MotoVixens

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Rickdiculous

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Rickdiculous-1Not sure what to expect at Rickdiculous, I signed up due to the rave reviews from those who have attended in the past. Reasons were vague, but the resounding praises of their techniques were what intrigued me to join them and see what the buzz was all about. For those in the track community, there has been a great deal of talk about their school and Rickdiculous-2while the price may seem steep, once you attend you will see that you get more than you paid for. Rickdiculous was started with a father-son team who loved the sport, however did not like learning with 30-50 people on the track.  Adam Bronfman, otherwise known as “Papa Rick” and his son, Josh Bronfman, aka “Ricky” decided there was a better way and made it happen Rickdiculous-3with Rickdiculous including elite coaches to help others reach their riding goals.  Their style of teaching is unconventional, not classroom based and truly designed to make you a better rider no matter your level. Quite often you receive a private coach for the day which was in my case true, there was only one coach there that received two students and Rickdiculous-coaches-1their riding styles and levels were compatible so it worked well. My plan was to take 3 days and really immerse myself in this process, but due to a family death I was forced to cut my trip to 2 days. However, on my long drive home and judging from how sore everything is, I think two days was plenty of riding and enough information for me chew on and absorb. This is not an easy school, they will work you hard, break down your riding, discuss things you really need to work on and you ride pretty much nonstop. If you are looking to just attend a school and not get your head around things, don’t waste your money and time, but if you are committed to being better and safer all the while naturally getting faster, this school is for you.

Rickdiculous-coaches-2Since I was there for two days, I spent my first day with my coach, George Grass, speaking about what I wanted to work on…braking. I can go fast, who can’t? That part is easy, it’s the braking to make the corner that scares the living daylights out of me, so that’s what we did…we broke down my braking and discussed how to make that better, safer and more effective. Change is hard, we become lazy, complacent or just accustomed to what has worked in the past and the drills we did to help make those changes as minute as they were, made all the difference later on the track. George applied only a few applications at a time, but each building on the last until I think I didn’t scare the crap out of him anymore (corner 5 at Thunderhill being one of them to start) and we could quickly move on to the next challenge to tackle. By the end of the day we had tackled a great deal of my braking issue and I was getting comfortable with the track. Sweaty, tired and sore I went back for a good nights rest to recover from a long hard day.

Rickdiculous-coaches-3Day two of my training was like boot camp, Ken Hill was my coach for the day (which was an honor to be taught by one of the best) and while he is kind and patient, he expects you to work hard and that’s exactly what we did. We worked even more in depth on my braking, mostly to help with my acceleration and how one works with the other to make it possible to do it at a higher rate of speed, safely. This was shown by taking a car around the track and with him sitting by my side telling me to keep accelerating until he said brake was extremely hard to do, but having faith in him I listened and when we broke, I got to see what the right application of braking could do to getting you the direction you wanted to go. HUH! The remainder of the day was about acceleration and braking and how the two help each other, a completely eye opening experience. All of a sudden, things started clicking and we were clipping at a higher rate and Ken was popping wheelies (he does this when he’s happy). With all my GoPro and Sena footage in tow I have two days of memories forever recorded of my experience at Rickdiculous and I hope that next year or even again later this year I can add to those memories as I continue to increase my skills to help others increase theirs.

Stay tuned video will be posted soon and Vixens Ride!

Ready to Ride?

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With the weather warming up and sunny days peeping in more frequently, I’ve seen an increase in riders on the road so I thought I would just mention a few things to remember.  We take our bikes for granted and sure hopping on the bike at the first peep of sun seems like a great idea, but have you had a chance to tune it up and get it road ready and safe for your spur of the moment ride?  If your bike has been sitting for a while, take a little time checking the fluids (water, oil, brake fluid), do a quick walk around the bike, pump your brakes to check for air in lines or accumulation of moisture, make sure the electronics are all working properly, fire up the bike and let it run (if it is dead might need a new battery or if it sounds rough the fuel may have condensation in it and you may need to pump out the fuel and add fresh fuel), check condition of tires (cracks or even the need for new ones) and always check tire pressures.  KFG will do a free multipoint inspection and repairs down in Auburn and if you are up north call and/or drop in to 2 Wheel DynoWorks for any repairs, check our special offers page for participating dealers to get your bike ready to ride.  In addition, quick look at your gear and if it needs a bit of dusting off now’s the time or maybe it’s even time to do a little shopping!  Oh I just love getting new gear!  Just a few minutes of precaution can save you a ton of heartache in the end.  Remember we are entrusting our lives to these machines and they will serve you as well as you remember to service them.

