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Technology and Profiling

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With new technology being introduced into automobiles, the increased use of smartphones and just the sheer inattentiveness of drivers or being distracted, it is more crucial than ever to be more aware when riding.  The AAA conducted a study of motor-vehicle safety systems and found that motorcycles were detected 26% more slowly than a typical car.  The fact that dealers use this as a positive selling point can lull drivers into a false sense of security that they will be able to detect any vehicle and choose not to take a quick glance to make sure.  While technology is truly a wonderful thing and it continues to advance at lightning speed, for riders this can be more cause for concern than give us confidence that we will indeed be detected.  Just because you see their caution light come on in their mirrors as you enter their blind spots doesn’t necessarily mean they see you, there may actually be a car they are picking up entering that spot behind you, so pass them with caution and always ride as if you are invisible.  Remember there is the blind spot and then the death spot as I previously mentioned in the last blog, that would make you directly in that death spot.

I’ve adapted profiling cars as I ride, it is exactly what it sounds like…watching them ahead and behind me to see if their driving is erratic, distracted, have their heads down, are rocking out, having an argument, etc.  Those are just a few things to look out for when you are riding to help you make the best decisions and basically steer clear of them.  I’ve noticed the best drivers have stickers of manufacturers that are motorcycle driven, they often are very understanding and will move over to let you pass and at times move back to keep others from riding up your backside.  In contrast, those driving high performance sport cars are very happy to try to engage you in a race, don’t bite!  They are often going to draw undue attention of law enforcement and who needs to be caught up with that?  In the Pacific Northwest, I also find pickup trucks to be awesome, they are usually sport enthusiasts of the two wheeled kind and are very conscious of motorcyclists.  As you ride, start profiling a bit and soon you’ll see that there definitely people in certain cars that are more attentive drivers, others that are completely oblivious and some that will surprise you and I don’t know about you, but I hate surprises, especially when they come in the form of a 3-4 lane change last minute (oh shit) I need to make the exit kind of variety.  Look into the cars ahead of you when you are behind them, have they looked up to see you there (could you see their eyes glance up in the rear view mirror)?  Good, then they are acknowledging they see you, if not, get away from them as soon as possible.  Also, if the people are looking to change lanes they typically will turn their heads to see if the lane is clear, give them a bit of space to do so and look at tires, they don’t lie, if they are pointed in your direction, slow it down a bit just to make sure they see you.

As motorcyclists, the burden of our safety is placed on ourselves so put yourself in the best position to be seen, ride with the flow of traffic (don’t be so far behind that cars speed up to get around you) and ride with complete awareness.  Ride with a plan and then have a backup just in case, our machines are very quick to respond to our inputs so use that to your advantage when you are surrounded by automobiles…try to ride to those gaps in traffic where you can take a a breather until you hit the next cluster of cars.  Riding is such an integral part of our lives and I know we would all like to continue to do it for a lifetime so let’s make it a priority to be better educated and get the skills necessary to make that happen.  The riding season is upon us so let get out there and Vixens Ride!

 

Ready to Ride?

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

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

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

StreetMasters

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

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

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

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

Lines on the track

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

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

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

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

It’s A Fine Line

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

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

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

Vixens Ride!

Sena SMH10 vs. Sena 20S

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Sena 20S

Sena 20S

 

Sena SMH10

Sena SMH10

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

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

Vixens Ride!

 

Life Flight

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

Vixens Ride!

 

Rider Beware, Part II

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

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

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

Vixens Ride!

Rider beware, part 1

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It’s summertime and the weather is beautiful, the kids are out of school, people are vacationing and we are out riding whenever we can.  This sounds absolutely wonderful, but it is also a recipe for disaster.  Everyone that knows me, knows that I advocate confident riding and with that is rider training…seeing there are too few places to learn how to become better riders at speeds higher than a parking lot, I hope many of you are taking the opportunity to sign up for track days and track day schools.  While rider training is absolutely crucial no matter what speed, once you feel comfortable riding around at parking lot speeds and on the street a while, please go to the track to learn at higher speeds so that you are able to process information quicker allowing you more time to react.

You may ask why the track?  It isn’t about racing, it isn’t about getting your rocks off at high speeds, it is about knowing your bike and it’s capabilities, knowing your limits and seeing how little you were actually processing on the street.  On the track we teach seeing a wide view…not just what’s in front of you, but everything in front and around you.  What you should process as important and requires some of your attention and then to discard what is not.  Why is this important?  Let me give you an example, I was riding behind a car, who clearly did not know where he was going.  He signaled left and moved two lanes over to get in the left hand turn lane, I sped up to get on the freeway, he then decided he picked the wrong lane and swept across two lanes and cut me off…I had to break hard, but I saw him looking around so I had anticipated that he might try moving back.  He had no idea I was there, he didn’t even stop to look, even when I was behind him honking, he didn’t realize he could have caused a severe accident.  Truth is without the time on the track to learn and be confident in my skills, I could’ve ended up having a very bad day.

