Jump to content

Newbie's Guide To Surviving The Cornering Forum


css

Recommended Posts

Hello all,

My name is Frank and I been riding street motorcycles since November 2012. I have owned a new Harley sportster since then, but just purchased a used R1 sport bike last week and want to attend your school. I want to learn as much as I can and have fun. I am just not sure if I'm ready to attend your classes yet. I am not sure I have the skill level you all seek.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...I am not sure I have the skill level you all seek....

 

Franco,

 

If you are comfortable with the operation of a motorcycle (i.e. you dont have to "think" about steering, shifting, braking, etc) and you are comfortable at highway speeds (or maybe just a bit more) then you will be fine. The school is not about training racers (although they have done more than their share of that). And while the school takes place at the track, it is not a "track day", it is a school and the environment is reflective of that (special thanks to Trevor!).

 

And the lessons you learn directly apply any time you snap up a kickstand.

 

I've written reviews on all 4 levels (and the one vs two day formats); I would be happy to send them to you. I was a track noob myself and I was really impressed with CSS from the first day.

 

Best,

Carey

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hello!, I'm Fernando from Argentina.

I did level I in october ´12 @ Streets of Willow Springs. I started riding sports bikes in 2011. Previously I've been riding street bikes and chopper's.

I'm waiting my chance to trip again and do next levels. In the mean time I'm making track days here in Argentina and reading a lot in this forum. All the data and experience posted here are awesome.

Thank you for share your experience :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello!, I'm Fernando from Argentina.

I did level I in october ´12 @ Streets of Willow Springs. I started riding sports bikes in 2011. Previously I've been riding street bikes and chopper's.

I'm waiting my chance to trip again and do next levels. In the mean time I'm making track days here in Argentina and reading a lot in this forum. All the data and experience posted here are awesome.

Thank you for share your experience :)

 

Welcome to the forum Fernando. I've always wanted to visit Buenos Aires; how are the track days down there? I wonder if I could get my bike through customs? :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello!, I'm Fernando from Argentina.

I did level I in october ´12 @ Streets of Willow Springs. I started riding sports bikes in 2011. Previously I've been riding street bikes and chopper's.

I'm waiting my chance to trip again and do next levels. In the mean time I'm making track days here in Argentina and reading a lot in this forum. All the data and experience posted here are awesome.

Thank you for share your experience :)

 

Welcome to the forum Fernando. I've always wanted to visit Buenos Aires; how are the track days down there? I wonder if I could get my bike through customs? :D

 

Thanks Warregl

 

Buenos Aires has a hot weather these months, so track days are hard for both bikes and pilots. There are a few track available to practice our sport riding (Galvez, Roque Perez, Arrecifes, Dolores).

 

I think if you have all the documentation for your bike and you do teh paperwork you will not have problems to enter the country.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Hello everyone, i am Paul from Ireland but have lived in Austin Texas since 1999.

I have had bikes in Ireland starting in the late 70's on and off thru late 90's.

 

Started back on bikes in Texas in 2004 with a Suzuki RF900 followed by 05CBR00RR, 08 Hayabusa, 11 ninja1000(old guy sport bike) and currently ride a 2012 Kawasaki Concours1400.

I am an avid fan of motorcycle track and road racing (MotoGP, AMA, IOM TT, North West 200, Ulster Grand Prix).

Recently enjoyed 2013 motogp in Austin. COTA is a beautiful track ,weather was great and event was well organized.

 

Attending CSS has been on my wish list for years.

I will be attending levels 1&2 two day camp at Streets of Willow June 10&11th. It will be my first time on a track also.

Have my flight booked to LAX and rental car.

Anyone got recommendations for hotels?

To prep for the school I have read TOTW and TOTW2, I also have the DVDs also and look forward to the school. Also doing cycling to build cardio for the track.

Cheers from Texas.

