California Superbike School!
Oh my goodness! This is a big bucket list post!
Ever since I got my first taste of a sporty bike, a Kawasaki Demo Day event, I’ve been intrigued by riding a sportbike, and even further, taking one onto a racetrack. That day, I rode a Kawasaki Z650. It was my first non-cruiser bike, and from that first 15 minute ride, I was hooked! I was enamored by it, and after sharing that experience with some fellow riders, they suggested that I look into some of the Z650 alternatives that are generally better regarded, such as the Suzuki SV650 or Yamaha MT-07.
Fast forward a year or so, and I became the new owner of a fresh 2019 Suzuki SV650X, which i named Pepper, because she’s spicy! I fell for the bike immediately, and loved every moment I was on it! Given it’s propensity for spirited riding, quick accelerating and precise handling, the racetrack beckoned me!
I signed up for the California Superbike School, which is a nationwide travelling motorcycle skills racing class. I signed up for the closest session to me, at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. There are 4 levels, each focusing on different skills, expanding on the ones of the previous level. The class offers students the ability to rent everything, from every inch of racing gear to the motorcycle itself!
I chose to ride my own bike, because that’s what I got it for! Sure, there is always the risk of hurting my baby, but I got it for this purpose, so i figured I might as well use it! It also meant that my normally quite fast and sporty bike was outmatched by the BMW S100RR racebikes, but I wasn’t there to race anyone, I was in a class to improve my own skills! That being said, I feel like on track, I held my own as well as I could have hoped, with my focus on honing my riding skills and not relying on power alone! I also purchased my own race riding gear, because the thought of a rented sweaty leather racing suit didn’t appeal to me!
I arrived early that morning, and definitely felt the nerves on the drive there. This is easily the most risky thing I’ve done in a vehicle. Add on to that, the forecast called for rain on and off all day, which meant a wet track! I normally don’t ride much in the rain, because the consequences of losing traction are pretty steep, so this was pushing me WAYYY outside of my comfort zone!
But, as I settled in, checked in, and took my bike over to tech to get inspected, my heart settled down and I focused on the task at hand! The day was about 9 hours long, with roughly 20 minute riding sessions, a 10 minute coach feedback session, and a 30 minute classroom session, and it repeated that cycle all day. With the initial intro session, getting suited up, the first slow speed skills session, lunch, etc, that worked out to be 5 track sessions total all day.
It was honestly an amazing experience, even with the rain! Each track session, my brain and body were engaged 100% to the max! Trying to take what I learned in the class sessions, and apply them to the track session, and also manage my speed and cornering in less than ideal conditions were really taxing me! During each session, my body was BLASTED with adrenaline, and I had trouble coming down after the session and even was a bit shaky! But it was a great feeling, and I gave it my all!
The sessions on track were awesome, and the track itself was really cool! It had a great mix of challenging features, and fast straights. It really tested me, and I got to exercise the skills I learned pretty heavily!
I learned a ton, and am looking forward to getting into the other levels, and taking those skills to general track days at other tracks nearby!
