i-Zapp

in for Tuesday.

John - i hope you reconsider, but in the meantime i've got a buddy here in Wickliffe that i'm going to send your way that wants a starter trackbike. 

George

Absolutely perfect condition bike - no blems, scratches, or scuffs. 3,X00 miles. Bike has been meticulously maintained and never seen rain. They don't get any nicer, even from the showroom. Was planning on using as a street/track bike, but it's just too damn nice for the track and looking for more cc's for the street. Brand new set of Continental Sport Attack II tires just installed (<100 miles).

Upgrades:

* Leo Vince carbon fiber SBK EVOII exhaust/slip-on
* BMC "RACE" Air Filter
* LSL frame sliders
* LSL front axle slider
* Triumph carbon tank pad/protector
* Tech Spec Snake Skin tank pads
* Pit Bull 6mm spool kit, black alum..
* Elka rear "piggyback" shock (set up for 180 lb. rider, with a spare 220# spring)
* Triumph Wind "Tall" Screen
* Triumph Levers (clutch & brake), adjustable
* British Customs Mirror Block-Offs
* British Customs Fender Eliminator Plate
* Clear Alternatives sequential tail light, smoke color
* Saddlemen race saddle in carbon finish w/Conti yellow center cut-out section.
* billet aluminum front-fairing GoPro mount
* Heli-bars handlebar risers (easily swappable)

Also included, separately:
* all the stock take off parts (shock, exhaust, bars, etc)

$6900 or $6500 without the Elka shock. Title in hand. Cash or bank check only. May be interested in trades, like GSXR750, 1000, or other big bore sport bike.

MORE PHOTOS at -
https://www.flickr.com/photos/izapp/sets/72157652768317458

I got the bad body position thing too last weekend... first it was "your ass is where it needs to be, but you need to get your head out farther" (which I knew I needed to work on). And by the end of the day it turned into "your ass needs to get farther off the bike". WTF. Don't matter, I got my A bump and out of the I group mayhem.

 Wondering how the track surface will be for grip.

i asked a guy at work who used to be a race tire engineer for goodyear and spent a fair amount of time characterizing track surfaces, and his comment was that a new asphalt track should have a fair amount of grip, will make your tires run hotter than normal, and tire wear should be low.

i did not ask him about how a new asphalt track is when wet. Because that won't matter on Saturday. see you there bright and early. :>)

I normally get there early....unpack and get everything ready, then go watch the event that is running prior to the twilight.  I wouldn't plan to get there later than 3:30, think the riders meeting is at 4:30 and the intermediate group goes out at 5, then advanced at 5:15 and track is open at 5:30. 

i guess i'm confused then - i thought twilight was mixed I/A, with no regimented rotations. basically, open track for both groups all evening - go out whenever, and however long you want??? (i could swear that's how it was last time.......)

@jester you're killing me, "hoping for a 1:38" and still riding Intermediate. that's def worthy of a "king of I group" trophy!  

just ran my first full day in Advanced at M-O a few weeks back and seem to be stuck in a too comfortable 1:45 ish pace.

would love to break into the high 30s this year.

might be joining the fun on Sunday depending on family plans.

downshifting not allowed either. 4th gear only. on day one.

on day two we were allowed 3rd gear also.

to me, an A pace involves getting your corner entry speed just right, and without that the whole turn is slower if you're approaching the turn cautiously (sans brakes). I think that CSS invokes the no-brakes, one gear only rule to keep speeds down and force riders to focus on the specific drills. that's cool and I understand it, it's just not what I consider A pace.

I rode nearly A pace for my level 1.

 

For example; the very first drill is "throttle control" with no brakes. To fine tune your throttle control skill with no brakes and still ride a pace that allows you to drag a knee is quite challenging. 

your A pace must be different than mine. i need to use brakes for mine. especially on a rented 190 hp bike. 

Thanks for posting.......that's funny; I bet I run faster and more consistent lap times than 95 % of "I" group riders on any track. I run consistent lap time of 1.07 at Pirc or even at Mid-ohio  lap times in the 1.44 range even in traffic.

imagine what you could do on a PROPER trackbike!  (poke, poke)

pretty sure me and Zack will be there on Sunday in "I" group. I loath the wave-by, but i guess i gotta play by the rules.

Sounds like a great experience. How awesome is the corkscrew turn and the elevation drop?

you think you're ready for it, but the drop and change in direction is way more dramatic than you imagine. i had run Laguna countless times on Playstation and thought i had it pretty well figured out, but even at 50% pace it takes you by surprise and you find yourself going "whoaah!". pretty cool.

