Taupo Road Race Coaching - Thurs 18th November

[Hoon]

Taupo Road Race Coaching with Fred Merkel
Taupo Race Track, 8am - 5pm Thurs 18th November 2004

Road Race coaching for Track Day enthusiasts and Racers.
Instructed by Fred Merkel (2 x World Super Bike Champion).
Course covers bike setup, race starts, cornering, more cornering, braking, body positioning and personal sessions.
Costs $250, includes track usage, lunch and refreshments. Book by 11th Nov.
Limited to 12 students to ensure plenty of laps and quality instruction.
Will be postponed to a later date in the event of rain.

Register your attendance here (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&day=2004-11-18&e=367&c=1)
For more info PM XJ/Frosty or Hoon
Phone: 0274-948-032
E-mail: darylls@gmail.com

[Hoon]

.....................................

[StoneChucker]

Is that bring your own bike?

[Two Smoker]

Man i wish i could afford to go to that :( So all those going, can teach me, ill shout you a box of beers too..... (can afford $25 but not $250 :( )

[StoneChucker]

I'd happily go, if they supplied bikes, or if I could get temp track insurance. I'll give ol State a call.

[Two Smoker]

I'd happily go, if they supplied bikes, or if I could get temp track insurance. I'll give ol State a call.
It use you own bike, and thrash it good and proper... Some crash bungs will take most of the force....

[StoneChucker]

Crash Bungs cost ALMOST as much as the course. Well, on the site I "window-shop" at.

[Two Smoker]

Crash Bungs cost ALMOST as much as the course. Well, on the site I "window-shop" at.
Yep, but think of the thousands it will save you if you crash.... Just like spending heaps of money on full gear.... Yep it costs heaps but think about how much it saves you......

[hodgeman]

I spose you need all the racing leathers with knee sliders and stuff?
Would be a great day out for those who attend.

[Yamahamaman]

Crash Bungs.

Zed had crash bungs on his right-off!! Guess they work really well.


Temporary Track Insurance from State.
:lol: Suppose it is possible - premium would probably cost you the equivalent of the purchase price of a new bike. Haven't you already had a claim?

[Rainbow Wizard]

Re our discussion for Merkel day. You can contact me direct at work on 07 5413733 from about 6:30am until usually at least that at night or on 021 963096. I'll talk to the Taupo people in the meantime.
Cheers, Geoff

[Two Smoker]

Zed had crash bungs on his right-off!! Guess they work really well.



Ofcourse it is for mainly lowsides, which the majority of crashes at the track are.......

[FROSTY]

Just a reminder here guys --the track is ours -come rain or shine -so we can play out there all dayif it starts out wet

[Hoon]

OK final call for any last minute people, we're about to fill the remaining few spots with some non-kbers so if you were holding off, now is the time to speak up or you will miss out. Also if you are real keen but don't have transport, PM me and we might be able to squeeze you in somewhere.

[FROSTY]

Ill second that hoon--Im now with van so I can transport one bike down

[FROSTY]

Just a reminder for those thinking about tuning up theier skills---this event is THIS thursday.

[Hoon]

OK the long term weather report says its going to be fine on Thursday. Tony Rees (4 x NZ F1 Champion) is also going to be assisting with the coaching so we will be getting even more bang for buck now!

We still have a couple spots free which we need to fill so its not too late to jump in.

[Rainbow Wizard]

You're not racing Stonechucker, you're on a training session. Tell 'em that and they might extend cover OK.

[Two Smoker]

OOOOOOOOHHHHH :( I wish i had the $$$ :crybaby:

[Rainbow Wizard]

Re crash bung prices: If they're that costly maybe I could make a fortune supplying them because they're only bits of plastic rod with a stepped hole & a bolt. I could make em easy. I haven't checked but I figure cost should be around maybe $40 each tops incl GST.

[Motoracer]

Cheers Tony and Daryl for the opportunity to take part in this event.

