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R6 Spring and Preload Adjustment

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motorcycle-dynotuning

When I decided to start out as a novice racer, it was merely an idea, a dream, a desire. However, as things progress, the actual work of getting the bike race ready has basically slapped that foggy dream-like state into full reality. The thought of possibly having a track bike that was almost ready seems like it would have been a better idea, taking a street bike and trying to get it race ready is a major project, but it is a labor of love. In each and every step, I have learned more about my bike, not just why these modifications are being done, but how it will help and improve my confidence on the bike which will in turn be translated on the track. As promised, with each and every improvement I am and will be doing on my bike, I will share these with you. For some, this may discourage you to try, for others it might even peak your interest and I may see you trying next year! I just hope that in doing it will ignite or inspire you in some way or another to not only dream, but make that dream a reality. That it doesn’t matter what your gender or age, if you have a passion to do something, it is entirely possible you just need to follow your heart.

This video is with Brian Trudeau of FS2 (Fluid Suspension Science), it was to have my spring replaced with one rated for my body weight. The spring I had on my bike was rated for someone heavier than me which made my ride a lot stiffer (it just didn’t give). This would have translated on the track with my rear tire not having the ability to “bite” the track and could have lead to a crash. I hope you find this video informative and educational, I am looking forward to showing you the transformation of my R6 from a streetbike to a full on race bike!

Kudos to us Vixens

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Vixens, as riders we tend to start out at a disadvantage, but being female riders I think shows we have “balls” and we definitely do get major credit for that. I believe it takes a certain type of woman to ride, she has to be confident, outgoing and let’s face it the majority of us have quite the personality to boot. Come on, think about it…getting off your bike with helmet in hand, you can start conversations with anyone and they have a huge amount of respect for you, women because they see how strong and independent you are (yes they want to be you) and men because they think it’s sexy (yeah, they can’t help that, it’s the way they are wired). I only state we are at a disadvantage mostly due to the machines we ride, they were developed without us in mind and I mean this in every way. It limits what kind of bikes some of choose to ride because as beginners it is intimidating to climb onto a machine which may weigh up to 300+ pounds more than us, the seat height is too high and we are unable to touch the ground or feel secure in touching it even 3/4 of the way, the handlebars are too far away, the suspension is too stiff for our body weight, etc. The truth is that many of us don’t want a bike we can’t flat foot at a stop and that ends up limiting what types of bikes we choose to ride as our starter bikes. Don’t get me wrong, starting out with a bike you are completely comfortable with to learn the in’s and out’s of motorcycling is incredibly important, but I find that the fear ends up dictating our choices and before we know it we have outgrown the bike we started with and aren’t fully enjoying the ride.

I will make myself an example in this, I bought a Ducati Monster 696 ABS as a starter bike. I wish I would’ve just bought the 796 (the seat height was also a determining factor, it was slightly higher) instead, but because I was being told that the 696 was more power than I would need, I chose my current bike. In the line of Ducati’s it was the one where I could get the most leverage for my feet to touch, but no one mentioned to me that it could be lowered by shaving the seat down, adjusting the suspension, etc. The truth is that dealerships are meant to sell you a bike, they aren’t there to help you enjoy it or get the most out of it, they are there to turn a profit. It is solely up to us to help educate each other and give each other advice that otherwise could not be learned through them. The first week out while on my tiptoes at a stop, I dropped the bike, it was so embarrassing and it really pissed me off. I went back to the dealership and discussed my issue, but the fact that they were guys, they had little (useful) advice to offer or maybe coming from a guy I just tuned them out. At the time, there was a gal named Rachel, that worked once a week at the dealership and she was way shorter than me and also rode. I asked her the same questions I had asked the guys and she was a plethora of information, the first was to have my seat shaved to gain leverage, lowering the bike using lowering links (which I still have a hard time getting behind unless you are only using the bike for pleasure riding and not leaning your bike in any way), suspension (which is still my go to) and just plain old seat time. I shaved the seat and got my suspension done and guess what? I could’ve gotten that 796 I wanted had someone just been a resource for me and told me what I needed to do to get my bike to fit me. Leverage is a huge factor for a beginner, but as you progress and get more seat time, experience and confidence, fully touching the ground doesn’t become a factor (while it is nice) and you can manage with one foot touching. Don’t be afraid to ask other women riders for advice, especially ones who fit your body type, they understand your struggles and will jump right on board to help you get more out of your ride. Sad to say, but we are the minority when it comes to riding so manufacturers concentrate of the major population of riders which happen to be men, so it is that much more imperative that we band together and show the industry that we do matter. I would love to see the day when a woman can walk into a dealership and be greeted by a knowledgable saleswoman, dealerships that offer free setup for women riders, offer workshops on how to maintain your bike, offer discounts to various businesses that can help us customize our bikes to fit, etc…Yeah it’s a pipe dream, but it isn’t impossible. Until that day arrives though, it is up to all of us to help educate and give each other advice on how to absolutely love our rides.