That is only one of several events that happened on that particular day, but it made me more aware that we need to not just make drivers more aware of us, but to also arm riders with enough knowledge (if not experienced) to make it through unscathed.  You have to anticipate people and their actions and even then it’s really a crap shoot.  Someday I hope we can add a chapter in driver training on motorcyclists and to be aware of them on the road, but until that day happens, it is up to us to be proactive.  Sure you can wear bright colored clothing and helmets, have modulating lights, but in the end that will not keep people from not seeing you.  With the smartphone, people in cars are clearly distracted and it is up to us to help ourselves.  Take your rider’s education in your own hands, I was always aware of motorcyclists because my brother and many of my friend were riders, I always gave them space because I had seen many of them get into an accident with drivers and it made me extremely angry that people didn’t realize that a poor decision they made in their car had serious repercussions for the rider.  We are exposed, quite literally with very little protection in comparison to their cages.

Remember, we have the benefit of speed on our side, use it when you need to to get out of clusters as I like to call them.  Go around them (safely, of course) and find yourself a nice open area to ride more comfortably without worrying about someone making a stupid move (not seeing you).  A cop who pulls you over will understand if you explain to them you just didn’t feel safe riding in the middle of a cluster and just wanted a little breathing space, this shouldn’t be a free pass however to be a tool and ride like a madman.  He will know the difference, trust me.  I’ve had many a cop drive up next to me after I broke clear of a cluster and just give me the hand wave of slow it down and I nod my head, but they really do get it.  Also, be aware that while you are close to a car to pass, they don’t know what you are doing, so give yourself enough of a cushion should they brake check you.  Again, another reason why I’d like to educate drivers in general.  Many don’t understand that you are trying to calculate speed to pass safely and may do the worst thing possible for you and hit their brakes, but most of the time, many will change lanes.  Do not tailgate them for a long time or they get edgy and things could get heated.

There are so many other things that I want to discuss, but that is enough for now to at least get you thinking.  I will do a part two here about how to make yourself seen better, at least giving you a fighting chance of being seen without any special equipment, just awareness.  It really is up to you especially if you want to get the most out of your experiences out there on the road and to free up more of your time on enjoying the ride.  And don’t forget to give the courtesy wave, two wheels down, hang loose, devil horns…whatever hand signal you choose, customize it if you wish to fellow riders.  We are all out there having fun together and heck it’s just common courtesy!  It’s gorgeous out there, what isn’t to love?  I don’t know about you, but I am always smiling ear to ear everytime I’m out on my bike and it is my honor to share the road with my fellow riders.

Vixens Ride!

New focus on street riders

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June was an incredibly busy month for track days and if you add the number of days I was at the track along with auditions, bookings and shoots it was exhausting.  I am not sure I’ve ever relayed what I do on the side besides MotoVixens (and just appointed AXO dealer), I am a mom of two sons, one going to college and one just turned 16 (and driving!)…I am also an actor/model/voiceover talent/whatever they need me for and pays ;).  What ends up being a week where I believe I can gain headway and write a blog, ends up being booked up with auditions to sometimes as far as Portland.  This brings me to my first love motorcycle riding…it is the most rewarding thing I do.  Honestly if it paid well I’d give everything up just to do it, but since it doesn’t, I have to resort to spreading myself around…

The one thing that I’ve noticed as an instructor is that track day companies are now very focused on street riders which excites me tremendously, one for the fact that they are reaching out to people who need to gain more knowledge and skills for surviving the craziness out there and two because seeing the person start the day nervous to ending it with a great big shit eatin grin makes me feel honored to be a part of that journey.  The truth is there is a lot to be gained by riding on the track; knowledge, confidence, no cops, emergency vehicle (in case), adrenaline rush in a safe place and hopefully keeping that off the streets where there can be dire consequences and above all what you accomplished while there for the day.  I try to attend every session of every school Mark puts on and while I know the curriculum, each class is unique in that with each group there are things that get stressed more due to the questions raised.  Plus the truth is, I’ve sat through a couple recently where I got a refresher on things that I’ve forgotten to pay attention to, so I still continue to learn. It is an ongoing thing and honestly your brain can’t wrap it’s head around ever concept discussed in one shot, it requires repetition, practice and nailing one concept down is an accomplishment.  I encourage students to go away with the knowledge they’ve obtained work on one or two things then hit a few track days and take another school course and build upon what they have as the foundation.

The focus is clear – teaching riders to make better decisions, knowing their machines capabilities in a way they never thought possible, trust themselves and the machine together, understand how to make it work for you and giving them the knowledge and confidence to survive even the most hairball situations out on the road.  Panic is not our friend, it causes people to make kneejerk reactions which upset the bike and in turn the bike ejects you for pissing it off…we hope that in the knowledge you gain, you KNOW you can handle it and will stay relaxed when such an event happens and it does everytime you ride.  So let’s save our fellow riders and tell them how beneficial track riding is and let’s all be around for a very long time!

Vixens Ride!