Paul

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I'm a new rider (1 season riding in New England) on a 2012 BMW F800R. MSF training in April 2012 (first motorcycling) followed by lots of self study/practice, group riding training (Boston Area Motorcycle Riders), group rides and solo rides. MSF training was very effective, and I'm working towards more on-the-bike training.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Hi all,

I´m a newbie here from Hungary, I´m very interested about the suspension systems and tuning possibilities, and also about improving the riding skills. I participate in a club championship with my little 2stroke bike which may seems to be a toy compering to your bikes but it´s fun to ride with:)

#537

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

I am a motorcycle journalist who had an accident in July - first one after 8 years of riding everything that was offered to me both on and off-road. Now I am battling some demons returning to riding. I hope to learn, improve my skills, get my confidence back and be a better rider. I plan to take a course but will explore which one will be best before I sign up. I keep playing my accident over in my head to try to figure out what I could have done differently, or should have done etc. I hope more rider training will give me some answers. I wrote about my accident and tried to convey a positive message - you can read it if you like (link no longer available) Now it's time to move forward and figure out how to best do that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marissa;

I want to first say Welcome to the Forum; second, what an entrance! Your story is so vividly written that you put me at least on that backboard remembering an ambulance ride from T5 at a CCS race at Loudon a few years ago.

 

To your quest for regaining your moto mojo, you are in a good place here as there is an experienced membership and much of what happens here is dissecting questions about riding; your story has a lot of detail to assist analyzing what happened when you crashed. If you have read the Twist of the Wrist books (vol's 1 & 2), you will find explanations to "survival reactions", "tunnel vision" and many subsets of both. These books will outline how the California Superbike School has structured it's core curriculum which should give you some insight whether the School will fit your goals.

 

Your article clearly identifies both but again, there are multiple survival reactions and your crash probably involved a number of them affecting you at once

 

Since I am not a coach (IANAC) I will let others offer you some specific insight but as a Forum Moderator I want to say again welcome and thanks for sharing your story.

 

Kevin Kane

Aka Rainman

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am a motorcycle journalist who had an accident in July - first one after 8 years of riding everything that was offered to me both on and off-road. Now I am battling some demons returning to riding. I hope to learn, improve my skills, get my confidence back and be a better rider. I plan to take a course but will explore which one will be best before I sign up. I keep playing my accident over in my head to try to figure out what I could have done differently, or should have done etc. I hope more rider training will give me some answers. I wrote about my accident and tried to convey a positive message - you can read it if you like http://motorcygal.co...torcygal-down/. Now it's time to move forward and figure out how to best do that.

 

Welcome to the forum. In my personal and possibly somewhat biased opinion :) , there is no better way to get your confidence back than to come to California Superbike School. The school is an extraordinarily safe environment, the education is unmatched anywhere, and there are specific drills to do, to practice the skills you learn. It is a friendly and very positive environment; the atmosphere and structure alone will immediately improve your confidence and the skills you learn will make you feel much more in control of your motorcycle and bring a far better understanding of riding. If you have time, read some of the testimonials on the Superbike School homepage, they will tell the story much better than I can.

 

I should also point out that Superbike School coaches have some unique training in how to overcome the barriers that can be created when a rider has a bad experience such as yours, I don't know that any other school anywhere provides the tools and training to their coaches that CSS does. Going to a school and getting some personalized coaching is DEFINITELY a much better and quicker solution than just trying to 'ride through the fear' on your own.

 

I can tell you from personal experience that any school that just tells you to suck it up, or just "trust your tires", or recites other platitudes, is not offering the sort of help you want - when I was a new rider, I tried a lot of schools and found that many schools don't really take the time to observe and work with the rider on a personal level; also some schools feel a need to "instill caution, for the sake of safety" and the result is a lot of scary warnings and a long list of things NOT to do, which is the worst possible approach for a rider that is trying to regain their confidence.

 

I am a female rider, small of stature, and started riding relatively late in life. CSS did wonders for me, I am on a wonderful journey that started with me being afraid of tipping over in the parking lot, went through beginner track days, then moved up through advanced and expert track day riding and now racing. CSS always makes it fun, and there is no feeling in the world like breaking through your barriers and finding new levels of skill and confidence, I hope you can make it to a school and get to feel that way, too. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...
  • 3 months later...