Good, honest review.  Thanks for sharing.

 

For perspective purposes - if you did a 1:49 at Mazda Raceway, what are you normally turning at MidOhio?

that 1:49 is an estimate - the lap timer was not working on day 2 due to the rain (they think) and my best time from day1 was a 1:56 with the beemer in rain mode, light brakes, still figuring out the track, and only two gears. they also put a chicane between turns 5 and 6 to keep the sound down (90 dB limit!), but i suspect it's to keep guys from running off at 6.

my best time at MidO is about a 1:44

my goal is sub 1:40 this year.

I loved my 2 days at csb. I did approach it differently though. Knowing that it would be a mix of levels I backed off and focused on the drills. Apparently I backed off to much as my coach yelled at me for going to slow and that he needed to see me at a min of 70% not the 50% that I was at. We picked up the pace and continued on the drills. 

 

One thing I can't emphasis enough is that you must walk in with an open mind and the willingness to learn. Just remember, even when Nicky did the school years ago, he started at level one. This doesn't mean you have to do 35 mph but they want you at 75-80% of your max so that you can practice at speed. As for getting that type of learning at a trackday and advancing like that, not a chance. You will but I guarantee you will waste way more money.

 

I have actual tried to incorporate what I have learned into my coaching. It works ok, most don't really want to listen, those who have are now quicker than the ones who haven't.

 

If you ever have the cash please go to one. I did mine at VIR on my own bike to save done cash, so there is that option as well. That being said my next one will be at either willow springs or Laguna.

 

Izapp, try to remember the drills and work on them next time out at a local track, I think you will be stunned with the results. If you don't mind me asking, who did you have for a coach?

i think running at 75% on a rented $20k bike is pretty daunting for most people. for me the bad habits become more evident at a faster clip and my comfort level with the bike (it's sooooo nice) translated to a pretty brisk pace.  for level 3-4 i want to do VIR on my own bike.

that ama racer, Travis Wyman, was my main track coach both days. young kid, easy to communicate with.

I want to do this so bad.

I think you may have been there with this guy:

http://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/31vri8/my_experience_at_california_superbike_school/

interesting, he did his the previous mon-tue.

Laguna Seca with CSS review posted.

(Long read, wrote this on my return flight)

I first learned about California Superbike School after seeing their booth at MidOhio back years ago when the AMA races were something to behold. At the time it seemed very intriguing but a complete pipe dream. A few years later for my 40th bday I did run my very first track day at MidOhio, but under the guidance of their own instructors.

Fast forward 10 years and about 60 plus trackdays and I finally committed to CSS, mostly because I really wanted to ride Laguna Seca and CSS's program was the "easiest" way to do it. If you consider the $3000 cost plus travel expenses, the word "easy" doesn't come to mind for most normal people, but I said screw it, life's too short - turning 50 this month, kids both out of the house, work bonus, and wife got fancy new job. Yah, it's time, now or never.

So here goes, starting with some interesting stats from day 1-

* Number of students in my group: 12

* Number of students that have Never been on a racetrack: about half

* Number of students that have Never heard of Laguna's famous corkscrew turn: 3

* Number of students that dropped the practice bike during the parking lot pre-test: 1

* Number of students that that stalled the practice bike: at least one

It started to paint a pretty dank picture of the days ahead, and pretty quickly I found myself in the exact situation I suspected (and feared) would occur- I was back in novice class and instead of enjoying Laguna at speed trying to burn fast laps I was stuck with very well-to-do motorcycling enthusiasts who like me wanted instruction on becoming a more proficient rider, albeit at a much different level. See, EVERYONE is required to start at Level 1 regardless of experience.

Yep, I was one of those guys that thought Level 1 school was beneath them and was becoming more and more frustrated by the rudimentary training drills, especially with notice that day 2 may be cancelled due to rain and we've yet been allowed out of "4th gear only, no brakes" novice mode.

Some more stats to chew on-

* Number of times during CSS history that everyone has completed session 1 without blowing the corkscrew and Rossi'ing it through the rough: 0

* Which lap I did it on: 1

* Number of red flags both days: 0

* Number of black flags I got for close passes: 1

Clearly, an attitude adjustment was in order. At the conclusion of day1 we were asked to complete a satisfaction survey, and I took the opportunity to voice my frustration, not expecting any real result or repercussion. As I was about to hop back in my rental car, Dylan Code (Keith's son and lead instructor) stops me for a very candid discussion. It was the turning point for my experience - as everyone bothering to read this can appreciate, we all have issues with our technique and Dylan in his courteous and articulate way basically said "you ain't all that" and unless my attitude changes I will be wasting money and opportunity to do exactly what I need to do - fix the fundamentals. He was right about my attitude, and after critiquing my 'camera bike' video, my technique too.

