The ‘Prius Driver Awareness’ Class

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With every class, events and seminars I learn something new about the needs of the people I coach and talk to. To gather intelligence is one of the building blocks of how I design my programs.

One perception goes deep. Actually way deeper as it might feels/looks at first glance, and this is that most riders are actually don’t even know what they are looking for in a motorcycle riding class. When I ask plain, the general answer is ‘I want to be more confident.‘, or ‘I don’t know. I believe I need to fix my body positioning‘. I have my ways to get more specifics from them they begin to warm up and telling me their stories.

It seems that most are looking for solutions based on the situations they’ve experienced, like ‘I am hitting debris in a blind turn. How to deal with this?’- or ‘How to get around a deer’- or ‘…a merging car…’ etc. Some actually getting a little mad when I reject the question. Why?!… well, because my imagination of what exactly their situation was is pretty limited, isn’t it?! I mean… how can you expect to hear from me a 100% solution if I don’t know ALL OF THESE FACTORS:

  • how fast were you?
  • what was your EXACT lean?
  • what was the EXACT distance to the object?
  • what’s your reaction time like?
  • how do you react under panic?
  • what was your EXACT line?
  • was there a bump?
  • how was the grip niveau of the asphalt?
  • was the space to the left/right?
  • at what EXACT point and angle in the turn?
  • how was the light?
  • how is your bike setup?
  • how old are your tires, and what are they capable of?
  • did you have sleep enough last night?
  • did you have a beer or too last night?

are linked with each other and make a plain answer impossible. Sure, I could give a standardized truism answer like ‘counter steer’, but in the end it is just an empty phrase, because without knowing all of the factors above… how should I know where and when to put an eventual live saving counter steer?!

But no, some really get mad and might think that I wouldn’t know or that I’m just sales pitching Cornering classes, when I keep the explanation in a seminar short when questions coming my way in regard counter steering. Of course I KNOW, but if I would try to explain it without doing live demos, drills, and plenty of riding time and to correct you to finally get it down… then it actually is it just like the same as if you would read it in a damn book, where efficiency is questionable (!). Any answer would be just a waste of time and the rider filled only with half-knowledge.

So what is the ‘perfect street rider class’? How about I deliver the scenario to send you through a bunch of blind turns- covered with debris, and let you go back and forth? Or I send you down a long straight into glaring sunlight and let deer’s jump in your way? Those deers would be exchangeable with red, white and silver Priuses so that would be covered as well. How about a class like that?! Sorry no, because the ‘SURVIVAL SKILLS’ you are looking for are to get a other way. How?!…

OK, imagine you are going trough a blind turn, and you are realizing that you are heading towards debris. What do you think is the appropriate procedure to get ‘around’ it (the solution is in the word)??? Yep… you need to ‘corner’ to go around it.
What about avoiding the deer or the damn Prius?… Yep… you need to ‘corner’. What about to hit the ‘escaping’ gap you see opening?… Yep… you need to ‘corner’. What about to have to emergency brake so hard, but you mental coolness allows to make decisions to ease into trail braking and to counter steer away?!… YOU NEED TO LEARN TO CORNER TO GET THE SURVIVAL SKILLS YOU ARE LOOKING FOR! Ergo- A cornering class is what you need for God’s sake!You think you can get it in a parking lot class which copied their drills from others? Is this the way you could get the MENTAL COOLNESS I’ve mentioned?! Sorry no, and please let me add at this point that your mental stability is the skill which kicks in first when hitting debris, the deer, the Prius driver, or that 20 years old driving that SV while texting a complaint on Facebook how f’d up everyone is driving today. I know I can help you with that too.
Headcoach Can Akkaya, Sacramento 03/21/2018

 

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Heat Management

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I can tell ya… the Ducati Panigale is a beast, and truly a challenge to your balls- also in regard heat!

The 1199R is a race bike- period. People are surprised how hard to ride it actually is. The faster you go- the better it is, but the slower you go- the more this bike can be a pain in a butt. It needs time and money to solve these issues if you want to use a Pani on the street in traffic.

I gave lots of advice and suggestions in this article series, but the ‘heat management’ was secondary to me first. Now since i am riding it more often for pleasure, to teach Track Drill 1on1 on race track, or Road Skill 1on1 on public roads- the more I realized I should have prioritize this problem.

