My First Superbike Class (As an Instructor)

[China_Racer_1]

Today I met another personal goal in my Racing life.

I taught my first Professional class at a Super bike school here locally.

BG-Performance has a school at the local track and I was asked to teach after my last race which they helped me out with renting a race bike rental until my FZR-400/YZF hybrid is finished.

The whole week of practice and race support only cost me a few hundred bucks so they pretty much gave me the bike for use as well as a pit crew.

I only had one student so it was good in that I could take my time and tailor the class to his specific areas of improvement.

We played follow the leader switching off first me in front then him so I show him some lines and then see f he got it.

Make a long story short:

After the first session and a bit of coaching and slowing to a near stop in most of the hard corners to Show where he should be and to point out some reference points so he knew where he was on the track and in the corner, I got to tell you it made me feel good when we picked up the pace and he started to really move.

A noticeable improvement and he was happy that he was dragging his knees in corners he never did before.

We did not time anything just worked on problem areas.

So for a Twist Today the chief instructor took me out and gave me a class.

He followed me for a while I followed him I saw his lines in a few corners were drastically different than mine and once we pulled in and talked about it we went back out and I tried his lines.

I felt I could have gone a bunch faster and was glad he was showing me good lines at a slow pace.

Much to my surprise when I came in I was pulling a 1:17 which was my fastest time during my last race.

I got lots of time to cut off now as I felt slower than shit out there today, was to tense from some work issues and near death driving issues on the way to the track.

I honestly though we were at a 1:21 pace or so. We also worked o my body position quite a bit between sessions.

I got a better feel for how to handle the R-6 and it sure seemed to work. I will work on relaxing even more and getting my ass and shoulders of the center line of the bike more than I am.

So after racing since 1987 I am still a student, which is fine with me. Never to Old to learn.

Kareem has raced all over Canada the USA and Europe so I got no problem learning from a very experienced rider.

It will be interesting to see photos of the next race and see how I have changed (Or Not) on the riding style.

But having my student al pumped up at the end of the class at how well he had improved is really a kick. About as good a feeling as knowing I was getting paid to race around the track on someone else’s dime for a change.

[sweekster]

Nice work. I think it's cool what you're doing. Being able to pass on your knowledge and gain more at the same time is a definite plus.

[95FZR600]

Thats pretty cool. You were able to teach and still learn at the same time and then to top off your day you learned something new. Thats awesome. Thats better than any drug out there!

[ragedigital]

[Insert Extremely Jealous Smiley here]

I envy you. That must be one heck of a rush. I'm glad that I'll be able to hit some track days this year cause it's killing me just driving on the highway.

Steve - I will never tire of hearing your exciting adventures.

[megaloxana]

Sounds like an awesome day. Even though I've never been at a track before.

[YAM93]

My goal is to do a trial track ride with a local club by the end of summer. I think by then the FZR will be up to that and then some. Yeah, I love hearing your inspiring stories too, and glad you avoided death-by-Chinese-motorist.
Rock on.

[China_Racer_1]

Thanks for the kind comments guys.

As you may know I was out of town filming but the day before I left I had to teach a few students. I also wanted a bit more ass time so I did a 20 minute session just prior to my first student showing up.

So it all went down like this.

20 minute session on the track by myself - (no one else was at the track)
Student showed we went out for 20 more minute (just the two of us on the track)
Student wanted a rest but my buddies showed so I went out for another 20 minutes.
2nd student showed so I went out for yet another 20 minutes.

4 - 20 minute sessions back to back about 10 -15 minutes rest between.

I was frigin wasted tired at the end. Temp was about 95 degrees and the humidity was near 90%

I am at the track often and quite active and fit, but man 80 minutes nealry non stop is a big hit and I was DONE,spent,trashed.. you name it! I went home and slept pretty well after a well deserved shower, meal and a lot of water intake.

so at age 46 I don't want to hear you young bucks whinning about how tired you get on track days ha ha ha ha


Just lapped my buddy. Not the greatest form but I was working on hititng my line. I wanted to try a new one in this corner. Diving in earlier than I normally would is actually a bit faster. I just need to suck it up a bit and relax more as its a fast feeling corner do to the downhill entry and tight turn.




When I first saw this picture I wondered why both my friends, who are not very religious, both had thier heads down in prayer. But then I rememberes that they were just sitting ther waiting for the two crew members behind them to life the swingarm stands.

I am quiet sure they were actually getting their heads together as well and getting their concentration up. They are both experianced riders. They spank the shit out of me off road but on the track I can kick their ass for a change. ha ha

The Chinese guy on the orange bike coached the #1 team in China last year and took over all championships in the 80cc, 150cc and 250cc domestic bike cup challenge. He is well respected in China as a Motor cross rider and trainer.

[China_Racer_1]

Just quick update.

I have been teaching quite a bit and the guy pictured above in the red white adn blue leathers in the middle is my buddy Mr Wang.

I created a freaking MONSTER!

I have no idea what happened from last time to this time but he started turning in some pretty impressive laps the other day.

I guess thats a good reflectionon my teaching but he is about to kick my ass in the next race if I don't watch out ha ha.

Actually I think it just all started to click with him. LIke said he is insane in the dirt bikes world so making the move to the road kind of like a bubba shobert move is natural and I know a lot of great racers on the road track are ex dirt riders.

Also on Saturday I taught 6 sessionss nearly back to back. I was fried at the end of the day. Then I had to go back for two more sessions on Sunday.

While I like the ass time on the track I am burned out right now. I need a rest. Sadly I have classes all day again on Saturday coming up... oh darn more track time he he he

plus side is my times are dropping stedily. Not by leaps and bounds but by 10ths of a second here and there and that works for me.

[Luke-a-Tron]

Oh the daily grind. How I wish my office was on two wheels.

[China_Racer_1]

ha ha yes its a tuff job... but some body has to do it!

I just got word I am booked for classes all day Sundya as well now oh darn.

Also I looked into the 10 day forcast and its rain for next Friday whch is qualifying day. Whoo Hoo! I love the rain and racing evyone else freaks out. I got new rain tires and can go as fast in wet as dry on them so I might have a chance after all of getting on the podium this time!

But then thats a 10 day forcast so who knows it will probably 110 degrees and 90% humidity ha ha.

it was 43c degrees (about 110f) and high humidty the other day on the track man thas killer heat!