Motorcycle Skills Day - Castle Combe

[Count Steer]

Actually, I suppose I have done rear wheel steering. Off-road/mud - steer with the throttle sort of thing. Breaking adhesion is a bit easier in those circs though.

[Yorick]

Done that. I'm in the intermediates now.

Get some elbow sliders and I'll see ya tmrw

I'll bring my ear sliders.

Borrow Nikki Lauda's

[chutzpah]

Yes I had to fork out!

I had a 2-piece but it shrank.

What do you think is the biggest change the course will make to your riding? Would you go again?

For me already firmness on the brakes (harder, earlier) and looking further ahead in the corners. I've already felt the difference on the road.

What riding at speed on the track demonstrated to me was how stable my bike could be (especially the transition from heavy hard braking to back on the throttle if you're smooth with it). I only really realised that after going faster than road legal speeds. Then when you dial it back in a bit on the road you know what you have in hand.

Worth mentioning I only started riding a few years ago so never had a chance to date for it to be proved how capable my bike is vs me myself

I would go again and would now even consider a normal track day at that venue, something I didn't think would be the case before this, because now I realise I really could go "for a laugh" and go at my pace, and how easy it would be for anyone quicker than me to zip past me.

For me the big bonus of this setup is people say "do a track day to improve" but if that isn't what you're interested in from the outset when you start riding (or you don't know anyone who does them) it feels miles away from being something "someone like you" should sign up to do. I had a HUGE chunk of imposter syndrome when I signed in and after session one wondered what I'd let myself in for, but having an instructor watching me then making me follow them for a lap in the second session made a world of difference in settling me in.

[The Spin Doctor]

When I first read this, it came across as a road safety class come trackday.

I thought of me and @The Spin Doctor both doing our stuff.

I'd be telling them to give it plenty and get it reet over.

And he'd be telling them to do life savers and MSM.

And then we'd end up scrapping in the car park

Ha!

Funnily enough, I did do some classroom sessions on Rider Skills days at Castle Coombe organised by Somerset Road Safety Partnership. They were put together by a nice bloke called Jim Newman, who was a road safety officer. It was a mixed activity day, with a bunch of activities including machine handling and track time. One day we had a talk on tyre technology from the senior bloke in the development section at Avon tyres - that was a bit of an eye opener! I think they ran for three seasons, and we did three a year if I remember right. Then the funding ran out.

But I didn't cover MSM It was a presentation called 'Crash Course' ... all about how riders crash on the road, and how to avoid them.

[The Spin Doctor]

For me already firmness on the brakes (harder, earlier) and looking further ahead in the corners. I've already felt the difference on the road.

What riding at speed on the track demonstrated to me was how stable my bike could be (especially the transition from heavy hard braking to back on the throttle if you're smooth with it). I only really realised that after going faster than road legal speeds. Then when you dial it back in a bit on the road you know what you have in hand.

Worth mentioning I only started riding a few years ago so never had a chance to date for it to be proved how capable my bike is vs me myself

I would go again and would now even consider a normal track day at that venue, something I didn't think would be the case before this, because now I realise I really could go "for a laugh" and go at my pace, and how easy it would be for anyone quicker than me to zip past me.

For me the big bonus of this setup is people say "do a track day to improve" but if that isn't what you're interested in from the outset when you start riding (or you don't know anyone who does them) it feels miles away from being something "someone like you" should sign up to do. I had a HUGE chunk of imposter syndrome when I signed in and after session one wondered what I'd let myself in for, but having an instructor watching me then making me follow them for a lap in the second session made a world of difference in settling me in.

Good stuff.

Oddly enough I have just written a 'self-help' series of tips for riders to get better on the brakes when taking on a new bike.

https://ko-fi.com/post/SoS-September-11 ... -R5R86669T

Feel free to offer feedback

[chutzpah]

For me already firmness on the brakes (harder, earlier) and looking further ahead in the corners. I've already felt the difference on the road.

What riding at speed on the track demonstrated to me was how stable my bike could be (especially the transition from heavy hard braking to back on the throttle if you're smooth with it). I only really realised that after going faster than road legal speeds. Then when you dial it back in a bit on the road you know what you have in hand.

Worth mentioning I only started riding a few years ago so never had a chance to date for it to be proved how capable my bike is vs me myself

I would go again and would now even consider a normal track day at that venue, something I didn't think would be the case before this, because now I realise I really could go "for a laugh" and go at my pace, and how easy it would be for anyone quicker than me to zip past me.

For me the big bonus of this setup is people say "do a track day to improve" but if that isn't what you're interested in from the outset when you start riding (or you don't know anyone who does them) it feels miles away from being something "someone like you" should sign up to do. I had a HUGE chunk of imposter syndrome when I signed in and after session one wondered what I'd let myself in for, but having an instructor watching me then making me follow them for a lap in the second session made a world of difference in settling me in.

Good stuff.

Oddly enough I have just written a 'self-help' series of tips for riders to get better on the brakes when taking on a new bike.

https://ko-fi.com/post/SoS-September-11 ... -R5R86669T

Feel free to offer feedback

I got the Ko-Fi email alert just ten minutes ago I bung you a couple of quid each month

[The Spin Doctor]

I got the Ko-Fi email alert just ten minutes ago I bung you a couple of quid each month

Doh!

All these user names

[Couchy]

I guess you had fun and it worked for you which is all that matters but this line ‘ A theory session on a concept of riding’ makes me angry as it’s everything I don’t want from my motorbike riding

[chutzpah]

I guess you had fun and it worked for you which is all that matters but this line ‘ A theory session on a concept of riding’ makes me angry as it’s everything I don’t want from my motorbike riding

I've read that three times and I've got to be honest, I've no idea what you're talking about ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[chutzpah]

Oh right, first post.

No need to be angry about it, just don't sign up in that case.

[Couchy]

I guess you had fun and it worked for you which is all that matters but this line ‘ A theory session on a concept of riding’ makes me angry as it’s everything I don’t want from my motorbike riding

I've read that three times and I've got to be honest, I've no idea what you're talking about ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Lol I got as far as that line and couldn’t read any further, I don’t do riding by numbers but I can see how it helps some folk who like to learn that way, Iprefer to just ride but I prob have an advantage as I started very young

[chutzpah]

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

[KungFooBob]

Different strokes for different folks I guess.