The best thing to do of course is to plan ahead, if you know it’s going to be great weather soon and you are planning to get out there, do your maintenance and check a week before your ride that way you can fix the things you need to and venture out confident your ride will be enjoyable.  The weather is still brisk and just a reminder that your tires are not going to get warm enough to get premium traction so take it easy, not to mention the moss, leaves, gravel, oil, etc on the roads out there…it’s gonna be slicker.  We are also a bit out of practice not riding as often as we’d normally ride when it’s spring/summer, not a good time to go balls to the wall first thing, ease into it and get your bearings.  Be safe and let your head, eyes and reflexes get up to speed again.  Drivers also need to get used to seeing more motorcycles on the road again so they might not be as aware of you, be extra vigilant and focused when you ride to avoid meeting unexpectedly…we all know they aren’t aware anyway, but let’s try to give them the benefit of the doubt here due to the winter months.  Springs-a-coming and track days are around the corner…save those crazy speeds for the track…there are heightened patrols out there and I know none of us want to get a ticket to ruin our day.

Be Safe and Vixens Ride!  See you out there on the roads!

Body Positioning

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There is tooimages much emphasis on looking the part than the real reason we teach body positioning.  I have seen it all too often, the frequent track enthusiast who tries to nail this technique, but refuses to take a class where we can work one on one with you to help you feel what the proper technique should be.  The truth is what you think you are doing is no where close to what you are imagining in your mind, it requires having someone follow you, meet you in the pits and put you on one of our bikes (which are on stands) and physically adjust your feet, torso, arms and head to really understand.  If you can film yourself by placing a camera on the tail section of your bike this can help you visually understand what it is you need to do to get yourself in the position you’d actually like to be in.  What you feel and what you are actually doing are two very different things and this will help you work on it productively to improve.

Now for the reason we actually stress body positioning…Safety.  Less lean angle, quicker you can get the bike up, quicker you can add throttle safely.  I know it looks cool, but it has another purpose, less lean angle means less hard parts scraping (foot pegs that are stationary are not things you really want to scrape since they may catch and launch you).  The more you get off your bike, the more contact you have with the pavement, the more traction you have…you get the picture.  We want to get people off their bikes to allow more traction because more traction is safety.  Have you noticed people who get wicked lean angle?  How long are they in that position? Do you notice that people who have better lines and less lean time are actually quicker?  Hmmmm…starting to make sense?  Once you start that lean angle you can only maintain that speed with tiny and I mean tiny changes, it is only when you start to stand the bike up that you can actually start to add throttle safely.

Then there’s the knee dragger…don’t be in such a hurry.  Get the technique, lines and confidence up because then you can really add speed into the equation and guess what?  Dragging that knee will come naturally.  We are aiming for smooth here, since smooth is what your bike likes and if you aren’t smooth don’t even think about throwing that knee out there to try to get proof.  All you may end up with is the need for new leathers or repairing your bike all for the sake of getting some street cred.  I am not trying to discourage anyone, I just want to stress the importance of getting everything down before taking the next step.  It is a bit like learning to walk, we had to crawl first then walk, it was in steps…so it is with riding and in riding it is about smoothness, technique, body positioning and speed.  They all need to work in perfect harmony.  Riding is like a beautifully technical dance and there is no feeling in the world when everything is perfect, that is the feeling we try to achieve every lap we take.  It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does there is no feeling like it.  The season is over, but we have a new year to set new goals for ourselves, let’s aim on being safer and faster.  Be safe and as always…Vixens Ride!

