Reviews

September 10, 2016 CC Track Day

September 20, 2016 By Carol Carpenter

I’ve heard from many people that they think CC Track Events hosted by MotoVixens is only for women, let’s clarify, it’s for EVERYONE! Gals and guys. I think the confusion comes with the MotoVixens part, but I’m here to tell you it’s for anyone who wants to attend a boutique track event/day. I say this in part because we aren’t like any other track events/days, we are unique, the environment we provide is relaxed and friendly, we are focused on rider training, mainly street riders who are either new to riding or are looking to improve their skills, riders per session are limited to 30 riders, the main focus is for you to learn, ask questions, get help from our talented instructors. We are not the cookie cutter track day where each session is jammed well over capacity and track real estate is hard to find, we limit riders to allow more open track for you to practice. We may be more expensive than the average track day but we have to charge more if we cap the riders per session. From someone who has instructed for other companies, I know too well how dangerous and ridiculous it is to try to teach no less learn when the track is overfilled with riders. So next year for those who say this is a chick day, um no it’s for guys who dig chicks (on motorcycles of course).

Marie our awesome registration gal and Oliver J our talented rider who is overly obsessed with his perfect hair

Now with that taken care of let’s get to business, the weather for the day was stellar (which a week before had me worried) and we had Ducati Richmond and Pacific Motosports close down their shop on Saturday so they could bring employees and customers our to our day (because they are just that awesome). We had free classroom sessions through most of the day on the top of the hour for those who wanted to come, listen and ask questions. Later in the afternoon, Troy and I finally got some time to go out and ride around and we had fun just putting along and checking out who was riding and seeing if they were having fun. This track day was our way of giving back to riders as a community, we priced this day as low as we could to break even. My goal isn’t about making a ton of money running track days, it’s knowing that I helped someone, how happy they are at their new found confidence and being able to share my passion with others. I remember before I started CC Track Events, someone told me that once I make my passion into a business I’ll spend less time doing what I actually love. I didn’t believe it then, but I now see how your attention gets diverted to the business side and a lot less to the riding. That being said, I was unable to ride during our two day event in June, both my bikes were borrowed for the day so I was determined to at least get out 2 – 3 sessions this time. All I know is that when I ride, everything melts into the background whatever was on my mind a minute ago is no longer there. It centers me, reminds me why I love this sport, how much fun and challenging it is and how good it feels when everything clicks (even if its just fleeting). Mostly, the environment of our days is like hanging out with our friends and family everyone looking out for everyone else. The honest truth is every person on my staff is a friend, I appreciate and respect each and every one of them and I am so grateful to them for helping me to bring these days to you. If you haven’t joined us, please, do we are looking to expand next year depending on the availability of days we can reserve with the Ridge.

When you ride so hard you blow off the end of your exhaust

Next year we will do a two day event with JP again and if you didn’t get an opportunity, make time. What it would cost you to trailer down to Chuckwalla (or flight and rentals), accommodations and school fee would far exceed the price of our track day by a long shot, plus you can ride your own bike. We are literally a fraction of that cost (tiny) and we are doing it because we want to bring this special opportunity to you so you can learn from the best. I was fortunate enough to have the ability to travel to track schools, but I know not everyone can and that is why it was important for me to bring this to our local tracks. So as soon as we get the dates ironed out will post them on the website and Facebook, tell all your friends who ride to come out, it’s not just for gals! I am looking forward to seeing you again next season. Thank you to all my volunteers, instructors, control riders, tech and track control without you our days wouldn’t be the success they are.

Family, friends and fun!

Now get out and ride every chance you get, the weather is changing and the chances are getting slimmer. Hope to see some of you out there!

Races at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway

September 20, 2016 By Carol Carpenter

I sat down to write about the September 10th track day, but after watching Caroline Olsen and Benny Solis race on Sunday, I felt compelled to write about my trip first. Chuckwalla Valley Raceway is about 3.5 hours southeast from Santa Clarita, CA where I am presently residing, off the 10 Fwy by Palm Desert and Joshua Tree National Park. To say it was hot would be an understatement (I mean huge), it was scorching (the high was 110 degrees that day), so the thought of riding and racing in triple digit weather did not sound in the least bit appealing. The track is 2.68 miles with 17 turns and the entire track can be seen from the bleachers by the hot pits. I arrived to see Jason Pridmore (Star Motorcycle School www.starmotorcycle.com) coaching this duo at their pit. The series is Chuckwalla Valley Motorcycle Association (CVMA – www.cvmaracing.com) and it was their first round of races of the season, they don’t start until late when the weather is more manageable and ride through the winter and spring, I can totally understand why now.

Upon my arrival I was met with smiles and hugs from everyone as they were getting ready for the first race of the day which Benny and Caroline were both entered in. Benny Sr. (Benny’s Dad) is Benny’s pit crew, always there encouraging and handling the bikes in the pits and the board at hot pit while Marco (the one in the background) does data acquisition. Caroline was racing Benny’s backup bike and to watch the two of them talking was heartwarming, they are each other’s support system, encouraging each other all long the way. The first race ended with Benny taking first and Caroline, second which ended up being the way it went all day for the races they were both entered in together. However, on the one race with just Caroline, to see her do her thing was nothing less than pure art. She is so smooth and determined and to just imagine what those guys felt as she took the lead with an amazing start, I could only imagine it as deflating. I did watch them try to catch her, but it didn’t take long for her to break away. What’s even more impressive is that she wasn’t on her own bike, a slight disadvantage, but she rode it like she had be on it for years. And Benny, he’s amazing, lightning quick and so in control, in fact he won every race with a significant gap to those placing second. Not to mention his amazing hair even after the helmet came off (see picture below)!

