I Waited Too Long After Css To Go To The Track

[deadsmiley]

Attending this CSS at Willow Springs April 24-25, levels 1-2 (2 day camp was full, doh!) It was like a dream come true for me. The only problem is that I waited too long to get to a track day after I attended the school and now I am not nearly as confident as I was when I left the school after the second day.

 

I went to Talladega GP two weekends ago and rode my 1998 VFR (not really a track bike, as it's all stock) and I feel I did fairly well, but not as I expected.

 

I was not able to keep pace with the faster novice riders and I really thought I would be out in front. Then I saw photos of my riding and although my body position was good, I wasn't really aggressive with my lean angles. I think I have reached my own personal limit and that is very disappointing.

 

I have been watching the Twist II DVD and reviewing the book, but I feel like I have lost it. "It" being the feeling that I know what I am doing with the bike at all times. I at the end of the school (I took lvl 1-2) I was able to hit all the turn point markers and it was an awesome feeling. Now I feel less precise.

 

I have another track day at Nashville Super Speedway in a few weeks.

 

How do I overcome this feeling that I have reached my personal limit?

 

 

Here is a Youtube video of me and my girlfriend riding 2up at Talladega GP. I really didn't ride that much slower with her on the back. She loved it, by the way! =D

 

 

Kelly (yeah, I'm a dude)

[jasonbw]

Hey Kelly,

 

Firstly, congratulations in getting back out onto the track! Sounds like it was a great day overall if you remove the expectations.

 

All is not lost! As you can already recall the huge wins you had with your riding on the CSS days, this'll go a long way to helping you get back there... so long as your prepared to put some effort into a little exercise.

 

This'll take a few minutes, find a quiet place at a time that you're not rushed.

 

Start with Level 1, remember the first drill? When you have the idea/purpose of the drill firm in your head start writing what worked for you and what didn't.

You can go into as little or as much detail as you'd like, you'll know to move to writing about the next drill when you really recall that feeling you got when you achieved the drill's purpose in a corner.

 

This is putting you back to where you were at on the day, restarting the purpose of the drill and making it real to you as these are your experiences of the drill going right or not.

 

Do you think that'll assist in getting you back there? Think it would assist you to even do this the day after you do Level 3 ? After it's done it will be a great reminder for future ride days or road rides of the technology that you learnt, and best of all, it's free

 

If you have trouble remembering the drills or the purpose of the drill we can chime in, but it'll be better for you to attempt to recall them yourself.

 

JasonBW

[Crash106]

Hello DeadSmiley,

 

Wonderful video Kelly. That was very nice of you to take your GF out on the track with you, and to take it nice and easy with her. I can tell you were taking it easy because you just eased around the track, didn't throw the bike around, didn't accelerate hard and certainly didn't slam those brakes on. You just rode nice and smooth. That smooth riding gives passengers a lot of confidence.

 

In terms of riding faster on your track days, I have to ask, were you trying to ride fast? Because it seemed like you were trying to ride smoothly, easing the gas on, then rolling it off, then leaving the gas off till you were completely upright on the straight. I'm no expert, just an interested rider, but I believe most racing instructors would say that to go faster, you want to prioritize your effort and work on riding a good LINE first, then work on corner exit speed (and a nice smooth roll-on that starts right after you get the bike turned), then think about braking harder. (CSS instructors, please jump in if I'm off base with this.)

 

Riding the right line lets you ride faster with less lean angle, more vision, more comfort and less drama. In the video, your turn-ins where not always wide, on some corners you didn't really get down to the apex, then you kind of floated out onto the straight. It's easier at CSS because they give you those nice big "X" marks on the track, but if you think of it as riding outside-inside-outside, that may help.

 

When I'm tentative on the bike, it's usually because I'm not looking far enough down the road. Because I'm looking so low, I can't find the outside of the turn soon enough to do anything about it. I'll zoom in, realize I'm off the line, slow down a lot and loose track of my apex because I'm braking instead of turning or looking where I'm going--then I get tense and everything gets worse. When I get like that, I try to relax and look as far down the road as I can see. That helps me see the turn points sooner and allows me to relax a bit.

 

Anyway, I really enjoyed the video.

[deadsmiley]

Jason,

 

I think you are right. I need to remove the expectations.

 

Honestly, I wish I had taken notes when I took the classes. They seem a little fuzzy too me now...

 

 

 

 

Crash,

 

I wasn't riding that hard, but that is about how I rode without her on the back. My top speed in the straights was probably 110-115. The fast guys were hitting 125, which is a pretty big difference for those relatively short straights.

[deadsmiley]

Ok, I am up late and browsing the forums.

 

Something Cobie Fair wrote made a lot of sense to me.

 

http://forums.superbikeschool.com/index.php?showtopic=1551&view=findpost&p=12731

 

"Elton,

 

I know what you mean. I enjoy a street ride now and again, and there is no better way to beat traffic in SoCal (lane splitting is legal, and if done with some common sense no issue). But trying to go fast on the street....yikes.

 

Also something else that happened to me was in the 80's there was a period that I didn't get on the track at all for a few years. One thing I noticed was that my skill gradually (but continually) decreseased. I had already been to CSS as a student, and done some racing, but found that just street riding--well, not a great place to practice one's skills without distractions, the same skills that gave me more of a margin on the street.