The significance is the ride-ability and performance. Cool gas is power and engine elastics- and not to get the boiled keeps riding fun up. The rider sits literally 3 inches above the rear cylinder of a 195 horsepower bike, and the heat is conserved. You’re standing in California waiting for green light, while the water temp of the monster climbs up to 220f. It’s time for improvements.

So, my goal is it to drop temperature, and to gain engine performance. Not looking for the ‘perfect’ though, because that is not existing. First, I uninstalled those ugly cylinder plastic covers. I believe they conserve the heat around the rear cylinder just a little too much and to affect its performance. Also- the conserved hot air is literally lead right between your legs and the lowest part of the gas tank. After riding it without those covers it was actually a little better- so off they go.

I was actually planning to get me some heat shield mattes and to cover everything on a logical bases to block or to lead hot air. The ‘good’ material which is in use by NASA, Formula 1 and MotoGP is expensive though, and I would have to puzzle it… but then I found the “Panigale Heat Shield“. The adhesive kit includes all puzzle pieces, like to cover the seat pad and the sub frame legs. Some tools, a de-greaser and about 30 minutes later the job was done, but I wanted to do more though. The part of the gas tank which is buried in the sub frame, hovers about an inch above the cylinder. Sooner as you might think, the entire aluminum body is warmed up and affects comfort and gas temperature.

A additional piece of foam behind the gas tank reduces the hot air floats under the seat, and leads to the cutouts in the sub frame legs. These modifications should also help reducing the mechanical noises a little.

So, thanks to ‘Panigale Heat Shield‘ I could save some time of work and to find the right material. Even if you don’t have a Pani… go and find the weak spots on your ride, and enjoy ‘creating’ and to improvise things. Make it YOURS :-)

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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The importance of ‘Tank Grip’

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Protecting the gas tank with some kind of pads makes sense in multiple ways. Let’s just name scratch protection, resale value, or upgrading looks. For me, and that goes for decades of riding on and off race tracks- the main reason is to stay in place where I want. In fact- I am almost ‘abusing’ my gas tanks. Here is how:

  • Squeezing knees in the tank cove pads while braking (keeps weight low and in the rear AMAP)
  • Dragging ass over the seat to the other side by pressing outside knee in the tank pad

There are some products on the market, but my requirements are narrowing it down, especially since i have a healthy wear of those tank pads. I always end up with TechSpec Gripster Tank Pads for some good reasons also for my Ducati Panigale 1199R:

  • Easy to install (smooth material)
  • Looking real good (that’s clearly individual preference)
  • Giving the right amount of hold (other products killing your gear)
  • Reliable (protect function and price)
  • Easy to remove/replace (no stain, no paint killer)

TechSpec’s theory of achieving a solid grip is based on material properties and surface area contact. Their products are available in two materials: Snake Skin and the XLine.

What I personally like is that I easily could customize a pad if necessary.  We have TechSpec pads mounted on all Superbike-Coach bikes. Especially on our Supermotards, the wheelie 1on1 bike and the rental bikes, because they give the hold on to the gas tank my students need once that front wheel goes up. TechSpec even makes installation videos which shows how easy it is:

So, my recommendation to you is… what’s good for me should be good for you. I think that this is one of the first upgrades a rider should do to the motorcycle. Not just before scratches even happen… also to not to miss out on that extra hold when you might need it the most… in an emergency braking maneuver.

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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How to vinyl wrap a Motorcycle

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The new paint job was done and it was time to go into the details, such as to integrate the Ducati gas tank into the design. It was planned from the beginning, that we don’t want to mess with the beautiful design of the stock 1199R tank. The brushed silver and red was to blend into the new design.

My friend John Wolf does vinyl wraps to cars professionally, so for him this was a walk in the park. He extended two white stripes and one black piece over the gas tank, and that turned out pretty hot. The dynamic of the bike makes your eyes stuck to it.

We also customized our  sponsor stickers to one size and color, as well as I finally got a new design of my pro racing number ’36’. If you ever want something special and have somebody making it perfectly… then you need to see Diane and her Tokay Press company in Stockton, CA.

