Hotfoot

As long as they zip securely together, 2 piece leathers are fine.

I just learned that "A Twist of the Wrist" is going to be released soon, in eBook format! I'm excited about that, because that means I'll be able to get it for my Kindle. And THAT means I can also read it on the Kindle app on my iPhone, so I can have it easily at hand anytime I want, like at track or race days when I want to look something up... or just need inspiration! I love my Kindle reader and I've been hoping for a while that Keith Code's books would become available electronically, so I'm really happy to hear about this. Ooh, and I just realized this means I'll be able to use the Search function, too.... this is going to be great!

A bad setup, such as too-soft rear suspension, especially if it has a lot of rebound damping that can cause it to 'pack' down, can result in a bike that squats and wants to run wide. Weird geometry could cause it, too - that "triangle" mentioned above is a real factor in what happens and a bad swing arm angle could cause squatting. Per your "friend's" comments above, if rider weight was way heavier than what the bike was set up for, the rear spring could be overweighted and I would classify that as a "bad setup". The CSS material is intended to educate riders who have the misconception (as many do) that the rear suspension will compress under acceleration on a sportbike and that is generally not true. Sportbikes are built with anti squat properties and generally rise (both ends) under acceleration, increasing ground clearance - which is the part that is important to know for throttle control in a corner! There may be a perception issue, also - most people don't really notice the feeling of the rear end rising, the writer above may think the bike is squatting when it is really rising - telemetry would be the way to find out for sure! The bike running wide does not necessarily prove that it is squatting - other things can cause that, like tension in the rider's arms. Tony Foale or Dave Moss are good resources to explore all the nuances of geometry and suspension, there is a lot to learn and an apparent infinity of adjustments that can be made to change the handling of bikes.

It's the opposite, actually - it is a 2 day camp which means the bike will be provided for you. And we'll be using the new 2013 S1000rrs by then.

That's not true is it? Imagine going round a roundabout. you start going round, gently accelerate, your knee touches down, you continue to increase speed and your lean angle increases, boot touches down, peg etc. Basically the faster you go the more lean angle you need to hold a constant radius turn. In long, constant radius turns to follow the throttle rule you will end up with more lean angle than when you started the corner. In your example, if you increase your speed on the circle without adding any steering input, your circle will get larger. You have to actively steer the bike to keep the radius constant. On a properly set up sportbike, rolling on the throttle will not change your lean angle.

Yes, do levels 1 and 2. You'll have a blast.

The 2013 schedule is being finalized now and should be posted in a few days. If you have questions about anything (including about his age) you can call the office at 800-530-3350. That is the US school, and they can give you contact info for other schools if you like, and answer any questions you might have. If he is comfortable riding that bike, it will be fine for taking the school; the techniques taught apply to any type of bike. If he's got a race license I imagine he has enough hours on a bike to do just fine at the school, actual street riding experience is not necessary.

I wonder if a much lower horsepower bike with lower gearing would help with that. I have a cool little YSR50; at 45 mph I am in 5th gear. I have no trouble getting a good throttle roll-on even on regular public streets, and the speed limits hardly seem like an imposition on that thing. If you can get it up to 65mph it feels like you're going 100mph. By comparison riding the 1000cc bike on the street feels like a lot of work; feels like I'm in first or second gear all the time, it's hard to keep from speeding and it's basically like riding a racehorse in a small pen - all that potential energy and nowhere to let it run. Regarding Rishi's comment about posted speed signs - I do use those on blind unfamiliar mountain roads as a guide - if the normal limit is 50mph and a curve speed sign says 15mph, at least I have been warned that I better slow down a whole lot - especially if the conditions are slippery. Also sometimes those speed limit signs are there for reasons you wouldn't otherwise know - the presence of children or wildlife, blind driveways or construction, etc. - so I do respect them and I save my speeding for the racetrack.

I am the WERA races this week and I know someone here running a supermoto, so I asked. He said sliding the rear tire is FUN, and it scares the hell out of anyone that is trying to pass him (and I can personally attest to that!), but he gets around faster if he doesn't slide the back tire like that. He also said that it feels dramatically different from riding a regular sport bike, in a variety of ways. Light weight, high center of gravity, relatively low top speed, etc etc.

Z Custom makes custom gloves. Boots, too. They are in Huntington Beach.

