Featuring TechSpec Gripster Tank Grips

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Yep, you might think we do this because TechSpec is our sponsor- but the reason they are is that we believe in their product as riders which each of my SBC staffs are. We’re all using them on our school- AND personal bikes!

I met founder and inventor of the Gripster Tank Grips, Dean Davis, in 2011 when Superbike-Coach was just 2 years old. We took our bikes for a fun ride in the Foothills. Dean is one of those kids who love what they do and are passionate for motorcycles. He developed something which is useful for all types and categories of riders. See why we’re matching?! He believes in what we do- and I believe in what he does.

Straight up… I was skeptical when I was about to try those Gripsters the first time, because I actually like the smoothness around the gas tank and not to be restricted by some sticky stuff. That flu away in no time, because the weight of advantages dropping the scale on the positive side. I had to adjust.

When I did, I needed less lag strength to keep my but in the rear (I use to squeeze knee in the tank even going straight). Also the ‘hold on to it’ under hard braking goes much easier, cuz’ I didn’t slide forward as much. That keeps center gravity low- ergo- I can brake harder and more precisely (and later on the track :-). These were my first impressions with them, but there is more down the road:

  • Tank Gripsters protect your expensive paint
  • They come easy off if needed without residues
  • Gives the bike custom look
  • Not wearing out your gear like other products do

Do they wear out?… yes, and that’s good, because other products make your riding gear look old damn quick. I personally prefer to replace my Gripster Tank Grip, instead of f’n up my custom Moto-Gear racing suit folks!

This is one of a few good upgrades you can do to your bike which doesn’t delete your bank account and which really makes sense in many ways. Go get some :-)

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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superbikecoach class for BMW NorCal

Advanced BMW NorCal Riding Class, by Superbike-Coach Corp

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Superbike-Coach is going to run this advanced class exclusively for the BMW NorCal Club, but will give open spots to non-members.
This class is limited to 30 riders so it is first come first serve.

If you want to become a member you might check their information: https://bmwnorcal.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Jan%202019%20newsletter%20for%20Web.pdf
If you are a member already the sign up here for the class: https://www.superbike-coach.com/events/bmw-norcal-advanced-rider-class

Ryan G. became one of the faster students from almost nothing all the way up. His leaning angle says it all

Well… gotta be quick, cuz’ 18 of 30 spots are gone already! https://www.superbike-coach.com/events/bmw-norcal-advanced-rider-class

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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Superbike-Coach suspension workshop

Setup Workshop & Track Time about to removed

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Nothing is perfect in life- nothing. But I want to share with you why I am personally a little disappointed in regard one of our programs, the ‘Setup Workshop & Track Time’, which is a hell of a opportunity to get a bike dialed in- suggestions on upgrades based on needs- and especially a chance to get up to huge technical issues pointed out. Besides this, it allows the participant to go on the track to feel the difference of a dialed in suspension- or just to have some fun. Here are some stories…

I remember welcoming one of meanwhile thousands of students to our previous ‘Setup Workshop & Track Time’ class. He proudly showed to me his ‘new baby’, a used CBR 600 RR. He was just wondering that the bike makes weird noise under hard acceleration and that it doesn’t move as much as it could. We’ve diagnosed that all teeth on the rear sprocket were shredded down by 70%, and that the chain is jumping over under acceleration! Workshop = A+

A other rider has a chain slag which not just damaged the swing arm, but also could cause a crash if the chain would come off and gets stuck. Another one I’ve seen rides a chain which never seen grease, and all links were pointing zick zack. Workshop = A+

A tiny girl on a sportbike rides around with a cracked handlebar. Only a question of time when this thing runs away from her under braking. That her throttle just stays where you let it go didn’t seem to worry her much. The grip slid down and over the bar end, and that caused the stuck. Workshop = A+

But also out there on the street or track I am going, and to meet riders… I’ve seen so many issues. Stuck throttle cables- loose or broken brake levers- rotted tires- worn- squared- or my absolute “favorite”… a aftermarket brake lever which touches the throttle cable housing, so that there is only about 30% of braking power! A Workshop here would be A+

Trust me, with this I truly don’t want to make anyone look bad- but truth and honesty is it what this needs. If I would not- how can I make you see how important a ‘Setup Workshop & Track Time’ can be for one?! So no, I’m not making fun on their backs- we actually believe that we’ve saved some lives with this class.

My disappointment here is that I know that this is good for the riders- my main goal. We are always trying to make things like that fun, educational, and efficient for an affordable ticket price. Unfortunately not too many take advantage of it, so that we can’t make this work on our end.  So this will be probably the last time were we offer this program:

Suspension Workshop & Track Time, at Little 99 Raceway on 04/07/2019, 33 spots are left, $99.00

(Includes workshop, track fee, water/snacks, photography, professionals)

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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Superbike-coach cornering school day 2

Cornering Day 2 Class Efficiency

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We just finished another Cornering Day 2 class, and I am always surprised what kind of quantum jumps my students are taking.

