Kevin Kane

Hammer, Instead of reworking your foot peg loading...how about just holding the throttle while you slide? If I remember the lean/slide bike drill, the trick was that once the rear tire broke free, to work the throttle just enough until the rear hooked up again. It sounds like letting off the gas was your undoing (no pun intended). Kevin

Stuman, Your response begs the question: When's the '06 Schedule going to be published? Kevin

Sean, Two of your quotes caught my attention: and "( Your posts strike a familiar chord with me as I have/do struggle with the same cornering gremlins you do but I will offer you an antidote. I do this because I could not get to where I wanted to by just . There is alot involved in riding a bike around a track at a high rate of speed and the skills necessary to do it well are not innate in any of us. My antidote - CSS Level IV. I say this because in Levels I, II & III, the School has very specific skill sets that you need to follow to properly build your cornering foundation. Once you move into Level IV however the roles reverse; YOUR needs provide the key component of that course. You do this by explaining to the School what YOU believe to be your barriers to cornering and then within the context of Keith's cirriculum, the School tailor's Level IV to help you get closer to those goals. Surprisingly, it is NOT always what you think. Earlier this season, I KNEW what was holding me back and I dutifily listed those items in my Level IV questionaire. Once out on the track, my Coach AND the Level IV liaison both saw what I could do to improve but it was quite different from what I KNEW to be my problem - something I wasn't even aware of. By their very perceptive analysis of my riding and their skill in communicating how I could adjust to make it better, I was riding faster and smoother than I have ever run in my life and that was a direct result of their coaching. They are that good! I would also recommend Level IV because IMHO, track days are fine but they are a poor substitute for learning time tested theory (facts) coupled with excellent track coaching. You have made the investment in the first three levels, take the final step and take Level IV - I am convinced that your first post after attending will have a much different tone. Kevin

There have been a number of posts like Mark's here that are full of energy and enthusiasm after attending the School for the first time and it struck a very similar chord with me. Mark writes He's right on point! As someone who waited for a couple of years before signing up myself, I was sorry to have wasted those two years trying to figure out HOW to ride my sportsbike with any kind of consistency and/or pace. This School will make you a better rider. Kevin

Doog, You're ready now. Level II will bring Level I into sharper focus because the curriculum never loses sight of the previous Levels' training; it's been my experience that even though I have taken Level IV more than once, I still work on the two-step and the quick-flick whenever I return to School. The other comment I would offer is to your statement "my biggest problem is visulasation and sense of space whilst approaching a corner". It's been my experience that additional training will help you deal with this more effectively because visual skills are a cornerstone of the School's Cornering philosophy and is discussed in every level. It may remain for you your biggest problem but that problem will be relative to the other skills that you will acquire; regardless, you will become more proficient at dealing with it as you advance and it won't necessarily hold you back. Kevin

Turfpro, I have seen both 1200 Sportsters and Dyna-Glides at the Streets of Willow Springs and at Pocono - and they did just fine at both venues. Kevin

Check out Will Eikenberry's picture on page 108 of this month's Road Racing World. Will, Stuman and Robbie Dowie took second overall and second in the Heavyweight Superstock Class at the WERA/Dunlop National Endurance Races at Las Vegas in their second-ever WERA National Endurance Series Race. For those who know the School Staff (or will meet them this season), Will is the Crew Chief for all of the School's bikes and current lap record holder at the Streets of Willow Springs. Stuart Smith, aka Stuman is one of the School's senior Track Coaches involved with both Level IV riders and Class Room Seminars. They both talk the talk and then go out and walk the walk. Nice going guys! Kevin

No...it is to use NO brakes; but applied with some common sense. If running into another rider or off the track is what will happen if you do not use your brakes, then you use them but beyond that - it is NO brakes. This drill is at the heart of the School's Cornering Curriculum and is the first drill of every day, regardless of Level. If you want to maximize your School experience, follow their program. BTW, if you don't, you will be called into course control for a "chat". Kevin

Francois, In a turn, try pushing with your outside leg and your inside arm simultaneously. It is the easiest way to initiate a turn. Kevin

Noob, I have to agree with JeF4y's opinion; having attended both, there is a significant difference between the two. CodeRACE is targeted for riders who are already racing or are getting ready to race - it is focused and intense! TheTwo Day Camp is like attending the individual schools but on steroids. If you are very proficient in your track skills and want to turn up the wick, then CodeRACE may make sense. If you fit this description than you need not read any further. BTW, in April of '04, when I attended, Roger Lee Hayden was there. In '05, I believe Doug Chandler was there. The pace is VERY fast at CodeRACE. If you are a student of Keith Code's cornering theories but are still learning how to fully integrate them into your riding, the 2-day camp would be my recommendation. The 2-day camp has a limited enrollment so the Coach/Student ratio is low. There are only two groups so you ride - a lot! You will ride your butt off. You will have video shot of your riding (more than once) so you can actually see what your riding looks like. I guarantee that if you have never seen yourself on video, this will be an eye opening experience. You will still learn the same training tools that are taught in the regular school but at a much more intensive way. In summary, you're asking for a comparison between apples and oranges - they are both very good - but they are not the same. Good luck with your choice. Kevin