What this training day made me realise is that I am a poser. I lean the bike over like the racers on TV, I slide the front and back wheels of the bike like on TV, I brake like racers etc. etc. That's basically what I was doing, doing what I thought was cool and what I thought would make me go the fastest.

Well, it turns out that I still wasn't quick when it came to a timed run around the track. OK, I was quick but not as quick as I would have liked to be. I couldn't figure it out. I thought, if I pushed the bike any further, I would come off cause I was riding pretty hard.

Then Freddie Merkal and Tony Reese opened my eyes. It's not all about riding a bike hard to its limits or going flat out. It's all about being the most efficient, taking the shorter way around the track, not to just look like a racer but do what ever it takes to be the quickest around the track like a racer. Through the esses I was leaning it hard from side to side and working my body and the bike to it's limits. While Tony Rees didn't move much and went straight through the esses with out any worries a hell of a lot quicker.

Going quick on the track is all about Technique, smoothness and most important of them all, the lines. I didn't know that much about it all so it definitely helped me out quite a bit. I think it has helped me to hopefully become a better rider/racer.

This course wasn't just for the quicker riders or racers. Some slow guys came along as well and had a ball. They were the ones who improved the most actually. It was quite unreal to see a bunch of nanas riding around slowly in the morning, only to become a hell of a lot quicker/smoother/better later on in the day from Tony and Freddie's guidance.

Cheers again, MR.

[Motoracer]

P.S. Maximum respect goes out to Loosebruce!! I reckon you were probably the best rider out there on the track yesterday aprat from Reesie and Merkal ofcourse.

There's just something wrong about seeing a TL going that quick around the track.

[Blakamin]

P.S. Maximum respect goes out to Loosebruce!! I reckon you were probably the best rider out there on the track yesterday aprat from Reesie and Merkal ofcourse.

There's just something wrong about seeing a TL going that quick around the track.
thats only coz he cant ride it on the road!

[Quasievil]

P.S. Maximum respect goes out to Loosebruce!! I reckon you were probably the best rider out there on the track yesterday aprat from Reesie and Merkal ofcourse.

There's just something wrong about seeing a TL going that quick around the track.
Sounds Awesome MR good to see you have picked up some tips etc thats fantastic mate so your a better rider than the Awesome rider you were, Fuck!!

good words on LB ,theres a guy I would love to see on a race bike I reckon he has alot of talent ready to come out on a F3 race

[Cajun]

Great MR i knew you would learn lots, riding fast is not all about how late you can brake, how much you can get your knee down on very bend possible. and now you are gonna be even faster and harder to keep up


Great ya did well out the LB, your are great to sit behind and watch ride(well normal not watch ya for to long cause ya gone)

[Motu]

Good on ya Sudeep - I was a bit shocked that not many would go to Freddies day of tuition - a guy doesn't get to be as good as he is without knowing a thing or two....that he is willing to teach others is a chance to leap at.I know what you mean about going as fast as you can,and if you go any faster you'd crash...been there,done that - you can go heaps faster eh? Yep,that's all it is - technique,being smooth,and being fast on every part of the track.Don't try too hard,it'll come to you as a natural part of your being.

[FROSTY]

