Things I Learned This Weekend - Advanced Rider Clinic

[JonKerr]

This weekend I attended kind of an informal riders clinic put on by a few of our local track rats who I've ridden with before. Basically what they did was get a few of us together who have a few things we wanted to work on, pair us up with a rider coach, and have them follow us for a little while and from there, put together some tips and drills. All of us really needed to work on pretty much the same things.

-Body position: The main thing I wanted to work on was my upper body positioning. I know I've been keeping my upper body too upright and getting too tight. I wanted to get some help with how my upper body really was compared to how I thought I was. After some tips and such, I really felt what being down low and to the inside of the bike feels like and how to really anchor myself to the tank using my outside leg and using the outside peg to pivot on. (Read Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist to get a full explanation of pivot steering with your outside foot.) I'm glad I decided to put Stomp Grip on the sides of the tank. I don't think I could have really gripped the tank properly with leather pants without it.

-Stay Loose!! : One of the reasons why my upper body ended up being to high at times was I was too tight. Even though I thought I was staying nice and loose, I realized I was tensing up just enough at full lean angle and that was moving my upper body back toward the middle of the bike instead of low and to the inside like I started before I got to full lean.

-Turn in point, late apexing, and quick counter steering: Turns out although my riding lines and my turn in were OK, they're a bit shallow and slow and the reason my speed has been limited and caused me to run wide a few times when going around a turn at a speed I know is not too fast. I was turning into turns too soon, yet too slow. The main thing we worked on was spotting a turn in point where I could get a good line of sight to a later apex in the corner long before you get there. Then without looking at that turn in point (since you should be looking through the corner, not to the spot to the outside of the turn you chose as your turn point) turning in quickly and really committing to the corner. It took a little work because you really feel like you're waiting too long to turn. And if you turn in slowly like I was and like most people do, you will be turning too late and you'll run wide. But by turning quickly, committing, and getting back on the throttle as soon as you can, you will not only make the turn, but make it properly and considerably faster than before.

Using the tips and all the drills that we went though throughout the day, I was able to run down Banner Grade (nicknamed BRIR, Banner Grade International Raceway ) at the end of the day with my rider coach behind me far faster than ever. In fact he was surprised when we got to the bottom that I didn't have any scuffs on my knee pucks. He thought I had them on the ground a bunch. I was scrapping the pegs on the ground with the feelers removed and scuffed the toe sliders on my boots. Dragging knee isn't exactly a goal of mine, but I know that it'll happen when I get my form and technique correct.

Basically the clinic put the information that we had all read in Keith Codes books into real world use and physically seeing it put into action.

[jspansel]

Thanks!

The turn in point is something I really need to work on. Its a scary feeling like you said, thinking you are waiting too long. This last weekend was the first time I really pushed the bike on some killer mountain roads. Scared the hell out of myself a few times... I got walked all over, even by two girls on their own bikes! One was on a Ducati Monster and the other was on a CBR. I really need new tires as well, and with the shitty suspension, I just couldnt keep up in the corners.

Hopefully the new suspension and new tires will help along with really practicing your pointers.

[JonKerr]

Suspension is one thing I was worried about. My rider coach sat on the bike and felt it. It's not great at all, but he did say that as long as the rear is stiff enough under acceleration, it'll be a while before I can REALLY out ride the stock suspension. Of course doing the upgrades won't hurt at all. But our stock suspension should be plenty good for most riders on this bike no mater how aggressive you're riding. (Unless you're taking it to the track, that's a whole other conversation) Like I said, I was doing in the high 60's or more through 25mph turns with my peg (without the 1" feelers) scraping and my knee an inch from the ground on Sunday with the stock suspension. My rear shock is set to 6, and fully geared I'm in the 240# range. I think the biggest reason you may be having some issues with grip are the stock tires. I would never have even attempted the kind of riding I was doing Sunday with those bricks on the bike. But these Pirellis are sticky. Very confidence inspiring.

[DjOrchie]

Thanks Jon, I have been watching a lot of video's and reading a lot on these topics. However there is only so much one can learn from watching and reading. You have definitely inspired me to go get some lessons at the local track this summer.

[JonKerr]

The track is the best and safest place to learn. I wish I could talk my wife into letting me do a track day. She's usually so cool about things like that. No issues at all when I was racing BMX, even after I got seriously injured doing that. No complaints about me going out and bombing mountain bike trails, nothing at all when I went out with a friend to a track day to learn to ride a dirt bike, (first time I'd ever been on a motorcycle ) no resistance when I told her I wanted a sport bike, but for some odd reason she has this image of track days as me going out and racing at 130mph. No matter how much I tell her there's no racing about it, I'll be in the slow guys group (made sure not to use the designation "class") and it's actually the safest place there is to ride a motorcycle. Still no luck. I'm sure she's just thinking of years ago when I used to crew for my cousin racing stock cars seeing cars crash all the time on the race track. Or maybe she sees the pain I go through now dealing with the lasting injuries from my BMX crash a couple of years ago, and thinks I'm more likely to crash and do more damage on a track than a street. I don't know. I can't get it through her head though that it's safer. And unfortunately I think I'm fighting a loosing battle.

If you can get out to some track days and especially if you can get into one that requires you to take their beginner clinic if you've never done a track day, your riding will improve a ton. The guys I'm learning from have done countless track days and are passing on what they've learned to some of us who haven't been fortunate enough to get on the track.

[Heineken]

I'm glad you are fortunate enough to have access to that, and also it's nice of you to share that with us. I wish there was something similar going on in my neck of the woods...

Keep us in the loop.

[joloy133]

I almost stated that you should show her what you do on the public roads......but that might backfire. It's always easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission, but I guess you can't have everything. Keep trying though or just tell her your going to a riding clinic, which it is technically if you do a school at the track......if you know what I mean....!

[JonKerr]

It's funny you say that. I know a lot of guys who tell their insurance company that they were "attending a riding clinic on a closed circuit" because most policies don't cove race track activity.

[Heineken]

That's a good tip, thanks Jon. )