Amazingly, they feel calmer, relaxed and actually “slower”. What they feel is the potential what they’ve been missing out for so long. Since Day 1, they went through lots of major subjects on and off the track: Body positioning, viewing technique, all types of lines, real counter steering, uber-steer, emergency braking, clutch less up shift, downshift pattern and gear choice… all of it in a logic order and designed for maximum learning effect. That’s it?!… No, there is even more to come- even things like Trail Braking.

I so love seeing their smiles when they finished their session and finally got it. That means the world to me!

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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Superbike-Coach suspension workshop

I really don’t get it

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Imagine, there was a class where you could ride all day on a race track for only 49 bucks. No hassle, no distractions, no drama. And now picture all of this would be perfectly organized in level groups on a track which wouldn’t be too far away from you. How cool would that be?! Let’s take it further… imagine that you could add a workshop to it and to get your bike dialed in at the same time by a professional- or even better- you would also get the knowledge, tools, and a helping hand to learn how to do that stuff on your own. That would be killer right!?

I’ve seen riders struggling with their bikes- or in bad cases- they even get hurt just because of lack of reach-ability. How’s this possible?!… well, you can go install a light switch too high for someone to reach, and see how long it might take to turn the damn light on. And yeah, the subjects seem complex and the fear of wrenching the bike is big. This is why we’re there to check on your baby in regard suspension, lever adjustments, tires, throttle free play, and lots of other stuff. Together with you, we’ll make significant changes for the better. Let me tell you some stories and literally terrible things we’ve discovered in the previous… …classes. There was a female rider in our workshop, and her throttle didn’t return at all. Her answer–“I’m used to it”– is not helping, but we’ve fixed it for her. Another rider installed an aftermarket front brake lever and didn’t even notice that the damn thing hit the starter button housing, which restricted the full potential of the brake down to 30%! Another rider just got a racing rear shock installed for about $2 grands incl labor, The damn shock didn’t work at all and was as stiff as a stick. The rider thought it was all in the setting, but it wasn’t. I bet if he would have lost traction and to crash, he wouldn’t even know that the shock/shop was responsible for a possible injury.

Quite frightening huh?! But that’s not all by far… missing bolt in the master braking cylinder, cracked handle bars, loose steering stems, leaking seals; and top on the list… a fully destroyed rear sprocket where the f’d up chain just skipped all those rounded teethes. Oh yea, and the rider actually assumed it was a broken gearbox!

On the suspension side in previous workshops, we helped riders to find their bikes more agile and holding the line better. Some report to literally have a new bike feel. Bottoming out, lack of grip and overly worn out tires they complain about; even after they have had ‘specialists’ working on their bikes. Why?!… because with them, you can’t go out on a track and learn to report- learn to ‘what to focus on’ while going through specific sectors- then to come back and to directly work on issues. With the Superbike-Coach ‘Workshop & Track Time‘ class… you can do all of that and have a fat grin on the face at the same time!

Now… you wanna blame me for pointing things out in all honesty, or the shop which makes a front brake work on 30% only?! Your choice.

Our next Workshop is coming up on 7/15/2018, and you can sign up here for it.

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Sacramento 7/4/2018
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superbike-coach tip of the week

A ‘Sensei’ has to be old

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If you follow my monthly topics, then you might have noticed the red line to the struggle of riders on mental focus – so let’s stay on this topic and clear something up at the same time. This goes mainly out to the track riders and racers.

It seems that there is a wrong picture of what a teacher has to look like and be capable of. Sometimes I hear things like “Coach is to old”, or “He raced in the 80’s, that was different back then.” The conclusion seems to be that because I’m older, I can’t teach them anything. This is wrong and misguided, so let me throw a light into the dark tunnel for you.

Of course I am not as fast as I once was, but I actually still have the fire of a thousand suns in me when I’m on track, and I can rip lap times at Laguna Seca Raceway that would make active racers quite nervous, even when the years on me have replaced my 6-pack with a beer belly. Even when I am a little hip-lame… I still know what it takes to achieve Pole Positions, International Pro Racing victories, and even lap records. And here’s the deal… besides technology and tires – we’re still fighting the same old element… gravity.

Still not convinced? Remember Karate Kid’s Mr Miyagi? How about Yoda? Or Panda’s Master Shifu? They are all old, and they mentor their students to become hero’s anyway. Yea… I know. That’s all Hollywood?! So what about reality- like Coach Bill Belichick and his New England Patriots for example? He’s old and he keeps creating winning teams. Just recently I saw a documentary about Peyton Manning’s Super Bowl ending carrier. Here’s a multi-million dollar NFL player who got hip-lame himself and loaded with mental blocks. This man had a coach on his side- a 72 year old Sensei!

