Kevin Kane
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Posts posted by Kevin Kane
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Doug,
Sign up for school! I spent a year trying to teach myself the techniques I read about in Keith's books. Candidly, there was so much to learn plus there was no way to get any meaningful feed back to gauge whether I was doing any of these techniques correctly. Add in that we ride on public roads, constantly on the alert for cars, cops, critters and broken pavement that I realised that there had to be another way. My insurance agent (concerned about a claim) told me about the school so I signed up.
I remember in the beginning of Level I at Watkins Glen, I had just about wet my paints from fear when Jason, my first CSS Track Coach pulled up along side of me and pointed to his tail piece (meaning follow me)... off we went. When someone who KNOWS how to do this takes you around the course and you can actually see someone doing what you read about in both TotW books and heard from Keith in the classroom, much of the fear just goes away. The CSS program provides specific training techniques in the classroom that you immediately take out on to the track. You will have one track coach who will work with you all day to guide you through the drills and the sessions build upon one another as the day progresses. You will see how these techniques actually give you the tools to diminish much of your fear (survival reactions) and allow you to become a much better rider.
Kevin Kane
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Eyespy,
Thanks for the suspension links...a subject that I am getting interested in the more I struggle with front end chatter.
Kevin Kane
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CBR 929
What about Pilot Race tires? I used Pilot Sports on my first few track trips and have ridden on GP's on the track but but once I put on Pilot Race tires, I never looked back.
Kevin Kane
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Mashuri,
I don't think that you will find the answer you are looking for here because it sounds like you are more interested in the "transaction" of attending School rather than what the School can offer you as a rider. You wrote "That's why I'm concerned I won't get much out of a level 1 class or, if I still have much to learn in today's format, that I wasted my money on poor instruction back in 1995. Perhaps the guarantee is my possible redemption."
Do you think Wayne Rainey or Eddie Lawson asked Keith for a guarantee before they hooked up with him?
I would not pay much heed to what I have posted in these exchanges because I have never raced - but I would re-read Motorthings post if I were you. If he was able to benefit from attending Level I last season and he "was an expert level racer with WERA", there has to be a learning opportunity for you here as well. Motorthings goes on to say "I was also impressed with how the subjects were taught (not straight out of the books) and how much extra material was added and how it helped fill out my understanding and ability to apply the techniques."
I can say that his summary is consistent with my experience at CSS, but your results may vary.
Kevin Kane
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Mashuri,
I cannot speak to your retention capabilities from a class you attended almost nine years ago but even if it is absolute, the art/science of riding is an evolving process. IMHO, what you learned from CSS back then has evolved as almost of decade of teaching has tested the theories, refined their stong points and discarded their less significant ones since you rode there last.
As a student who has participated in almost a dozen CSS events in just the past three years, its been my experience that CSS's program is firmly rooted in the Twists (vol I & II) AND the Soft Science; but it is also a work in progress. It is constantly being tested by Keith and his team as new technologies and techniques emerge as evidenced by Keith's recent writings on Body Steering followed by his experiments in the Gyroscopic forces in cornering. If for no other reason than tire develoment, suspensions, or that new 600's will devour a '95 liter bike -things change.
In light of how much it costs to put new tires on your bike, you might want to consider getting a solid foundation of where the School is in 2004, and not where it was in 1995.
...Just my humble opinion.
Kevin Kane
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I started this thread and after Stuman posted the picture of his tires, I guess the only thing I can say (in my best Emily Latella voice) is:"Never mind".
Kevin Kane
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If you attend the Level III School, Keith will show you a very effective way to set up on the bike (or should I say off the bike) in cornering situations. More importantly, you will see how to plant your outside knee and get your torso lower to and off center of the tank, your elbows pointing to the ground and your grip loose on the bars - but on a static bike in the paddock. He will give your clear feedback as you demonstrate your lateral movement using just your knees to pull yourself up and over from left to right and back again.
