Tips and Tricks
Novice and Intermediate Groups Orientation
First, we want to dispel a myth. The fast guys here are fast because of their skills not because of their courage. Do not confuse skill level with risk tolerance.
We want you to maximize your fun and skill improvement without crashing.
Crashing is bad, don't do it. Most of you are on your street bikes. If you only run wide on the corner, run off in the grass and fall down, you will do a grand or two damage to your motorcycle. A real crash will cost a bundle and could hurt you bad. You are most likely to crash at the start of the day when you are pumped up, after lunch when you try to pick up were you left off or at the end of day when you are tired.
If you crash yourself out, you won’t be happy. If someone else crashes you out, you will be real unhappy and you won’t come back.
You can avoid crashing out yourself or one of your new friends if you use your head and apply a few simple ideas.
Relax and breathe normally.
Take one or two laps every session to warm-up the tires, the motorcycle and you. Cold tires or a cold brain will hurt you.
If you came with a friend, don’t ride with him. No matter what you think, it always turns into racing.
Don’t follow other riders too closely, you are distracted.
Do not follow directly behind another rider, especially in the braking zones.
Don’t blast the straight so fast that you blow the corner entry. Get a flow & rhythm going.
Ride as fast as you want on the front straight and brake at the track control bridge.
Ride the back straight as fast as you want to the kink. Stay inside at the kink and then brake for turn 7.
Don’t try to pick up where you left off at the end of the last session. Get going again first.
This tires you out. Drink lots of water. If you are getting tired, slow down or take a session off.
Leave your ego in the pits. There will always be riders who are faster than you. They got fast by learning to ride right, observing the track rules and the laws of physics.
Observe the 6’ passing rule at all times. You don’t like being used as a slalom cone. Don’t do it to other riders.
Be courteous at all times.
Skill Improvement Goals
Smooth
Be smooth. How? With the right hand.
No whacking & chopping at the throttle. This is critical. If you are pitching the bike on its front or back wheel during braking and acceleration, you are not smooth. You cannot go fast until you go smooth. Roll out of the throttle and squeeze the brake lever all in one motion. Work on throttle control every session.
Line
The proper line is marked on the track with painted dots by the Learning curves school. Understanding and riding the right line is critical. Spend some sessions on this as well. As you learn the line, remember to keep your head up and look down the track or through the corners. Look where you want to go. Don’t get caught up in playing connect the dots. An expert group rider is going to take two or three novice riders out on the first session to show you the proper line.
Reference Points
You must learn to know where you are on the track at all times. Braking at the bridge when you are on the front straight is a huge reverence point. Notice the braking zone markers on the side of the track. Use them, use a tire mark or a patch on the track. As your speeds come up this is critical. This is how you develop consistency. Braking at the same point, turning in at the same point, apexing and existing at the same points, riding the same line are how you get faster.
Cornering
There are three elements to the corner, turn in point, apex and exit point.
You need to use the exact same turn in or entry point every time. This is why reference points are so critical.
Do not mess with the steering in the corner. You should turn it once and that’s it. If you are constantly steering through the corner, you are going too fast for your skill level or not looking far enough ahead.
Classic Corner
Ride down the straight.
Set body position.
Roll out of throttle.
Ease on the brake.
Blip throttle & downshift.
Ease out of brake.
Settle suspension.
Look through the corner. This is called the two step. You should be able to look through the corner at least two bike lengths before the turn-in point.
Countersteer the motorcycle at the turn-in point. Keep your head up, don’t look down at the track going under the motorcycle.
Get back into the throttle as soon as you are at the right lean angle.
Apply a gently rising throttle throughout turn.
Exit the corner. Use all of the throttle you want, but be smooth.
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