Looking for a tire choice opinion for the School at Mid-Ohio: Dunlop GP-A's or Michelin Pilot Sports Cup? TIA, Kevin

Senfro, I am not the right person to offer technical advice but I will say what I am doing. This is my first season with a slipper clutch and I still blip in case it doesn't slip. Plus, my street bike doesn't have one so it keeps my technique consistent. Kevin

I lowsided for the first time last season exiting a fast left hander on the gas. To this day, I do not "know" what happened. One moment I am looking up the track on the the gas when I hear a very unfamiliar sound. Then I see the bike's gas tank sliding away from me in slow motion and it begins to sink in - I was down! The slow motion experienced immediately became "wow - I can't believe I am sliding this fast and how quickly I am going to get into that grassy area" (earth-sky-earth-sky-earth-sky-earth-sky... then lots of dust - everywhere). Oh yeah, that strange sound was the plastic fairings grinding away as the bike slid across the track, down an access road and then into the grass with me right behind it. It was my eight or ninth track day on a set of Michelin Pilot Race tires so it could have been that they were cooked, it could have been a rider mistake like adding lean angle while on the gas or holding on too tight but I dunno... I post this because I can only offer you some empathy...not an answer. Good luck in your search. Kevin

Lots of questions here 03. I won't touch the tech or deposit questions you raise, those are for someone from the School to answer but some of them I will try to respond to: I believe you can register on their web site right now. The next CodeRACE program is in November I think. Four Levels -Four Days. No shortcuts here. I recently spent two days at Pocono and there was a student who attended all four days the School held classes. Four Levels - Four Days. You'll need an answer from the School for that one. At School You will quickly see that the learning is more that what's in the book(s). You will start your day in the classroom where Keith himself will give you both an overview and then specific drills that you need to focus on when you hit the track. At the end of each track session, you will meet with your instructor and get debriefed on what the instructor observed from following you (or leading you) and then you go back into class. Keith will give you more instruction and a new drill that you will couple with the previous drill and the day builds upon itself. It is a very progressive learning cirriculum and one of the chief reasons why it takes at least four days to get through all four levels. Unless you are a very gifted rider, you will quickly see that despite your best efforts at self translation of Keith's books, attending the School is the fastest way to unlock these published "secrets". If reading it was all it took, we would all be Rossi's Good Luck! Kevin

Arnb, I don't know how much carry capacity your bike has but its my guess that you will need more than the bike. You can have a friend bring your excess stuff or you can trailer the bike but you will need stuff. At a bare minimum, you will need gas cans. I typically bring a full tank of gas in my bike plus three 2.5 gallon cans...just to be sure (ran out once at Watkins Glen). If you don't use it all, you pour the reamining gas into your tow vehicle (or follow vehicle)'s gas tank. You may need some tools - to tighten things, to fix things, to change things. Think about what you may want to adjust and plan accordingly. I don't know the set up at Blackhawk Farms but regardless, the sun can become an issue. I usually bring a folding chair, sun screen, hat and Gatorade even though the School provides all the water you could want. You also want to be prepared for rain. I bring an inexpensive rain suit that is purposely oversized so it fits over my leathers - the School does run in the rain and riding in wet leathers can be uncomfortable. Also, if you ride to the track, you will probably wear your leathers on the commute but wearing the suit all day long can be a bit uncomfortable as the day progresses. Some students take off their suits between sessions or at least the tops if they are wearing two piece suits. Finally, a change of clothes for the trip home is always a more comfortable way to end your day. You will work up a sweat at the School in each of your sessions so after five full track sssions plus off track drills, you will be soaked (gets pretty hot in Chicago by Memorial Day doesn't it?) Good Luck and have fun! Kevin

I ignored my Pilot Race tires sliding in the corners for three turns before they let me off in turn four. It was my third track session and my fourth lap so they were up to to temperature...they just didn't have any grip left. Kevin

I have to admit that I watched this thing a dozen times, focusing on each individual light before I posted it because I couldn't believe it wasn't a trick. Once I realized it wasn't, my reaction was like yours Fred, what things I am missing when I ride??? Kevin

Hey, check this out. There is a lot to be said for keeping the wide view - now If any of you can open this, check it out! http:www.michaelbach.de/ot/mot_mib/index.html Kevin

