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Number 1, Top Skill


Cobie Fair

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Recently working with a rider at a school it became apparent there was not a priority of technique in this rider's mind.

 

At the school we have 17 major areas that have been identified technically in Levels 1-3. 17 classroom skills, or ones off-track. There are actually a number more, but we can stick with the 17 for now.

 

Which one do you rank top priority? Use our descriptions, use your own, put more than just the top one if you like, but get the top one down for sure.

 

A similar question had been asked before, but want to see if this puts a differen look on this, or if there are any newer answers.

 

Lurkers please participate, you will feel better coming out of the closet!

 

(does that joke ever get old, or is it just my adolescent sense of humor).

 

CF

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I'm with Eirik. Vision. But the aspect of keeping your head up and down track to keep from registering the speed as too much (like the two step). I think it's a good time to mention body position, and for everyone to watch how many times it's actually mentioned here as a priority (not much, if at all).

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I'd go with Vision too, once you can master the survival reactions that get triggered when you think you're in too hot, and have the self discipline to look where you want to be going, 99% of the time you'll do just fine.

 

Speed comes naturally from that base.

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I'd have to go with throttle control with vision a close second based on my personal experience. As a new track rider I wasn't having any trouble "over riding" my vision but my less than impressive throttle control was seriously upsetting the bike as I almost chopping the throttle going in to the corner and was too greedy with it coming out. As we all know, either of these could lead to a less than desireble outcome :o. Once I got the basics down vison became very important (in fact both of my level 4 classes have been focused on vision).

 

 

And adolescent humor seems to get funnier as I get older so I'm with you Cobie :D .

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i already had the vision skills from racing cars, so for me, the biggest stand out lesson learnt at school was the quick turn. Unfortunately, i seem to have forgotten how to do it well, and need to go back to school to get another eureka moment

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For me, personally, where I'm at in my development, I'd say reference points.

 

Yes, throttle control and vision (as such) are important too, but I think I would benefit more from improving my RPs, especially in long turns with changing radius (not necessarily decreasing radius). Turn 1 & 2 (a double right-hander) at Kinnekulle Ring (the CSS venue in Sweden in 2011) is still a mystery to me.

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For me, I think the drill which has saved my bacon more than any other is: Rider input.

 

The ability to relax and STAY relaxed, to let the bike make it's own corrections has been huge. I have had several times where sand or water were on the track and the tires let go unexpectedly (and sometimes significantly); the bike was able to correct the skid and start to dampen the oscillations before my brain had fully registered that there was something to fix. It was more like watching a video of a save. I believe that motorcycles are pretty good at staying upright if the rider can just stay out of the way and not interfere.

 

Most of the other drills are fundamentally important as well, but Rider input is the one which keeps amazing me.

 

-Sean

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Hi All,

 

In Level 1, for me it was Throttle control. A Big +1

Followed by TP's

 

For Level 2, I found 2 step a revelation. A huge difference in my riding, :D

But I never thought much about looking where I wanted to end up before then!!!!:unsure: Quite worrying when I think about it now.

And I had done a bit of grass tracking at Rockingham earlier that year..... :o

 

Easty

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1/ steering/quick steer/ quick turn.....not sure if they all amount to the same thing ....have to steer (fast, slow, super fast) before you can do anything else......

2/ " a twist of the wrist" has to be Throttle control......if you can steer fast enough, you can use the trottle more.

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I vote "vision". I can't get really good results from any of the other skills (throttle control, quick turn, relax, etc.) unless I first know where I AM and where I want to GO.

 

If I had to narrow it down to one particular visual drill, I'd have to say Wide View, for me. (Having said that, I do know that I wouldn't have gotten much benefit from learning Wide View without learning basic throttle control and quick turn first, to get me in control of the bike, so those need to come first - maybe that makes them more important...?)

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A lot of you have posted 'vision' which covers a whole level, Cobie was asking for a specific Drill. Are you able to narrow it down to Two step, Reference Points, Change Lines, Three Step (Vanishing Point) or Wide View?

 

For me, the Drill that made the biggest improvement to my lap times was Three Step. We are constantly turning up at circuits we've never ridden before and have to chase the local heros around (and we usually only get given standard road bikes) so getting RPs sorted to be able to use the Three Step is, for me at least, vitally important.

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For me, the Drill that made the biggest improvement to my lap times was Three Step. We are constantly turning up at circuits we've never ridden before and have to chase the local heros around (and we usually only get given standard road bikes) so getting RPs sorted to be able to use the Three Step is, for me at least, vitally important.

No, you get puny under-powered naked-bikes with reduced lean, and *then* you get to chase the local hero around on his GSX-R1000 :D

 

Oh, how we laughed over that one.

 

/Kai

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Vision. The fact that it is not stressed till Level 2 is one of the things that keeps me from taking Level 1. Specifically, gaining the ability to find the vanishing point on demand. This gives the rider the room he needs to work backward and find RPs, judge entrance speeds, stay relaxed and set a safe, comfortable lean angle.

 

Next up, I would say understanding and using standard throttle control. It helped me to understand that if the bike doesn't fall over turning in, rolling on a little throttle can only make things better.

 

Third, for me is the two step, getting off the brakes and looking into the apex and beyond--oops, that's vision again!

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I have a problem w not letting go of my entry RP or revisiting it once I have -- therefore wide view.

 

Also related to my FEEL posting, the 3d gear no-brakes drill. I feel it has tremendous potential for my spidey speed sense -- @ WSIR and en route the dogpark.

 

Invitation to FLAME from coaches:

I spent most of level 2 and some of level 3 no-brakes

 

AG

.

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