Here's another little tip I wish someone had given me sooner: If you get a new chain, MAKE SURE you clean that nasty white packing grease off it before you ride the bike, so it doesn't get flung all over everything. Shops don't always bother to do this. If you DO forget... WD40 does a GREAT job cleaning off the accumulated grease and dirt that ends up all over your bike. Hey, I noticed that Plexus (a great bike cleaner) has skyrocketed in price to something like $21 per can. Anybody know of a more reasonable alternative that works just as well, on paint, windshields and helmet shields?

I don't know if the higher CSS levels or CODErace courses teach trail-braking, but I would be shocked if CODErace doesn't. CSS covers trail braking in Level 3 and also in CodeRace. Here is a thread with a great post from Keith about it: http://forums.superbikeschool.com/index.php?showtopic=3208&st=0&p=25553&hl=+trail%20+braking&fromsearch=1entry25553

I was thinking the other day about some neat tips I have gotten from experienced riders or coaches in the last few years, some of them things I wish I had learned MUCH SOONER. Aside from the awesome riding technology we get from Keith's books and the school (because we ALL wish we could have learned all THAT sooner!), what are some cool little tips that you wish you had known sooner? Here's a few that I can think of: For races, write your grid position on a piece of duct tape and stick it on the tank of your bike, to help you remember where to go at the grid. If your bike ever has a violent headshake, remember to check your front brakes - you may have to pump the lever a few times to get them to work again. Put StompGrip on your bike's gas tank to help you hold on with your legs. If your helmet sits so low on your head that you can't see well when you get low on the bike, you can add some foam in the top to raise it up. If your gloves have a big wrinkle in the palm, it can make it hard to fully release the throttle when you are braking hard.

Did you notice that the chatter got progressively worse as the race went on? And that the chatter was inconsistent, sometimes really bad and sometimes mild - even on the exact same parts of the track? What "suspension component" is most likely to be the cause of inconsistency in the bike's handling? In fact I did notice it wasn't consistent but I thought maybe it had something to do with variance in speed, track pavement or lean angle. I didn't notice they were different on the same parts of the track though so that part I did miss! If were talking suspension only I would have to venture the rear shock because the rear tire is more likely to slide or slip causing the rear swingarm to raise. If by quotation you actually mean throttle control and proper manipulation of the throttle would be the most likely cause. The most likely cause of inconsistency in the bike's handling is something the rider is doing. Actual suspension parts don't change from lap to lap, but rider behavior can change at any moment! You can see the variations in throttle control on the video, as you mention above, and it is also highly likely that the rider gets progressively more fatigued throughout the race and begins to hang onto the bars to support himself, and/or as Eirik pointed out, stiffens up due to anxiety. It is possible that the rider is pushing himself beyond his comfort zone and firing off SRs, causing a variety of errors - hanging on the brake too long, slow turn-in, late throttle action, etc., and all the scary feedback from the front end was probably creating some tension, too! You asked how stiff arms can cause chatter: see Chapter 8 in Twist of the Wrist II for a detailed explanantion with good illustrations. In short, the handlebars need to move to absorb irregularities in the pavement; if the rider is stiff and prevents that movement, the tire can be forced to slide or skip across those bumps. Additionally those stiff arms will transmit that chattering and shaking to the rider and the rest of the bike, which can cause the GoPro to rattle around and screw up the video.

Did you notice that the chatter got progressively worse as the race went on? And that the chatter was inconsistent, sometimes really bad and sometimes mild - even on the exact same parts of the track? What "suspension component" is most likely to be the cause of inconsistency in the bike's handling?

I was too rushed to read the whole darn thing. I'd heard there was a thread that guys were worried about transmissions and clutches while doing clutchless down shifting...was this is? CF Yes - that was discussed in some detail and also there are some different viewpoints on how quickly/reliably folks could shift clutchless, versus using the clutch, versus just pulling the clutch partway in ("feathering" it). So, we would love to hear your viewpoint on the whole thing - do you downshift without the clutch and why? Any worries about potential damage to the transmission? One person also had asked why they don't see pro racers shifting without the clutch - is it true that they don't, and if so, why? I know you shift without the clutch, both up and down - what are your reasons for doing so?