Pre ride talk

I got a chance to speak with both Benny and Caroline between races in the trailer and for two 20 somethings they are wise, focused, disciplined and kind. In particular, Caroline and I got a chance to speak in private about our industry, this gal is a fireball, you have to be in a male dominated industry, as well as thick skinned and strong willed. Listening to her I had nothing but admiration for her dedication, overcoming adversity and becoming one of the fastest, if not fastest girl in the US today. Being in the age of social media, you can become easily mislead, people posting about how fast they are or in cases of the female variety using their feminine wiles to get them noticed (not that there is anything wrong with that, but what are you saying, I’m fast or I’m hot). True talent doesn’t require talk or pictures, the proof is in performance. These two not only deliver, but they do it with a humble nature. To me it says a lot about the way they have been raised. I am looking forward to seeing these two rise to the top and what makes it extra special is knowing them and how deserving they are of it.

Jason is the consummate coach, making sure they are hydrated, talking to them immediately before they race and right when they get back in the pits. He’s timing, watching every corner, pass, supporting and cheering them on from the pit wall. You can tell he loves what he does, but above all he cares deeply about them and wants the absolute best for them. There is a mutual respect and a lot of ribbing, I had a great deal of fun watching everyone have their turns with each other. David Kolb, who drove up a handful of bikes from California for our two day event, was also racing on Sunday and JP was there at the wall for his races encouraging him all along the way. With this group you aren’t just friends, you are family and that’s what this sport is all about.

We are currently ironing out dates with JP and his crew to join us again next year and we hope you will take this opportunity to join in and learn from an amazing coach and his talented riders, otherwise you will have to wait for the following year. The information and techniques you will learn will open your eyes and watching everyone have these moments of clarity made putting these event days on worth it.

Looking forward to next season, now get out there and ride!

June 27-28 Event Report

July 5, 2016 By Carol Carpenter

What an incredible two days at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, WA with Jason Pridmore, Caroline Olsen, Benny Solis, Redspade (Anna Rigby), her hubby Steve and David Kolb (marketing/social media/transportation-jack of all trades). We couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to come instruct and ride, than this crew. The weather was stellar, the people were in wonderful spirits and the pits were filled with riders grinning from ear to ear. Jason being the consummate professional and perfectionist squeezed in a lesson plan so filled to the hilt that it will require the remainder of the year to work on the intricacies of those techniques to feel confident enough to execute them consistently. The general consensus being that those who took the special session learned more in one day than they ever knew was possible.

In an environment of overcrowded track days and after instructing in many so overly filled every session that it was more a parade lap than the chance to work on practicing your techniques and working on your riding, we proved there is a better solution. The danger associated with overcrowded track days comes down to the sheer numbers of individuals on the track and the various skill levels. The two combined lead to crashes that could be avoided if we had less people on track and more room to maneuver. If we can provide an environment with far less riders where people can learn, go faster, is significantly safer and you can get knowledge from a renown world class coach who you can ask anything wouldn’t you want to? It’s a question I’ve asked myself through the years and after witnessing this during our event days, know that this dream is now a reality. Less traffic on track means more opportunity to work on your riding, making that plan and being able to implement it to practice and improve the timing and confidence of that technique.

JP and his crew are amazing people, not just referring to their riding abilities, but as individuals. Knowledgeable, kind, helpful, gracious, lovely and immensely talented people who truly want to better this sport and raise rider education awareness. JP having retired from racing, although still quite involved in training riders such as Caroline Olsen and Benny Solis (who are on the rise in MotoAmerica) as well as commentating with beIN sports for MotoAmerica, is still at the top of his game. JP and his crew rode with our clients, towed and instructed them and by the end of the day I saw remarked improvement in each rider. Sitting in the classroom and listening to JP teach and answer questions made me want to hop on a bike and go out and ride with all of them but alas I could not and still run the show. JP’s teaching style is one I’m especially receptive to, purely because when a question was asked, it was answered with facts to support the answer. No one left that room without a plan to adhere to on their session out on track, yet with that mission there was a levity and ease knowing that while we are working on these drills, we can’t forget why were are doing this…our love of riding. While this sport is inherently dangerous and things can happen, with the proper training you can only improve…your riding, knowledge and confidence.

From the outpour of emails, texts and calls since the event it is clear to me that people want more of what we offered with JP and our event days. When I started instructing, it was different, there was a sense of family and community in the organizations, but over the years that has changed. My goal is to kill two birds with one stone, provide an environment where staff feels appreciated as well as a part of a family and the clients have the best experience possible while in our care. I do this out of passion, for the love of the sport and keeping riders safe. This is not a lucrative business (very seldom is one done from passion), I could very easily just do track days and jam them full of people, but I love this sport and teaching riders is important to me. A great deal of planning goes into keeping costs down to pass them on to the clients, this is in hopes we make lifetime riders from everyone we touch. Whether you ride a cruiser or a sport bike, we just want to you have the skills necessary to enjoy this sport and share it with everyone around you. If you missed our event with JP we will be bringing him back again next year, so stay tuned for the announcement later this year (once I can pin him down with a schedule).

Our second day ended with a birthday celebration for Troy, the last two years have been celebrated at the track and how poignant since motorcycles brought us together three years ago. Clint and Di prepared a feast for JP, Caroline, Benny, Anna, Steve, David, Troy and I where we stuffed ourselves then got everyone on horses to show them what horsepower used to mean! The friendships we developed from this event, the memories and laughter we shared are experiences that we will remember for a lifetime. More than being about business is the sense of community and family which we will strive to bring back into our industry. Passion fuels my desire to make this successful, giving people opportunities that are hard to come by and options to achieve their goals, creating an environment to develop and grow, supporting our industry by providing continuing education to riders and advocating for rider safety.