Headcoach Can Akkaya

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How to install race fairings to your bike, part 1

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Finally the race fairings have arrived, and I am highly impressed by the quality and paint job they did to it- exactly as I put it down to paper about one month ago. A fully customized paint job- clear coated on ABS plastics, including shipping to California for a total of $470 bux!!!

If you ever removed a stock fairing from a modern sport bike, then you might know that there are hundreds of puzzle pieces- but dealing with the preciseness of a Panigale fairing goes even beyond that point. But before I can go to install the kit there were things to do on the stripped bike.

To teach riders on the track, I need GPS/Satellite supported equipment. The challenge once more is the price and weight. I for sure don’t want to pay Ducati’s plug’n’play lap timer for about $700 (!)… but I wanted to have a device which plays along with the capable stock cluster gauge. For only $200 bux I even accept to splice 4 wires. In all honesty… I chicked out on this one, and asked my friend Steve Collins to do this for me. Steve is a highly capable technician and knows all about Ducati. We had a blast doing this together.

Back home I modified the upper triple clamp, which doesn’t allow much of a handle bar adjustment. Removing some notches does the job, and the difference is significant. Also, the installation of some radiator guards makes sense since this bike keeps rolling on public roads. Since California’s streets are not much better than ‘developing nation’ standards- a guard is recommended at least for the lower radiator.

Yes I know I won’t be able to repair ABS, but for that price I would say you go and stick to your glass fiber race fairing kit for 800 bux and to paint it poorly in your garage… while I just go and order another fully painted kit for a little more and have a showroom bike in my garage which nobody else has.

Headcoach Can Akkaya

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How to make a Ducati Panigale more ride-able

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After doing an ECU flash (upgrade 9), I was still very unhappy withe the “city” riding abilities a Panigale comes up with. Disappointing, but that’s maybe the difference a customized map via dyno runs can make. But since even this isn’t a 100% solution, I was looking for alternatives- and I found a logic one. It turns out to be cheap and simple as well.

Coach's DucatiOK, I use to have almost no free-play in all my bikes, so that there is no fiddling around the point where/when the throttle valve opens up. That makes it more predictable at the brake to throttle transition around the apex, and for city riding, where you constantly operate the damn thing on that edge.

Before you refer to any manufacturers manual… let me tell you that I don’t care about their purpose of such a big free-play in the throttle/cable- because it makes lots of things better and your right hand and nerve costume will thank you for it as well.

Now, a row 4 cylinder is almost a Lamp against the Panigale, which loves to open her heart at any occasion. There is much more torque to play with at that low throttle position, and that free play makes you sweatin’ like a dog, so let’s get this solved.

Coach's DucatiThe Panigale, and many other modern bikes, are ‘fly-by-wire’. Means- the throttle is all electronically, and no more via cable operated. These $30 bux spacers (pics) eliminate the free play on the “Joystick” almost at a 100%, and they are super easy to install. I took it out on the street today and the difference is just amazing… almost from Mr. Hyde back to Jekyll

So… if you have cable… turn that free play out by let’s say 80%. If you are flying by wire… research for spacers. If you have Mr. Hyde dressed in Ferrari red sitting in the garage… then this is what you need to do!

Headcoach Can Akkaya

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How to upgrade brake rotors

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I started doing the minor work at the front end first since I am still in the research for the ‘bottoming out issue’. I knew there was a wobble in one of the the brake rotors, which is why i didn’t even change the ‘street rider brake pads’ to do my track day back on 8/5/. Accordingly bad was my performance on the brake, especially into slow turns. Good arguments to change to fully floated (short expl.: the rotor centers between the pads) rotors and freaking ‘race brake pads’. 330mm in diameter should do a darn good job on Cleopatra.

A set of ‘ready to wire’ caliper bolts are on ebay for 25 bux. Also the bulky stock wheel spacers had to be replaced by black anodized aluminum spacers for about 30 bux.

That carbon front fender closes the work on the front wheel… wait… brand new Bridgestone Battlemax race tires are waiting already, but first I’m going to brake-in these bad ass looking rotors.

Side note: Race bike feel… ergo… race bike problems. Cleo is shaking and braking one bolt after another..

 

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