Track day Tuition / Coaching

[andy tims]

I'm thinking of investing in a bit of proper coaching to help me go a bit faster. I'm sharp end of inters or one of the slowest in the fast group (on my GSXR 750), so plenty of room for improvement.

Suggestions via Trackdayriders include:

NeMoto

Mike Edwards

No So Fast

Moto VuDu

Has anybody who has used one or more of these, provide some first hand feed back please?

Thanks in advance.

 

[alex]

I'll be with Crafar on the 16th...if you're not in a rush I will report back.
But 1-2-1 cannot be beaten whoever you're with.

 

[paul_m]

I will be going to Donnington Park for 2 days in June taking Bruce through the motions, and been doing a little work remotely whilst he been at Snetterton the last couple of times.

 

[bananaman]

I'm thinking of investing in a bit of proper coaching to help me go a bit faster. I'm sharp end of inters or one of the slowest in the fast group (on my GSXR 750), so plenty of room for improvement.

Suggestions via Trackdayriders include:

NeMoto

Mike Edwards

No So Fast

Moto VuDu

Has anybody who has used one or more of these, provide some first hand feed back please?

Thanks in advance.

Can't comment on the others but had 3 sessions with Nemo moto (Lee) , ex css, cannot emphasise enough what a great teacher he is. No set coaching, works with your particular problems all day and I mean ALL day. He would be my 1st choice purely because we got on so well and I can't see how he could be bettered....

 

[Eddie]

I've had a day with Simon Crafar at Jerez and he's really enthusiastic about helping people go faster safely, helped me a lot with my corner entry speed and trusting the tyres. He explains clearly where you can safely gain time and then pulls you round edging you quicker and quicker in those areas using hand signals etc. I found his approach worked well for me because instead of 'do more of this' it's more that he's showing you 'follow my lines, brake here, release here, power on now!' type thing. I found it easier to repeat later and the more I did what he was saying, the less scary it became.

Debrief sessions are pretty detailed too with good video footage.

He's an all round nice guy too and really approachable which helps. He's also given me a few tips and answered a couple of questions when I've seen him elsewhere (Valencia, Cartagena)

I've done L1 & L2 at CSS which was also good tuition, I found it a bit rigid though. Certainly learned some things but others I couldn't get on with. Their visual drills helped me a lot, so did the quick turn stuff.

Spike seems a good guy, a couple of mates were with him at an event in Jerez and said he was spot on. Don't think they had any coaching though, just picking his brains in the bar I've tried once or twice to book a day with him but our calendars haven't matched up so far. I use his track guides almost everywhere I go, great learning tool for picking up markers.

I've booked a day in May with Notsofast after chatting with him and realising that we were both available. Looking forward to that.

Jeremy McWilliams is supposed to be excellent (Tracksense events in Europe) and so is Dean Ellison.

I kind of think that I've got something to learn from all of these guys, regardless of their approach. Some of it will work for me and some won't but if it makes me a little faster and a little less crashy then it's money well spent.

 

[soofsayer]

I kind of think that I've got something to learn from all of these guys, regardless of their approach. Some of it will work for me and some won't but if it makes me a little faster and a little less crashy then it's money well spent.

Nicely put.

 

[andy tims]

So I've booked a day with Ne Moto and another with Dean at Moto VuDu. Will let you know how I get on.

 

[paul_m]

I would advise this. Rider development is about getting to know the person, their skill and riding style, their trend in common errors and mistakes.
Booking half days and off sessions, or multiple instructors is not the greatest use of time money etc. It means that the instructor is learning you before having true data to deliver back.
Obviously, doing this at BSB level has shown a lot of different riders even when I'm not actually working with those guys. But within my own team, I'm still always learning, and that's just with a single rider in

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[paul_m]

You will find that the usual things you hear is get off the bike more, tuck in more, brake a little later.
All this is all generic stuff. Just massaging ego slightly.

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[andy tims]

I would advise this. Rider development is about getting to know the person, their skill and riding style, their trend in common errors and mistakes.
Booking half days and off sessions, or multiple instructors is not the greatest use of time money etc. It means that the instructor is learning you before having true data to deliver back.
Obviously, doing this at BSB level has shown a lot of different riders even when I'm not actually working with those guys. But within my own team, I'm still always learning, and that's just with a single rider in

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You will find that the usual things you hear is get off the bike more, tuck in more, brake a little later.
All this is all generic stuff. Just massaging ego slightly.

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So what are you saying Paul? I'm wasting my money and just getting my ego massaged?

 

[alex]

I think he's saying repeat tuition with the same coach is the most beneficial.

However, I would add, you've got to try some out to see who you like most!


- Sent from Mobile

 

[paul_m]

Thanks Alex, sorry Andy, was not meant to offend. Rider development is very personal, and like a driving instructor you need to know the student. Their quirks, repetitive faults and also how they react to feedback, and then tailor that to them. To add to any of that, male bravado and peer pressure and it's a difficult mix. Everyone rides differently, it's just harnessing that. When I did a little work with Joanna Benz, she was so easy to work with because she wasn't a bloke she didn't have balls to have to compete with.
Indeed you will need to try a couple of instructors, but once you find one that suits your style and feedback requirement, quick with him. If you wish to ride safely and quickly.
Don't take any of that as me meaning that development is a waste of cash, far from it, it's possibly the best means of getting better. And the info transfers to road too in part.
Again, was not meant to offend, just factual info.

 

[andy tims]

No offence taken. My interpretation was as per Alex's but I wasn't quite sure.

I recognise that developing a long term relationship is probably beneficial, but as this is my first foray into getting coaching, I've decided to go with the options I stated. I'll probably also have a day with Mike Edwards before deciding, but cash and time is finite.

 

[paul_m]

This is no sales pitch as my calendar is full this season.
I normally do 2 days over night. Same track.
I take first half day for rider to get comfy and the track to warm up.
Also work out logging and camera positions. Discuss bike set up and basic things seen on the camera. That way I can gauge how I can deliver the info. As an ex soldier my demeanour is not best naturally, so I have to actively think about what I'm saying if people take it to heart, within reason, at the end of the day they are paying me to tear strips off their riding. They don't want offending at the same time.
The second half will be track taking and lines, again with reference material.
Debrief over night with video and data. Then warm up next day, then I up the tempo on expectations. Gauge where you are willing to go to your limit and balance it there. Mid afternoon set a time. Then work on that time to be the new consistent time.
Like I said. Bruce b is next on the hit list, and that's only because there was a gap in TSGB and BSB. can't be spending my free weekends with the wife and kids can I

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