crash harry
5th September 2005, 14:46
I got all safety minded a while back after reading some reviews on the internet and bought 3 books on better riding - "A Twist of the Wrist" and "A Twist of the Wrist II" by Keith Code, and "Total Control" by Lee Parks. I trust many of you are aware of these titles, just thought a bit of a comparison between them might be helpful for someone who's considering handing over some hard earned cash.
I'd like to start by saying, anyone who has not read any of these type of books, and who's name is not Valentino Rossi, will likely learn *something*. Maybe not much, but it might save your arse you know?
I'll start with the original "Twist". To be honest, if you don't plan on spending much/any time on the track, give it a miss. There's a lot of good information in there, but you're better off with the other titles. Lots of info about determining the best lines and how to approach your racing career - I guess it's a bit advanced for a fairly relaxed street rider such as me.
"Twist II" on the other hand is exactly the book I was looking for. It takes few reads, with a bit of time spent on the bike in between, to really get what Code is getting at, but I definitely feel that it has the greatest quantity of relevant information for the street rider of all three books. I'm not the biggest fan of Code's writing style though.
"Total Control" is a much more approachable book. It is pitched a little lower than the "Twist" books, but I feel that it was the most useful to me. Lee Parks has obviously read the "Twist" books as part of his research into his own book (he credits Code quite a few times), and he distills the information nicely. In my opinion this is the book that every rider should be made to read.
In all cases, the techniques in these books have made my switch from the CBR250 to the 9R easier than I think it would have been otherwise. There is not much that is hard about riding a CBR250, you can do a lot wrong and get away with it, not much torque to worry about. Proper throttle control and countersteering technique makes the big bike a lot more manageable.
In conclusion, if you're only going to buy 1 book, I'd make it "Total Control" by Lee Parks. If you think you can spring for two, get "Twist II" by Keith Code as well, and if you want to improve lap times the original "Twist of the Wrist" might help you.
(disclamer - I have never ridden on the track I might be wrong about that...)
Anyone else who's read any of the above I'd be interestid in your opinions...
I'd like to start by saying, anyone who has not read any of these type of books, and who's name is not Valentino Rossi, will likely learn *something*. Maybe not much, but it might save your arse you know?
I'll start with the original "Twist". To be honest, if you don't plan on spending much/any time on the track, give it a miss. There's a lot of good information in there, but you're better off with the other titles. Lots of info about determining the best lines and how to approach your racing career - I guess it's a bit advanced for a fairly relaxed street rider such as me.
"Twist II" on the other hand is exactly the book I was looking for. It takes few reads, with a bit of time spent on the bike in between, to really get what Code is getting at, but I definitely feel that it has the greatest quantity of relevant information for the street rider of all three books. I'm not the biggest fan of Code's writing style though.
"Total Control" is a much more approachable book. It is pitched a little lower than the "Twist" books, but I feel that it was the most useful to me. Lee Parks has obviously read the "Twist" books as part of his research into his own book (he credits Code quite a few times), and he distills the information nicely. In my opinion this is the book that every rider should be made to read.
In all cases, the techniques in these books have made my switch from the CBR250 to the 9R easier than I think it would have been otherwise. There is not much that is hard about riding a CBR250, you can do a lot wrong and get away with it, not much torque to worry about. Proper throttle control and countersteering technique makes the big bike a lot more manageable.
In conclusion, if you're only going to buy 1 book, I'd make it "Total Control" by Lee Parks. If you think you can spring for two, get "Twist II" by Keith Code as well, and if you want to improve lap times the original "Twist of the Wrist" might help you.
(disclamer - I have never ridden on the track I might be wrong about that...)
Anyone else who's read any of the above I'd be interestid in your opinions...