Superbike School - Level 1

Righto. [Photos now at bottom of thread]

Having got back last night from California Superbike School, I thought I’d share a few thoughts I had about the whole day.

Dissuade and I were both level one starters, having never been on a track before or received any tuition since passing our tests. Thinking was; learn to do it right first time rather than develop bad habits that would be hard to break. At around £350 it’s roughly equal to the cost of three track days once you’ve added up the fuel, accommodation and overpriced pasties you’re obliged to by. Expensive? Perhaps, but with the intake number of level two students being 2/3 the number of level one students; that’s a pretty impressive retention rate. Surely that many people can’t be wrong (the number bikes I’ve seen with rim tape, apparently that many people CAN be wrong!)

Early 7 AM start, quick registration, equipment check and time for a bacon sarnie whilst whipping the plate and mirrors off, adjusting the tyre pressures and noticing that every single bike in the line up is considerably faster than your own. A*se. In our group, to name a few:

2 Respol jobbie Fireblades
Kawa ZX636
Street Triple
Ducati 1098
3 GSXR 750
Big Beemer
GSXR 600
Honda Hairnet
Old Yam R6
Few ‘CSS’ hired 08 R6s
Yam Thundercat
Some mental 2-stroke
Quite a few track’d bikes. God knows what they were, but they looked quick.
2 racing 2 strokes with kids on. Full slicks, wets and van full of engine tinkerers to match. At least I knew if it came to it, I could take these two out off-track. That provided some comfort.

No problemo, Rockingham National is a small course, shouldn’t be too much of a problem, and of course we’re NOT racing at all

The day is broken down in to 5 lessons, followed by 5 sessions on track. Andy Ibbott; the maestro; leads the lessons, and then an assigned instructor will buddy you for the day. The instructor (bullet in my case) will zoom around the course on an R6, one handed, facing backwards watching your every move. Show-off Pr*cks

Level one is broken down in to

• Throttle balance
• Line
• Quick turning
• Posture
• Vision

Pretty simple stuff that we’ve all read. I don’t think anything I was told, I hadn’t read before. But the way the day is organised and broken down focuses you on the individual task, with each building on the previous lesson. This means you can have some more space to yourself; you’re not getting people wanting knee downs on every corner, hooning past cutting you up, or people chasing your every move. Everyone is working on the same task so the track is pretty calm. Overall the emphasis is getting you feel comfortable on the bike, which in turn makes it easier and easier to ride fast within your comfort zone.

Having had the whole of Australia’s missing rainfall fall over the previous week, a trackday in the wet looked likely. The morning was murkey, and by 9 it was raining already. We sat in the classroom sulking until we were called up, at which point the sky cleared and all was well Apart from it raining one later session we were lucky enough to have a dry track all day. Ace.

Given the power of the bikes in the line up I thought the little SV would be hammered. Happily I’m pleased to announce with stock suspension, brakes and the like I was nipping in corners tighter than the Ducati, powering out of them quicker than the IL4s and only got overtaken by an R6 and the two little sh*ts on race bikes (but they don’t count…. because I make the rules here). Admittedly some of the riders were absolutely pants, I’m nearer ‘ Roti than Rossi, but the SV is perfectly competitive on the (albeit small) track. But why have a track’d GSXR 750 then ride it like plum!? If you’re a pansy, you should have your brakes removed. Either that or join the IAM.

Each lesson brought with it a little extra speed, but more importantly; control. Instructors would watch your every move, and either signal something to you or pull you over for a quick chat. Sessions weren’t really long enough to really really hoon around the track if you were focussing on the tasks at hand, but they were great fun and noticeably improving each lap was a booster.

At the end of the day with melted rubber peeling off the tyres, 96 track miles on the clock, all your energy expended and even with a bike to make legal again before a 170 mile journey home, I’d say it was worth it. Great day out. I’ll be doing Level two next year

I’ll post some pics later.


Rob.

Sounds good rob, i'm going to attend the Level 1 day over here in dublin at the end of august, all going well.

[G]

Its tempting to do something like this, but I have always found the instructors on normal trackdays just as useful for the basic stuff like this, but I appreciate at the same time that you cant progress to CS2 CS3 etc which are probably more useful without doing CS1.

Anyway Pics must include the essential molten rubber first trackday pics

Originally Posted by G

Its tempting to do something like this, but I have always found the instructors on normal trackdays just as useful for the basic stuff like this, but I appreciate at the same time that you cant progress to CS2 CS3 etc which are probably more useful without doing CS1.

Anyway Pics must include the essential molten rubber first trackday pics

Hehe. I took no pictures of them, I hope to keep them like that!

I think you do need to see it as a whole course as you say; including levels 2 & 3. At that stage they seem to be really really in control of the bike.

As for how it's all related to the road, it's all relevant. Whilst I won't ever ride that quick on the road, it's good learning how to react at those speeds and what the bike is capable of.

I'd love an R6 now though

[G]

Originally Posted by gettin2dizzy

Hehe. I took no pictures of them, I hope to keep them like that!

I think you do need to see it as a whole course as you say; including levels 2 & 3. At that stage they seem to be really really in control of the bike.

As for how it's all related to the road, it's all relevant. Whilst I won't ever ride that quick on the road, it's good learning how to react at those speeds and what the bike is capable of.

I'd love an R6 now though

I think I will still do it when I can afford it, it will just be hard paying the price of 3 trackdays for the price of one like you say, but for further CS2+ it would be worth it I think.

Get an R6 if you fancy one not as usable/fun on the road as the sv though unless you break the

Originally Posted by gettin2dizzy

Whilst I won't ever ride that quick on the road,

rule though

Originally Posted by G

Get an R6 if you fancy one not as usable/fun on the road as the sv though unless you break the rule though

Yeah.... definitely! The SV is great on the roads, but on the track I'd like some more oomph out the corners! It could sure as hell go round the track much more quickly without this daft tw*t on board, but I was wringing it's neck out of all the corners. An 05 ZX6R would do rather nicely too Funds are dry for at least another 12 months though

I'd def go for it if I were you. October dates may still be free, and historically is one of the driest times of year.

nice one, should get your ass down to pembrey now

Good write up, mirrors my own experience in June. Hell was it only a month ago?? There were a few SVs there then, they weren't shown up.

Here's some pictures for you.


Andy Ibbott giving a lesson to us plums






Bike lined up in the paddock





The super quick instructors!




Me (gay blue) and dissuade (vomit yellow)









Being chased by an instructor

Originally Posted by Zombie Jesus

nice one, should get your ass down to pembrey now

Hell yeah!