Kevin Kane

Blue, I'll give you my perspective on your questions: 1.) Bike - Mine v. Theirs: Since you own the same model as the School's, it really is a toss up. The tie breaker here is tires. Unless you have tires as good as the Dunlop 208's on the School Zx6R's, the school bike would be my choice. 2.) Limits - I have seen Level I riders blow away Level IV riders and vice versa. You will be coached to ride within your limits yet brought along in a controlled manner. Don't be preoccupied with speed (or knee dragging), focus on their training and the rest will fall into place. 3.) Goals - This one is tougher because until you are in School, you have no reference point to establish goals. YRMV but I was surprised (and hooked) by my Level I experience. I don?t recall what my Level I goal was in 2001 but what I can tell you was that I left Watkins Glen that day absolutely stoked. 4.) Leathers: If you plan on staying with this sport, you will need to invest in your own leathers. Since good suits aren't cheap, consider renting the School's leathers for your Level I course so you can see what track riding is all about. If you take to it like most everyone else has on this list, then take the plunge. I hope this helps and good luck in June. Kevin Kane

Trevor, My simple advice is to get another copy and then pick up the other two. IMHO, if you really want to become a better rider, at a minimum you need to have these books to refer to as you place more attention on technique and mental attitude necessary to improve. I have read, re-read and re-read all three books and each time I do, there is always something that I missed or something that was a particular barrier for me at the time that I find the answer to in these books. These are reference books - I would bet that you don't lend out your repair manual for very long, why would you do that with your riding manuals? Kevin

Rifleman; If I can offer a couple of thoughts on your posts, you write: 1.) "I realized that almost all the 'pulling' I was talking about was the exit where I wanted the bike to stand up as throttle was added, I was pulling on both bars, not as steering inputs but to put myself back in the saddle". Metal on Metal offered you half the answer when he wrote: "I've gone so far as to (briefly) lift my hands from both grips (at the same time) whilst leaned over and sure enough there was basically no difference in the behaviour of the bike. I then set my hands back down so lightly on the grips that I could barely feel them in contact with the bars and it felt just as stable and secure. What he didn't tell you is how did he stay on the bike? - it was with his legs! In Level 3, you will see how much you need to use your legs durning cornering so you can stay "loose" on the bars. This is a very important part of the syllabus. 2.) "I know the proper 'look through' the turn technique, the problem is that as I approach the turn I focus on the point just behind the cornering marker on my line. That is the do or die point." My sense of the drill was to look UP the track so the wide view will reduce the SR associated with speed, mainly because you will see more accurately how fast you are actually going in relationship to how much room you have to manage that speed. Since target fixing takes almost all of your attention, you can't see how much you have cheated yourself out of corner speed until you are past the "do or die point". Once into your turn - then and only then do you see how much quicker you could have gone throught there. 3.) You can't get there from here. What I mean is by that is that it is very hard to teach youself these techniques no matter how much you try. The best testimony that can be found here is from Balistic, winner of 11 of the 14 races he has entered so far this season. He writes: "I am the product of the master not the master myself. The real joy of my racing is showing the benefits of my training to others who want to know how high they could go. Ask Keith, and do what asks." Good luck. Kevin

I've been to almost a dozen California Superbike Schools and the track usually goes hot at 9:00 AM. The posted time for the School isn't a safety net, it gives you enought time to register, get your bike through tech inspection and then to attend the riders' meeting. Kevin Kane

Princessbre, There have been numerious posts here essentially asking the same question. You can peruse the list to find them but you will see that almost without exception, the convential wisdom has been to go to school. As a new student rider, you will avoid going through the process of having to unlearn the incorrect techniques that many of us self taught riders had to go through. Good luck. Kevin Kane