Holey cow what a bloody fantastic day
I'll second what MR said and then some.
I was sitting in the riders breifing thinking -OMG now theyre gonna find out what a fake I really am
I Learned so much in such a short time -and got reminded of stuff I already knew but years of bad habits had blocked it out.
Not being critical of this forum in any way BUT its like the old racing addage --"The bullshit stops when the flag drops"
The highlight of the day for me was riding around the track 3m ehind freddy at about 80% of my race pace -He made it clear that he expected me to do it -
Picture this --You have been told exactly how to take a corner -A corner that fucks up even the most experienced racers. Your mind has a clear picture of what to do. BUT it screams against every survival instinct you have built up over 25 years of bike riding.
You are determined not to shame yourself in front of the best motorke racer you will probably ever know.
You glue yourself to his ass and pray.
Your heart is going at three times normal speed and you can't swallow.
youre still going in a straight line when you KNOW you should be turning-or at least braking. He brakes and tosses his bike hard down on its side and you are committed to following him . The knee scraper gently kisses the ground and then you are winding the throttle on as hard as you can to drive out of the exit.
You find yourself punching the air and yelling like a 5 year old --You have just got round the killer corner at Taupo faster than you could imagine possible.
He pulls over and tells ya--In a california drawl-"easy aint it?" -
Now its your turn --Hes following you.
You fluff the first attempt "common sense" held ya back.
Glowing crimson red you are determined to either get it right or crash trying.
You brake later than you thought humanly possible and toss the bike savagely on its side--This time no gentle kiss but a full on grind from the knee scraper. you do the unthinkable and get half on the gas right away
You wind on the trottle and exit faster than you have ever done before
You find yourself on the back straight accelerating at a point you would normally still be just getting on the gas
Freddie pulls along side you for a moment and gives a big grin and a thumbs up
Later he commented that I need a better bike as mella yella is giving his characteristic coughs and splutters coming out of the hairpin.
My session with Tony Reece was 3 quick laps and we pulled over -He said "youve got good lines and are reasonably smooth -But for gods sake relax"-Im thinking yea-thats easy for you to say.
He later talked me through some Race lines as oposed to the fastest line
Covering your line exiting a couple of corners and entering others.
Then we went into a couple of overtaking manouvers that I wont go into here but Im keen to try in racing conditions on the next race day.
I had a totaly fantastic day and watching loose bruce and MR out there with 2 world champion riders coaching them -Yep that put the icing on the cake.

[curious george]

w00t! Glaf to hear it was a good day.
Any chance of another in the new year?

[k14]

Sounds like you guys had a awesome time.

I for one would definately be keen if another one could be organised before I go back to uni in february.

[loosebruce]

The early morning start wasn't much to my liking at all, but in order to get some time on the bike (legally) i'd do pretty much anything, so me and MR turned upto the track abit blurrly eyed but ready to go. Freddy was real easy going and easy to talk to and get on with, so was tony both real top guys.
Having never riden taupo before i was also really looking forward to it.
The weather was fantastic. He started us off with a "slow" ride, as i watched MR dragging his knee round every corner, then the no brakes ride, trick was not to use brakes at all round the track, thankfully the big twin had pleanty of engine braking, poor 1st gear got a hammering. I started off running mid 50sec laps thinking i was honking along quite nicely, I did start off with a goal i wanted to be under 48's as my flatmate runs mid 48's in his twin turbo supra and i'd never hear the end of it if i didn't beat it, when MR told me he ran 47's last time he raced at taupo i didn't like my chance's.
But alas Freddie and Tony to the rescue, they took us round the track in the van showing us the right lines with Tony and umm sorry forgot his name on a GS1200S showing us bad lines good lines. Went out again and really conentrated on what they had been saying i was alot more relaxed and felt a lot smoother, in the personal sessions with fred and tony tailing me they had positive reamrks about my lines, fred told me to change my line out of the hairpin so i did and it worked, the final sweeper is a mission of a corner to get right and a lot of time to be made up in it.
My end result was a 45.7 so i was stoked with that being my first time to the track, but there is no way i would've got close to that without fred and tony's help.
MR kindly let me take his gixxer out for a few laps and holy shit what a difference compared to the TL, it had a small advantage in straight line speed at taupo but would quite happily pull away at puke or manfeild, but the brakes even though the same as the TL's but with 40 odd less kg to haul up worked better, you could turn it in while still hard on the brakes, it was a shit load easier to hold a line round tighter corners and adjust as well, fuck basiclly the whole damn bike was better in every way, i waannnnntttt one :confused2
I got some pretty nice on board footage from the TL of me and sudeep cruising round, Hoon should be sussing that out later in the week so keep an eye out for that.

