Lending a hand
Last week, I was able to do a shakedown run on my GSX-R750 at Thunderhill Raceway with Keigwins@theTrack. I also had the chance to work with a few riders as a guest instructor, who posted their feedback on a local internet forum. They were pretty jazzed about it!
Having an open track day was nothing compared to the help and instruction from Mike. He pretty much spent most of his freetime towing or following around me and Kyong. I've always been a Pacific Track Time regular, but if Keigwins@theTrack is going to have guest instructors like Mike, I might just have to start double teaming! Mike definitely has instructing down to a science - not only does he understand the problems that most riders have trying to get faster (no matter how slow/fast you are) but he also has a good eye and will tell you some "secrets" that aren't so obvious. He has obviously put some real time in on the track and just as much time into mentally breaking down, understanding, and coming up with a plan for track riding.
I have been trailbraking for awhile now with decent results. I always felt as if I could enter turns much faster and deeper knowing that I had the front brake to scrub speed. The biggest revelation I made on Monday was when Mike had me start using the front brake in a different way. Instead of using it to scrub speed. I found that I could use it as a tool to help plant my bike and keep it on its line. After lunch, it all finally clicked and I found that I had picked up a lot of speed and was hitting my apexes no problem. In fact, I pretty much learned a different riding style in half a day. By the end of the day I must of dropped 2 seconds from my fastest times on tires that I hated! Mike seemed to be as enthusiastic about our riding as we were. You could tell it was rewarding for him as well as us to do well.
Thanks to Lance for giving myself the opportunity to work with a great instructor like Mike. And even bigger thanks to the man himself for spending his track time helping us out, even when he had a brand new bike that he needed to sort out.
Another rider was equally enthusiastic:
Big thanks to Mike. He spent A LOT of time with us going over ref points, entries, and trailbraking spots. He's got a binder full of pics of the track highlighting visual markers. Pure gold. Not that I can pick them all up out there but I'm looking for them.
I still need work on 8 after watching Mike take 6-7-8 but my 6-7 improved a lot. I'm actually apexing 7 now. My 15 is tons better too. Mike noticed I was turning in way late and using excessive lean angle to come out tight. Hit my fastest speed down the front straight and caught up to Yody's drive out of 15. Tried to mimic Mike's entry and lines through 5 and 14 and almost went off. (Mike is the king of trailbraking) Need work on 2, 8, 9, 11, and 14. What a day.
Best and most rewarding track day by far with tons of track time, and top notch instruction from Mike S. I've been MrCrash-ized.
It was a good time! I just need to get my new bike so it handles halfway decently - it's kinda hard trying to go quick on something sprung so stiff with warped front brake rotor...
x-posted to mrcrash and motorcycles
Having an open track day was nothing compared to the help and instruction from Mike. He pretty much spent most of his freetime towing or following around me and Kyong. I've always been a Pacific Track Time regular, but if Keigwins@theTrack is going to have guest instructors like Mike, I might just have to start double teaming! Mike definitely has instructing down to a science - not only does he understand the problems that most riders have trying to get faster (no matter how slow/fast you are) but he also has a good eye and will tell you some "secrets" that aren't so obvious. He has obviously put some real time in on the track and just as much time into mentally breaking down, understanding, and coming up with a plan for track riding.
I have been trailbraking for awhile now with decent results. I always felt as if I could enter turns much faster and deeper knowing that I had the front brake to scrub speed. The biggest revelation I made on Monday was when Mike had me start using the front brake in a different way. Instead of using it to scrub speed. I found that I could use it as a tool to help plant my bike and keep it on its line. After lunch, it all finally clicked and I found that I had picked up a lot of speed and was hitting my apexes no problem. In fact, I pretty much learned a different riding style in half a day. By the end of the day I must of dropped 2 seconds from my fastest times on tires that I hated! Mike seemed to be as enthusiastic about our riding as we were. You could tell it was rewarding for him as well as us to do well.
Thanks to Lance for giving myself the opportunity to work with a great instructor like Mike. And even bigger thanks to the man himself for spending his track time helping us out, even when he had a brand new bike that he needed to sort out.
Another rider was equally enthusiastic:
Big thanks to Mike. He spent A LOT of time with us going over ref points, entries, and trailbraking spots. He's got a binder full of pics of the track highlighting visual markers. Pure gold. Not that I can pick them all up out there but I'm looking for them.
I still need work on 8 after watching Mike take 6-7-8 but my 6-7 improved a lot. I'm actually apexing 7 now. My 15 is tons better too. Mike noticed I was turning in way late and using excessive lean angle to come out tight. Hit my fastest speed down the front straight and caught up to Yody's drive out of 15. Tried to mimic Mike's entry and lines through 5 and 14 and almost went off. (Mike is the king of trailbraking) Need work on 2, 8, 9, 11, and 14. What a day.
Best and most rewarding track day by far with tons of track time, and top notch instruction from Mike S. I've been MrCrash-ized.
It was a good time! I just need to get my new bike so it handles halfway decently - it's kinda hard trying to go quick on something sprung so stiff with warped front brake rotor...
x-posted to mrcrash and motorcycles