Come out and ride with us, we have another date on September 10th and signups are limited. JP will be in New Jersey, but Troy Cook will be holding classroom sessions which will be listed the day of the event. The schedule will be that of a typical track day, 20 minute sessions every hour. Check the event listing for more detailed information.

Special thanks to Oliver Jervis (for breaking in my new bike and driving me around the track in his snazzy car), Spero Benias, Wendy Leber, Chrissy Wiley, Jenny Besaw, Brian Pinkstaff, Moaka Clay, Alan Schwen, Steve Cook, Troy Cook, Pat O’Connor, Adan Mendoza, Matt Staples, Chris Larabee, Tyler Oxos, Matt Darling, Marie Kile, Renee Johnson, Cory Osburn and James Ketchum who with their dedication and support on these days made it possible for me to focus on making this event fantastic for all who attended. Thank you Clint and Di for the lovely BBQ and fun at the farm for the gang after our two day event, they had more fun than they ever could’ve imagined. Also, huge thank you to Fred and Andy at the Ridge Motorsports Park for allowing us to take it over and put on an amazing two days. Not to be excluded all of our sponsors who so generously donated products to help make this event truly special: Ducati Richmond, Pacific Powersports, Triumph of Seattle, South Sound Honda, South Bound Honda, I-90 Motorsports, Sena, AGV, Dainese, Dunlop Tires, Cycle Gear, KFG Racing, Mike Sullivan, Cycle Wipes and Racer Gloves.

Getting to know Jason Pridmore

May 31, 2016 By Carol Carpenter

In our continuing “get to know” series, I wanted to do a blog on JP. I have never met JP face to face, but have spent many hours on the phone speaking to this amazing and kind man, which strikes me as surprising and refreshing since I’m around type-A men who are usually ego driven (excluding Troy of course). JP is not like that, he’s genuine, self-deprecating, humorous and kind. Not at all what I expected from such an accomplished individual as himself. He doesn’t want to talk about motorcycles, he wants to talk about life, how you are, how he can help, …he is a very giving individual. I wanted to ask him some serious questions and some fun ones too and there was a question I had asked him at the end of our Q & A that he answered with such humor, which I can’t print, that reminds you of what you already know…he’s awesome!

CC: For many new to riding, they might not know of you, can you give us some background and a summary of your accomplishments? (JP is very humble, he doesn’t like to list his accomplishments or talk about them)

JP: I’ve been riding since I was 2yrs old. I was lucky enough to be born into a racing world, my father Reg is a 3 time AMA Superbike Champion. Been very fortunate to win a number of AMA races along with countless podiums and 2 AMA National Championships. Also, I have won 2 FIM World Endurance Championships including winning at the Le Mans 24hr in 2014. Up until last year I was the only American to ever stand on an FIM World Supersport podium and was also very fortunate to race in World Superbike. I’ve raced all over the world, I have been a very lucky guy.

CC: What do you feel is your greatest moment or accomplishment while you were racing and now post racing?

JP: Wow, honestly there have been so many great memories. Winning my first AMA National at Brainerd, Minnesota was amazing. Most don’t know that I won the Imola 200 in Italy. Winning Championships are always pretty defining and I was fortunate to scoop up some of those all over the world.

Post racing is easy. Helping people realize their riding goals, working with military and mentoring kids. All those make me keep going everyday.

CC: What do you consider as your defining moment and why?

JP: Not sure I can think of one. I do know this, nothing beats pulling into the winners circle and seeing your team, family and friends overwhelmed with your success. I had some moments racing that I only wish I could relive one more time.

CC: Do you have any pre-riding routines and/or superstitions? For example, Aaron Yates used to wear the same socks until he crashed, do you have a list of things you do on and off your bike?

JP: This is a funny one. I never went to sleep the nights of race weekends on my back with my arms folded across my chest. Always creeped me out, I am sure you can figure out why.

CC: What is your favorite post victory riding memory?

JP: Having my mom (Who doesn’t love this guy?) at the races anytime I won was so rad. Taking Richard Stanboli for a victory lap after winning the Formula Extreme Championship, that guy was amazing to work with.

CC: Who do you admire, consider a hero or a mentor?

JP: My dad for sure, couldn’t have ever got where I did without him. Ken Greene is someone not many know but I look up to and admire to this day, incredible rider and mentor to me.

CC: What is something about you that people don’t know?

JP: As much as I travel, I am a homebody. I would do almost anything to just chill in my house and enjoy my time at home. Also, I was the first guy to win an AMA National on the GSXR 1000 which was at Sears Point in 2001 in the bikes very first race. Good trivia question for people. I qualified for the US Amateur Golf Championship and 2 US Mid Amateur Golf Championships. Guess that’s 3 things, haha.

CC: Other than your current sponsor, what is your favorite bike of all time you’ve ever ridden? (JP is currently sponsored by Kawasaki)

JP: Ridden so many bikes but the bike I won my Championship with Richard Stanboli on in 2002 was incredible. Can’t say it was the funnest at times because it was straight violent but it made me a better rider. 2002 GSXR 1000. Also, my very last race was the Le Mans 24hr for factory BMW, bike was amazing and made me wish I was 20yrs younger so I could keep racing.

CC: You run Star Motorcycle School, why do you feel rider education is so important?

JP: Bikes these days are incredible. I see too many people that have plateaued with their riding and have stopped their advancement. Being able to break down the fundamentals again will make people think about what they are doing again and make them better and safer riders. I know what almost every rider out there wants, to get faster!!! Let’s take the time to learn every technical aspect of riding so we aren’t riding off into a dark room. Too much seat of the pants riding out there, I wanna fix that.

