Performance Riding Techniques: A review

[pritch]

Performance Riding Techniques

The moto GP manual of track riding skills

By Andy Ibbott

In a recent thread on KB someone said he'd rather learn by making mistakes than learn from books. Me, I prefer books to bruises, and definitely prefer the feel of pages to feeling the pain.

On the cover of this book, my latest acquisition, an exerpt from the Daily Telegraph review states that this is “a stunning book”. They're not kidding!
This officially licenced Moto GP product is by far the most visually attractive rider training publication I have seen. This book is at the opposite end of the spectrum visually from Twist of the Wrist or TOTW2. On glossy paper, it is lavishly illustrated with photographs from the Moto GP series. The quality of the presentation is such that it could almost pass for a coffee table book

Keith Code who wrote the forward says that Andy Ibbott, the author, “has more experience training riders than anyone else in Europe by a factor of thousands”. Whatever that means.

Chapter headings are:
Preparation
Accelerating
Braking
Cornering and Steering
Sliding
Racing Lines
Qualifying
Starting
Overtaking
Outwitting
Crashing
Climate Control
Conserving
Winning
And an appendix, of which more later...

The chapters include relevant quotes from the likes of Rossi, Hopkins, Nakano, Capirossi, Edwards, and Vermulen. To that extent you're getting information from the horses mouth. There are very few diagrams, almost every point is illustrated with full colour photographs.

The chapter on racing lines starts with the quote, “Anyone who believes there is only one racing line through a corner isn't a racer.” The text lists three main lines: the qualifying line, the racing line, and the overtaking line, but the text points out there are many variations on these basic lines.

There is also some sage advice on the popular topic hereabout of getting the knee down, and what most people do wrong, and better yet, how to do it correctly.

The Appendix contains a suspension education programme developed by Keith Code for the California Superbike School. It starts out talking about setting sag .

Once the static sag is set, with all damping set to zero, go for a ride. Write down the result.

Adjust the rider sag, then repeat the ride/write thing.

Then to damping and a nine part process:

Step one involves setting the front compression damping to full. Go for a ride, come back and write down your impressions of what that felt like.

Step two: Set front compression to zero, rebound to max. Ride and write.

Step three: Set front rebound back to zero, set rear compression damping to max. Ride, write.

And so on until Step eight by which time you should have a good idea of what too much or too little of any of the settings feels like.

By the completion of the final test, suspension settings should no longer be a mystery or a black art.

Can't wait for my new Ohlins to arrive :-)

Although primarily concerned with racing, even if you aren't planning on setting the racing world on fire there is a lot of information in this book to assist road riders.

I haven't seen this book on sale locally, my copy came from
www.amazon.co.uk

Normally L19 .99, currently it's L13.99.
Feel free to do your own currency conversions.

[Sensei]

Good on ya Ron for Ohlins in The Luxury Linner

[GSVR]

Yeah good book. I keeping going back and reading it over and over. Bought mine from Capital Books in Wellington but Amazon would have to be alot cheaper. www.capitalbooks.co.nz

Lots of cool pics in it and if you have video of the incidents and races they are talking about it makes it even better.

[HDTboy]

I bought a copy from Techbooks in Newmarket.
Initially I wasn't very happy with my purchase, the colour photos and glossy pages made it seem like someone had hard bound a magazine.
Reading through it, some of the information was good and helpful, some was a bit too dumbed down. That said, I have read it, and learnt from it.
The suspension setup section is great, but to go through it will be very time consuming, dedicate a morning at a trackday to it.

[Cr1MiNaL]

would any of u kind folk like to sell / rent me this book once uve read it, to have a read through? I just surrendered my C-card coz I spend a lot.. lol ... so wud hav a hard time online shoppin I think I cud learn much from it seemin that all u guys hav also benefited.. cheers Raj.

[HDTboy]

You're welcome to borrow my copy when I get it back from TwoSmoker

[Cr1MiNaL]

hey cheers HTDBoy ! That wud b awesome. Kind gesture. Cud u pls pm me when he gives it back? Raj.

[pritch]

During the coverage of last weekends racing Andy Ibbott was interviewed. Apparently he is still coaching Thomas Luthi. The latter must be growing up, the commentators are referring to him as Tom now.

They also made mention of Ibbotts book in glowing terms, a nice free plug.