I slept on it and started day 2 with a concertedly open minded outlook. Even before class started Dylan took me aside to show me other example videos of good and bad technique. And mid day I noticed Dylan suiting up to ride (unusual). The morning rain had passed and the track was as good as it gets. At the end of my riding session he grabs me, now back in his plain clothes, and says "I took video of you riding.. Let's review it". Wow. That's customer service.

And that pretty much exemplifies the whole CSS experience. Not just the main guy, but the entire staff was exceedingly approachable and eager to help. It's as though they were the new guys trying to make a name for themselves instead of the preeminent organization they've been for years.

So, is it worth it, did I get faster, would I recommend it? If you can find a way to afford it, there's no better trackday org out there. Could I have affected the same improvement by doing a dozen local trackdays instead? Probably not. With coaching? Maybe. It hasn't happened in the last decade why would it magically change in the next. I can tell you this, improving your skills and knowing they're squared away translates to confidence, and that's ultimately where the speed comes from. CSS squeezed that into two days.

Final stats-

* My best lap time: about a 1:49 (with chicane between 5 and 6)

* My best lap: the very last one

* My favorite lap: chasing the skinny black mark leaving the rear tire of my track coach for an entire lap (AMA pro Travis Wyman).

* Likelihood of doing level 3 & 4 with CSS: 99% (nothing's for sure in life!)

(i know, what a dick)

kinda funny, i havent even thrown my leg over the bike in 6 months and already got half my trackday calendar scheduled and paid for.

next week - Laguna Seca, with Calif SBK school!

July - Beaverun FULL track!

Oct - Barber LED event!

FWIW, i'll be posting my experience with CSS for anyone interested. can't wait - two days riding a 2015 S1000RR. 8>}

FWIW, I've asked a coworker who used to be a tire engineer about the cold and potential for splitting, and says no way would tires split due to cold. The seam separation issue is unrelated to cold - I've seen it on several tires, including different tire mfgs and bikes. He says its a minor defect that does not impact tire integrity. Undesirable yes, serious problem no. The cold weather issue is really about how race compound tires can "spider web" like glass, but not split. His recommendation is too keep them inflated, off the ground, and away from fluorescent lights and generators (??).

we've been doing Barber as our season opener for the past 3 years - awesome track, awesome facility, and don't miss the museum. It's 12 hours from here though, so we've driven halfway down on Thu, finish it up Fri and hit the museum, camp at the track, and ride Sat. We travel back on Sun so we don't have to burn another vacation day but each year realize how stupid that is - all that driving for a single track day... usually they offer Sat AND Sun if you can swing the funds and vaca. :>)

Thinking about changing it up and doing Road Atlanta in March instead - that's another iconic track that I want to cross of the list!

I would love to be there to test out the new bike but won't have the extra cash....

you gotta hate that kind of irony!

shooting for Monday. Can't do Tues, so fingers crossed!

wow according to that link, there are currently 120 riders confirmed for both Sat & Sun trackdays. I suppose that 40+ riders per group may be pretty crowded even with a 3 mile track. I hope that so many guys on a track they've never been doesn't turn into a red-flag CF day. I hope I'm wrong!

Had a blast today in "I" group.......weather was perfect !!!!!!!!

yes, we all did too! Getting a whole day to ride was a treat (was expecting the day cut short due to weather). very few guys riding in each of the groups made for some fast lap times. I think we all had personal bests today. even the brand new 21 yo novice guy bumped to I group his very first track day.

I ride slower on the street now than I ever did before.

me too. and I was a real hooley. now I barely even ride the bike to work.

Almost always the case. Fastest guy on the street, slowest on the track. Slowest guy on the street, fastest guy on the track

i'll buy that.

you just keep those negative comments to yourself!

(we're already paid up for Tues)

the ninjettes will be there too. I think 4 or 5 of them are planning on going I know one is a CR.

we got a new rider on a 250 coming with us too. he's having a good time on the little ninja (second time at MidO).

I've tried it several times and it never has worked for me.  

it just did for me - all upper case "FORUM2014" and got 10 bucks off. Enough for a double cheeseburger, fries, and a shake on the way home!

thank you! All registered - see yall on Tues!

is there a discount code? (I keep forgetting it)