John, I have a set of Sharkskinz and Beasley bodies; IMHO, the Sharkskinz' are lighter and more flexible. I included the belly pan when I bought my 'skinz so I wouldn't have to go back and order one later if I ever got to the point where I actually race my bike (and no, I have not gotten there). If you are sure that your Suzuki is really going to be a track bike only, I would suggest that you remove the lights, mirrors, turn signals and rear license plate assembly and kick stand (you'll need a rear wheel stand if you go this route) and put them away so you can restore it to a street bike in the future. You will be required to tape them up at School or a track day anyway so you might as well get them out of the way now. You will also need to remove the anti-freeze (once warmer weather is here) and replace it with Water Wetter. My experience with the School and Team Pro-Motion (an east coast track club) is that safety wiring is not required so even thought I do safety wire my bike, it is by choice. Another choice I made that really added value was mounting new race compound tires on my track bike. The improvement in grip was immediately and that translated into greater confidence in cornering. But in closing John, I cannot overstate the value in training. None of the changes you are contemplating will pay you any dividend unless you know how to utilize them. School will cost you less than a set of Sharkskinz will and the Sharkskinz will NOT make you a better rider. Good Luck. Kevin

John, You wrote "I want to use this bike only for track days and learning to ride the darn thing in a controlled environment. Can anyone offer advice on getting this bike ready..." My advice is the best way to prepare the bike is to prepair the rider. Get some formal training. It is fair to say that many riders are (or least used to be) self taught and IMHO, self taught poorly. In my case, the transition to a sports bike from a street bike was going very badly until I went to School (CSS/Watkins Glen). Once at School, I saw riders on 600's blowing away riders on liter bikes all day long demonstrating to me that it is almost all the rider and not the ride. You can invest in Sharkskinz (plastic), sintered brake pads and racing compound tires but none of it will mean much if you can't take advanage of what they offer. Also, track days are not as a "controlled environment" as School is and the on track instruction that is critical to improvement will not even be close to what School offers. Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck. Kevin Kane

Fred, I have been to Pocono a half dozen times in the past two seasons and had to deal with rain only once. When the School goes to Pocono, it typically sets up on the East Course which is 1.7 miles long and has (I think) 11 turns, eight of which are lefts. The good news is that there is plenty of run off space with almost no obstructions to worry about - but that also means that there are fewer reference points to work with until they set the turn in points. When I was at Pocono with the School last May, Keith ran the East Course unchanged. When I returned there in August, Keith added a chicane at the end of the long straight (the only portion of the NASCAR Tri-Oval included in the East Course set up). IMHO, this modification was a real plus as it added one more cornering opportunity and by where it was placed, it required more entry speed discipline of those riders who liked to run down this straight WFO. The infield portions of the track are not as smooth as Watkins Glen but it is managable. Regardless, the layout is such that you will be very active every portion of every lap. Also, with a shorter course like this, you will run more laps than at a Watkins Glen (2.45 mi.) so you will learn the layout sooner allowing you to focus more on cornering and less on "where am I?" while you're out there. It is a tight, flat, technical course that will challange you without intimidating you. It's really a fun place to ride. Anyway, that's one rider's perspective. Kevin Kane

Question for Cobie or Keith, Durning an eye exam, I was checked for left or right eye dominance and it reminded me that as a youth baseball coach, we used to check the eye dominance of players, especially ones who were having a hard time hitting a baseball. Durning my exam, I immediatley thought of cornering and wondered if one eye dominance has any impact on why many riders favor turning right v. left? Kevin Kane

Rifleman, I hadn't looked at this thread for awhile but your last post about tires does have a connection to dragging a knee IMHO. I found that once I went to a race compound tire and began to "feel" the difference in traction, my confidence in them holding grew alot. With that, I began to carry more corner speed, more lean angle and dragging a knee was a natural progresion of that process. My 2 cents worth

Rob, I use H2's front and rear and feel very planted with them. In the northeast, Pocono has some a very rough surface while Watkins Glen is pretty smooth. Kevin Kane

Sentinal, Read and then re-read TOTW 1 & 2. Kevin Kane

Balistic, You write: "enter a corner at a speed I can maintain throughout the turn. I don't try to accelerate just get the gas on and not let the bike slow". Would that be true for a long sweeper like the Carousel @ Watkins Glen? Kevin