Tell other women riders about us and have them register on the website and like us on Facebook, we are here to help and make this the best online resource there is. If we can improve in any way let us know. We want to provide you with interesting information for riding and for women’s issues as the two go hand in hand. If there is an event you want posted, an issue you want discussed, etc. let us know via email and we will do it. MotoVixens is a community of women riders that are passionate about riding and their health, as riders we must maintain a certain energy level to focus and ride and it is all about being healthy and fit. Here’s to looking at all us fabulous Vixens! Now go out and Ride C.H.I.C!

Throttle Control – Suspension & Traction

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I know, I know, another blog on throttle control, but I hope in doing this I can stress how important it is in our riding.  How it can make a ride enjoyable or really crappy really fast.  We have more control than we know when we ride, in fact, we have all the control of the outcome of each and every ride.  So let’s talk more technical about how suspension and traction play a role in the big picture.  Throttle control can affect the suspension and traction on the bike in a positive or negative way depending on how you brake and roll on the throttle.  If you break up acceleration into thirds, where cracking it on is the first third, acceleration(midway) being the second third to full acceleration to the last third, stability and traction are best in the middle third.  Say you hit the throttle hard to start, your front end gets light and tends to shake, but as it settles you feel the traction kick in and stabilize the bike allowing you to apply more throttle for more acceleration.  Throttle control affects suspension through weight transfer, too much at one time loads the back end of the bike (stiffening the rear suspension) and as a result reduces traction.  The ideal weight transfer is 10-20 percent to the rear tire which allows the suspension to work in an optimal range (and traction too) especially when cornering and that 10-20 percent can literally only be millimeters of movement in your wrist.  Cornering is especially tricky when it comes to this (and while there are other principles that apply to this including turn points, body positioning and lean which we will discuss in another blog), the earlier the throttle is applied and rolled on the less forced acceleration you will need to complete the turn and the more responsive the rear suspension will be.  According to Keith Code’s “Twist of the Wrist II” the standard rule of throttle control is:  “Once the throttle is cracked on, it is rolled on smoothly, evenly and constantly throughout the remainder of the turn.”  Yeah, easier said than done when you have a moment of panic that causes you to make a decision under duress.  The trick is to stay calm.

Rolling on smoothly like “Barry White” from my other blog has major advantages, like a rear end slide, you can avoid sliding more or a highside if you just stop rolling on and keeping it constant to allow your bike to slow briefly as it tries to align itself.  Remember your bike wants to be stable and will make every effort to get there, unless of course you disturb it in the process.  If the back end is coming around and you let your throttle go, cutting off power, the weight transfers off the rear wheel which can cause it to slide more or even overload the front tire causing it to slide.  Cutting off power by letting go of your throttle causes rear and front suspension to compress and you lose cornering ground clearance.  If you panic during your lean and cut your throttle you could potentially be lifting either one or both of your wheels off the pavement, now that’s an Oh Shit moment!  As you can see, throttle control is more than just acceleration and deceleration, there is an art to it and understanding how it applies to every aspect of riding.  I hope this little blog about how it affects suspension and traction helps to make your ride more enjoyable and through constant practice, second nature.  This doesn’t apply to street and/or track riding only, it applies to all types of riding.  Ride C.H.I.C. (Confident, Hard and In Control) Vixens!  Don’t forget to sign up for the Ducati “Women’s Event” in June where we will put these principles to the test with 2Fast and WMST.

