California Superbike School

[michael]

Hey fellow Hooligans! (that's what I call the local list folks) :-)

I was the only local list member at Sears Point on Monday, May 7th, for CSS. Why was that? Is it me? Don't answer that! :-)

I rode up and stayed at the Travelodge in Novato on Sunday night. I would have preferred to trailer the bike up but I don't have the right car or a trailer. I'm so thankful for my GPS unit and Bumper's bracket mount. It was a breeze getting there and finding the motel. I didn't get up there until 10pm and Denny's was the only place open at the time for dinner.

Man, you wouldn't believe that you're still in California when you're in Novato...if you're at Denny's on a Sunday night at 10pm! It was like a page out of Deliverance. Some very strange people there. There was this one very large elderly lady who was doting on two young Hill Billy type boys - and they weren't her sons. There were some other strange people there as well but this story is about bikes, not wacko's! :-)

I locked up the bike as best as I could - large Kryptonite cable through the back wheel and rear foot peg; audible alarm disk lock on the front disk; and a bike cover with a Kryptonite bicycle chain through the grommet holes. I had a very restless night because I was worried about sleeping-in but got up on time and headed for the track.

Arrived at the track at 7am for registration and tech. inspection. Got registered and parked the bike in the pits along the pit wall. That would be my home for the day. I took off the mirrors and disconnected the brake light. Hung around for a little bit munching on bagels, fruit, etc. provided by the school. It's really nice of the school to provide boiled eggs, breads, fruits, juice and water throughout the day.

Started our first session at 8am. Keith Code introduced his team to the entire group. Students for Level 2 and above left with their instructors. The tech. inspection crew worked on our bikes while we were in class. Lights and signals were taped up and tire pressures were adjusted. Nice not to have to worry about that.

Level 1 students numbered around forty in total. We were split into two groups: Yellow and Green. Keith kept us together for the first class session. He really does a good job in verbally communicating concepts. He is so easy to listen to. It's a great learning environment because he makes it interactive. Much different from his books. This day was full of "Aha!" moments for me.

The track objective for SESSION 1: CORNER ENTRY SPEED. We were to have the bike in 4th gear all around the track and NOT use any brakes. The corner workers would notify the crew chief if one of us had used our brakes and/or more than one gear. If we consistently broke the rule, we were going to get pulled off the track and have a talking to by our instructor.

Both groups from Level 1 were taken onto the track for two orientation laps. Then Yellow group (my group) was put back on the track for our first track session. Yellow group was further broken down into small groups of 5 students assigned to one instructor. My instructor was Jason. It was his responsibility to follow each of his students throughout the day and provide feedback.

I really like Sears Point! The elevation changes and narrow track make for an exciting ride! I also like Laguna Seca. There's a certain magic to the place. The corkscrew plays a big part in making it what it is. But Sears Point is a fun track with lots of unique turns, not just one. And the turns just keep coming, one after another. There is hardly any straight stretch of road between the turns at Sears Point.

Thanks to my experience at Laguna Seca and Buttonwillow, I was quite comfortable with no brakes. I just started off slow and built up the speed in a couple of laps. What a fantastic exercise! My first "Aha!" moment. Who needs brakes?! :-)

Jason rode past me and gave me the thumbs up sign. I guess he was following me for a little bit. I was passing a few of the other students who were taking it a little slower to begin with. He told me to follow him around the track to get the racing line down. What a difference! Another "Aha!" moment. It took less effort and the bike felt like she was in the 'zone'.

We were pulled in for the session 2 lecture. We first reviewed what we had learned from the track time in session 1, and then discussed the concept of SESSION 2: ENTRY POINT INTO THE CORNER. The school had placed large "X" markings at the turn-in point of each corner. Our job was to aim straight for the "X" and turn the bike into the corner at that point.

Back on the track, we were allowed to use 3rd gear as well but still no brakes which allowed us to approach the corner at a higher speed and use the compression braking of 3rd gear to slow down for the corner. Another fun session! I really like the way the school breaks down the skills required for good cornering and focuses on one concept at a time. The lack of brakes allows the rider to get a really good sense of speed.

At the end of the session, I went to get some water to keep myself hydrated. The food trailer is a little bit away from the track. Jason came all the way up to the trailer to find me. Wow!, what a guy! He explained that my hang-off technique starts out OK and then ends up a little messed up. He said I start hanging-off well, leaning my body into the corner, but halfway through the turn, I end up twisting my upper body towards the outside of the corner (towards the tank) which makes me get sloppy during the turn. He told me to get into the steering session and it would be clear.