Suspension certainly could be a problem here - lack of rebound damping and springs/compression too stiff - but there are things the rider could have done to improve the situation. It appears that he is really asking a lot of the front tire; getting on the throttle sooner would shift some weight rearward, turning the bike quicker would have allowed him to carry less lean angle, and relaxed arms would make a big difference on the load on the front tire. It seemed like the chatter was worst when he was leaned over, crossing a bumpy part of the track, and off the gas. It also appeared he went wide on his turn exits compared to the other bikes, which could be because of stiff arms and also made worse by lack of rebound damping. My husband watched this with me and also suggested possibly low tire pressure, with the tire getting overheated making the problem progressively worse. (But the FIRST thing he noticed was that the guy is really "on his front tire a lot") Here's a question : when he crashed, was he ON or OFF the gas? Could better throttle control have prevented that crash?

I didn't miss the post or the quote. Sorry, I simply cannot see the blip anywhere in the video, just the simultaneous roll-off / shift that Hotfoot explained as the first step to practice the technique. I would like to learn how and when the throttle blip should be. WHEN: The blip happens simultaneously with the shift. If you do it too early, you will feel the bike surge forward, if you do it too late the bike won't shift. HOW: Blip right when you shift, and just enough to match the RPM to where it would be in the lower gear. You will have to experiment with it to get it right for your bike. Too MUCH blip will make the bike accelerate (not desirable if you are TRYING to slow down for an upcoming turn) and it may not shift. If you don't blip enough, it just won't shift. (Finer point: if you blip a little too much, the RPMs go a little too high, but the bike might still shift, if you catch the sweet spot as the RPMs are going up or going down. So if you get the downshift but the bike jerks forward a little AFTERWARDS, the blip was a bit too much and probably a little late compared to your throttle action.) When you shift without the clutch the RPMs don't have time to fall very far like they do when you pull in the clutch. So It doesn't take much of a blip to get it to shift, when you are cruising along at a relatively low RPM - just enough to take the load off the gears. However, if you have the bike wound up to a high RPM AND you are braking hard and decelerating rapidly, the RPMs are already going down quickly, the load on the gears is much higher, and it takes a more significant blip to match the RPM on the downshift. In the CSS demo videos, Will is riding faster and braking harder so you can really hear the blip.

Sounds like you've got it figured out! The ones on the video sounded good, and yes it takes some practice to coordinate it, it's definitely a bit of reprogramming. Great job getting out there and trying it out, and thanks for posting up the video!

It's not particularly well organized. It's by date, on my riding notes, and by track for maps and laptimes. The maintenance records are just listed by category (tires, engine, transmission, fuel) then a list of dates of when any major maintenance was done or changes made. Now I've starting keeping that info in a note on my iPhone, so I have part numbers for tires, etc. right at hand any time I needed it. I also keep a note on my phone with my best-ever laptime at each track, because it feels so good when I get to update it! Funny you asked about a program to organize this info, I posted a question on the WERA race forum asking if anyone knew an iPhone app for tracking race bike maintenance records and they jumped ALL over me asking what's wrong with good old pencil and paper! I think you should create an app for us....

The slipper clutch really kicks in if you hold the clutch in so long that the RPMs really drop, then let the clutch out quickly - it will keep your rear tire from locking up (hypothetically) while the engine speed catches back up to wheel speed. I honestly don't know whether it would make any difference on clutchless shifts at all; I ride bikes with both the slipper clutch and without, I can't tell any difference. The only time I notice the slipper is if I use the clutch to downshift, which I really only do if I've made a gigantic error and I'm trying to recover. Before I learned clutchless downshifting I thought the slipper clutch was a godsend but now I am just fine riding a bike without one. The only time I've ever had any grinding or scary shifts was when I tried to lightly feather the clutch, pulling it only partway in, and shifting. You can get some gnarly sounds doing that, if you arent quick enough or screw up the blip. I've also heard of people doing damage by pre-loading the shifter (Will HATES it when people do that) or stomping down hard on the shifter to try to force it - that can bend the lever. But a regular clutchless downshift should just click right in, no drama. On every bike I've ridden (which includes dirt bikes, a cruiser and even my little old YSR) it either shifts, or it doesn't. If you get the timing wrong it just won't change. This is just my opinion and my personal experience but I think the easiest and safest way to to it is the way I described earlier in the thread - in a high gear, at low rpm, accelerate, then left off the throttle and RIGHT when you let off, downshift. It should just drop right into the lower gear. After you get that timing, you can go back and add the blip so you can shift while slowing down.