 

 

 

 

Throttle Control

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A lot can be said about throttle control and how crucial it is in riding and cornering.  As riders we have the ability to make it easier, harder, smoother or scarier based on how we control our throttle.  I learned from an instructor in an MSF class that you should treat your throttle like “Barry White” (SMOOTH) and you won’t be surprised by a choppy and unpredictable ride.  This also rolls into rider input, the fact that if we do not relax our hands and arms, it can lead to disastrous results.  Today’s machines are so perfectly balanced that if you let go and just rode, the bike would right itself, we are the cause that things go wrong when we ride.  Try it and see, don’t death grip your bike, gently roll on and off (the bike immediately responds), push on the bars (gently) and see how easily it turns?  You have so much more control and it required way less effort.  The trick is being confident in your abilities and to relax, but to relax we need to have confidence in our abilities, yeah it is always a catch 22 isn’t it?

When coming off a stop I personally like to be in that friction zone, that place where you can pull in the clutch a bit to roll back and if you twist on a bit of throttle you will roll forward, either way it keeps you from stalling your engine.  This is so important when you are stopped on an incline, so mastering that technique is important.  Then there is the turning the key hand position so as not to fatigue your hand.  If you hold your hand as if you are turning a key in a door your hand doesn’t get tired and cause you to reposition it often and have an unpredictable position on your control that requires adjusting often.  Your hands should have a firm, but gentle grip on the throttle (relaxed) and it should be easy to engage and release the throttle with little to no effort.  This will allow you to ride for lengthy periods of time without your hands going numb or tired, it is all about a light touch.

Cornering is where throttle control can cause you to either panic and have that “Oh Shit” moment or that feeling of absolute exhilaration as you hit that throttle and nail that corner.  Cornering is something we all want to be confident in and be able to take confidently at speed, but many of us can be intimidated by it.  Just seeing that turn up ahead can cause us to tense up and then give the bike way too much input.  Just relax and loosen your grip on the bike and know that you can do this, practice, practice, practice.  Taking a class with a racetrack school where everyone is learning how to corner and corner well is a safe place to learn how to corner precisely and gain that confidence you will need for the street.

I distinctly remember an “aha” moment at a school I was attending where the individual who was reviewing my video of my laps asked why I wasn’t cracking on my throttle earlier?  I remember thinking, “I don’t know, I think I may run wide?”  He was quick to say that I would run wide only if I didn’t crack my throttle on early enough.  He made it very basic for me, he said upon entering a turn you brake, that breaking creates instability for your bike which you need to get it into position to turn. Once you have gotten into the lean position (which should have started before you entered the turn) and are in the trajectory you intend to go, you hit the throttle to stabilize your bike to complete that turn.  In every corner crack on the throttle as soon as possible (not too early though as it will cause you to run wide) and keep a light acceleration through the middle of the turn with the most aggressive turn on at the end to exit.  It was at that moment, I realized that my own fear was keeping me from initiating and completing that turn smoothly and precisely.  It was all about throttle control, when and where to apply it and how much.  Once you get throttle control mastered or at least partially mastered, you can ride knowing that you have the skills necessary to take on any situation and that is powerful.

Throttle control is the key to enjoying your ride, so master it and you will find out how much more enjoyable your riding experience will be.  For some reading during the off season, try Twist of the Wrist and Twist of the Wrist II from Keith Code or get the DVD’s and brush up on your techniques before the season starts again.  Please check out the forums under riding techniques where I will be posting some subjects to discuss.

