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Posted

I just completed Lvls 1 & 2 (yesterday and today) at Eastern Creek in Australia - First and foremost a big thankyou to all the CSS staff! I had an incredible and fantastically, a deeply enlightening experience. One that I hope I remember as clearly as yesterday in years to come.

 

I am really proud that I was able to experience (even if it were just on one corner or a couple in a row) a clearer, cleaner, efficient, effective and ultimatley a more aware way to ride my bike - the CSS way. How well is a totally different story though :P . But for now, Im aiming to keep these skills as my base and build on them. The operative word being keep.

 

Miraculously, my tution already paid itself off today :lol: . In the second last session of Lvl 2, I got wheel slippage in my front and rear mid corner on 4 different occaisions. In my eyes, that was 4 potentially expensive crashes I worked my way through and out of because I attended the school (PS In hindsight because I attended the school, I also know what it was that I did to get that slippage too). The resault being I rolled out for my last session with much more positivity and it turned out to have a zeal similar to sessions earlier in the day.

 

So a big thanks to the school: Keith, instructors, support staff and all those who help make peoples dreams become reality. By the end of the day I was hitting my marks within a smaller tolerence (0.5 - 1.0m) with more consistancy and had begun that very personal journey of exploring traction and confidence.

 

the track is my temple and riding my religion - I am completley converted

RD

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Posted

Those guys are the greatest. My we all respect the track gods and pray a little more....

Posted

Amen brother.

Posted

Congrats on the levels! Very nice pictures indeed...can you say balance? ;)

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

I was at my local track (Eastern Creek, NSW, AUS) on Sunday 10 of Jan and had a personally redefining massive moment! :lol: Which is why i decided to post here, because my time spent at the school just keeps on paying itself off, time and time again!

 

The air tempreture was heading for 42. C with a cool 10kts easterly breeze (tail wind on the main straight). I hadn't riden track for about a month but I was mad keen on practicing the school techniques and trying to really make it part of my riding.

 

I decided to back myself and all that I had learned from the school, so I put myself in green group, which here is the medium/fast group and the second fastest group circulating the track.

 

I had made some changes on my bike: the gearing, new chain and suspension. So most of the day was learning new reference points relative to the new gears, and turn in points for the more responsive suspension and shorter wheel base of the new chain.

 

My moment was comming out of the last turn into the home straight. I had good corner speed, was happy with my line and began my roll on. I hit my apex and began my pick up drill. My intention was to smooth the gap between roll on and pinning it by being in the power earlier with the bike more upright and utilizing as much of the track as possible.

 

I think I acheived this. I hit my exit reference point ontop of the ripple strip with good power and was on my way back to the black top. On my line, I could see at the end of the ripple strip a patch of gravel between it and the track.

 

I didn't want to make dramatic steering inputs to avoid this, I wanted to be smooth. I figured I had been given tools by the school to deal with this, so the job was on. I was locked in, loose on the bars, the bike was upright and travelling almost dead straight with the power on.

 

I was a third of the way down the main straight, went over the gravel and back onto the track, and my word, did I get a tank slapper! :lol: I thought "I am going to keep this" and remained loose on the bars, barley hanging on because I didn't want that wobbling transferred through to the back. And then, it got worse, the steering felt like it went from full lock to full lock. But then it recovered. I glimpesed down at my speedo on recovery and it read 171km :lol:

 

CSS Instructor Al was there on the day and I caught up with him after. He told me I was 3/4 right in dealing with that moment. What I should have done was apply more throttle and unweight the front. This is why it got worse before it got better, because I rolled off slightly it transferred more weight onto the already unstable front tyre. :huh: CSS level 1: Survival Reations 101. :lol: how about that.

 

Well, 3/4 right is better than not right at all and California Superbike School paid itself off yet again. Thanks guys

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Posted

'07,

 

A GREAT success!!!

 

CF

Posted
'07,

 

A GREAT success!!!

 

CF

 

 

THANKYOU Cobie and all of your associates at CSS :lol: - u dudes r awsome. You're extremely approachable and always helpful. If there's no one around to speak to, then there's here. Your input has been very valuable and it is greatly appreciated :rolleyes:

 

RD

Posted
'07,

 

A GREAT success!!!

 

CF

 

 

THANKYOU Cobie and all of your associates at CSS :lol: - u dudes r awsome. You're extremely approachable and always helpful. If there's no one around to speak to, then there's here. Your input has been very valuable and it is greatly appreciated :rolleyes:

 

RD

 

You are quite welcome RD, glad you are up here and posting away!

 

Best,

Cobie

Posted

Now take those savings and pay for your pics!

Those are some pretty damn good pics but you can barely see them through all the watermarks...

 

Or I suppose you could make friends with the photog.. Guess it depends which you have more of.. Charm or money :)

Posted
Now take those savings and pay for your pics!

Those are some pretty damn good pics but you can barely see them through all the watermarks...

 

Or I suppose you could make friends with the photog.. Guess it depends which you have more of.. Charm or money :)

 

 

LOL, Absolutley! - good call! And I shall, certianly not enough charm :P

 

**pics have been paid for**

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