2 seconds is a long time. Getting 4 downshifts in 2 seconds, clutchless, should be something a club racer could do. (Maybe not 5, though - first gear can get dicey unless you have a bike with a REALLY tall first gear.) As far as an actual example goes, you can see Will do it in the track demo videos on the Superbike School website. For example in this one at Streets: http://www.superbikeschool.com/multi-media/video.php?movie=streets-of-willow.m4v&name=Streets of Willow Springs and the one at VIR (the only place I could think of where you are near 200 mph and downshifting all the way to 2nd) you can hear Will downshifting 4 gears well within 2 seconds without using the clutch. Getting the engine slowed down between shifts could be a limiting factor, but that is a braking effectiveness issue; I don't see how adding in the clutch would help with that, overrevving the engine is overrevving it, it would be hard on the clutch and can be catastrophic to the engine. And you can overrev the engine and blow it up even if you are using the clutch; I don't know whether or not it is possible to overrev the engine on a clutchless downshift, I think on most bikes it simply would not shift. Maybe in the ultimate top level bikes, they have electronics to protect the engine and gearbox? Or maybe they just have REALLY GREAT brakes.

Well, if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you - but personally I am much quicker at clutchless downshifts when racing, on bikes with or without a slipper clutch. I prefer clutchless because I never ever lock up the rear tire, and I've never have any gears grind or get damaged. It's really easy, in race conditions, to lock up the rear tire when releasing the clucth (even when you do it fast or only partially engage it) but going clutchless totally eliminated that problem for me. Once you get the timing, it is quite reliable and also eliminates the possibility of accidentally going down two gears. I'm not sure I understand the logic where someone said there is no way clutchless could be faster - how does adding the clutch motion make it faster than just shifting? If you search the forum on this topic you can find considerable info on this, including where Will chimes in and explains why it isn't hard on the transmission. He's had many years of maintaining fleet bikes and race bikes with and without slipper clutches and he is all for clutchless downshifts - he certainly wouldn't allow/encourage the coaches to do it if it was bad for the transmissions! There is also a video on the website showing him doing lightning fast downshifts without the clutch - and he holds track records, his race experience is nothing to sneeze at.

I've always been told that pre- loading the shifter is bad for it. I know for sure the S1000rr's don't like it, it confuses a sensor in the transmission. The idea of the blip to to relieve the load on the gears and match the RPM so the shift is smooth and easy, so you need to do it at the SAME TIME you shift. Getting the timing right is the hardest part. On most bikes, there is a way to practice the timing that you might find easier: if you accelerate, then let off the throttle and downshift (make sure you press the shifter RIGHT when you let off) the bike should drop easily into the lower gear. It can help if you think of the throttle and shifter as connected, so you move them both at the same time. By accelerating (gently is fine) then letting off, you release the load on the gears but shift before the RPMs drop, so you don't have to blip it. This is most easily done in a high gear at low rpm - for example shifting from 4th to 3rd at, say, 4-5000 rpm (this will depend somewhat on what type of bike you ride!). Doing it that way can give you a sense of the timing; once you get the idea you can try it the more typical way, where you are decelerating, then blip the throttle to match RPMs to get the downshift. In high gear with low rpm it only takes a small blip - too much, or too early, will make the bike surge forward. If you don't blip enough or if you are too late, it just won't change gears. Done correctly, a down shift feels remarkably quick and smooth, no drama, it just clicks in. Do not press harder on the shifter to force it to change, if it doesn't shift easily the timing was off and trying to force it will not help. It's easier on some bikes than others, but it's worth learning - once I got it figured out, I started doing it on all my bikes, on and off the track and even on the dirtbike, it's great, quicker and easier. If you can get to a school, we have an off-track drill for this, a coach can work with you one-on-one.

This has been discussed a lot on this forum, do a search on clutchless downshifting, you'll find a lot of info! Here is a link to on of the threads: http://forums.superbikeschool.com/index.php?showtopic=2115&st=0&p=16613&hl=+clutch%20+downshift&fromsearch=1entry16613. Clutchless downshifting is more common than you might think, most of the coaches at the school do all clutchless downshifts with no ill effects on the bikes. Th advantages are that for most riders, once they learn to do it, it gets the shift done much more quickly than using the clutch, plus it means one less control to worry about. Letting out the clutch on a high speed downshift can take a lot of attention.