Taupo Road Race Coaching - Thurs 18th November

[FROSTY:Me]

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 $$$

[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:Me]

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.