A steering session is put on which all riders must attend. It's held off the track in the parking lot. The requirement is to ride the school's bike in second gear at around 25 mph and make turns like you're in a slalom course. The objective of the exercise is to lean into the turn. If you don't get it right, the instructor forces you to do it over again until you do. A few riders were messing up by pushing the bike away from them. I got it correct right away! I didn't solve what Jason wanted me to though. More on that later.

The objective for SESSION 3: QUICK TURN-IN. This focused on a quicker turn-in at the entry point (marked with the "X"). A quicker turn-in gets the bike starting the corner sooner and doesn't have to lean as much during the corner than when the turn-in action is slower. Again, 3rd and 4th gear with no brakes.

This took some practice back on the track as I was used to leaning the bike a certain amount for each corner - more than I needed to with the quicker turn-in. I was heading for the curb rather than keeping my line. Leaning the bike less allowed me to go faster into each turn as long as I kept up the quick turn-in. Another "Aha!" moment.

Jason (my instructor) pulled ahead of me and asked me to follow him into the pits. He asked me if I had been to the steering session yet. I told him I had and that the instructor thought I had done really well. He looked puzzled and told me that I was still getting it messed up in the middle of the turn. I told him that old habits are hard to break and that I would continue to work on it. He asked me to put the bike up on the side stand and show him how I hang-off. He got my shoulders turned properly - square with the bike and leaning into the turn.

I also told Jason that I was having a difficult time with hanging on to the bike with my legs while I was hanging-off. He got me to place my outside foot more like I was on my toes which brought my outside knee up to the ridge of the tank and I was able to hang on to the bike much easier and better which made it easier for my upper body to relax and not grip on to the handlebars for support. "Aha!"

The session ended before I could get back on the track to practice what Jason had taught me. It was time to get back to the classroom to prepare for SESSION 4: RELAX AFTER STEERING INPUT. The upper body needs to be completely relaxed after you get the bike turned-in. Once the bike is leaned over, there are no steering inputs required. The bike does just fine all by itself. This session required 3rd and 4th gears with light brakes.

I found that I was constantly putting pressure on the outside handlebar which caused me to put pressure on the inside handlebar to compensate. This 'fight' with the handlebars was causing a few problems: a) the front suspension felt 'dead'; b) I was constantly working at keeping the bike tracking where I wanted to go; and c) it was tiring having to exert all that unneeded pressure on the handlebars.

Back on the track, I was amazed at the results of this lesson! As soon as I got the bike turned-in quickly, I released all pressure from the handlebars and hung on to the bike with my legs, keeping my upper body completely relaxed. The bike stayed on course, it absorbed the bumps with ease, and I didn't have to do a workout like I usually did. "Aha!"

Jason pulled up beside me and motioned me back to the pits. It was that dreaded hang-off twist again. After a few minutes of discussion and a static hang-off lesson again, we both determined that this would not get resolved today but at least I could go away with lots of things that I could work on every time I ride. My problem is that at higher rates of speed, I tend to forget the basics and get back to my old habits. Need to learn some new habits that will become second nature.

The objective for SESSION 5: TWO-STEP TURN-IN. This session required three gears (you choose) and full brakes. Keith Code spoke about what we have learned in motorcycling - you go where you look. This time though, we need to look first through the corner before we get to the turn-in point, and then turn-in quickly onto the arc that we have chosen and keep the body relaxed through the turn. We were to resist the automatic turning of the bike as soon as we looked into the corner This session was the last of the day. A summary of Level 1 and an introduction to Level 2.

Back on the track, it wasn't as easy as it sounded in class. It took a lot of concentration to keep the bike on its existing path while looking into the turn - and work on all the other lessons of the day!

I was getting tired. It had been a really hot day. We had been out there for a total of five twenty-minute sessions. I had done a total of 100 miles throughout the day - about 50 miles less than what I had done at Laguna Seca with C.L.A.S.S. However, I had learned a LOT more in that 100 miles than I did in the 150 miles at Laguna Seca.

The school's tagline is "The Art of Cornering". And that is truly how Keith Code approaches it. He breaks the art down into manageable chunks to work on throughout the day. I love this structured form of learning. In my opinion, this is the only way that someone can truly learn. Most everything else out there is a glorified open track day.

I really like getting good value for money and when I find a product or service that does that, I can't seem to stop talking about it. Most of you already know this but I can't emphasize enough about making sure you spend your money on learning BEFORE you spend it on accessories...yes, hold off on the Micron purchase and go to CSS if money is tight. :-)

I'm looking forward to Level 2. I apologize if I have offended any supporters out there of the other schools. That was not my intent. I just wanted to share my experiences and opinion.

Cheers, Ismat.

p.s. Keith Code said I had a beautiful bike. Take that you Klingon Viffers!