StreetMasters

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Headed by Nancy Foote and Walt Fulton, StreetMasters is a street riding course located in Lancaster and taught on Horse Thief Mile at Willow Springs.  Unlike most track riding schools, it’s main focus is on street riding and the skills you require specifically for that type of riding.  Unlike track schools, StreetMasters treats the track like a two lane road, with a line down the middle of the track serving as the divider and teaching you how to take those turns with precision as well as providing you with the knowledge on how to read those corners for your own safety.

Students of the class ride to Lancaster the day before and stay at the Hampton Inn in Lancaster where the morning classes are held and have a group dinner the night before to meet the staff and other students.  Sign in begins at 7am and is followed by introductions of their staff and presentations of traction, braking and carving the perfect corner.  At 8:45 everyone mounts up and rides to Horse Thief Mile at Willow Springs International Motorsports Park in Rosamond where the group is split up in groups A & B depending on experience (which they gather on your registration).  Group A then goes over the drills on the track and mounts up as Group B does drills on the practice pad, alternating through the day.  There is a Q & A with presentation and lunch in the hospitality tent from noon till about 12:40 and another discussion at 3 in the hospitality tent.  The day is then rounded out with graduation drills on the practice pad and the graduation ride on the track…the ride in reverse to prove you’ve indeed learned the skills without the help and of the cones and memory of riding the course clockwise through the day.  The day ends at 4pm where there is a graduation ceremony and group photo.

Due to my quick turn around time, Nancy and Walt had Rocky, their veteran instructor, accelerate the course and we did the afternoon courses at lunch so I could really experience the full nature of their school.  I had the pleasure of borrowing Nancy’s bike a Kawasaki ZRX1200 which was a fabulously powerful bike to ride and so much fun to carve those corners with,  it reminded me of the days of riding with my Monster.  The lines are clearly different when riding for the street as opposed to riding the track and my track training had to be put on the back burner, a reminder when Rocky was beeping at me to  “get in my lane”.  I laughed and waved as I repositioned myself and resumed the lesson.  In track riding schools we use the entire width of the track and “lines” to go faster and safer through the corners, at StreetMasters it is about using the “lane” and lane positioning to view around the corner for a safe exit.  The similarities are the use of entry, apex and exit points however they are applied a bit differently for this street course. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to improve their street riding skills and carve out that perfect corner.  The burden of safety lies with us and until the day that we even out the burden and force drivers to understand motorcyclists and the dangers we face, we can only arm ourselves with knowledge and confidence in our skills.

A huge thanks to Nancy Foote and Walt Fulton (the big wigs of the operation) for inviting me down, Peggy for being the “mom” of the group, Steve and Rocky for being superb instructors and Vince for sweating it out on the practice pad and providing comic relief.  I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend the day and a more fun group of individuals to ride with.  For those who are interested in attending the course, StreetMasters has extended an offer of 20% off for mentioning MotoVixens while registering.  It’s all about the ride and Vixens Ride!!!

Lines on the track

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Track-Map-with-Numbers-and-Names-Sized3-e1321882861754During the classroom portion of track schools, one of the lessons is about lines around the track.  We talk to countless people about them, track day riders who most of the time have never taken a class and I see a look that usually means they either have no idea or they have a very loose understanding of what lines really are and why we use them.  Firstly, lines around the track are a guide and they are usually set up with cones on various places around the track.  If you come to a track day you have several visual cones to help you work your way around.  There are cones for braking, entry, apex, exit and at times specific cones set for passing for different levels.  It is very much like a puzzle and getting everything timed just so to work for the perfect turn or turns which is what we try to aim for and when it works, it feels fantastic!  Secondly, the reason we use lines is it is the fastest and safest way around the track, that’s why racers use them and visualize how to set up each corner linking one to the other all the way around.

