Man… 2015 was kinda short, wasn’t it?!

, , , ,

Only one more month to go and we welcome a new year. Lots of things around Superbike-Coach happened in 2015, and it seems that it will keep going like this also in 2016. But let’s reflect this riding season a little bit first, which kind of ended with a dramatic MotoGP World Champion title for Jorge Lorenzo- even with a little support.

If you maybe think I am a Rossi, Lorenzo or Marquez fan- you would be very wrong. When I am watching a race, then it’s about their performances, which is not restricted to one single racer. I herd Rossi fans saying that Lorenzo does not deserve the title, which is non-sense because Jorge’s performance in the qualifying are showing that he would have make it with or without Marquez. In other words… he really earned that title because he made less mistakes. In fact, Rossi couldn’t go the pace of the trio ahead, which was going slower as they could go- so I don’t see why all the pain and the hate right now. I feel bad for Vale because I believe that his goal is it to at least equalize Giacomo Agostini’s record of 14 world champion titles, so I hope he keeps going for it.

Let’s see what Superbike-Coach has accomplished in 2015- and still has to with one more Cornering School Day 2 on 12/6/ to go. You can fence our 2015 in with one sentence… all classes Superbike-Coach ran were booked out, and waiting lists were growing on almost each class… and all of it by word-of-mouth!

Let’s think about this for a second what that means… Superbike-Coach must be kinda good, doesn’t it?! A bed of roses- or a walk in the park?… by far not. I can tell you stories what I’ve been through- oh man. I just drop some words… I got threatened, deceived, betrayed, and copied… many times. But I never surrendered and my students are coming back because they know that Superbike-Coach is different- is first hand stuff which makes them being the better rider. Basta! :-)

Our 2016 schedule is filling quickly with all kinds of classes, also two new programs- ‘Motorcycle Preparation Workshop‘ and ‘Track Days’, which is a gigantic risk. Both only once per year for now, so make your plans for it. Superbike-Coach will be also in 2016 different, unique and efficient…. promise!

I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance folks! See ya in 2016.

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach

 

/4 Comments/by

Recap last Sunday’s Wheelie Course

,

Also last Sunday’s Wheelie Course was booked out, and the 30 students couldn’t wait to begin. The Superbike-Coach team grew with its relatively complicated time schedule, and so we are happy that Gary Lonskey was in charge to coordinate three groups from one task to another.

“Unfortunately” we had to start half an hour later due to a CBS TV team for a ‘Good Morning Sacramento‘ live coverage. But our students took it easy because we just added the lost time.

About 65% is the succeed rate and I am still very impressed by some- and proud of all to make it out to pick the challenge. Our assistant coaches Rus and Vincent did a fantastic job as well as my wife Marion to coordinate my 1on1 students. Also Dean Lonskey, the Superbike-Coach photographer worked his butt off. Amazing team effort!

FREE OF CHARGE and ready to download for our students are Dean’s pics on our SBC Gallery. Below some featured shots:

PreviousNext
123456789

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

/1 Comment/by

Recap last Saturday’s Knee Down class

,

What a fantastic day it was.

The weather couldn’t have been any better, and my 20 students came in from pretty much everywhere. It turns out that there were riders trying to get that knee down for 5 years- and also other schools and track days… Superbike-Coach made about 70% of them achieving it in half a day, and the other 30% were damn close to get it done!

I’m very proud for those guys- even if they didn’t “made it”, because I felt their passion, respect, and eager to learn attitude. That’s what I am mainly looking for and love to work with.