Six, What my post was looking for was a conceptual understanding of why my track bike was handling so much more harshly than my street bike, even thought they are both very similar. Your answer (along with feedback from the shop that prepped the bike for the DPO) confirmed that I could benefit from making some suspension changes. The previous owner had heavier fork springs installed and set the sag for his weight (35+ lbs heavier). Even after trying to adjust for the weight difference, the forks were still too stiff and the rougher ride took way too much of my attention under heavy braking at turn in. I have just swapped out the stiffer springs for the OEM ones and I am planning on going back to stock settings and then start to dail it in to suit my own riding style. If you can offer some guidance on where to go from here with set up numbers, that would be great. The bike is a Ducati 748SPS with revalved Brembo Nitride coated forks and an Ohlin rear shock (also with a heaver spring which I may also swap out for the OEM). Thanks, Kevin Kane

I don't mean to ask an open ended question but can anyone comment on what kind of changes that a rider ca expect on the track by switching to stiffer fork springs? Kevin kane

Bones, Thanks for the detail...Stu, love the suggestion but based on her enthusiasm for my riding, that ain't ever going to happen. Kevin Kane

Steve, Can you post (or e-mail me off list) HOW you made this modified lap timer? I undersatnd the concept but the interface between the switch and the watch is where I am puzzled. Thanks, Kevin Kane

Guys, The "extra turn " also means extra cornering and cornering is at the core of the curriculum of the School. I recommend that you embrace it as an additional practice opportunity. As an afterthought, when I attended CSS/Pocono last May, the left hander at the end of the long back straight was unchanged...when the school returned in August they added a right turn just before making it a flick-flick corner combo. Along with adding a turn, it also added a "calming" effect because riders had to get much more precise on entry speed at this turn so they were less inclined to run WFO all the way down the straight. Having ridden at Pocono a few times with a track club, this turn gets very frenetic with some nasty consequences so this change was a GOOD thing from my perspective. BTW, I was able to lower my May lap time by 3 seconds even with the extra turn so it did not hold me back at all. These guys know what they are doing. Kevin Kane

Rootsman is right on point...do Level I & Level II back to back. Kevin Kane

As others have suggested, don't worry about the knee; if you continue to make progress, it WILL happen. I found that focusing on the specific cornering tools that Keith and the School teach, it became a bi-product of cornering and not a goal unto itself. Kevin Kane

This is great!...haven't been to school yet and your already hooked. It isn't hard to have that happen. The short answer is One level - One day. As an attendee of numerous schools, I would recommend (if you can manage it) that you sign up for schools on two consecutive days. It gives you the best opportunity to absorb and build on the progression of tools you will be given plus you will be more acclimated the second day...especially with the track. Kevin Kane

Hey 15CR, I have an H series 190 on my track bike and an H series 180 on my street bike. Don't know much about bling bling but I will say I am replacing the 180 with a 190 this spring. The 190 feels more planted on the track than the 180 does on the street. Kevin Kane

In my younger riding years, I remember thinking that I could actually change lanes by throwing my hips to the side I wanted to move to and that my bike responded. I truely believed that you could turn the bike by body position alone. I also remember when I got on the No BS bike at CSS/Watkins Glen, I just KNEW I could turn it with body position. I won't spoil it for anyone who is planning on trying the No BS bike this season but it is a very convincing training tool for the uninitiated. Kevin Kane

This has been an intriguing thread for me as I am fascinated by guys struggling with the question of WHY they race or SHOULD they continue to race while I am confronting the question of CAN I race? As an older rider who is new to the track, can I ask the racers on this list how far they have to go to race, and how ofter they race and how do they "practice" when they can't get to the track? Thanks, Kevin Kane

Stu & Will, My first experience with sliding/ front end chatter was on the School's Brake Bike at Watkins Glen. After totally blowing it by dropping my legs off the pegs as I struggled to find terra firma, Keith calmly explained what was happening and how I might try this manuever differently. His advice was very helpful. The following spring on a School Zx-6R, I experienced this sensation for the first time on the track at Pocono. What is refreshing to hear you guys say is that this experience is more from holding on too tight and is NOT a method to faster lap times. BTW, my lap times went up even thought I thought I was going faster so the FACTS in my case support your theory. Great feedback guys...thanks, Kevin Kane