CC: You’re a golf addict, can you tell us what got you started? Who you admire most as a golfer?

JP: I miss racing a lot. But there comes a time when you have to realize you have to move on as an athlete. I never accomplished everything I wanted to as a racer but it wasn’t because of lack of effort. Golf now is something that allows me to keep my competitive juices going. It’s such a hard sport and I get so much satisfaction playing well.

I recently played 54 holes of golf with Rickie Fowler and was a fan before we teed it up. Now I have huge admiration for him. Besides being top 5 in the world, the guy is just pure class.

CC: Do you feel golfing helps your riding? Why?

JP: No doubt golf has helped my riding and riding has helped my golf. Both sports you can really only control what you do, can’t control anyone else. Golf has taught me patience even though I don’t exude that trait very well sometimes.

My thanks to Jason taking his time out of his busy schedule to participate in this Q & A. He travels nonstop coaching and announcing, most of the time I had conversations with him while he was driving to yet another airport. He’s a trooper though and the consummate professional, he actually felt guilty that he was late in getting his answers back to me, yep that is the type of guy he is.

Jason Pridmore will be at the Ridge MotorSports Park June 27-28 for a special two day event. There are 3 groups that rotate throughout the day. Group 1 and 2 are track only groups, Group 3 is the special session with Jason Pridmore in the Classroom and on track. Group 1 and 2 are open to all makes and models of bikes and both men and women. Group 3 on the 27^th is dedicated to women and the 28^th to men. We have confirmed Caroline Olsen will be joining us as well as Corey Alexander. This is an event you won’t want to miss, there has never been this much talent on the track at one time in the PNW. Save yourself time by signing up online and reserving your spot for this special event. Look forward to seeing you out there for this amazing event and opportunity to meet and learn from some of the most talented riders this track has ever seen in one place at one time!

Who is RedSpade?

May 11, 2016 By Carol Carpenter

With the upcoming event on June 27-28 I thought it would be fun to interview a few people who are special guests so you could get to know them more personally. For our first installment, RedSpade, aka Anna Rigby, will be our subject. Jason Pridmore, our guest speaker and coach for the upcoming event, made the introduction and it only took a few minutes of speaking to Anna before I realized that JP associates himself with people very much like him. Anna is very sweet, centered and humble, which I find so refreshing in this sea of narcissism and social media. Let’s get to know Anna who will be RedSpade for the purposes of this blog. I want to thank Jason and Peter Bacon, Marketing Manager for Dainese, North America for supporting us and our mission to educate riders by providing events where riders can learn from the best coaches out there today. Anna and her husband, Steve will be at the Ridge on both dates, please don’t hesitate to come and say “hi”!

CC: I first took notice of you when JP mentioned you and asked me to check out your Instagram under RedSpade. What inspired that name?

RS: I wanted to come up with something unique, memorable and symbolic. The name “spade” comes from the Italian word “spade” or “sword” which often represents logical and rational thought cutting through uncertainty and falsehood. The spade is also usually the most powerful suite in a deck of cards and a sign of luck. I assigned the color red to it to make it one of a kind and unique. At the time I had fiery red hair so the color was symbolically a representation of a part of me. Later on for our logo the spade took on a shape of red and white rumble strips which specifically correlates to our company [RedSpade Racing].

CC: I love it when company names carries a deep personal meaning, it reminds you why you do what you do and it shows in every decision you make, person you touch and keeps you driven.

CC: I love the pictures you post how’d you get started in documenting your journey?

RS: I fell in love with the machines and the atmosphere of track life—which is really where I was officially exposed to motorcycles. After shooting a few local WERA races I realized that I was in love with the way guys piloted these machines and I really wanted to ride one myself (at the time I was only a passenger with my husband). Since my feed already consisted of motorcycle photography it was a natural progression that I started documenting my journey from my first MFS class onward.

CC: You are the ambassador for Dainese/AGV, can you tell us how you got involved?

RS: Funny story actually—I’ve always been a fan of Dainese and their products. They always seemed to be the best quality and had the best designs. But when my husband crashed twice on the street and walked away safe and sound in his Dainese leathers I was sold. In general I posted a LOT about safety and proper motorcycle gear. 4 years ago when I started riding there weren’t as many gear choices for women as there are now. I remember reaching out to Dainese begging them to create something more for women and that many sizes weren’t readily available in the US. It wasn’t until 2 years ago that Dainese reached out to me and asked me to come on board as one of their brand ambassadors. They had told me they were watching me on social media for some time and simply liked how I represented the motorcycle community and the sport. I was floored, to be honest I still can’t believe I get to work with a company I believe in so much.

CC: I still believe the choices are slim. However Dainese was the first street gear I bought, loved and continued to add to because of how flattering it is for women. In fact, my very first race suit was Dainese and it’s been crashed over and over and it’s scuffed up but it’s still in one piece! It’s not as beautiful as it was, but I use that suit now as a rain day suit or loaner suit for gals who want to two up at track days. I still think we need more choices with color and designs, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Wearing a small boot size, Dainese is the only boot manufacturer I can wear. I wear a Dainese 6 (36), they fit amazing and while you can’t get the top of the line race protection, you can get pretty damn close with their boots. I am sure there will be changes with the increase of women riders and their demand for better looking and fitting gear, ladies will make that known for sure!

CC: When did you get introduced to riding? What enticed you to ride?

RS: I guess that goes back to your previous question about me shooting photography. Racing was sparked my interest to ride really. I was super impressed with guys dragging their knee and getting low to the ground—that was like absolute black magic to me. At the time I was absolutely terrified and never thought I would get to experience it myself, but I dreamed of it. It wasn’t until I met a female racer that encouraged me to go take the MFS course and see if it was for me. Until then I hadn’t seen any females ride like that and I honestly didn’t even know it was possible. She single handedly convinced me to take the riding course and jump-started my journey.