The typical setup to a corner is braking cones (where you would start braking and it is to your comfort level, you can brake at the furthest cone if you are unsure all the way to the last cone if you want to really test the size of your balls).  Then comes the entry cone where you want to start or initiate your turn, somewhere in the middle of this turn you should see the apex cone which will give you a perfect line to the exit cone.  The trick is to link these all together in not a sweeping motion, but more like a straight deliberate line setting you up for the next set of cones.  Now not every corner will have braking cones, mostly you will see these down straight aways where you can gain a tremendous amount of speed so these are let’s just call them your mom/bf/gf/significant other screaming at you to brake before you hit something (when you get to the last one you are in deep shit).  In the areas where there are no braking cones these are followed by entry, apex and exit cones to guide you through.  This is where setting yourself up for the next set of cones is important, if you miss an exit your entry, apex and exit will be sloppy or even missed in the next turn.  I always say if you set yourself up well in one turn you will be pretty good for the next two…however missing one will cause you to keep correcting for the next two turns.

Some people may have no fear and brake late, but suck at corners, others may suck at braking, but are phenomenal in corners.  Being great in corners and knowing your lines will make you a faster rider as your speed will eventually increase as well as your taste and mastering of braking later.  Liter bikes are monsters on the straight for sure, but it requires skill to harness and control their power through corners.  Smaller bikes lose to that power on the straights, but their cornering is phenomenal and easier to harness and can whip around them with a huge amount of agility.  Now imagine having near perfect lines, just using that alone you are already faster without ever having to increase speed.  Add speed and you’ll be pretty darn wicked!  Lines are also the safest way around the track for that reason, it literally aims you to where you need to go, like connect the dots.  If you follow them and learn them you’ll not only be the one of the fastest around the track, but you will do so with very little “OH SHIT” moments in your head.  If you aren’t prepared things tend to go wrong right?  SO the track and the lines are your plan that you try to perfect so you can have a great day.  It’s not a contest, you aren’t getting a prize and push too much and you’ll end up with an ugly bike and some physical souvenirs.  Challenge yourself a little every time, improve and soon you’ll be zipping around the track like a pro! Please please please take classes, these are an investment in your skills and in turn your life.  We should never stop learning and what you get in one day in the classroom is so overwhelming that you will honestly only apply one or two principles so come back and build on what actually sunk in.

Track season is almost over in the PNW,  so if you want to hone some skills before we lose to the weather, sign up!  And as always gals and guys alike…Vixens Ride!

It’s A Fine Line

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On a recent track day our staff was told there would be a film crew filming footage for videos and we were on strict orders not to crash!  Of course that’s not on anyone’s agenda ever, but as we all know too well, s#**t happens.  Com’on we are at a track after all and we knew that their presence could trigger people to do some interesting stuff.   The film crew, Creative Media Alliance (headed by Jai Suh) was excited to film track footage and ask questions pertaining to why advanced or continuous education for riders is essential to our sport. We were told the footage would be used by Washington state in-house and for www.ItsA FineLine.tv to further get the word out about continuing education for motorcycle riders.

This endeavor is remarkably close to all of us who work in the track companies missions…to educate motorcycle riders and enhance their skills to make them more aware and safer riders.  I remember the time when all I wanted was some where I could go to learn to not only ride (really ride), but ride competently and confidently.  That was why I started MotoVixens, because information was scattered and I Google/Yahoo searched like mad for motorcycle classes which only turned up MSF classes.  While those classes are great and serve a purpose, I was looking for something more and that’s when I came across track schools.  We are fortunate enough to have a few in our area, 2 Fast and OPRT, with a mission to make lifelong riders of everyone who wants to come and learn.

Our community is small, but as riders our family and outreach is very big.  It doesn’t matter what you ride, it’s only that you ride and know the dangers we must face everyday on the streets.  It’s a battle and we know as riders our best defense is knowledge and with knowledge comes confidence.  So if you haven’t tried a track school, what’s keeping you?  Fear of the track, the mentality of people there, people that attend track days are racers, etc…?  Try it, I’d be surprised if you weren’t a little intimidated, but the truth is by the end of the day you will have a confidence you never experienced before and a big ass grin on your face you won’t be able to wipe off for weeks.  It just makes sense to learn in an environment closer to the speeds we would be riding on the freeway, getting a true sense of what our motorcycles can do (they can do more than we actually challenge them with) and gaining some technical and actual skills that will translate to riding on the streets.  Check out www.ItsAFineLine.tv who’s mission is Target Zero…Zero Motorcycle deaths by 2030.  It is and will continue to be my mission to provide you resources to becoming the most educated and confident riders you can be.

