I've always marveled at the superbike riders I see on the Speed channel-what skill & guts it must take to ride a bike like that! Does anyone know of tracks where they teach you higher speed handling & cornering? I would really like to improve my riding skills, especially cornering so to have more confidence in the twisties. :wonderlan

practice, i love twisties but dont push too hard because of all the deer around here. and potholes and gravel and... i leave the super bike riding to the pros. ride at my pace and enjoy the ride.

I'm with lagerdrinker...
Def. like to push it a little, but nothing like on a sportbike...love pushing it down and out with hips and hands in the corners!! Good fun! :tour

im with you two. i like the twistie, and ill hit'em 2x the posted limit. by i get a feel for them first. holes, gravel , blind driveways etc. i have a few sets of them staked out for when i get the urge.

I was reading the "Robb Report: Motorcycling". (Not too critical a collection of reviews, but good general writing and really good photography.) Anyway, this one guy wrote about getting 4 laps with Valentino Rossi's hand built Moto GP Yamaha. 320 lbs with 250 HP. At one point he talks about having it wide open at 15,000 RPM on the staightaway. I'm a cautious and pretty non-agressive rider, but I would just love to know what that feels like.:wonderlan

Tracks are a controlled environment and streets never are. Always give yourself a huge margin for error; the oil on the street today wasn't there yesterday etc. In the mountains locals have been known to scatter gravel on the apexes. Matt

That drifting in the corners sh*t that Rossi does....now that's something they don't teach ya at a MSF course!!!!

Where do I sign up for that lesson? :D

In the mountains locals have been known to scatter gravel on the apexes. Matt

Oh sh:censort, one more thing to worry about. :frownthre

Tracks are a controlled environment and streets never are. Always give yourself a huge margin for error; the oil on the street today wasn't there yesterday etc. In the mountains locals have been known to scatter gravel on the apexes. Matt
I don't necessarily want to try to take curves at a high rate of speed on the road, but I think on a track you could learn at lot about cornering; ie picking a line, entry speed, braking-it would have to make you a safer rider. Also, it would be blast!:D

Check out a book by Lee Parks Total Control. A really great guide that fills the gap between the MSF ERC and Race Schools. He also has classes around the US. I've tried the techniques with positive results. I think this is the web site.
www.leeparksdesign.com

Check out a book by Lee Parks Total Control. A really great guide that fills the gap between the MSF ERC and Race Schools. He also has classes around the US. I've tried the techniques with positive results. I think this is the web site.
www.leeparksdesign.com
Thanks, edster. There is a class every month in Frederick, MD which is only about 50 miles from my home. I think this would help me a lot. It is basically low speed (25 MPH) manuerving & cornering, but like you say the techniques would translate into higher speed cornering. I plan to sign up for the August class. :)

Get a copy of Keith Code's "Soft Science of Roadracing Motorcycles". He's been teaching knee draggers since back in my day.

Most race tracks that run motorcycle roadracing, also run schools and track days. That's the safest way to work up your cornering speed in a more controlled environment. They break down the rider groups by ability. They start at a slow pace for novices and work up speed from there. You need full gear, leathers, etc, and your bike has to be prepped for the track(sticky tires/safety wired/ etc.

All the amatuer roadrace series(WERA, CCS, Formula USA, AHRMA) offer rider's schools several times a year around the country. Check out their websites for info. They get you a novice roadrace license and are cheaper than the dedicated roadrace schools like the Superbike School and Freddie Spenser's schools where they provide bikes/ leathers, etc. If you have the money, the professional schools are excellent!:smoke

I've scraped once....and that was due to a bump in road...still not sure what exactly scraped :) My problem is my big ass feet tend to scrape before my pegs do....hehehe

Google "Track days virginia"
there was a list of tracks in virginia, you can contact the closest one and ask who does motorcycle track days there, then contact them. Or most Honda/Suzuki/ etc shops should know who does them in your area.

I have done 3 track days, I wish I had started years ago. It was WELL worth the money spent to do a performance riding school. I cant encourage it enough. Not only do you get to learn, you get to ride in a enviroment where there are no cops/dogs/soccermoms on cellphones etc. You will gain way more confidence in yourself and your bike.

I liked it so much I sold some guns and just bought a old Honda 600 to use on the track.

Again, what you will learn at a performance school is worth so much more than the monetary cost. (Some people say that a track day costs less than a speeding ticket.)

ETA, not all track day sponsors in WA require 1 piece leathers, safety wire etc if you are in the school/ relaxed riding group. Most (I think) break it down to 3 groups, expert, intermediate and relaxed. Call and talk to whoever runs the track days/ school and they can give you their requierments. Call several if they are in the area. I've been the only HD at the track days Ive been to, but they said they have had them in the past. Most are sportbikes, some sport/touring bikes, some cruisers and yes, they have had Goldwings.

You will not believe how much you get out of track time. I spent years racing dirt bikes in the desert, and still plan on getting to a track school when I get my Sporty dialed in. In fact, I can honestly say that my racing reflexes saved the life of a blonde in a suv who ran a stop sign while talking on her cell phone. I was heading straight for her door at 50 mph, but was able to hit her front tire instead. Spun her suv into the next lane. Both trucks totaled, but we both walked away. Bought the Sporty with the insurance settlement.

I dont see how you could go very fast around the corners with a low. I have a regular and am constantly scrapping pegs and sometimes the muffler and I dont weight very much. The sportster has the least ground clearance of any bike I have ever owned. Of course some of my bikes, the only way of dragging something was slidding down the road on their side:)

Winter is coming...I would get all Kieth Codes books and tapes. :doh, I already have them.
Read/study up, get a plan and take a riders course on a track, when the weather gets better.

Pick out a lonely, deserted, curvy road and practice, practice, practice until you know the bikes limits. When you start dragging stuff you can always hang off the side, lowering your center of gravity, and raise the bike up slightly to stop scraping in the curve. If you become proficient at this it will probably save your a$$ at sometime or other......Dew.

There is a number of raceing schools around the country just google for them.

Hang in there :tour