Women’s Track Event

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Ladies! We have a date! We will be a part of Ducati Bellevue’s 2nd track day on Monday, June 10, 2013 taught by 2 Fast and WMST. The curriculum will be classroom time followed by track time at the :40 of every hour, it will consist of 7 track sessions (20 minutes), trust me gals this is plenty and you will be tired (physically and mentally) by the end of the day. The cost will be $250 for the day and transportation for your bike will be provided for the first 15 ladies who sign up by Ducati Bellevue (you just have to drop off your bike on Saturday, June 8 at Ducati Bellevue). Bikes will be transported back to Ducati Bellevue for pickup on Wednesday, June 12,2013.

Event Schedule is as follows:

7am-Tech Inspection and registration

7:40am-Track Ride around in trucks

8:15am-Mandatory Riders’ meeting & Explanation of Rules

9am-Classroom (every :40-Women’s session rides, i.e. 9:40am, 10:40am, 11:40, 12:40, etc.)

12pm-Complimentary Lunch

Riding sessions continue throughout the day

4or 5pm-End of day

Some of us may want to spend the night in lovely Shelton so you don’t need to make the early morning Monday drive, in fact I highly recommend it from someone who has done that early drive, rode the track and had to drive home. Go to www.ducatibellevue.com for a list of hotels in the area to stay.   If this track day proves to be successful and we get a fair amount of women who sign up, a future “women’s only” track day will be discussed. Seeing however, this will be Ducati’s first foray into this, they would like to see how well received this event will be before committing to a full day.  So let’s show them that women really are serious about this and want to learn these techniques to become better riders. Signups can start anytime, you just need to either call (425)882-4300 and ask for MJ or email him directly to register (michael.jordan@ducatibellevue.com).

Also, if you are interested in taking that “more cornering” class with WMST, please let me know. I am asking Chris if women do want to sign up for this before they go to the track, what dates they would be and the price. I will keep you posted.  Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Emergency Card

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As I was filling out my forms to become a novice racer with WMRRA this year, one of the forms included a full medical information page which needed to be in your leathers in case of an emergency, I realized I needed to update my “In case of emergency” card I keep in my wallet while riding.  Not that we are tempting fate, but in the event that something should happen you should have this information handy for medics so they can get you proper care.  I am sure we all carry our ID when we are out riding, but all that changing from our everyday wallet to our smaller riding wallet, sometimes we forget, right?  I know there have been times when I got home after a ride and realized in my rush to get out the door or even being distracted by the kids, I had been riding without my license, oops!  It happens, life happens, so let’s be realistic and be prepared.  The card just provides the basic information, your name, DOB, blood type, address, phone numbers, physician, emergency contacts and a spot to put your insurance information.  I’ve included the document for you to print out, please fill it out and keep it with you in your riding wallet as well as your membership to the AMA (if you haven’t become a member, do, they are a great organization), they will tow your bike in the event something should happen.  It is that reminder from my girl scout days to “Be Prepared”!!!

It’s been chilly out, but I hope to see you all out there!  Vixens ride!

In Case Of Emergency

Need a Christmas gift? AMA memberships are perfect!

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If you are currently not a member of the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) and have been considering to join, click onto the logo on the site or go to resources and click on the bullet “American Motorcyclist” to get you started.  Memberships start at $49 and if you love our sport, the AMA fights to reserve our rights as motorcyclists and overturn unjust laws aimed specifically at our sport.  MotoVixens has registered with the AMA to be a provider so click on the link on our site and get started.

Why should you join?  They are an active participant in the war on distracted driving, AMA members get 24 hour roadside assistance (for no extra charge) on your motorcycle(s) and all the rest of your vehicles, discounts on rental cars, hotels, gear/parts, GPS systems, AMA Supercross and Arenacross tickets, fighting for our rights to ride in the HOV lanes, making sure we can’t be denied coverage for injuries resulting from a motorcycle crash, opposing the discriminatory practice of motorcycle-only traffic check points, improve motorcycle safety through conducting a national study on the causes of motorcycle crashes, keeping restricting laws about modifications to our bikes at bay, protecting our right to ride, etc.  This is only a short list of things that they do to protect our rights as riders and the benefits that they offer.  Join the AMA or renew your membership before December 31, 2012 and you will automatically be entered to win a 2011 Husqvarna TC449!