Vixens Ride!

Registered TM

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It has been a busy few weeks between track days, races, auditioning and finally getting my trademark registered officially!  Let me begin with saying that the idea of starting a company sounds great…working for yourself, setting your own schedule and doing what you are passionate about.  However, the challenges can be overwhelming and at times what you didn’t even consider take a front seat.  For me it was the issue of getting my trademark registered, which should have been an easy process and could’ve been final within a year, BUT I had a company (to remain unnamed) oppose my trademark stating they used it in trademark form well before I chose to register it.  What was a surprise was that I contacted the company early on to work with them so that we could both continue to use the word as long as it didn’t cross over into my area of the industry,  my hope was that we were female owners and that we could’ve worked together to promote our love of the sport.  Long story short (I mean this is really condensed here), after a legal battle with them they could not show that they used the word in a way that constituted it being a trademark, but only as an expression.  Our legal system is flawed as we all know and to oppose a trademark doesn’t require much, for a minimal fee you can file an opposition and if the company is in it’s infant stages they hope you will abandon it and they will then file for the trademark themselves.  I’m really oversimplifying the process, but you get the gist.  It’s easy for more established companies to BULLY startups to give up their name and opt for another, which in my case, was not an option so I fought them.  I had to hire two attorneys one to start the process then another to take over and really fight them for me.  Needless to say, after 2 years I finally got my trademark registered!  I am passionate about promoting our love of motorcycling not to just women, but also men…I have had more male students than females and the look and gratitude I see on their faces at the end of the day make what I do even more satisfying.  I only hope that with each person I speak to, instruct, inspire, touch and empower they will take the love of the sport and pay it forward.

Stay safe and keep the rubber side down!  Vixens Ride!

Sena SMH10 vs. Sena 20S

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Sena 20S

Sena 20S

 

Sena SMH10

Sena SMH10

Let me just start by saying I love my Sena SMH10, it has been with me through rain and shine and has never failed.  It is simple to use and more streamlined than the other options out there.  They came out with the SMH10R which was more streamlined and flat but the battery pack had to be adhered to your helmet which kind of defeated the purpose of being slim and I felt wasn’t a great option for most riders.  However, they totally got it right with the 20S, it is more low profile than the SMH10 and has way more features and functions, which comes with the price tag of around $270 vs. $165 for the SMH10.  The SMH10 can be paired with up to three other headsets, has voice activated calling, an MP3 jack for listening to music, bluetooth music from your phone, GPS Nav pairing and can transfer when you have another incoming call.  The 20S does all that and more including FM radio, pairing an additional phone,  an external antenna to extend the intercom distance, sharing music with an intercom friend, can be paired with up to nine other headsets as long as it is the Sena SMH10 or SMH5 and an ambient noise button, should you choose to listen to the noise around you.

I’ve been riding with it for a few weeks now and just love the sound quality of the Sena, its crystal clear whether it’s a phone call or intercoming with a friend.  The range is approximately 1.2 miles on the 20S and is 980 yards for the SMH10.  For people who are riding two up and just want to be able to talk without yelling, the SMH10 is perfect.  For those that love playing with gadgets and want all the bells and whistles, the 20S is amazing!  There is still so much to figure out on the headset, but the fact I can pair two phones and have one give me turn by turn directions is truly amazing.  Here’s an example of how the 20S operates in the following order of priority:  Highest to the lowest…Ambient mode, Mobile phone, Voice command mode, Intercom, Stereo music by audio cable, Music sharing by Bluetooth, FM radio, Bluetooth stereo music.  A lower priority function is always interrupted by the higher priority function. For example, stereo music is interrupted by an intercom call and intercom conversation is interrupted by an incoming phone call.  Pretty cool huh?  It does it all on its own and with literally only two buttons controlling the whole unit.  Sena sends out updates to firmware occasionally so when you purchase your unit be sure to register it as it is the only way you can get the update.  While I am partial to this brand and it’s products there are many out there to choose from, so do some research know what you want out of the unit you want to purchase and happy hunting!  From our website check out Revzilla, they carry different brands and hopefully you find one that suits your needs!

