can akkaya headcoach perfection

Addicted to Perfection

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As usual, I want to describe scenes from professional racing. That doesn’t mean this is about racing and doesn’t apply to you, so go grab a beer and listen closely, cuz’ you get something for free from a professional…

can akkaya about routineFor the most professional racers I know, and that included myself- EVERYTHING needs to be 100% in order. In the right place, at the right time, and in a complete routine. Only THEN it can channel positive energy to make the moment count and also to be ‘perfect’. The moment when your team leaves the starting grid and you are on your own. This routine literally restarts after a race- winding back/up for the next one. It doesn’t feel this way, but it’s there. While the racer goes for some Supermoto and lots of mountain biking… he already dials towards that moment of perfection next Sunday. He’s talking to his friends and laughs. It doesn’t feel like it, but it’s there. It has begun already. The bike gets prepared down to look at each bolt. The office works to organize travels for each member. The team arrives in the paddock and sets everything up. There is fun- lots of fun so that it doesn’t feel like it… but it’s there. Practice sessions- qualifying sessions and warm up… it surly feels different all the time, but all and everyone is following routines. A routine that chases perfection. Now you’re standing on your starting grid again. Warm up sign comes up and the pace car leaves, and so your team members. You are on your own and all you think- all you feel is “…everything is perfect. I am ready!”.

The finish flag falls and you are relieved for a couple of hours before it all restarts… the strive for perfection- for that particular moment.

It’s almost like a solid OCD isn’t it? But do you see what I am pointing out here? It all channels to ‘a perfect moment’. Nothing is perfect forever ones you or someone else decides to have ‘reached perfection’. But that’s something most of you are chasing… to be perfect forever. Nothing is perfect forever. There is always something better you could do or have done. There is always the next bike you want to have- the ice cream you eat- the helmet you wear. I could go on forever one this because this one goes in all live directions.

Let me tell you something which philosophy I decided to follow. Perfection is an illusion! Don’t ever decide to have reached perfection- cuz’ where to go when you’re there? Unless you have the urge of a professional racer to chase and to channel positive energy up to THAT MOMENT, which allows you to snap into the competitor you HAVE TO BE… for you my friends, I hope you never reach perfection.

Because the moment you think you did- that moment is dangerous because you stop searching, you stop striving. Your journey is over. Just make sure you keep that strive in a healthy balance with ‘fun’, because too much of chasing and the feel to never be ‘like that guy’ (or whatever you categorize to be perfect) can lead you right into dark rooms. I’ve been there, which is why I know. A room enriched with frustration, confidence breaking energies and not knowing where the f’n door is out of the darkness.

So don’t chase perfection, cuz’ you never reach it anyway. It’s a dilemma. Instead- enjoy your imperfections. Learn to laugh about yourself, because perfection means pressure! :-)

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

Welcome Back Bridgestone Tires

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I can happily announce that Superbike-Coach is back together with Bridgestone Motorcycle Tires and Sportbike Upgrades, which is there distributor for race tires.

Their portfolio covers all motorcycle categories, so something you should look into. A Bridgestone tire is a fast and long living tire for its grip level, but what I like the most is that they are transparent. That means that they have a gentle way to tell you that you’ve reached their limits. Also a positive thing is, that they are very easy on almost any suspension set up and that they deliver decent grip while warming them up.

The entire Superbike-Coach team uses Battlax slick race tires for the Supermotos and other track/race bikes, but I can assure you that their Battlax RS10 or S22 hypersport street tires are rock solid in performance and transparency as well. Give it a shot. You’ll be surprised.

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

In Inner Peace with the Violence

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Racers are a different breed, especially the ones you can find on top 10 result lists. Then there is the mid-field, which are about to develop something specific- and there is the back of the field which might, or might not make it to the mid-field one day. This doesn’t go for the MotoGP racers btw, because they have it and it is also why they are in MotoGP.

These racers are highly motivated aggressive machines. They are ego driven- no team player type of athletes, and no prisoners making competitors. But where the hell am I seeing a connection to you the regular street rider or amateur racer?! Well, let’s see.

Crashing in MotoGP happens ones or twice in average per race weekend. Their bodies are covered with scars and titanium plates. Blood, bandages and the smell of some kind of pain easing sport lotion on those bruises is your new aftershave cloud. A Mick Doohan almost lost his leg if the doctors wouldn’t have stitched his other leg over it to support blood circulation. He joined the championship in the same year, but he lost the title. Impressive huh?!

A Jorge Lorenzo crashes and breaks his collarbone again (that bone goes most of the time first). He flies home to Barcelona to get fixed up from the doctor he trusts, and he does. Next morning, Jorge flew back to join the race with literally an open wound and ‘gotta get use to it titanium bolts’. Now you can come with another lame one like ‘well, he’s filled up with pain killing injections’, and I’d give you right on this… but what would go through you mentally, thinking you could crash right back onto it etc?! However, Jorge made a podium spot that race!

I remember I crashed so hard at Bruno Circuit in Czechoslovakia in qualifying ones. One of the highest high-siders I’ve ever had, and landing on my hip bone. This is like dropping out of 2nd floor right on the hip and adding about 100 miles an our to it. It turns it wasn’t broken, but the bruise and pain made me walk like Quasimodo for four weeks. On the way home I called my team for tests at Nuerburgring, where they had to lift me on the bike.