CC: That’s why I want women to see other women ride, not everyone started at a young age, many of us started much later. We are all different, from our goals to our knowledge and understanding of riding, I want them to understand that persistence, practice and perseverance go a long way in helping them get confident and building their skill set. We need to help encourage other gals and give them the tools they need to succeed at their goals.

CC: Who sparked your interest to ride and why?

RS: My husband Steve definitely was the key person to spark my interest. All the men in his family ride or rode at one point or another. Steve also rode dirt bikes and trails when I met him so there was always a history of two wheels with him. As a matter of fact, our first date was a story in itself—we ended up crashing and my right leg got all rashed up pretty bad. But that was over 16 years ago and who would have thought that 12 years later I would finally build up the courage to learn to ride myself.

CC: It’s exciting to see an increase in women riders, what words of encouragement would you give them?

RS: This is still very much a male driven sport whether you’re just a casual street rider or aspiring track addict. Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t as fast, as skilled or as talented as others. Riding is a very personal skill that you develop on your own and within your physical and mental abilities. I learned this the hard way 2 years into my riding. I was so blinded by trying to be a better rider that I was beating myself up and struggling, I had lost the joy of riding because I was getting ahead of myself. All my riding friends and family had been riding for years and were quite skilled, I was and still am the slowest—I took this very personally. I had to re-evaluate what I wanted out of riding at that point and find my center again. Everything will come in due time as long as you keep working towards your goals, but don’t let your goals overwhelm and control you.

CC: Couldn’t have said it better. We are all competitive by nature, but this is very individual, treat it as such, once you start comparing yourself with others you lose sight of your goal. We tell everyone to ride within your abilities and comfort zone, but that can be hard to do when you want so badly to be up front with the fast guys. It’s not about only being fast, it’s about being fast safely and within your own mental and physical abilities. We are all very different, stop comparing.

CC: What do you currently ride? What is your dream bike?

RS: right now I have 2 bikes—both 2008 cbr600rr. one is pretty much stock for street and the other is a race bike I bought from a track coach—It’s loaded with goodies that makes my street bike jealous 😛

I’m not sure I have a dream bike really. I’m very practical which is why I own Hondas (they take a mean beating and still keep on going!) I would have to saw that for a practical bike I would love to own a new 636 Kawi—I really enjoyed it when I rode at the Start School and the electronics made it so easy to handle compared to my Honda. If I could have a money pit of a bike I’d definitely go for a looker like the Panigale!

CC: OK, I have to confess I bought my dream bike, I love it and it’s only been on the track a few times (figured my luck would eventually run out there). It’s the 848 EVO, I bought it the last year it was made knowing it was now or never. It’s my go to street bike, twins are so much fun to ride on the street and when it looks equally beautiful, what could be better? Italians know how to make things sexy and that bike is just that!

CC: Do you ride on the track and on the street, which do enjoy more?

RS: I still ride both street and track, but I most definitely love the track to death. I feel safer and excited when I ride the track, at the same time it’s my meditation and truly the only time I feel alive. As for the street I tend to stick to country roads and mountains. I still struggle with tight curvy roads so I get a bit stressed out—I definitely don’t like riding around cars. I didn’t have this feeling when I started riding, the more track I do the more street unnerves me. There’s just too much that can go wrong and it’s all out of my hands.

CC: What challenges as women do you feel we face as motorcyclists?

RS: To be honest I’ve always felt that riding a motorcycle was one of those things that either sex could do pretty damn well. I gotta admit though that I get a mixed bag of responses from men when I pull my helmet off and I can’t always tell if they’re genuinely bewildered, intimidated or being condescending lol. Apparently even though I know so many ladies that ride, we’re still rather rare. I think we are still seen as feeble and weak which is a bit frustrating, although I understand that physically I will never be as strong as my husband or have the stamina. However I get to encounter some commentary on social media that is always making me question if certain people are still living in the 50s lol! I suppose this is true for any sport or profession these days though.

CC: What do you feel about gear and safety?

RS: I definitely have a strong stance of motorcycle safety in general. I try to keep my opinions to myself these days but since you ask 😉 Nothing about riding a motorcycle is safe. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, but it means that you should value your life, the life of your friends and family, and do everything in your power to ensure your safety. Basically I would like people to be mindful and responsible for themselves. I cringe when I see girls in leggings and sneakers on their bikes. I hear it all the time “I know what I’m doing, I know I can get hurt and I’ll deal with it when it happens.” Wrong. You won’t be the only one dealing with it—your family and friends will be the ones taking care of you. I look at it this way, if I can minimize my time in the hospital when I eventually crash, then why not? Accidents happen and it’s inevitable. Maybe I’m so adamant about this because of all the terrible accidents I’ve seen in the last 4 years of my riding—I ride mainly in the mountains and accidents there are extremely unforgiving. Many if them would have been much worse or fatal if there was no gear involved. And some of them were exceptionally tragic because the people involved weren’t geared up. Gear isn’t a save all, but in the end I just don’t want to have any “what ifs” or regrets.

CC: I agree completely. Ignorance is not bliss in this case. My stance is if you choose to not gear up, you clearly haven’t crashed bad enough to think you are lucky to just walk away with minor bruises and scrapes. Anybody that has crashed knows and won’t risk it. You don’t necessarily need to be the one to make the mistake, but you are the one that will live with the repercussions. It blows my mind people don’t ride with gloves, our instinct is to put our hands down to break a fall, why would you make that choice?

CC: What’s your favorite motorcycle quote?