If you have a rider in your life who presently isn’t a member, click on the link and buy them a membership…it will be a Christmas gift they will thank you for.  In the meantime, stay warm and dry, ride frequently and enjoy the holiday season with your loved ones.  Wishing everyone a Happy Holidays!

Carol T. Carpenter

Why is a Dyno important?

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I met Nels this summer at his shop in Woodinville, WA during a maintenance event that included suspension setups with Fluid Suspension Science (FS2) in addition to Nels performing Dynos on your bikes.  Nels stated that with the upgraded Termignoni exhausts I had, the only way to get the maximum performance out of my bike was to purchase a power commander with O2 optimizers.  He explained that trying to reprogram the present stock ECU would only temporarily change the system as the newer ECU’s will automatically reset to factory settings, basically undoing everything he would have done.  It would require 3-5 days depending on the timeframe the bike would need to be at Ducati to install the power commander and then it would be trucked to him to do the dyno.  The results were phenomenal, I fell in love with my bike all over again, it ran so smoothly, my clutch wasn’t slipping, taking off from a stop was no longer a required skill of keeping it right in that friction zone to keep it from stalling, the acceleration was immediate and for once I felt confident with riding my motorcycle.  I didn’t feel as if there was going to be some new surprise or “feature”I would just have to accept and work around, my bike just worked!

Carol T. Carpenter
MotoVixens

The following is an explanation of why a dyno is important for every bike straight from Nels himself:

You only have so much talent

When riding a motorcycle, we have so much to think about sometimes it can be overwhelming. We are so used to hopping in our car, closing the door, turning on the stereo and then we pretty much check out from there. It doesn’t require a lot of talent or concentration to drive our cars, especially when we have so much experience driving them. A motorcycle is much different, if we all didn’t share such a crazy love or obsession for this dangerous sport, getting from point A to point B would be much easier and safer. So the goal is to explain the importance of setting up your motorcycle. I specialize in getting the motorcycle to do what you tell it to do, when you want it to do it.

Every person is only given only so much talent (consider talent a balance in your personal bank account). We can improve on that amount of talent with practice and lessons (adding to the balance) but we also have to be aware of some of the things that require some of the little talent we have (drawing from that balance) to ride a motorcycle. For example, having bad tires, bad suspension, improper chassis setup and engine performance all rob some of your talent (drawing from your balance again) not leaving you much to figure out how to ride the bike. If you have bad tires, your focus will be on not slipping around and paying extra attention to corner speeds and road conditions (get the idea?). If you have bad suspension your bike will not properly stop, turn, or stick to the ground. If your chassis, handle bars and rear sets are not properly adjusted to you, you will be uncomfortable and not able to reach your controls or you will find your hands and feet falling asleep. In conclusion, if your engine is not running right, with the best tires, suspension and chassis setup, it can require all of your talent (your entire balance) to take off from a stop light and just get the bike just down the road (possibly putting you in the negatives in your account). If we can eliminate all the variables that rob little pieces of your talent, you can focus more on the building of your talent (being in the black, instead of in the red) and the enjoyment of riding your bike.

So let’s get to the part I do…the engine is the heart of the motorcycle and it’s critical that the motorcycle does what you tell it to do. I will help you to create a relationship with your bike that connects the rear tire directly to your wrist, there should be no reason that your motorcycle does not do exactly what you ask it to. So, that is where I come in. My primary tool is called a Dynamometer. Everyone calls it a “Dyno” for short. The dyno is a diagnostic tool that allows us to simulate riding the bike on the road in a controlled setting. While riding the bike on the dyno, I hook your bike up to numerous computer systems that allow me to see exactly whats going on with your engine and engine management system. With a few extra tools and parts we can make changes and make the bike run better. By dyno tuning the bike, I am simulating riding the bike and making changes to the engine management system until the bike runs perfectly. My goal is to connect your wrist to the bikes rear tire and get it doing exactly what you tell it to when you ask it to smoothly and without hesitation.