Go and ask Wayne Rainy if he would do all of this again if he could reverse time and his horrific back injury which ended his career. What would he might say?!

Now let’s just put a away the most lame and quite arrogant conclusion, that this is their job and what they are all get well paid for. At this point you can trust me when I’m saying that they would do this even for free, so why and how the hell is ‘being like this’ even possible?! What is it that makes them come back after injuries you’d quit for, and performing on almost the same level where they were at before the crash?!

It’s because they love what they do, and they living their passion and dreams. It’s because they have distinctive goals- they are on a life mission. What’s stronger than fears and to get hurt is ‘passion and love’. That’s the gas of their mental motors, so it should be yours. Be driven by passion and love instead of being controlled by fears. Sound’s easy huh? :-)

Am I saying just go crazy, way over you abilities? NO I don’t. Just keep doing what you’re doing and have at least a fraction of that mentality. Have goals, work on something. That keeps you brain busy in a positive way. Think of how much you enjoy to be in this particular turn right now. Ride with passion in your comfort zone and stop thinking what could possibly happen. Racers don’t think this far. Were they at where you are?… oh yes, but they’ve learned how not to think this far. So you can… inner peace is freedom!

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

Featuring Arai Helmets USA

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As a kid you have idols you look up to. Bands, actors, or athletes. Needless to say that they have an influence on us, so I wanted to learn to play the guitar just like Angus Young of the rock band AC/DC. The big goal was, to have my own Marshall Amplifier and to rip it. The problem… those are hell of expensive and totally out of reach for me. That dream never left and today I have the damn Amp.

Can Akkaya on Honda RSR250, Hockenheimring 1987

So my first helmet was a German product, a UVEX for 60 bux. Goofing around the town on mopeds in that way to big helmet- which actually broke my nose on a crash one day. Somewhen then, I’ve stumbled over motorcycle racing while zapping through the four TV stations we had back then, and there was that American racer who looked so different then all the others. His name was Freddie Spencer and he was wearing a Arai helmet. Needless to say that I wanted to have one myself, but the price was totally out of my league. Years later, when I was racing myself… I finally had one, a Spencer Replica RX-V.

Man was I proud for it, but damn it killed my finances. Though, I had comparison to what’s wrong and what’s right, and in this case it’s not just the quality which comes to account. I’ve learned the hard way what difference a good lid can make, cuz’ you’ve got only one head- one life. I lost that Arai in a actually horrifying crash on public roads, when I hit against a static object outside a turn. I would have died in a other helmet. I know!

Making my way through amateur racing, semi-pro and finally professionally- also the sponsorship contracts are developing. Until finding the ‘right’ relationship, I had to wear top notch helmets from multiple manufactures but I ended up with Arai Germany as a coach until I left Europe in 2008. Again… I had comparison to what’s wrong and what’s right, and I was super happy that Arai Helmets USA took over and to continue this relationship till today!

Here are some insights:

#araihelmetsusa #arai

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

Continental Race Attack Review

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I don’t know what you know- or have been told about Continental motorcycle tire, but let’s reset that. So I had the chance to finally have a set of Continental Race Attack slicks on my Ducati 1199 Panigale for a Track Drill 1on4 at Thunderhill Raceway West. Here is my first impression.

You need to know that I don’t do ‘drama’, and that even if I wanted to- I have no time to do drama when I work with students. Means… tires go on, no tire warmers, no playing with different air pressures, nor with the suspensions. These tires actually helped me to enjoy riding on a track and to work drama-free immensely.

We gave the front 26, and the rear 23 psi and went out on stone cold slicks as mentioned. Continental’s ‘TractionSkin‘, is a revolutionary new micro-rough tread surface, virtually puts an end to tire breakin. And guess what… it truly works. I had the knee on the ground at half a lap on cold tires!

I can’t confirm what their testers are saying about the front tire, which seem to put them more to work with the steering. At this point I don’t know their counter steering capabilities, but I do know mine. Eventually the way the geometry of my Panigale is set just matched.

What I was most thrilled about is their ‘MultiGrip‘ technology. So while other tire manufacturers puzzle 3 grip level rubbers together and causes failures eventually- Conti goes a other route. They use a homogeneous grip grading with a single compound thanks to temperature controlled curing of the tire during the production process. Means… one piece of tire surface and no transitions to deliver softer sides and harder middles to get more mileage. The tire picture says it all.

You also need to know that I use to go way below my pace when I work with riders, but I have my 1-2 laps on each session. So here and then I gave it some aggression into turns, not fully on the limit though. That is the point though, because even going with FORCE- there was still way to go while the front and rear end were totally transparent and neutral. Those tires are an absolute confidence booster and I just can imagine their potential if I would have added drama.

It was hot on the track, maybe about 98f. The performance of the tires never changed. I got older and even much more heavy as I was as a fit racer, but I still have and extreme entry and exit phases, and that’s where these Continental tires deliver, while having a smooth and balanced mid turn arc. The corner speed and lean was on the save side, cuz’ I have work to do right- but the grip range signals that there is more.

Don’t be a fool and go get some too. The price is right as well.

Can’t wait now to do drama :-)

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

https://www.continental-tires.com/motorcycle

#contimotousa #tkc80 #contitrack #tkc70