding side-saddle, switching legs and standing on the opposite side foot peg, and learning ambidextrous things on a street bike? Sure, but I wouldn't do that on MY bike, so I didn't gain value from those "confidence building" techniques. With 30 people there was just too much waiting around, bikes in queue lines, long-winded question and answer sessions, and slowing down to coddle people who had REALLY BAD habits and technique. The best part was getting to ride a 2018 S1000RR on a track. Sure, it was stock, but that machine was far above my ability, and riding it made me want more. It practically drove itself. I'm coming into this CSS course with goals in mind like overcoming my SRs about panic/emergency braking, working on my left turn technique at speed (since it's not as good as turning right), overcoming my SR/fear about sliding because the paved roads I ride tend to have cinder debris or poor maintenance, looking through corners, and selecting the best turn-in mark. Trying to think through those things is too much for a one day course.
  10. Not that it matters for reasons other than my curiosity (and excitement), do you know if the dog leg at the top is still chopped, or is the full track layout used?
  11. I watched the YouTube Las Vegas track video from October 2014, and the rider is following a clockwise route. It also shows where the dog leg of turns 12-13-14 are bypassed. In looking at the track info the the 2-Day class this October 30-31, the track map indicates the track is run counter clockwise, and includes turns 12-13-14. What can I expect when I take my class in October?
  12. Perfect. Well rested with riding undergear I can do. Might as well get the full experience if that's included in the fee, right?
  13. I'm registered for the Oct 30-31 2-Day at Las Vegas. I've got the hotel booked and I'm watching and re-watching A Twist of the Wrist 2 that I bought on Amazon. I'm not a bucket list kind of guy, but I've been wanting to take a CSS course for years. I've never done a track day, but I lived in north Georgia for many years and practiced and challenged myself on different bikes in the GA-NC-TN region. I took the BMW Performance Riding School course in Greer, SC, had a chance to ride the RR, and ever since I've been counting the months until I could ride a track-ready RR on a real course. My question is about being a Level 1 for a CSS 2-Day. Other than my riding skivvies and boots, should I really just show up? As in, don't bother bringing personal gear other than a helmet? I can't say I have track standard leathers or gloves, though I just bought a Sedici one-piece just because. Comments?
×
×
  • Create New...