Again… Superbike-Coach photographer Dean Lonskey did an amazing job and pictures trough out the day, and today I can announce that they are FREE OF CHARGE to download for our students on our SBC Gallery. Same goes for Assistant Coach Ruslan, who gave all he got to get students to the point. Below some featured pictures of another great class:

PreviousNext
12345678910111213

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

/2 Comments/by

The Perfect Glove & Lever Adjustment

,

Finding the right motorcycle glove can be time consuming, but I believe it’s worth it. I think most riders choosing the glove because of their looks. But design or even colors should be just a secondary thought. A high quality glove has its price, and yes I do understand that money is maybe a factor for you… but this goes kinda the same way you should pick a helmet, because  a natural protective instinct makes us bringing our hands out to catch the fall, so you will crash in 90% assuredly right on your hands. Here is what a bad glove choice can do to us:

  • Needles and pins (uncomfortable, slow reaction time)
  • Bad quality (short life, leather cracks, bad protection)
  • Bad protectors (weak, wrong placed, open wrists = big time injuries)
  • Bad size choice (too small: slow reaction time. Too big: interferes with throttle and levers)
  • Bad features (sweating hands, uncomfortable, slow reaction time)

Axo USA is one of a few manufacturers I found who are delivering the full package.  Their website offers sizing charts and lots of intermediate sizes to pick from.

Also their category description gives a good insight before you rush and take a purchase too easy. Spend your money wisely.

Our little video tutorial should below gives you a good idea what to look for in a glove, and how important it is to also set the levers to your needs.

How to adjust your levers the right way

Most riders are leaving the levers the way they are set from the factory, but I highly recommend to readjust them to your needs. I demonstrated in the second part of the video tutorial above, how essential especially the brake lever position can be. I actually forgot to mention that this even puts your hands and arms in a better angle to catch up G-forces under hard braking. Here is what we give away with wrong lever positions:

  • https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/images/prod/400/t/tus_08_clu_per_blk.jpgToo high: slow braking procedure, bad feeling for the braking
  • Too low: hard to reach when doing hanging off
  • Interferes fingers/levers

As mentioned- you’ll probably can’t just loose the bolts and simply twist each perch because most manufacturers having a pin set to avoid that for liability reasons of course. You need to remove each pin which is not a big deal at all. Have the right tools handy and be patient with your work. Set the levers in a straight line to your arms/fingers, and tighten up all bolts properly. You’ll find a much more relaxed riding position after spending some time with this.

/2 Comments/by
Superbike-Coach suspension workshop

Motorcycle Suspension Guide

, ,

How To Setup A Motorcycle Suspension

There are lots of misunderstandings about how to setup a motorcycle suspension setup, and I’ve seen questionable work from even supposed specialists. Those specialists make riders believe that one click on the front rebound could lower lap times by 7 seconds… yep, I’ve really experienced this.

Stuff like this is totally off reality of course, especially as I still saw his bike bouncing around on Thunderhill Raceway- totally out of balance. In fact i believe that an intermediate to advanced rider don’t even feel the difference of even 15 clicks- especially not on a OEM suspension system.

If you would approach the setup with logic, you wouldn’t have to spend $50 bux to let an expert do some ‘big deal clicks’ on your stock rear shock, which are most of the time not even going nowhere. You don’t need to be nervous to do it yourself, because the range of an OEM suspension is just to small to make a significant change in terms of stability and safety of your bike.

To really make a significant change to match your riding style and purpose- you need to make rearrangements to the geometry of the bike, and then to match the suspension to this geometry… for example:

  • Super tight track: You want to drop the front end or to raise the rear a little
  • Long braking travels: You want to drop the rear right height to keep weights low
  • Long acceleration periods: add a chain link to use up chain adjuster recourse for a longer swing arm.

Please Note All Following Points

  • There is NO “perfect” suspension setup- only the’ best compromise. A setup grows with your rider level.
  • So when someone says “I’ve clicked you the same suspension setup as I gave to Valentino Rossi”, then this is logically not going to work for you well.
  • Use the potential of a OEM suspension first before you buy aftermarket stuff… then you really know what it is capable of.

