Jump to content

New Here Myself


Recommended Posts

Hello!

Just joined. Don't know why but only just found the forum.

 

I've done parts 1 - 4 including the first class run in the UK at Cadwell park by KC himself (about 15 years ago) and been a fan of ToTW II for much longer.

 

I like to think of myself as completely without any innate skill in riding a motorcycle: any success or proficiency has come from learnt and practised skills mostly from the CSS but also picked up from racers I know.

 

Currently working on upper body position and improving the time it takes to learn a new track and develop a usable set of attack plans.

 

This is me and as you can see my upper body positioning needs work!

 

8K9U3435.jpg

 

Photo is taken just before the 2nd apex of the corner onto the long (1,000m) back straight at Almeria, Spain about 4 weeks ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome Dave! I'm like you, I feel I have no innate motorcycle skills and was most thankful when I found CSS. Now at least my saddle time has a chance of practicing skills that will make a positive difference in my riding.

 

Great picture BTW. Did you travel to Almeria just to ride the track? And Cadwell is one of the tracks I would love to run one day (I'm sure I would look just like Josh Brooks jumping the mountain :P ).

 

 

 

AU619482.jpg

 

 

 

Best,

 

Carey

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I went with Focussed events for 4 days on track - 18 - 28C each afternoon. It was fantastic and cheap too.

I will be going out to Spain again this Autumn to maybe Portimao and/or Almeria - maybe we can get a CSS forum group together? I'm sure I could get some discount for a group booking and its got to be worth the flight from the US!

 

If you fancy Cadwell I'm going to be there on May15 and 8th and 9th August (camping) - it will be my first time there since the CSS school 15 years ago.

Josh is the master on the mountain isn't he? I know what he does just not how he does it - does anyone know how you treat the mountain as 'one jump' not two?

 

Edit: D'Oh I see you live in Richmond, VA so not an easy trip out for you! Still, if you do make it out I'd be happy to help you get to some of the UK tracks. I'm hoping to do Laguna myself next year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Four days and nice weather...sounds like time well spent.

 

And yes Cadwell is a bit of a trek from Virginia but one day I'll make it over. Right now I'm trying to convince a friend of mine to go to the Isle of Man next year. I understand it is a fantastic trip.

 

When I hit the lottery I'm going to do the motorcycle version of "The Endless Summer" and follow the warm weather to tracks all over the world. All I have to do is get those numbers right, should be simple enough, after all, there's only 6 of them right?

 

:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome DaveB,

 

It sounds like you've acquired a good bit of skill there, Dave. I especially liked that you want to work on "... improving the time it takes to learn a new track and develop a usable set of attack plans." That sounds like a wonderful idea to me. I should think a good bit of racing skill and riding improvement can come from thinking your way around the track and from asking questions about your own riding.

 

What have you learned already that might help others develop a useable attack plan for a new track?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Three things over and above what you learn in the CSS are getting my attention at the moment:

 

In addition to the stuff you learn about a 'Plan of Attack' in the CSS schools I think the single most important thing I've learnt is to try to put some advice Mick Grant gave me a few years ago: make your plan to have the throttle against the stops for as long as possible.

This can lead you to break a little earlier or break the standard throttle rule and certainly throw away conventional or even hook turn lines in order to make that work but it can pay dividends if used at the start of fast sections.

 

I guess the other thing is to always bear in mind what a lot of really fast guys say: "use all of the track". In the CSS they have you ride onto curbs to get the feel of what they are like but its important to put this into practice in the areas where it is going to make the most difference: chicanes. How many top racers fail to use the shortest fastest line through a chicane? Anyone watch the WSBK from Donington last weekend? How many racers ran consistently over both curbs right to the edge? The surface is smooth and they use grippy paint plus the tarmac there is both new and incredibly grippy - some guys were gaining 0.1s over their rivals. I think it was Gino Rea and Leon Camier who used the fastest lines through there accelerating when others were still braking.

 

Braking. In the CSS you learn about gripping the tank and shifting your weight before starting your braking but Andy Ibbott made a very important point in his book 'Performance Riding Techniques' . The limit of your braking performance in the dry is when your back wheel lifts off the ground. If you keep your forearms parallel to the road when you brake - this helps you transfer braking forces through the bars pushing forwards rather than at an angle which would make the bike want to pivot around the front wheel spindle even more. Try it - you'll be amazed at how much you can cut off your braking distance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Four days and nice weather...sounds like time well spent.

 

And yes Cadwell is a bit of a trek from Virginia but one day I'll make it over. Right now I'm trying to convince a friend of mine to go to the Isle of Man next year. I understand it is a fantastic trip.

 

When I hit the lottery I'm going to do the motorcycle version of "The Endless Summer" and follow the warm weather to tracks all over the world. All I have to do is get those numbers right, should be simple enough, after all, there's only 6 of them right?

 

:D

 

Man, that sounds like a plan!

If you come over to the TT next year do get in touch and we'll see if we can get you onto a few tracks while you're over.

Plus you can't come all this way and not find out just how different riding an Enduro course in the UK is from summer in Virginia!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Find turn points you're comfortable with and test them to ensure you can get through the corner using throttle control rule #1. Adjust accordingly. Welcome to the site.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...