I'm interested in learning as much as I can. I know that a track day is the ultimate teaching aid and I've got one scheduled but I was wondering where should I focus? I can hold my own in the twisties, don't stunt/don't care to. I have been working on looking through corners, not usually an issue. I've got decent body position. My main weakness is breaking into corners/accelorating out of corners. Any suggestions of resources I can read up on or personal suggestions are well appreciated!

 

I suggest you buy the two "A Twist of The Wrist" books by Keith Code, and read them thoroughly... they contain very useful info and your riding will improve after you've read them....

Good luck!

 

Before you do anything, I HIGHLY suggest taking an MSF course (if you haven't already) before doing anything else. You can take it through the state, or your best bet, go to a Harley Davidson dealer and see if they offer the "RidersEdge" class. That class in unbelievably informative, and taught me all my basic skills. I re-take the class every 6 months to a year to re-fresh my skills and keep me from getting into any bad habits.

Then, once you get the basic stuff down, I suggest taking a superbike class. I'm taking a class in November through the California Superbike School to learn to race superbikes. The class I'm taking is at Laguna Seca (f**k YEAH!) and are only $650 or so........not bad for using their bikes, their gear, their tires, their insurance, and being on a legendary course such as Laguna Seca. Can't wait.

 

I can't recommend a riders course strongly enough. When I got my "L's", it was a written test and away you went, my riders test was a ride around the block, while the driving inspector stayed where he was. That was it.
Cornering on a bike is fantastic, its wot seperates them from anything else on the road, & you don't have to being going flat out to appreciate it. Wot I've learned from riding though, for wot its worth. Where your looking at is where you are going, sounds simple eh, thats the way we humans are designed, without thinking about it, we move our bodies (even on a bike) toward where we look. (Classic example, ever been sitting behind someone driving a car round a corner, they always lean, cars aren't bikes and don't lean, but everyone does it).
You break corners into stages, the begining of and the exit of the corner, (being in the right gear & right speed is a different matter) The nut busters are the blind corners, where you can't see ahead. So just take it easy, and do that course

 

I know I have a lot to learn, but if there is one thing I've learned that helps me the most it's the fact that the farther you can train yourself to look ahead, the faster you become. I do my best to look so far ahead that when I'm really gettin' it it seems like everything is in slow motion. I get a better feel of how much throttle to give it and I realize how much faster I can come into a turn.

Enter slow, exit fast. Once you realize how fast you can come into a turn, then you can focus on coming backon the throttle sooner and sooner. Next thing you know you're vision is always 200 feet in front of you and you're smoking everyone you ride with (those that fancy themselves fast, that is).

I've seen guys come into turns so fast that they are on the brake until well after the apex. They'll fly right by me on an entrance, then I see their tail light pop up and by that time I'm already in a tight lean and back on the throttle and pass them like they're standing still (on the outside of course).

I really need to get on the track... it's coming. Just need to be patient.

 

See if you can get someone to videotape you. You'd be surprised that what you think you're doing and what you're really doing can be two different things.

 

you need pix of your body positioning...you may feel that it's good, but when you see the pix...you'll be shocked.

as for focusing...focus on body positioning and being smooth. everything else will come later.

it means being fast by not having to brake late or throttle way hard coming out of turns. it means you have the proper entry speed without having to trail, etc.