Hi everyone,

 

I am Ron Cole and started racing in March 2013 at Willow Springs Raceway with MotoWest GP. At the start of the 2014 season we realized I needed help to get better. Our mentors at the track recommended going to CSS. We signed up for the Two-Day Camp next Monday on April 21-22. I do mention "we" a lot. My dad is very important to the success or my racing, could not do it without his help. He maintains our 2012 YZF-R1 and manages all the aspects of our racing except twisting the throttle, my job...

 

Looking forward to next Monday!

 

Ron and Lee Cole

Cole Racing

post-25546-0-40581800-1397758203_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes it was. It was quite a day, one we will never forget! Going to the new racer school, out on the track, back in the classroom, back on the track all day long till my first race that same day which happened to be the first ever race put on by MotoWest GP.

 

My dad introduced me to off road riding in Jr. High School. Got the urge to get a street bike in April 2012, the R1 we race now. I realized I was going to get into trouble trying to ride quick in the local canyons, etc and decided to take it off the street. Best decision made. Gettting to know other racers, the friendships made in that new racer class and all the helpful advise there is at the track from other riders has been far better and safer than any quick thrill on the road.

 

We recently did another race first with MotoWest GP. They started doing an endurance race, 20 laps. It was awsome to go that distance. Might have to sit out the next one as we probably will have to give up one race weekend to help pay for the Two-Day Camp however I am sure it will be worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

Hello Mr and Mrs Everyone,

I have been lurking since 2015 when CSS changed my life.  Time to open up and share.

I went from 20+ years of riding by luck to riding w/direction.  My S1000RR is an amazing machine that exceeds my capabilities...but we are starting to warm up to one another.  My typical ride before CSS explored my fear-factor by testing my many non-skills and shaking my head after corners wondering how I made it... The school changed my entire outlook.  I became a practice-aholic.  Every day a new and smoother feeling became even smoother.  My lap times on my first track day put me in line with the fast guys.  While trying to become smoother my speed kept increasing.  After 3 track days I was following racers to see their lines. After 3 more track days I was noticing the lack of smoothness of others.  Don't get me wrong.  I was not great, but my riding vision changed with Kieth, Cobie and the CSS Team in 2015.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Just realized I've posted twice and forgot to read this newbie section! 

Well in case it wasn't obvious my name is Tom also. I've been track riding for 10 years, street riding for 25. I took level 1 and 2 about 4 or 5 years ago and it changed my life (literally). I was so impressed by the organization (of the material, the coaches, and the staff) that I decided to become an MSF coach and learn to coach motorcycling at a street level. Until my first experience with CSS, I thought coaching was "just follow me" with a point on the tail and someone disappearing 5 turns later. Uhm, what did I learn there? I loved the real coaching stye and I wanted to be that as much as possible. I've been doing MSF Coaching ever since then and now I say I get paid to ride motorcycles (paid should be in heavy air quotes since I'd do it for free, and almost do!)

I took level 3 about two months back and for the first time tried the BMWs. It totally ruined me! I was looking at BMW motorcycle websites for days after that. Suddenly my little Ducati 748R seemed so....old. LOL Anyway, reality came back and I've been super excited to learn and apply as much as possible on the little yellow guy. While my background is in engineering, I actually approach motorcycling not as an engineer but as an athlete (air quotes again needed here!!). I think the best thing about motorcycles is that there is a technical aspect, but also a motor skills aspect, and they blend together into a package that takes two lifetimes to master. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
  • 5 months later...

Hi gang!

I'm Roberts, a 27 year old enthusiast trapped in a 60 year old body. It's not my fault. I blame it on time.

with 40+ years of street and off-road riding, I was not surprised to find out I have a lot of flaws.  What does surprise is how hard it is to overcome dangerous habits.  It's my hope that work with CSS and crew, and inputs from all of you, will help me to fix my problems before they 'fix' me.

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ha, 27 in a 60 year old body...I don't think I made it past about 18 in my emotional development...that or I've been in my mid-life crisis for about 30 years :)

CF

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...