California Superbike School

[slofox]

CSS is running school days again soon. Thursday September 30 is one such day as is Friday 1 October. I am very tempted to go along. Wotcha reckon? Anyone else keen? Costs a bit but I think it would be worth it...

[Mort]

worth every penny and more.... you wont regret it.

[Squiggles]

Tis good fun

[javawocky]

CSS is running tschool days again soon. Thursday September 30 is one such day as is Friday 1 October. I am very tempted to go along. Wotcha reckon? Anyone else keen? Costs a bit but I think it would be worth it...

Maaate, would love to join you but will be a few days shy of my return trip from the UK :slap: But you go have some fun on Vixen, Scarlett will have to take the next one.

[slofox]

Maaate, would love to join you but will be a few days shy of my return trip from the UK :slap: But you go have some fun on Vixen, Scarlett will have to take the next one.

Got to save the pence first...

[slowpoke]

Don't go in with too high expectations.

I actually found it pretty frustrating. I did one of the first level 1 courses and the group was fairly large, with a huge disparity in speeds ( no speed groupings) so it was impossible to ever get a flow on and concentrate on what ever the exercise was with gaggles of riders accumulating behind the slower riders. Combine that with some folks who would have been better off doing a ride day as they threw the no braking rules out the window and it wasn't exactly the most satisfying day I've ever had on track.

If you then get paired with one of one of those slower riders then the instructor you share will spend a larger amount of time working with the slower dude and you get a one line debrief.

Any training is good but it might not be the revelation you think it's going to be.

[rapid van cleef]

hmmmm. interesting commments there. did you make any issue of it with the course administrator/ tutor?. ive done a few track days and would like to do the CSS. but man id be well pissed off if that happened after spending 400 bucks on 1 day, plus hotels etc.

[slowpoke]

hmmmm. interesting commments there. did you make any issue of it with the course administrator/ tutor?. ive done a few track days and would like to do the CSS. but man id be well pissed off if that happened after spending 400 bucks on 1 day, plus hotels etc.

Yep, they give you a course evaluation sheet at the end of it so gave my honest opinions and ways to improve it . Chatted to instructor about the speed differential within groups but what can they do once the day is in motion? Might be different now the novelty/rush has died down a bit and groups may be smaller, dunno.

it didn't help that HD was relatively new at the time and the instructors were schooling each other as well.

[dubshack]

I find these comments from Slowpoke to be very interesting. I'm Darren Sweetman and I run The Superbike School here in New Zealand.

Just to clarify a few things we have a maximum number of riders in any group of 21 and 7 ride coaches working with those students. These numbers are not large for Hampton Downs and are actually less than we allow on track at a Ride Day there. (The track is 2.8km long).

As for coaches schooling each other as well: All of the coaches used at the school have been fully trained and flown in from Australia (with the exception of two kiwis) and they are an experienced crew with some like myself, having more than 10 years experience. No coaches are training coaches on track at the expense of the students.

The California Superbike School has trained more riders worldwide than any other organisation with well over 150,000 students having attended and comments like these above are in the less than 1 percentile and NZ is no exception to this. The training given is second to none. Please do your research and you will find that the content of the school and the training methods are quite simply the best in the world. This is why we train everybody from road commuters, up to Grand Prix world champions. Our repeat students percentages are very high with approx 10% of any days students being level 4, either for the first time or repeat L4 students, which means that they are back for at least the 4th time.

I can put you in touch with a long list of hugely satisfied customers who attended the NZ schools if this helps you.

I am happy to answer any questions on this subject from everybody so please contact me on (09)412 6266 if you want to talk about it.

[ckai]

CSS is running tschool days again soon. Thursday September 30 is one such day as is Friday 1 October. I am very tempted to go along. Wotcha reckon? Anyone else keen? Costs a bit but I think it would be worth it...

Yeah I'm keen mate. I've been saving for a while :) I was thinking about doing the September one as well. Gonna make sure when I book it that they know I've slowed down a bit since my off so I'll wanna be put in with other slower buggers so I don't annoy slowpoke ;) I've had to save for another set of leather pants as well so it's gonna be real pricey for me but I reckon it'll be worth it.

[slofox]

If you then get paired with one of one of those slower riders...

Ahhhhh...I daresay I will be that slower rider anyway...

[slofox]

Yeah I'm keen mate. I've been saving for a while :) I was thinking about doing the September one as well. Gonna make sure when I book it that they know I've slowed down a bit since my off so I'll wanna be put in with other slower buggers so I don't annoy slowpoke ;) I've had to save for another set of leather pants as well so it's gonna be real pricey for me but I reckon it'll be worth it.

I'll prolly do the Friday...easier to get the reliever.

[ckai]

I'll prolly do the Friday...easier to get the reliever.