I don't know alot about how to do any of this correctly but I did find Level III gave me the body position training so that I could get my knee down... and I am only 5' 7" tall. What surprised me the most when it finally happened was that it was almost a distraction. I was not trying to touch down, I was following a track coach through a turn trying to hit the apex as I got back on the on the gas and whalah! Next lap, it was on the ground for a longer time and again, I was focusing on hitting the apex as tight as I could and getting the drive out on the gas. One thing is for certain, the less you focus on getting your knee down and the more you focus on cornering technique, the sooner you will reach this milestone.
Anyway, that's 2 cents worth...
Kevin Kane
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Jim,
Level 3 will put you right where you want to be...the off track static drill will demonstrate it with crystal clarity and once you apply the technique on the track, it all comes together.
Kevin Kane
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Paroxysm,
I purposly waited until some CSS Track Coaches waded into this stream because I didn't know if there was a school policy that would discourage your enrollment. Now that they are encouraging you, there is only one option - GO!
I bought my first Sport Bike about four years ago. Regardless of my previous riding experience, sport bike riding/track riding is so-o-o-o- completely different from riding a vintage British parallel twin street bike that I was pretty much where you are right now except I was self taught and self taught poorly. I have been to a number of CSS Schools since then and I am signed up for a bunch more in 2004. Why keep coming back? Because every time I go, I learn tons more. I also go to track days but believe me when I tell you, there is a HUGE difference between riding at a Track Day and attending the California Superbike School.
You will become so much more proficient if you are properly trained now because as you said, "I haven't picked up/honed enough bad habits that can't be fixed". You should also heed the other's advice here about reading the Twist of the Wrist books over the off season to get familiar with program.
Good Luck!
Kevin Kane
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Can any of you share your perspective on when to replace your track tires?
I know they have DOT wear markers to check but that doesn't address heat cycles or too much wear on one side from riding a track with more lefts than right hand turns.
Any thoughts?
Kevin Kane
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John,
VIR is only 250 miles from Kershaw...my driving distance to Pocono is 160, to Beaver Run 350, to Corse Moto 435. EVERYBODY has to drive to get to the track unless you only ride the one track that is near you.
Kevin Kane
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Bob,
I am still searching for answers to my suspension questions but I would encourage you to get back to school regardless.
There is so much more you will learn at Levels II, III & IV that you have only seen the begining of how to ride better. Racing doesn't have to be your end goal to return to school, just wanting to be a better rider is enough and you will improve more so that if you try to self teach these skills.
...my .02 worth.
Kevin Kane
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I have been pursuing the theory behind this question and was reminded (TotW vol.II) of the idea that one way is to taper off the throttle instead of chopping it to set your entry speed; the benefit is "lowering the voltage" associated with SR's and allowing you to get back on the gas sooner.
I have to admit that this past season, I started hard charging turns to get my lap times down. The more I tried this, the more the front end became unstable and my cone of vision shrunk to the size of a doughnut hole. By the way, my lap times also went up.
I am fixated on improving lap times but I am going "back to school" next year to get this right.
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What about a convention lap timer? I have been considering this investment because it seems like it is the only way to verify progress as you ride.
Fear Of Speed?
in School Questions/General Discussion
Posted
Doug,
350 miles is a long way but not an uncommon distance for many people to go to school. I am in central NY state and other then Watkins Glen (open to bikes only to CSS and then only twice a year), and Pocono, all other tracks are at least that far from here. Look at the tracks that CSS visits and there is a lot of space between them. The exchange rate is a different issue, however.
If you can manage the expense, my experience comparing CSS with track days is that there is very little to compare between them except they both are about bikes on a track. If I had attended track days instead of CSS for my first few time out there, I would have sold my bikes at the end of the first season and never looked back. You ride at CSS at YOUR pace and having attended almost a dozen schools in three years, I can say without hesitation that none of their instructors will push you any faster than you are comfortable with and that is one key to how you get faster with CSS. You will be surprised how much you will improve by the end of the day.
Kevin Kane