RS: Well that would have to be Marco Simoncelli’s “You live more for 5 minutes going fast on a bike than other people do in all of their life.” This speaks to me on a very personal level bc if it wasn’t for riding a motorcycle I wouldn’t be here in life and having so many wonderful experiences and meeting so many great people. I used to be extremely introverted and shy; riding helped me overcome many of my fears and taught me to believe in myself. Where I would normally say I can’t now I believe I can and am no longer afraid of failing and trying again 🙂

CC: Great Quote! Motorcycling is a wonderful community to be a part of, I have met the most interesting people and it has enriched my life greatly as well. Thank you so much for taking the time and letting us get to know you better. I look forward to meeting you in person at the June 27- 28 event!

Sena Prism review at the track

August 21, 2015 By Carol Carpenter

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wetiXfijJSU[/youtube]Optimum Performance Rider Training had it’s last track day of the year on August 16, 2015 at The Ridge Motorsports Park, it was expected to be full and it did not disappoint. The pits were full of eager individuals to get their last taste of riding before the season was officially over for OPRT. Unfortunately that also meant a lot of people hoping to run their fastest lap times of the year and it led to many get offs on the track. Sunday was not unlike any other day at the track, but the feeling was thick with a level of anxious tension and we all know what to expect when that happens so we try to keep our students safe and everyone having fun as the day progresses. The classes were full in both the beginner and intermediate classes and we had every instructor out to help make the day run smoothly. One of our riders crashed out in the first session and he was absolutely adamant on getting his bike from home to finish off his day. After asking him did he know why he crashed he said he tucked the front through the turn and completely totaled his bike. When asked the question about his tire pressures…he said he was running Pirellis and they should stick. HUH! Well when asked what kind of tires and pressures we concluded that 32 lbs. of pressure in the front and rear of Pirelli track tires was ridiculously high and they are supposed to be 29 cold in the front and 20 cold in the rear. There could’ve been a completely different outcome but not making a simple inquiry about his tire pressures and having a pressure gauge caused him to total his bike. Quite literally a question and a $20 gauge would’ve completely changed his day. While this is only one example of things we see during the day we can’t help but shake our heads at individuals who get passed, get that red mist and next thing you know we see them off the edge of the track hopefully upright, but majority of the time, not. This set the tone for the day and it got worse as the day went on with the bike toll.

I was asked to ride with Jonathan the next session, when I met him he seemed nice, but he is asian and not to be stereotypical (I’m asian too) I didn’t want to ride with him if he was going to be some arrogant rich asian kid who was willing to take unnecessary chances and not listen. It turns out I was wrong and was so happy about it, it turns out this kid can ride, but he has a few things that need to be worked out, so I asked if he minded if we did some film? I used the Sena Prism anchored to the rear cowling of my GSXR and asked Troy to take him around since we were going to be going out again in the next session with another student to record his riding. Jonathan is great getting on the gas, however he man handles his bike with his upper body and his body positioning changes drastically after a few laps letting me know he doesn’t use his lower body properly and engage his core. Anyone that says this sport isn’t physical is wrong, I haven’t met a single rider who doesn’t take their helmet off who isn’t sweating like crazy. He gets so tired he starts yanking his bike instead of allowing his lower body to stay anchored and control the bike with the change in which peg he weights. He’s great going left, more tentative going right. His lines are ok, but they can be better, he needs to use the track more and not be following the turn so long at a lean to get a quicker and better drive. He needs to look further. I know you have all heard this and what this means is seeing as far down the track as possible, but still seeing and using rapid eye movements to focus in and out to the reference points. For example, when entering the turn you should see the apex, but be looking for that exit and all the while focusing in and out from apex (without concentrating on it) to the exit ready to get on the gas. It takes practice and sometimes when you are tired your eyes just get lazy and you find yourself looking only to the next reference point. Jonathan was a great student, he listened, he asked questions, he understood and when he got on the track he went to work. It is students like this that make being an instructor fun, being able to touch people and change their lives in some small way and to give them direction to work on things that may be holding them back. Unlocking their potential and giving them the confidence to get out there and do it better each time. Thank you Jonathan for letting me use your video and just talk briefly about the footage as a learning tool and letting me discuss your riding. My Sena Prism has been an invaluable tool in my teaching at the track and I look forward to recording, posting and critiquing many more students in the upcoming year. I want to thank Robert Knoll for sponsoring me, my company and what we are doing for women riders, it is individuals like this who believe in our causes that help us to succeed.

Vixens Ride!

Motorcycle Racing

July 21, 2015 By Carol Carpenter

Racing isn’t for everyone, it requires a certain level of skill, tenacity and hard work to achieve a level that most people will not have the time and funds to accomplish. I’ve heard people be blunt in saying that racing isn’t for the faint of heart, if you are willing to stack $100 bills and light them on fire then you may be crazy enough to race. I chuckled at this comment, but had I been smarter, I may have actually turned and ran. However, I am who I am, I love a challenge and instead of heeding that comment and taking it to heart, I decided that it was something I wanted…needed to do to prove to myself I could accomplish that unlikely goal. If you are interested our local club racing chapter is WMRRA.