Ah true. I just saw that the September one is a Thursday. How observant I am. I'm flexible anyway since no one misses me when I don't turn up for work. It fact, I should really claim it back from the boss since this would be driver training and "show we care about our staff and their safety on the road" (marketing BS if ever I heard it!). Let me know if you definitely gonna book and I'll try and get in on the same day. Would be good to have a familiar face around with all the fast hoons.

[slofox]

Ah true. I just saw that the September one is a Thursday. How observant I am. I'm flexible anyway since no one misses me when I don't turn up for work. It fact, I should really claim it back from the boss since this would be driver training and "show we care about our staff and their safety on the road" (marketing BS if ever I heard it!). Let me know if you definitely gonna book and I'll try and get in on the same day. Would be good to have a familiar face around with all the fast hoons.

Sure - will do. I have pretty much made up my mind to do it - just depends on the reliever now. I letcha know before I book.

[slowpoke]

I find these comments from Slowpoke to be very interesting. I'm Darren Sweetman and I run The Superbike School here in New Zealand.

Just to clarify a few things we have a maximum number of riders in any group of 21 and 7 ride coaches working with those students. These numbers are not large for Hampton Downs and are actually less than we allow on track at a Ride Day there. (The track is 2.8km long).

As for coaches schooling each other as well: All of the coaches used at the school have been fully trained and flown in from Australia (with the exception of two kiwis) and they are an experienced crew with some like myself, having more than 10 years experience. No coaches are training coaches on track at the expense of the students.

The California Superbike School has trained more riders worldwide than any other organisation with well over 150,000 students having attended and comments like these above are in the less than 1 percentile and NZ is no exception to this. The training given is second to none. Please do your research and you will find that the content of the school and the training methods are quite simply the best in the world. This is why we train everybody from road commuters, up to Grand Prix world champions. Our repeat students percentages are very high with approx 10% of any days students being level 4, either for the first time or repeat L4 students, which means that they are back for at least the 4th time.

I can put you in touch with a long list of hugely satisfied customers who attended the NZ schools if this helps you.

I am happy to answer any questions on this subject from everybody so please contact me on (09)412 6266 if you want to talk about it.

Hiya Darren. First up I fully agree it's the best rider training in New Zealand, and quite possibly the world. But it's not perfect. I'll send you a PM on my thoughts though, rather than discuss it in an open forum, some people have a way of turning a grain of sand into Mt Everest.

You guys certainly do good work and I'll book the next level at some stage, I just wanted folks to go in with a realistic attitude rather than rocking up and expecting to ride home as though magically transported by butterflies.

I'd seriously pay good money just to listen to Steve Brouggy, even if we never even touched a bike. He definitely has a nack with imparting information and enthusiasm, you'd never guess he's done it 100's of times.

[Big Dave]

Ollie was impressed with Saturday.

http://krnewsroom.blogspot.com/2010/07/hampton-downs-ride-day-july-10th-2010.html


I surfaced waaay too late :-)

[ckai]

Sure - will do. I have pretty much made up my mind to do it - just depends on the reliever now. I letcha know before I book.

cool :wari:

[zealchick]

I am really keen to do it, have been looking into it for a while.....its crept up fast will have to sort some finances out. I will definately be one of the slow ones:ride:

[davebullet]

I won't be able to do one this year (work commitments). Those that do - please post back here how you found the day. I'm trying to decide which way to approach a track day for Mrs B and me - we are both track day virgins. I don't just want a bash, I want to fix bad habits and get better cornering skills and confidence.

[javawocky]

I won't be able to do one this year (work commitments). Those that do - please post back here how you found the day. I'm trying to decide which way to approach a track day for Mrs B and me - we are both track day virgins. I don't just want a bash, I want to fix bad habits and get better cornering skills and confidence.

I haven't done the C.S.C yet, but I can vouch for Hampton Down's ride days. They are well run. The White group, for Noobs, is very user friendly with a CSC instructor keeping a watchful eye out and available for advise and assistance as needed.

The White group has all kinds of noobs, even cruses circulate around with free abandon. Also the White groups are normally smaller so you have less traffic to worry about.

Don't forget about the A.R.T Days training at Puke as well, very good value for money training.

[slofox]

I will definately be one of the slow ones:ride:

You can join me then...:sunny:

[javawocky]

You can join me then...:sunny:

I give you one session and you will be ripping it up with the best of them :Punk:

[slofox]

I give you one session and you will be ripping it up with the best of them :Punk:

We shall see...its over 30 years since I was on the track. Might be rusty. And the bike is about ten times more powerful...

[PeteJ]

Definitely worth the money, and more.

You need to go into it with an open mind, abandon preconceptions, and try very hard to do as they say.

After 40+ years' riding, nearly 2 million km on the road, and quite a few competition victories, I learned plenty.