 

My conclusion then (for srue still the same) was that track riding now and again, besides being just fun, is a wise proficiency idea.

 

CF"

 

When I went to Talladega GP I noticed that I had to really work on my vision skills. It was a struggle at first to find my Reference Points. I missed the first lap on the first day and it wasn't until the second day that I asked my riding coach to help me with a couple of the turns. It took him all of 2 seconds to straighten me out. <slaps forehead>

 

Crash, I am glad you enjoyed the video. I plan to take more at Nashville Super Speedway the second weekend of August. I will be at the track for to days/nights. It's an interesting event. They start at about 4pm and run until midnight, so you are riding after sundown under the lights. Yes, it's cooler and it's kinda cool.

[636rider]

Attending this CSS at Willow Springs April 24-25, levels 1-2 (2 day camp was full, doh!) It was like a dream come true for me. The only problem is that I waited too long to get to a track day after I attended the school and now I am not nearly as confident as I was when I left the school after the second day.

 

I went to Talladega GP two weekends ago and rode my 1998 VFR (not really a track bike, as it's all stock) and I feel I did fairly well, but not as I expected.

 

I was not able to keep pace with the faster novice riders and I really thought I would be out in front. Then I saw photos of my riding and although my body position was good, I wasn't really aggressive with my lean angles. I think I have reached my own personal limit and that is very disappointing.

 

I have been watching the Twist II DVD and reviewing the book, but I feel like I have lost it. "It" being the feeling that I know what I am doing with the bike at all times. I at the end of the school (I took lvl 1-2) I was able to hit all the turn point markers and it was an awesome feeling. Now I feel less precise.

 

I have another track day at Nashville Super Speedway in a few weeks.

 

How do I overcome this feeling that I have reached my personal limit?

 

 

Here is a Youtube video of me and my girlfriend riding 2up at Talladega GP. I really didn't ride that much slower with her on the back. She loved it, by the way! =D

 

 

Kelly (yeah, I'm a dude)

Hello Kelly,

I guess the personal limit is also related to the skill. It may be also preferable to spend the money on another level of school instead of more track days, since there are some techniques to learn at level 3 that can save some problems at track too. I find one skill will help to develop the other. For example, without wide view, quick turn alone will not make one able to use higher entry speed easily. Level 3 will help to use less bike lean. When knowing no need to lean the bike that much, there is more confidence in quick turn too. When one can quick turn better, guess what: he/she can turn later (minimize running wide), use less bike lean or higher entry speed. In addition, knowing the hook-turn technique from level 3 will also allow trying higher entry speed. Enjoy your time to practice for improvement!

[deadsmiley]

You know, I got on the CBR last night and took it for a bit of a spin. 2nd gear is out (working on that and why I didn't take it to Talladega GP) but she runs strong and turns a lot better than the pig (VFR) ever could. I am starting to wonder if it isn't all the street riding with the pig that has dulled me???

 

I gotta drop the motor out of the CBR and repair 2nd gear because my next track day is very soon.

 

I'm getting excited about the track all over again.

 

 

 

636Rider, I definitely plan on levels 3 and 4, just haven't scheduled it yet.

[Cobie Fair]

Deadly,

 

Yeah, for me street riding is totally a different thing. I don't like riding so close to the edge on the street, so I don't! Doesn't mean I don't enjoy the riding, on the contrary I really do. And I practice the techniques too, just at a reduced pace.

 

If you would like some reminder of what's in your schools, send me a pm, or e-mail, and I'll get you the diaries for the day--they even have references on the techniques (from Keith's books) if you want to look them up.

 

Best,

CF

[deadsmiley]

Heh... you can't receive new messages according the PM system. I will send an e-mail request.

 

Thanks!

 

Kelly

[Cobie Fair]

Heh... you can't receive new messages according the PM system. I will send an e-mail request.

 

Thanks!

 

Kelly

 

I better look in to that, what the hell?

 

CF

[deadsmiley]

Heh... you can't receive new messages according the PM system. I will send an e-mail request.

 

Thanks!

 

Kelly

 

I better look in to that, what the hell?

 

CF

 

Looks like you got it. Full inbox snuck up on you, eh?

 

Kelly

[Cobie Fair]

Heh... you can't receive new messages according the PM system. I will send an e-mail request.

 

Thanks!

 

Kelly

 

I better look in to that, what the hell?

 

CF

 

Looks like you got it. Full inbox snuck up on you, eh?

 

Kelly

 

Absolutely, some of that stuff was old too!

 

CF

[deadsmiley]

More pics of Talladega GP.

 

Mary is taking the MSF course in September. She is chomping at the bit to get her own bike.

 

All of the images are here:

ImageBam - Fast, Free Image Hosting and Photo Sharing

 

 

 

 

Here are some that I really like:

 

Entering a decreasing radius.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me on the Viffer chasing a Green Ninja around the track. I don't remember it it was a ZX6 or a ZX10. (someone help me out here...)

 

 

Mary (girlfriend) riding 2up with me. Note the front tire. I was still running 30psi on front and rear. Didn't even think about bumping it up for 2up riding. Seemed to work well. I didn't get too crazy with her on the back anyways.