Does that mean that his sensei was expected to throw the damn ball further than record holder Manning? Was it necessary for his sensei to be quicker out of the pocket? Should his sensei have been mentally and physically strong enough to get past a 280-pound linebacker and throw a touchdown anyway? NO, but his sensei helped him on a way different level, and all what that 100 Million dollar MVP and multiple record holder was replying to his sensei was- ‘Yes Sir’ and ‘Yes Coach’!

Still not seeing the comparison? How about a basketball coach who is 2 ft smaller than his player- or a hockey coach who can no longer skate fast and handle a puck like a 20-year old. They may not be able to play the game, but they know what it takes to be a success in the game. They know what to say- when to say- and how to say!

So here is the logic, which I believe got lost with all those track day instructors who believe that a 10 minutes ‘workout’ and a succinct tip in regard ‘body positioning’ is all what it takes to be a good teacher. At a certain level of an athlete, a coach on the sideline is working just fine. I as a coach, see weak spots to delete, strengths to develop, tailor a race strategy, finding details to improve in the skill set and most important to mind set a competitive nature, because I know what to say- when to say- and how to say!

For this, I don’t have to be with the racer on the track to ’skate faster’ to proof credentials. Though, I bet I even can help a Top-Gun racer to drop lap times also with his riding skill set, because I’ve been there too. At that point to mention MotoGP. Even some of those guys have coaches too. Are they riding with them?! No, because how should that be even possible?!

You’re asking why I put this on the mental side?… well, you might shut yourself down with that type of thinking, and might miss out on something that finally could get you on the path you always wanted to walk… the path to success on the race track. If you still don’t see that the problems are between your ears, then you keep fighting wind mills. But if you are ready- come see me and I might help you to become a mighty Jedi.

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Sacramento 04/25/2018
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How to pick the right helmet size

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If you are not a professional MotoGP racer, you probably won’t get much attention of a helmet factory. While these boys getting spoiled beyond the actual design- they also have customized shells and liner/pads to give the perfect fit- while you have to deal with standardized sizing.

The good news- at least the prime helmet manufacturers have a highly strategically selection of standard sizes for their lids which covers the demand very well. In case if not, then a big verity of lining and cheek pads can make the difference. Again… I know that at least the Helmet Top-Guns like Arai and Shorei has this on their portfolio.

So, based on these facts you should not have problem to find a decent size for your noodle, if it’s not extremely out of shape. The problems are mostly the riders themselves when purchasing a new lid- or, sometimes untrained motorcycle gear staffs who often seem to pick a size for their customers to reduce stock.

No, I’m not pulling this out of the blue… I’m seeing almost every day that especially brand new riders (which are mostly depending on size suggestions of that kind) who are coming to Superbike-Coach classes or 1on1- that their helmets dangling around on their heads or even bouncing down to their noses. Don’t laugh, that is really happening.

Let’s have a look at how important it is to pick the right helmet size in general, so here is my logic:

  • a too big helmet is louder
  • bounces into sight
  • can cause more injury as necessary
  • can even fly off your head as you crash
  • shaking can cause distraction
  • might feels OK in the store, but not comfy on the ride

How do I know?!… I’ve been there. I am a burned child, because my helmet flew off my head at my first ever crash. Of course it was all closed, but the quality back then compared to today- oh gee… my Arai Corsair is like a Ferrari around my head today. I’ve picked that helmet back then myself too, and I didn’t spend much of a attention to it as well. So here are two things I’ve learned, how a helmet has to be in the first place:

  1. Damn expensive
  2. Snug as hell

Let me explain point one. The price of a helmet displays its quality and that includes the test procedures a product like this underlays, materials, safety features, functionality, aerodynamics and tests, design, testing staff (racers often included). All of this becomes handy for you when crashing. At that point I should remind that you have only that one head which hosts your most valuable organ, and that should be prioritized over some fancy rear sets.

Point two is easy to put. I have my lids sitting so snug that I barley get in and out. I witnessed it ones, that a girl at a retailer chose a helmet she got easier in/out with. Horrible! It got to sit so snug that there is no way that you could move it around on your head- or to wiggle your head and to slide the sit of the helmet. I think of ‘as snug as possible’. It might doesn’t feel right in the store, but you’ll appreciate it as soon the wind starts playing with it.

So how to start this out?!

Have a friend measuring your head to evaluate the base size of your lid (Arai chart above). That will be also THE MAXIMAL BIGGEST SIZE YOU’LL PICK. Try now the next smaller one and see how much pain you can take :-)

With each size you try this: Shake, wiggle, try pulling it off (closed strap), if your ears are not squeezed, if your nose doesn’t touch the chin guard. The moment where your skin and scalp sticks with the lining… you’re good. Any additional movement shouldn’t be tolerated. If you hang between sizes- invest in different pads to make the helmet yours. You’ll get use to it as long your nose and ears have some clearance in there. I personally use size M for my Arai Corsairs and add a pad on top of my head because I like it sits slight higher, but let me explain that and more in my little video below:

Arai Corsair-X Helmets

Headcoach Can Akkaya Video Blog

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