California superbike school, E Creek

[hooligan]

Just wondering if anyone has done one?
My brother and I went last Wednesday (him for his birthday, and me cause I've always wanted to.

When I broke my scaphoid 6 years ago, it changed the way i positioned myself on the bike. And when I had the big crash in 09 and broke femur tib and fib in my right leg, it really changed how i rode.
When i was at nfr, any corner that vaguely resembled the one I crashed on (i.e, a sheer drop on the outside of the corner) i felt the panic rising.
I wanted to feel loose and relaxed on the bike again.

Unlike a track day, where you ride for 15, then kill time for 45 until the day ends, at the CSS you are active all day.
A theory lesson for 20 or 30 mins where they teach you an aspect of riding, then kill time for about 10 mins, then on the track for 15 or 20 to practice the riding drill given to you in the theory class.
On track, they have an instructor who looks after about 3 riders. They follow each rider for a bit, then make you follow them as they walk you through the drill (using hand signals). Once you are both satisfied that you are getting it mostly right (again, hand signals), you keep doing laps until the checkered flag to end your session.
Once you pull in, you go straight over to your on track instructor, and have a debrief session, what was easy, what was hard, and get instructed on what to try next time. Then you head to the classroom for the next bit of theory, and rinse and repeat until the day ends.

A lot of what you learn is what other people have already told you before, but they explain WHY things are important, in terms of thought processes and the basic physics of riding a bike. Once I understood why certain things were important, and given a drill to practice that piece of information, things came together really easily.
By the end of the day, i was a lot faster and smoother, and with less effort.
I got what I wanted from the first level, more relaxed, like how I used to feel on a bike before breaking things. Well worth the price of admission.

[Weaselman]

I think that thing is always good to get the riding mojo back. Spesh since the 09 off (That would make it hard for me too)
But I will say that the narrow sections at the NFR dont do anyone any favours. I have the same problem mainly because I freak out that some idiot is going to come through wide in the opposite direction. And that caution payed off last year with that retard on the yellow triumph.

[Yella]

I did 1 a couple of years back changed the way I looked at a corner, the set up and the exit ETC. I was quicker at the end of the day but more important smoother as said well worth the $$$

[Gix11]

I did one of the race schools at Donington Park back in the early 90's. Taught me shit loads and the bonus was they gave you the full leathers and their bikes to use, so you just went for it! Still got the certificate somewhere. Not sure they do it any more there though? Any race track training is well worth the money, you learn loads.

[hooligan]

you can hire bikes and gear from them as well (for an additional charge, of course). I've done about 10 track days mostly at the creek, but also 1 at phillip island and a couple at oran park.
I didn't get back to knee down like i used to, but i was dragging pegs and toe sliders.
At the end of a track day, i'd be knackered from pushing as hard as i could.
At the end of the superbike school, i felt like i was faster, but still felt fresh and relaxed. Maybe that's how supercharger feels at the end of a ride?

[fimpBIKES]

did it in 06, lvl1
fuckin loved it

been riding on road for 6yrs or so at the time, wish i had done it much sooner
would have saved me learning things the painful way LOL

[El_Hefty]

anybody done one in QLD ? se qld preferably

[playswithnitro]

Look up Top Rider for schools and ride days in SEQ and everywhere else up and down the east coast including The Farm.

[robmac]

anybody done one in QLD ? se qld preferably

Haven't done the superbike course up here (being at QLD raceway it's hardly inviting) but I've done a few courses with Top Rider.
Bernie Hatton is the guy that runs it. Good bloke and a great instructor and he's quite rapid on a bike too (ridden the TT a few years ago). I learnt alot from him about body positioning and staying relaxed on the bike and as a result ended up faster and safer.
If you get the chance do it. Well recommended.

[Gix11]

Yea, talk to Bernie Mike, he's a good bloke and down to earth. My office used to be upstairs from him in Lawrence Drive so I'd talk to him a lot. He advertises his courses in Rapid I think: http://www.toprider.com.au/Pages.asp?PageID=18

[El_Hefty]

fuck this rain meant to be doing toprider today but its belting down with an inch of water across the road. They have nothing on their site for these conditions and not answering the phone. Like so many of these things so half arsed and far from professional.

i certainly dont fancy standing in this shit all day wet to the bone...

or do i just need to harden the fuck up?!

[Gix11]

I think you answered your own question...