It has been a journey to get my expert license, to race those ten races and finish. Just because you sign up for ten races doesn’t mean you get credit for them, you must finish, which means you cannot crash and you must cross start/ finish. I’ve done more than ten races and crashed out on a few, it is heartbreaking, you question your abilities, the pain of the injuries makes you second guess your skills or your bike, you get the picture. As a racer, you are constantly trying to improve yourself or your bike to give yourself the upper hand. Let’s be clear, I don’t have the latest bike, I have a 2004 Yamaha R6, bone stock and with Ohlins cartridges and a GP suspension revalved and resprung rear shock (cuz I’m a girl), Vortex brake and clutch levers, rearsets, clip ons, case covers, sprockets, sliders and chain. There is no slipper clutch, no electronics or gp shift. It’s old school and it has made me a smoother rider not being able to rely on electronics to save my ass. What I have developed is skill and smoothness, no dumping clutches, trail clutching and trail braking, learning it takes patience to initiate a turn with precision at times and that multitasking all these things as you are entering a corner in triple digits is an accomplishment like nothing else. Not everything goes right all the time, timing can be off, your mind not clear, so many things can happen to mess up that could be perfect turn, but it is the trying over and over again to do it that says volumes. We are not anything if not tenacious and seeking that feeling of the perfect lap (i.e. the drive onto the straightaway, patience to your brake marker, braking, gear selection, trail clutching and trail braking to the apex, letting the bike finish the turn, rolling the bike up on the fat part of the tire to get the perfect drive out of the exit, repeating this process 16 times a lap at the Ridge Motorsports Park) is what brings us back over and over.

June 27, 2015 I finished my last novice race and when all was said and done I came in 7th. It was a personal goal that I achieved on that day, I had promised myself one day I would get my expert number and at least place in the top 10 and that day I did both. I went from #809 to my chosen number #72. My love of riding, whether it is on the track or on the street, is about passion for a sport unlike anything else. Anyone who rides understands, those who don’t, think we are bonkers risking our lives. It just appears that our sport raises more fear in people than many other sports, yet I find motorcyclists to be some of the most interesting intelligent individuals out there. Even if you never race, come to the track, take lessons from a trusted individual, read, absorb as much information on how to be a better rider. In doing so you will be a rider for life and reap the benefits of that information when a situation arises that requires you to use your skills appropriately. Ken Hill was the person that said to me, “Practice makes permanent” meaning practicing without a plan means the development of bad habits that will be hard to break, so go into every practice with a plan and make “Perfect practice permanent.”

Track Days

July 4, 2015 By Carol Carpenter

oprt_logo_full_new I was recently at the track more days of the week than not, not complaining at all, most people would kill to be in my position that is for sure. I’m fortunate to be in a position that allows me a bit more freedom to schedule myself out and unless there is a project that I absolutely must do, I can make myself available to be at the track to fulfill my passion…helping others learn to ride. I was recently at the Father’s Day track day with OPRT on Sunday and we had a full house, as usual, level 200 was full and people signed up for levels that were either above of below their skill set. As the day progressed and people were shifted to their appropriate levels, things started to mellow out and everyone got in a groove. I was teaching a student in level 200 and due to some technical difficulties I had to pull off, check my bike, then I jumped back on to find my student. I came across a rider that looked a bit confused about the lines so I tried to block his inside so as not to have him spooked by passing riders, he tended to swoop a bit so I figured if someone tried to pass they would notice that, back off a bit and then choose a safer place to pass. I must remind riders all the time, it is the passing riders responsibility to execute a safe pass, if you can not, just don’t do it. It leads to bad consequences…as we saw on this day. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3T7XbD8u-Y[/youtube] As we both entered turn 10 the rider behind us decided he wanted to pass so dropped back a bit and went to the right in hopes of getting a straight shot into 11, however as I previously mentioned the rider I was protecting would swoop, which is exactly what he did causing the rider who wanted to pass to panic and brake so hard he did an endo. This led to a scattering of bikes and one rider behind to hit the rider that went down, all this was caught on a video that was posted on youtube and I later shared that on my timeline. Never overtake someone until you watch them through a few turns, just understanding what they feel comfortable doing helps you make a judgement call as to when it is safe to pass. All in all, the rider looked ok and he rode off the track 2up with a Marshal.

The next day was a track day for South Sound Honda and I rode around the first few sessions to get warmed up then noticed some gals that could use some help. I came across a gal named Julie and helped tow her around a bit to get her to follow my lines and she did awesome. Next session I found a young gal named Sienna, who was pitted with her father and boyfriend and asked if they wouldn’t mind if I took her around a bit? She was on a CBR250 and she was new to the race track, but had been on dirt tracks most of her life. We did a few sessions together getting her used to riding a race track and trying to teach her to the lines to help her acclimate getting her track legs. I then went back to Julie and we hopped on and we were planning on doing a few lead and follow laps, first I let her lead to see if she was paying attention, then I got in front and led. During this session I was hit as a rider tried to come on the inside of turn 12 and as I was leaning over felt my bike start to slide, then as I was accelerating out, I felt a big clunk. I was unaware I had been hit and the rider that hit me had high sided, until I heard the scraping of metal behind me, I shook my head and motioned back to Julie to follow me as we would go for another lap. When we came around we saw the rider was ok, but there was fluid on the track so they motioned us to one side and we got up a hand to exit the track. This was Julie’s first time on the track and she was stunned to have witnessed the crash, but saw that despite being hit you can still stay upright and continue on. A great lesson that could never have been described, but only witnessed. Upon entering my pit, I told my boyfriend, who is hard of hearing, I was hit. He said, “I know someone high sided and crashed.” At which time I repeated a little louder, “No, I was hit honey.” “Oh” was his reply as I got off the bike, “Are you OK?” Yup all good and then we looked at the bike where we saw that he had hit me, his bike flipped and his handlebar came down on my passenger cowl and took a chunk of paint and scraped the tail section as is came down. That explained that clunk I felt. The guy that crashed seemed fine and the only thing he was upset about was telling his wife.

