Check your ego at the door
N.J. motorcycle school teaches riding safety as a life-improving focus
MILLVILLE, N.J.—“Don’t crash your coffee” would seem a rather enigmatic way to begin two days of intense, high-performance motorcycle training. It makes sense here.
Philosophically speaking, if you’re more focused and attentive to mundane details in your daily life, that commitment will carry over to when you’re on two wheels and make you a better, safer rider. So says Nick Ienatsch, chief instructor at the Yamaha Champions Riding School in Millville, N.J.
Most advanced riding schools teach the nuts and bolts of track riding — identifying apexes, body positioning, keeping eyes up, etc. The Yamaha school (YCRS) covers those plus life lessons, character development and daily awareness.
It teaches riders to think about the way you conduct yourself every time you’re on the motorcycle, whether you’re riding to work, touring or enjoying a track day.
First, check your ego at the door. The instructors aren’t here to give you a warm, fuzzy feeling, or tell you that you’re a swell guy and a helluva rider. What they teach could save your life.
Our group of 25 riders included former racers, track day riders, longtime street riders and a couple of raw beginners. The goal at the end of the weekend was to better control the motorcycle while become faster and safer while doing so.
The school starts with classroom instruction that’s humourous and effective. After getting our attention about coffee crashing, Ienatsch kicks in with a reality check, “This isn’t tennis. Mistakes are tough on you.”
First lesson: Lean angle equals risk and in any situation, we only have 100 points of grip available.
The goal is to operate the motorcycle’s controlling devices (throttle, brake and lean angle) with finesse and precision, adding or subtracting a few points at a time to stay under the 100 per cent limit.
And that limit must be adjusted to account for cold or worn tires, rain, sand, panic situations and other factors.
The main reason riders crash is lack or loss of focus — daydreaming about the lunch stop or whether the grass needs cutting at home can land you off the road or into the side of a Buick. “You have to think about what you’re doing every second you’re on the bike. Our sport can kill you.
“Think of braking as scrubbing speed,” Ienatsch adds. “If you’re in too hot, stay with the brakes until you’re happy with your speed and direction, and keep looking where you want to go. And remember as you increase lean angle, you have to take away braking to remain within the 100 points of grip.”
We suited up (full leathers are required; rentals available) and went through some drills — five students per instructor.
Out in the parking lot aboard new Yamaha R6 sportbikes, we practise tight turns and braking, as well as refining our clutch control by idling away from a dead stop using no throttle whatsoever.
Many schools use traffic cones to identify corner apexes and that’s a good start. You can approach that cone from several different angles — most of them wrong. YCRS uses two cones, spaced about a metre apart, which reveals the ideal angle to navigate the corner.
Some of the drills are unorthodox and a bit scary. You’re asked to do five laps using only the rear brake, holding your left hand on top of your helmet or while sitting on the passenger seat.
The “Pointy End of the Stick” drill was very interesting and challenging. The students are sent out to do hot laps and at various corners, the instructors place cones lying on the track. Your job is to navigate around the pointy ends of the cones, which change each lap. This teaches trail braking at speed in emergency situations where you have to brake and change your line in a corner to avoid an obstacle while leaned over. If you’re tight on the controls, freeze up or grab a handful of brake, you’re either leaving the road or going down.
YCRS isn’t so much a school as a well-organized centre for lifelong learning. My racing days are over but I ride a lot on the street, still do the occasional track day and lately have taken an interest in off-road riding. The things I learned here will make me a better and safer rider in all environments.
And since the school, I haven’t spilled a drop of coffee. Steve Bond is a frequent contributor to Wheels. The cost of the school was provided by the Yamaha Champions Riding School. Travel to and from the venue was provided by the author.
Daydreaming about the lunch stop or whether the grass needs cutting at home can land you off the road or into the side of a Buick