Ichiro; I'm not affiliated with the School but have been to a number of them so let me offer another student's overview and maybe some answers to your questions. The School day starts with registration where riders are given their bike number (or assigned school bike) and are placed into one of three group - white, yellow and green. From there (and after some collective breakfast grazing), the Chief Wrangler Judy Code will call all riders to the riders' meeting where Keith will welcome everyone and introduce his team. At the conclusion, Keith sends the Level II, III & IV riders to their respective riders' meetings and he stays with Level I riders for the first of the Level I seminars. The Level I riders are still in the classroom when the track goes green; the upper Level riders going out in two successive groups. The Level I riders are the third group out and the School maintains that order all day. There is a one hour lunch break at each track but you will get five full sssions in Level's I, II & II (six in Level IV). I have never timed them to be honest but I can say that the track stays hot all day (except at lunch). The first session is (in my experience) the longest as it includes two sighting laps with an instructor leading the group. These laps are single file with no passing so everyone gets orientated at a very comfortable pace. At the conclusion of the the sighting laps, the group returns to the pit and line up in two rows. While on your bike, your assigned instructor will walk up and introduce him (or her) self to you and tell you where to meet at the end of each session. Course control then verifys that each rider knows their assigned drill before releasing them and then does so with enough of a gap to allow your first lap to be on a relatively clear track. After each session, you meet with your individual instructor to get feedback on how you did with your assigned drill and then you return to the classroom for more group instruction. This cycle repeats itself four more times with the last classroom session really the day's recap with Keith. You will get five solid track sessions with a progression of drills that will make your last two sessions a real opportunity to put it all together. If this is your first time at a track or at a track School, I will offer that it is very easy to get ahead of yourself; try to focus exclusively on the drills - it will all come to you more smoothly that way. Kevin

Tim, Maybe you could help clarify a question I have regarding rear tire spin on exits. You write: "How do slide the rear tire? Easy, you apply the throttle coming off the corner until the rear tire starts to spin. Once the tire starts to spin you slowly roll off the throttle". Where is the point between the rear tire starting to spin and highsiding? The [very] few times that I have spun the rear was never intentional - it was when I was so focused on getting out of a particular corner as quickly as I could that I was out of it before I realized that it happened. Kevin

There's a great read in this month's (April) issue of Roadracing World magazine "14 Questions for a Speed Guru". It is an interview of Keith Code by John Ulrich and gives some real insight into the history and evolution of the California Superbike School not to mention the level of talent that Keith has taught over the past twenty five years. I can offer first person testimony that when I attended CodeRACE last April, Roger Lee Hayden was there working with Keith just like any other student. Not coincidentially, Roger Lee went out and finished 9 points behind his brother Tommy for the SuperSport championship. This is an excellent article for those on this list who are still unsure if this school is the right place to start their formal track training. As a kicker, it includes a group photo of Keith and the School's Riding instructors. Kevin

"I'm curious that you lost the front while accelerating, were you holding the bars a bit tight?" I can't remember; I don't think so because of the amount of time I had spent working with different coaches about staying loose on the bars along with not stalling on the gas after turn in. Also, if I was holding on too tight, wouldn't I have felt some pull back from the bars once the bike and I started to separate? Like I said, I didn't know I was down until hearing the sound and then saw that the bike was about five feet way from me and sliding away fast. It really felt like someone had pulled the bike out from underneath me. Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to squeeze an eighth track day out of a set of Michelin Pilot Race H2 tires. Anyway, thanks Jeff and Jack for the feedback; I will try and pay more attention to how the front "feels" this upcoming season. Kevin

I always appreciate more seasoned riders sharing their experiences especially about subjects that are new to me and harder to comprehend. To be fair, I am not a racer but I do track ride when I can. Anyway, I lowsided for the first time this past season and I was amazed how fast it happened. One moment I am leaned over accelerating out of turn and then the next thing I realize is that I am sliding across the track following my motorcycle down an access road and then into the grass. The first indication of trouble was the sound...I had never heard that sound before but then I haven't dropped a motorcycle in a very long time. Believe me when I tell you "picking it up" was NEVER an option. What do you guys do differently from me that you can even be aware of the front wheel sliding so you have the chance to "pick it up"? Kevin Kane

Brett, If you look on ebay motors - parts and accessories - motorcycles - japanese and type in "Honda front fender" you will find many inexpensive options. Here is a current ebay listing for a Honda Front Fender with a "Buy it Now" price of $25.00. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...4525589265&rd=1 Kevin Kane

Hook, IMHO, take the two-day course now. As a self taught street rider who finally was convinced to go to School (by my insurance agent of all people), I can tell you without hesitation that I wish I had gone to school much sooner than I did. I also wish I had gone to school BEFORE I bought my first sport bike but that's another story for another time. On the track and the street, I still have to "think" more than most because I am constantly working to overcome the incorrect technique that I learned on the street and to focus on structured and progressive training I received in School. Track riding is so-o-o much more intense that street riding that I still waste too much of my attention "remembering" the right way to do things and that adds seconds to my lap times. I would also recommend that you take the time during the off season to read "Twist of the Wrist", vol's I & II to build the academic foundation to your school program. There's a lot to learn and the reading will get you focused on the key aspects of the training so that when you get to school, you can concentrate on applying the theory out on the track. At the two-day camp, the School bike's are new Kawasaki ZX-6R 636's with Dunlop 208 GP's ...they rock! Kevin