Track days are fun, they are for learning and pushing your limits a bit to see what your bike can do. Bear in mind, you will never be able to outride your bike’s capabilities, so don’t try, everything in baby steps. The track is a safe controlled environment consisting of the same corners lap after lap for you to try to perfect your entry and exit speed, your lines, gear selection, braking, reference points, etc. If your goal is to drag a knee or get faster, you are that guy that will either end up crashing or causing a crash. Getting faster is about practice, not just practice, but repeated perfect practice. You are never going to be perfect, but you can get close once in a while and that is what will bring you back, that pursuit of perfection. Everything is a byproduct of the last, in getting more skilled, smoother, faster, you will naturally drag a knee or a knee and elbow, but that shouldn’t be your goal as it can lead to dire consequences. All the skills you acquire at the track directly translate to the street, but at a different speed and with far more obstacles to be worried about. Vision, which is learned at the track, helps a great deal with this as well as reference points, the speed you must acquire information is much faster at the track and once you’ve gotten acclimated it is amazing how slow things happen on the street. It gives you the ability to troubleshoot and create escape routes just in case. You will find that your mind works quicker and your ability to predict obstacles or accidents is heightened after you start making track days part of your life. Track days can be an incredible learning experience, a place to hone your skills, a place to release stress, ride at ridiculous speeds without getting a ticket, being part of a community and push your limits in a safe environment. While my last two track days saw some crazy things, the benefits far outweigh the risks. You will learn more that you’ve ever imagined and you’ll end the day hot, sweaty and feeling completely drained, but it will be with a gigantic smile on your face.

Blind spots and Death spots

April 21, 2015 By Carol Carpenter

The previous blog was about how our brain tricks us into believing a false truth, filling in the blanks because the other option seems unlikely, that is how motorcyclists end up entangled with vehicles all too often. Knowing this helps us arm ourselves when we are riding and also to start trouble shooting ways to avoid these unnecessary accidents. A fight between a car and a motorcycle is an unfair fight and the fact that so many drivers are distracted make it even more dangerous for us when we ride on the street. I’ve heard many a motorcyclist say that they ride to just get away, just relax…while I ride to get away from people, stress, kids, whatever the day has managed to drag and and dump in my lap, I never ride to relax. That implies you are riding without thought which I interpret to not being aware of your surroundings, mindless. Riding that way will get your ticket punched pretty quickly.

As many of you know I advocate advanced training, whether it be on the track or on the street, the more you fill your toolbox with skills the more confident you can be to handle any situation as it arises. However, nothing beats predicting and preparing so you never have to react in a panic or high stress situation. I just finished reading Sport Riding Techniques by Nick Ienatsch, if you haven’t read it, do. Every book and author has morsels of information that you can connect with and at times change the way you look at things and your ride…reading one book or one author is like getting a whole box of chocolates with every one the same, it’s great until someone gives you an assorted box, then all of a sudden it changes everything! Nick discusses reading traffic patterns because if you commute enough you will see them and can use these patterns to your advantage. He also discusses “driver identification“, which I consider profiling. It merely means being aware of who is behind the wheel of a given car, what sort of car it is, how it’s being driven. Identifying the types that say bully you, ignore you, don’t see you, want to work with you, types that don’t give you space. Who can you trust, tailgate, intimidate or not, is clueless, etc.? Asking these questions can help you determine if you want to be around them or get as far away from them as you can. However, if it ever comes to a question of trust? Trust no one and ride like you are invisible.

As a street rider, I check my mirrors often and so should you. I’d say I check every 5 seconds or so, even down the freeway, I like to know who is coming up behind me (check for the occasional trooper) and who is around me since it is vital to my survival. I ride relaxed, but not to relax and be mindless, there are too many variables to think about, but these skills will become second nature and pretty soon you’ll see how much more enjoyable your rides can be. This rule is also a helpful reminder for you to glance to make sure your turn signals are canceled, they are responsible for more accidents than you can imagine. Always be clear with your intentions, confusion can lead to an unfavorable turnout. Not using them at all to solve the problem? Don’t! Signals help draw attention to your bike, which you want! For example, if you want to change lanes, but don’t want to use your signal, the car in front or the next lane over wants to do just the same, who wins? Signals help notify others of your intended actions. Just be more aware of canceling them after lane changes and turns, that is where checking your mirrors and a quick glance down to check your turn signals is perfect.

Within every blind spot is a “Death Spot”, a place where you are in harm’s way if that vehicle changes lanes or decides to share it with you. Try to avoid these spots no matter what. As soon as your front tire is parallel with a vehicle’s rear bumper you are entering the death spot and will remain in it until you are past that vehicle. A Porsche’s death spot will be far less than a Ford F150, but either one can take you out. As riders we are always forced into blind spots in heavy traffic, do whatever you can to get noticed, whether its slowing to fall into the car’s mirrors or accelerating to the vehicle in front of you to be visible to the car in the next lane, always trying to get clear of the death spot. Remember motorcycles have this incredible ability of speed to get us out of sketchy situations, use this when you need it, especially when your instincts are telling you to get the hell out of there. “Riding well in traffic is a constant adjustment of speed an lane position, requiring the same total concentration needed while lapping a racetrack.” There are so many lessons you can take from the racetrack to the street. Total focus and concentration, a well maintained machine, practice and get better, ride sober (no racer would ever ride impaired) and the principle of no brake lights (road racing bikes do not have lights, so do some cars, they learn to judge speed and deceleration without relying on lights as should you.

The season is quickly approaching and nicer weather will be more consistent, brush up on your skills and should you require some private lessons, I’m here to help. Fill out my questionnaire form and email it to me, we can setup a time to meet and figure out a plan to make you a confident and empowered rider in no time.

Vixens Ride!

Rickdiculous

April 4, 2015 By Carol Carpenter

Rickdiculous-1 Not 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-2 while 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-3 with 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-1 their 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-2 Since 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-3 Day 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!