With over 8,000 students coached in Australia so far, and more than 100,000 around the world, the California Superbike School is no small operation, and with BikeAdvice wanting to do all that it can to promote safe and more highly-trained riding attitudes, we thought we’d put our money where our mouth is and attend a class at Victoria’s Phillip Island race track to see what it’s all about.
The idea behind the California Superbike School was the brainchild of Keith Code, a motorcycle racer from the 1960s who established the school after retiring from Superbike racing in 1979.
Keith’s philosophy is that cornering motorcycles is an art form, and one that can only be discovered via step-by-step training from those who’ve already mastered the skill to a level sufficient enough to impart unto others.
The skill I speak of is cornering, and although this is something we as riders do every day, it’s one skill most of us will understand differently, and more often than not, incorrectly.
So with such a diverse array of perceptions out there the day is as much about coaching students to “unlearn” existing behaviours as it is to educate riders on that one correct method.
Our day began rather early, 7am in fact, with riders of all levels assembling in the pit garage to don the leathers and ready their bikes (if the idea of using your own bike doesn’t thrill you, both bikes and riding gear can be hired for a nominal fee).
From here it’s a case of meet you master and get stuck in to some class work to better understand how the practice behind Keith’s theory will play out over the next few hours.
Class time also serves as a forum to clear up some of the common misconceptions that exist in cornering a bike and to learn how and why the wrong information can very quickly see you land in a lot of trouble.
The school caters to all levels of experience on the same day, and with class time and track time split evenly between the various groups the day allows not only maximum track time, but the all important chance to practice new skills, ensuring what’s learnt sticks.
Without giving too much away, I can say that a lot of the prac work (or should that be track work), centres around the very real concept that controlling the bike begins with controlling the throttle, and though the California Superbike School caters for all levels of rider, we thought it best we start at the beginning and tackle Level One.
To show us just what was meant by stabilising the bike by controlling the throttle our first three sessions of the day were done without the use of the gearbox or brakes instead using the throttle exclusively to control entry speed as well as maintaining that ideal line.
From here, the skill set is built upon step-by-step to address issues such as throttle control errors, turn-in timing, steering errors and corrections, inappropriate rider input and inconsistent lines, and how exactly each one of these errors will affect your cornering.
The outcome is quite impressive, and from the end of the very first session on the track it quickly becomes apparent as to exactly what the school is on about, and that Keith’s theory actually works.
Track time is shared not only with fellow students but with instructors who are trained to spot the slightest error – and how to remedy it.
With tuition on track and in pit lane the instructors work with you for several laps at a time each session to ensure you’re maximising the lesson while minimising errors.
It all helps, and not only do the coaching chats help you to better understand the meaning of the theory, but help it gel in your practice sessions so that each rider takes as much from the session as possible.
The sessions cover the building blocks of better cornering starting with calculating the correct entry speed for a corner, something that can be difficult when you’re without the use of your brakes, before moving through a series of skill sets.
Inset with appropriate class time Level One covers the fundamentals of proper cornering with entry speed, turn-in points, clean lines, relaxed control and correct use of vision all covered on day one.
Each step is allocated the same amount of time to ensure a complete understanding of the task with ample time allocated for any questions that may arise.
It’s a terrific day, one that I would recommend to any rider wanting to take their riding to that next level, or even for those just starting out who’d like to learn the right way to do things straight off the bat.
The only downside to the entire event? Track days are addictive.
For more information on the California Superbike School, click here.
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