9/7 NJMP Thunderbolt
My school is a combination of techniques that I developed and refined over my 29 years of amateur and professional racing. Those techniques and the basic fundamental process works today whether you are riding a Sport touring bike or a pure sport bike like the modern 600's, 1000's to my 500cc GP bike and even when I have had the pleasure of riding a MOTO GP bike the Honda RC211V! When I raced 500cc Grand Prix bikes, most of the time, they were practically "un-rideable". I was always trying to find a balance between front and rear grip and when we went to Carbon brakes controlling the transfer of weight forward and back was almost impossible. So finesse and rhythm were very important ingredients to be able to master a 500. And master maybe a stretch. Great riders learn to control the pitch, or transfer of weight (back to front under braking / front to back under acceleration)! They either learn to know the bikes strengths and limitations or they will not last long at the pinnacle of the sport. So it is not all about SPEED it is about fundamentals, control, and efficiency. Then you will gain confidence and comfort to truly enjoy riding to your potential!
The transitions on a GP bike, or a production street bike, are relative to how the bike responds to you. Your input, which includes basic fundamentals of how to consistently control the bike, is crucial to improving and learning to make the correct decision at the right time. One of the techniques you will be taught is how to correct your speed and line at the same time. And do this in the shortest amount of time possible under the most control. The key, in addition to having proper technique, is having the bike in the right position in every corner, and knowing when you are not in that position. My goal is to teach you how to recover from a mistake and how, when on the track, you can not only recover but do it in the least amount of time and with the least amount of risk. As I said I raced for 29 years on every type of bike, and what I realized is that if you run the most consistently fast lap times, as well as make the least number of mistakes and are able to correct them in the least amount of time, you will ride well. You will run upfront, and have the highest chance of winning. I won many Gran Prix's and did not run the fastest lap of the race!
For street riders, being able to make those "speed and Line "corrections in the shortest amount of time , in that blind right hand corner - can be the difference between riding across that center line or not. BEING IN CONTROL OF THE BIKE'S SPEED AND DIRECTION AT ALL TIMES gives you the confidence, and comfort level to move forward in your rider development. This is one of my absolute beliefs that you will hear me and the instructors reiterate many times during my program. The techniques that you will learn here will be valuable on any motorcycle on the track, as well as any motorcycle on the street.
"Being in control at all times means you're either decelerating (rolling off the throttle and applying the brakes) or accelerating (releasing the lever pressure to stop braking and making the transition to initiating the throttle and then begin accelerating ):
To give you a brief description of how my program begins, and progresses is:
- In the morning classroom session, I begin with an "over view of what you will learn the first day". Also, I discuss how to fix the mistakes the average rider makes; mistakes that get in the way of their ability to improve their lap time. And how to correct those mistakes with less effort and risk! I review how riders put themselves and their bikes in positions on the track - or on the street as well - that are not only limiting them from improving their lap times, but how they are doomed by the choices they make before they ever begin preparing to enter a corner!!
- After the introduction, I teach the "hows and whys" and the necessary techniques to help you understand how to change direction quickly in the application of lean angle (my believe is when you begin to lean the bike the direction you want to go -I want immediate response - You will learn why national and international caliber riders can do it and why it is not only a faster way to change direction but safer and easier to repeat. This requires learning to properly use your body and front brakes (trail braking). When you can do that it will improve your entry speed and mid-corner speed (because the bike is pointed correctly at the right position), and you will be able to begin to pickup the throttle, and take away lean angle to improve your exit speed on the track. You will spend less time on the very edge of the side of the tire. Also, you will learn that how you prepare, and the position and line you put the bike in, is the genesis of everything that happens next!! On the track it determines your mid-corner and exit speed.
I guarantee you will have a better understanding of how the bike works, and how to let the bike help you become a better rider.
I guarantee you will have more control of the bike, and be able to make speed and line corrections at the same time. If your goal is to go faster on the track, after completing my program you will be able to go consistently faster, with less effort and more safely. For the street rider, safety is more important because the rider is in an environment with many more unpredictable factors. Understandably when you have control over speed and direction, you can devote more "brain and visual" power to all the things going on around you. And as I will explain at my school, I have a plan of action for whatever may arise that could hurt you.
As you can see, my goal is to help you become a "better and safer rider" whether on the track, or on the street. I can do this through techniques and fundamentals that I have used and taught for many years, on bikes from a "VFR800 Sport touring Bike" to "Nicky Hayden's WGP winning RC211V (V5 with 250HP+)". I have ridden every version of Honda's sport bikes to their GP race bikes, including the AHM CBR1000RR Superbikes.
I and my instructors look forward to working with you to help you become the best rider possible, and to enable you to enjoy the sport of motorcycling to its fullest. Remember when you come to my school, YOU are the reason we are here!!