Vixens Ride!

 

Life Flight

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On a recent track day there were several crashes and a few that required Emergency transport, this led to a discussion from the EMT about the importance of having Life Flight.  The individual I spoke with stressed for a small fee (in comparison to the bill the air transport would charge in an emergency) you could have the peace of mind of knowing that the service would be there if needed and this doesn’t just apply at the track.  In the event you were a part of an accident in your car, out hiking, biking, etc. should you ever require air transport, it is covered when ylife-flight-in-flightou become a member.

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.lifeflight.org
For $60 a year per family you can be covered in the event you or anyone in your immediate family needs this service.  For those of you who ride the track regularly, consider purchasing this little bit of insurance since you just never know what can happen and being prepared can give you and your loved ones peace of mind.  We do not have any affiliation with this organization and we do not benefit from people signing up with them, we just make every effort to inform you of services we find beneficial to riders like us.  Look forward to seeing you out there enjoying the sunshine and hopefully soon at one of the track days, in the meantime, rubber side down!

Vixens Ride!

 

Rider Beware, Part II

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So let’s talk about being seen, lots of riders wear hi-viz gear, bright helmets or jackets, have modulating lights, turn brights on, etc.   I prefer to forgo most of those things and just be ultra aware.  Let me elaborate, I do run with my brights on as my headlights only turn one on in regular mode, but both when I have brights, whether this truly works or not is debatable, but I’m all about a little extra caution.  In terms of gear, it gets really hot in the summer and black is just like being in a sauna, so I opt for other colors if I can find them, my favorite being red or white which is a lot cooler as well.  Us gals do not have loads of options when it comes to street gear, most of the apparel made for us is usually black so it makes it hard to stay cool out on the hot pavement, bike and sunshine.

I’ve spoken about lane positioning before and that is crucial, lots of drivers complain that we sit in blind spots all too often, so make sure that if you are in one, you move and make yourself more visible.  Going down the street you have the full width of the lane to make yourself seen which allows you freedom to move from the left side to the middle to the right side of the lane.  Whether I am behind particularly big cars or not, I like to ride either side to allow myself greater visibility around the vehicle to anticipate what the driver will do.  If you are going down a road with a lot of driveways to the right, stay on the right to be seen by those pulling out of those driveways.   If you see someone in the turn lane ahead stay left so they can see you behind the vehicle.  If there are two lanes going the same direction, depending on traffic,  opt to the left lane since drivers coming out of intersections might have a hard time seeing you or predicting your speed as you enter into their path of travel.  I honestly rarely stay in the middle unless it is all clear and open, but that typically isn’t the case.  Always check your 6 (behind you in your mirrors, you need to be aware of vehicles behind you that might not be paying attention) when slowing down and stay to the right or left in case you need to move due to driver error behind you.  If you are smack in the middle, you have nowhere to go except into the car in front of you.  Try not to be behind large cars, you can’t see well around them and they hide you to all oncoming cars making turns, again drivers can’t see you.  Also, don’t forget to signal, no one has ESP!  Drivers can see you looking, but signal to give them a clear message of what you are doing and that can solve a lot of confusion.  In addition, check your blind spot, physically turn and look just like a driver would (quick glance), don’t assume you are clear or you might meet someone you didn’t want to that day.  This is an extra precaution, but is as important as all the safety measures you take to be seen.

Above all, be aware and fully focused of your surroundings, this is why I constantly preach track riding, at high speeds you learn to process things a lot quicker and when you go to the street it all seems like slow motion.  You can really anticipate things quicker and process at a much higher level allowing you to relax more when trying to make your way around our crazy busy roadways.  You start to actually see things in much more detail, see more things you need to be cautious of and feel more at ease to just ride.  Not to mention the skills to be gained and translated to the street, the confidence you will gain and the knowledge that you will continue to build on to make you a better, safer rider.  Hope to see you gals out there having fun and enjoying the sun!  If you are interested in track days, look at the events page for upcoming track days and sign up!

Vixens Ride!