-Fuel economy, ride-ability and power in same program

By dyno tuning we can obtain better fuel economy, ride-ability and extra power all at the same time. Dynos are not just about making the bike faster like most people think, it is about optimizing your bike’s various functions. Horsepower is translated to energy, but it is the only measuring tool I have to see if the changes I made are correct. If I am dyno tuning and the horsepower goes up and gets smoother, I know I’ve made the correct changes. If the horsepower goes down, then it is an indicator I made an incorrect adjustment. The benefits of increasing the horsepower are not just to go faster, it will enhance all throttle inputs and help you in all riding conditions. For example, if you are riding on the freeway and it requires 20% throttle to maintain 60mph, by increasing the horsepower through dyno tuning, it may only require 12% throttle to maintain the same speed. With that said, fuel economy will be substantially improved.

-Confidence building

Dyno tuning your motorcycle can help boost your confidence. On most modern motorcycles, when you take off from a stoplight, the bike will chug, vibrate the handlebars and at times even stall. This requires you to twist on the throttle, rev the bike and burn the clutch just to get it going. It can be very unnerving to deal with a problem like this, especially in a parking lot at slow speeds. An example of a bike needing dyno tuning is when you are on the freeway or in a corner and the bike will surge, causing you to go on and off the throttle back and forth just to get the bike to do what you want. Dyno tuning can fix these issues and give you the confidence that your bike will respond to you, allowing you to smoothly let out the clutch and take off with very little throttle. Imagine cruising on the freeway, with barely any effort, holding one constant speed, relaxing and enjoying the ride instead of trying to just stay at the right speed.  That is how dyno tuning can help you build confidence with your ride.

-Less service and maintenance 

With a properly dyno tuned bike, you will not only make the bike run better but can prolong the time period between servicing and maintenance. Your current tune-up, parts, oil change, tires, brakes, throttle cables, and engine can last substantially longer. With the engine running smoother and now burning the proper amount of fuel, we have seen oil changes for as far as 5000-10000 miles, spark plugs go 25,000-30,000 miles and engines seem to last indefinitely. We can also use the dyno to diagnose problems and even forsee future problems. It can tell us if we need spark plugs, valve adjustments, problems with a slipping clutch, timing belts and engine rebuilds.

Dyno tuning usually requires purchasing programmers, resistors or parts but is worth it in the long run. On all bikes, no matter if they are brand new or in complete stock format, dyno tuning is important. The more mods you put on your bike, the further away you get from the stock exhaust and other components, the more critical dyno tuning becomes.  When you have combined purchasing and installing performance parts, programmers and dyno tuning, you will find it will enhance your riding experience so much you will fall in love with your motorcycle all over again. That is the ultimate goal: To get more people on their bike and loving the ride.

Nels with 2Wheel DynoWorks

425-269-5332

2wheeldynoworks.com

WINTERIZING for Modern Motorcycles

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There is an easy way to winterize your bike (my favorite way), take it to your dealership or if you don’t know where to take it you can call Ducati Bellevue (425-882-4300) and get an estimate on what it would cost to winterize your bike and have them do it for you! However, if you wish to get your hands dirty and really get to know your bike or if you have a friend, relative, significant other, etc who is mechanically inclined and wants to help you, then here are the steps. If you know someone who owns a bike and could use this blog, you can also send them a copy of this post for their reference on how to do it properly, this applies to every type of bike and was prepared by David Rookaird, Service Manager of Bellevue Ducati.

  • Add fuel stabilizer
  • Change your oil and filter
  • Charge your battery and have battery charger leads installed
  • Tire pressures and tires inspected
  • Lube all pivots/ chain
  • Clean

Add fuel stabilizer to a tank of gas at least a half or more full, then run it up to the service station (yes, with it in your bike) and fill up the rest of the tank. Run home and begin the process of changing your oil and filter. (Reason for changing oil when hot; all the contaminants are now suspended in the hot oil and will mostly come out with the oil change). Add oil and run the bike for a few moments and then let sit and recheck the oil level and top off as necessary. If your bike is a carbureted bike, then the next step is to be done regardless of how long you are going to let it sit. Drain the carburetors, at the bottom of each carb is a drain screw, open this and let drain into a old rag. (Be careful gas is highly volatile and will ignite into a big “OH S**T” :0 moment!) If you truly have a modern bike with fuel injection then the fuel and tank system is done.

