A year ago, I wrote about taking the Level I class of California Superbike School at the NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was my first time riding on a track and my first lesson of that type, and I learned a lot – so much that I was worried I wouldn’t be able to remember everything. I’m happy to report that wasn’t the case. I’ve practiced those techniques during every ride since. Twelve months of practice doesn’t make perfect, but it builds confidence and keeps skills sharp.
When I felt ready for the Level II class, I booked it at the same track. As the date approached, the weather forecast got worse and worse, with severe storms and tornados threatening to rain on our parade. I called California Superbike School the day before the class, and they said to show up rain or shine. Rain is one thing, but tornados are quite another. If the Wicked Witch of the West was around, I’d have asked her for some pointers.
I arrived at the track on a cloudy but dry morning. As students checked in at the registration table and sipped coffee, the good folks of CSS hustled to make sure we could get started as early as possible before the weather took a turn. Most of the other students were returning after taking a class the day before. The students I talked to seemed satisfied with their decision to take Level I and Level II back-to-back, although I’m happy to have had a year in between to practice.
We gathered in the classroom and were told the routine would follow the same schedule that I remembered from the year prior, with one group of students in the classroom while a second group was on the track, alternating every 20 minutes or so. The coaches and instructors introduced themselves, and I was happy to see that my on-track coach from last year, Lyle, would be teaching a couple of my classroom lessons. But first up was Dylan Code, the son of CSS founder Keith Code, who runs the school.
Dylan told us that Level II’s primary focus was vision, a continuation of the last exercise we completed in Level I. What I didn’t know then was just how much there is to learn about how our eyes work and how that affects the way we ride. Luckily, I’d opened a fresh pair of contacts that morning.
As was the case in Level I, our classroom instructors used a combination of drawing on the whiteboard and showing photos and videos on a projector to walk us through the science behind the techniques we were learning. The videos I found most helpful were of riders’ eyes as they rode a track. We saw how the eyes of beginner riders jumped around the track as they rode, bouncing from place to place. Then we watched a video of a professional racer’s eyes. The difference was, well, eye-opening.
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As it turns out, eye discipline is more difficult to master than I would have expected. Just as saying “Don’t think about an elephant” immediately conjures an image of an elephant, telling myself not to look too far ahead or too far back or at other riders or down at the bike’s instrument panel was a sure way to make my eyes snap straight to those locations. As Dylan explained, every millisecond that I was looking elsewhere was a millisecond of important visual information that I was missing out on. Those milliseconds add up.
With a bit of a headache after our first 20-minute track session, it was back to class for the next lesson as the second group of students headed out on the track. Seeing how much fun they were having, the weather apparently wanted to give it a go as well, and rain and lightning quickly put an end to the second group’s session. We continued our classroom lesson, asking questions and chatting. And then we waited.
As we waited, we took turns on the stationary bike in the paddock as a coach corrected our body positioning. Once everyone had a turn, we were back to waiting. The weather forecast showed a break in the storm coming in a little over an hour. Knowing we’d need to finish the day a bit early to avoid more bad weather later, we ate an early and leisurely lunch so we wouldn’t need a lunch break later. (Don’t worry; CSS keeps the paddock well-stocked with snacks and drinks for students to grab throughout the day.)
Once the weather lifted, it was time to get suited up and head back on the track. My on-track coach for the day, Johnny, advised me to put the bike in Rain mode for this session and to ride gently, watching for spots on the track where water had pooled. I took his advice and completed the session without issue. I didn’t mind riding slower, as it gave me more time to think about the exercise and focus on my technique.
The track dried quickly, and it was mostly clear by our next session. As was the case in Level I, the lessons followed a logical order and built on each other, allowing students to learn techniques a little at a time instead of confusing them with too much to remember at once. I was once again very pleased with my on-track coach. Johnny’s advice on how to improve in the corners where I was struggling was immensely helpful. It was also a big confidence boost when he pointed out sections of the track where I was doing well. After each track session, we came up with a plan on what to focus on during the next session.
Due to the weather, I didn’t get a chance to try out the Lean Machine. I did, however, get to try something new that day. In Level I, I had reserved a BMW G 310 R to ride, and I was happy with that choice. But for Level II, I stepped up to the BMW S 1000 R. No, I didn’t need that much power and performance, and the 310 would have been enough for my reserved speeds. But dang if the S 1000 R didn’t put a grin on my face every time I threw a leg over. The only other student who rode an S 1000 R agreed, saying he was now determined to purchase his own as soon as he could. The standard rental bike for the school is the S 1000 RR, although some other options may be available upon request.
Since we had a smaller class than usual, we were able to finish early despite the lengthy lunch break. Farewells were cut short as students quickly packed up to avoid the incoming storms. I drove two hours home, with tornado sirens wailing at me along the way. Even though I was in my car instead of on a bike, I got in some good vision practice as I forced my eyes to focus on the road instead of being distracted by the weather alerts popping up on my phone.
After two classes with California Superbike School, I highly recommend it. Even if you have no desire to start attending trackdays or even to ride a sportbike, the lessons and techniques have greatly improved my street riding and my confidence. Classes run from March to November at tracks across the U.S. Be sure to register early to reserve your spot. You can find all the info at SuperbikeSchool.com.