OK, the link below will open an additional page which you can print out to bring it to the track. It’s just hat this page is too much for this section here, because it throws a light on how to set it up right, and how to trouble shoot. Enjoy:

Motorcycle Suspension Guide

Headcoach Can Akkaya

/1 Comment/by
preparing for a track day

How to load a motorcycle on a truck

,

We had lots of fun with this video, and it will put you a smile on your face as well. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation like this though, so enjoy the video first to get something out of it, and then keep reading with our article, and watch the tip video we made, and read the little article below:

So here is how Pro’s doing it in a minute- without any damage and injuries. Let’s have a look on the equipment base you need to have to get the job all by yourself done.

  • Pickup truck with at least space for one motorcycle in width and length, and at least for hooks to tie-down
  • Long (reduces the ankle to the truck bed) fold-able bike ramp, which is very wide (walking path) as well
  • One short tie-down to secure the ramp down to the truck
  • Universal Roll-On Stand for single operation
  • At least two heavy-duty buckle zip (ratchets were yesterday!) tie-downs with swivel hooks
  • At least one rubber tie to transport and secure the bike ramp on the truck

From here we let Headcoach Can Akkaya from Superbike-Coach take over to explain the process:

Read the process in detail here: https://www.superbike-coach.com/coachs-blog/coachs-motorcycle-support

/0 Comments/by

How to make a M1 motorcycle drivers license

,

Believe it or not- I’ve been together with my wife Marion since my second year of racing, and we’ve ridden tons of bikes in all those years- she was always a passenger… even on Germany’s famous 13 miles Nuerburgring Nordschleife to smoke guys on big bikes- but she NEVER rode a motorcycle her selves!!!

But since we have that sweet Superbike-Coach rental bike, a Ninja 250- Marion sat on it… declared it as ‘cute’- looked at me and said “…teach me to ride. I wanna make a drivers license!”.  From here, I want to pass this three part article on to her to tell the story of how it’s like- and what to do in order to get a motorcycle drivers license:

Here is how to make your M1 drivers license, Part 1 of 3, by Marion Akkaya

First, I went to the DMV to get the booklet (http://driving-tests.org/california/california-motorcycle-manual/) to prepare for the written test. After studying it for a couple of days, I took some free available test online just to make sure not to see where I’m at. I also scheduled an appointment not to waste my time by waiting for hours in line, which is easy to do online: )

How to learn to ride a motorcycleWhen I arrived, I still had to wait in line, but it was much shorter than what I saw on the other lines. I had to fill out some paperwork about name, address, SSN, information about already existing driver license – the usual stuff, than I got a number and I went back to wait until they called my name.

It took about 15-20 minutes until a DMV worker told me that I have to renew my car driver license when adding a motorcycle license. This information took me by surprise because I wasn’t prepared for the test. I paid $ 29 before I got to window A, where they took my picture. Then they send me to the testing room, loaded with about 20 computers. The nice part by taking it online is that it shows right away if your answer is correct and it is much faster. On the other hand it makes you more nervous after a mistake. Some of the questions were common sense, while other just confused me. I passed my written test for the car right away, but had to retake the written motorcycle test. I had to go back in line, pull a new number and wait for probably 15 more minutes before I could take it again, but this time I’ve passed the test!

The good part is that you can retake the test three times before they send you home and you have to pay again. I am just glad that I past and now I can focus on the “little circle” through which I have to go to pass the driving test. I have no clue how to get through it, but I have the best riding Coach I possibly can think of- who will get me through this successfully. I was convinced he’ll be more sensitive with his wife- was I wrong! J

Now, the fun staff started –riding a motorcycle. ‘Coach husband’ started giving me riding lessons. We started first with some easy lessons, how to shift, to break, to steer, and the right body position. He showed me how to turn my head into the right direction instead of looking right in front of me. I learned shifting up without using the clutch, which is not easy in the beginning, but like he says:” what you don’t have to do- you can’t mess up” –and he is right. Believe me it was not easy for him, because I am a bad listener and I am just glad that I haven’t had make any push-ups yet :)

After a couple of days of training with him, he installed a vox radio in my Arai helmet and says “Let’s hit the freeway hon”, and off we went…

To be continued!

Author Marion Akkaya, Sacramento CA

 

/1 Comment/by