Clean your bike and remove the seat to clean under that too. While cleaning make notes of how things look under the seat. (this is important since some areas have issues with mice or rats and they like to hide and chew things up under and around seats, you want to be able to see if these issue’s are occurring and take care of them before it’s too late). Now, you should have a battery tender, some newer bikes have leads installed others require installation, ask if you are unsure. The best charger I have found is the C-tek charger and is available at most motorcycle stores or Amazon. It will come with different hooks ups to charge your battery properly. Keep it on the charger all the time it won’t cook the battery. If you choose to ride occasionally then you still want the battery on a tender/charger leads. One of the biggest misconceptions of winterizing the bikes is to run them every week for brief periods to keep the juices flowing, this in fact can be bad for the motor and electrics. This is particularly bad for the motor if you don’t run the bike up to operating temp’s properly, then condensation will occur inside. In addition, what can happen is that the battery will get discharged and never really become recharged properly during that brief run time.

Now is a good time to walk around the bike and look for any issues. Reason? So when the weather does become nice and you want to ride, your ride will be ready for you… Clean and lube the chain, clean the bike in general, you would be surprised that when cleaning the stuff you can find wrong. Fill the tires up to normal pressures recommended by the dealer and in today’s times with radial tires it is not necessary to lift the wheels or bike off the ground. In the old days and with bikes that use bia-ply tires, this becomes a issue. The weight of the bike will sometimes flat spot the tires and cause a slight out of round issue but typically will go away with a few minutes of riding. Clean and lube all pivots, clutch and brake levers, switches and side stand and center stand if so equipped. Lube all the locks. Clean again. Take a old rag and dab it with WD-40 and wipe the fork tubes down, be careful not to get WD-40 on the brakes and tires.

Your bike is now ready for a hibernation period that can last anywhere from 1 week to a couple years, just depends on how the weather is and how much you want to ride in the colder temperatures.

Carol T. Carpenter
MotoVixens

California SuperBike School

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California SuperBike SchoolCA SuperBike School is based on Keith Code’s original idea of breaking down the fundamentals of riding and improving the rider’s ability in a step-by-step training method.  His classes offer 2 students to one coach, a little class time and lots of track time, which is what we all want and love.  You must do the levels in order, even if you are an advanced rider, this ensures everyone on that track has been trained in the same way. Every level takes a day to complete and I couldn’t believe how much I actually learned on the first day.  It is not inexpensive, but as I said to others when they balked at the price, “How much is your life worth?”  I would not be the confident, focused and safe rider I am today without this school.

I attended the Street of Willows in Lancaster, CA in April of 2012 and can only say that this is a well-oiled machine.  Students are encouraged to push their limits, but maintain a level of safety for the good of all the students on the track.  Level I and II teach you so much in the span of 2 days that you will leave with a sense of accomplishment you have never experienced.

In July of 2012 I went back and finished Level III and IV in Shelton, WA at the new racetrack, The Ridge.  What I learned in the last two levels challenged my body in ways that I never knew.  The way you position your body, hanging off the bike, flicking and hooking your body through turns, etc. required core strength to be turned on all the time.  Maybe that explains the lean nature of most sportbike riders and track rats.

I highly recommend this school to anyone who really wants to nail cornering and become a confident rider.  There are one day and two day classes, just check the schedule on www.superbikeschool.com for locations and dates near you.  If you check the gallery section on my site, you will see pictures from those two racetracks.  If you want to learn more about Keith’s techniques, read his books which are available through his school or on line, they will explain the concepts to you.  Ride safe ladies and remember Vixens Ride!

Carol T. Carpenter
MotoVixens
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