:ride:

[Hoon]

Yeah I learnt a lot...best advice I got was weighting the pegs to help it turn. I've heard it heaps before but no one ever explained it to me properly or when to use it.
It was great to have Fred, Tony and Bob? around to show us the correct lines at pace. The walk we did where we stopped trackside and disected every corner while they teared thru was real good with Fred pointing out every little seam/crack/mark (i.e.reference points) we should be aiming for. It was also good to see where they get on the brakes/power too. I'm thoroughly confident with my Taupo line now. It was a bit unerving having them follow you around but it worked out good as it gave you more confidence and determination to push through the mental barrier.

Unfortunately I was a bit reluctant to push it hard through the in field as my rear tyre right side was visibly deteriorating with every lap and I needed to save some for Manfeild the next day.

I wish the day could've been twice as long. There was no shortage of track time or advice - just energy....

LooseBruce had his onboard camera too and got some good footage of his session with Fred. I thought my lines were good and consistent but after watching the video I'm slightly envious of Bruces consistency, absence of mid turn corrections and ability to hit the points EVERY DAMN TIME!! Hurry up and get that NSR250 going and into F3 dude!

[scroter]

dont mean to shatter your guys dreams but the other day when i told tony i had gotten down to low 45 sec laps the smart arse told me he had been round there in 42 secs on a yz450f with road tyres(the only mod and yes thats a dirt bike). bought me back down off about cloud 32 quick smart. good to see you guys had a good day. you guys should come down to the pacific series on 12th decmeber and race or $10 for the have a go.

[magnum]

scot you party pooper :bleh:

[FROSTY]

dont mean to shatter your guys dreams but the other day when i told tony i had gotten down to low 45 sec laps the smart arse told me he had been round there in 42 secs on a yz450f with road tyres(the only mod and yes thats a dirt bike). bought me back down off about cloud 32 quick smart. good to see you guys had a good day. you guys should come down to the pacific series on 12th decmeber and race or $10 for the have a go.
Scot--for me it wasn't about lap times -fuck I reckon even without freddies help I coulda cut a second or two off my lap times with a days practice -thats easy to do whey you're not on the pace to start with.
For me it was all about learning the track at a pace I was comfortable with (with the one clear exception) and learning new riding habits and skills.
There wasn't a hell of a lot of point in going all that way to have my bike end up damaged or for that matter myself damaged.
I was focussed on getting 2 corners right --the Hairpin and the sweeper
I think all day there was only about 6 full laps I was anywhere near MY limits
sure -On the sweeper i was for several laps waay outside my comfort zone but once I'd sorta figured it out I backed off and focussed more on gear position exiting and less on the specific corner.
at the end of the day i cut a full couple of seconds off my best lap time.
I'm hopeing on race day that will turn into at least a points finishing position.

[Hoon]

1. Me just after passing Fred on the last lap to claim the World Championship title (well that's what I'll be telling the grandkids anyway!!)
2. Fred & LooseBruce
3. LooseBruce
4. Fred & Frosty
5. Cleve and Tony Rees

[FROSTY]

Shit mate --I diddn't realise just how close it looks -how close he was following us.

[Two Smoker]

You guys are mean :( , i wish i could have afforded it to go :( ...

Well done guys :niceone: im glad you all got something out of to make even more faster than me.....

[loosebruce]

scot you party pooper :bleh:

No pooping my party, the TL is hardly a track bike, dosen't like turning at the best of times let alone hard on the brakes trying to get into turn one, it was still shod with road tyres none of the rennsports or super corsa's on everyone else bikes, i have no doubt on a more capable bike like a gixxer6 i'd be a fair bit quicker.

[scroter]

No pooping my party, the TL is hardly a track bike, dosen't like turning at the best of times let alone hard on the brakes trying to get into turn one, it was still shod with road tyres none of the rennsports or super corsa's on everyone else bikes, i have no doubt on a more capable bike like a gixxer6 i'd be a fair bit quicker.

yeah my first go at taupo was on a TL and i didnt make the first turn everytime. yep went straight onto the grass at one stage oh and by the way avoid this like the plague as its not even close to flat off the track it was just luck i didnt fall off. and of course there was no way i was gonna be anywere near 45 second laps doin that. i have to admit for me to finally get into the 45secs i been there like 4 or 5 times.