California Superbike School
The highly-acclaimed California Superbike School (CSS) returns to India, and we eagerly hit the track in the hope of learning a thing or two
Opportunity knocks once again and Anosh goes back to school at the MMRT
IT WAS 1980 WHEN
Keith Code, a California-based motorcycle racer, started the California Superbike School. Keith had been researching performance riding techniques in an effort to understand what made the fastest guys faster than the rest around a racetrack, and in the course of his research he realised that by breaking the act of going around a corner into its most basic components, newer riders could work on individual skills to up their pace as they pieced all of these skills together. The school curriculum is based around Keith’s arduous research from over 30 years ago, borne from interviewing hundreds of racers and analysing their every action. Although motorcycle dynamics and tyre technology have come a long way since then, his findings still hold true today. The California Superbike School is arguably the number one rider training school in the world, and, since 2010, enthusiastic Indian motorcyclists have had the option to sign up for CSS right
here, thanks to the efforts of TT Varadarajan and his son, Siddharth.
With three days at the track, students are encouraged to work on drills designed to help perfect specific aspects of their riding, including throttle control, vision, turning points, body position and much more. There are three levels of instruction, one for each of the three days, and each level deals with five specific aspects of the rider-motorcycle interface. Students sit through a 20-minute classroom session for each drill, after which they get a 20-minute session on the track, under the watchful eye of the coaches, to implement what they have learned in the class. Level one deals with throttle and turn points, level two deals exclusively with vision, and level three deals with body position and moving around on the bike without unsettling the machine.
It was the last weekend of February and I was back at the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) with around 40 other participants who had signed up for the CSS this year. The school is for riders of all capabilities, and students ranged from absolute beginners who had never been around a track before to seasoned racers who wanted to better their laptimes. We all got there early on Friday morning to register, after which our gear was scrutinised and we were able to fuel up our bikes for the day ahead. We also fuelled ourselves up on a quick trackside breakfast before heading for a briefing where we were informed about the rules relating to overtaking and etiquette on the track. We were divided into three groups — white, yellow, and green — and I was handed a white number three decal to paste on to my KTM RC 390. The three groups would rotate between classroom sessions, track sessions and short breaks to rehydrate after coming in from the track before the next classroom session.
Day one started off with a simple throttle control drill. We were to ride around the track in fourth gear and without using the brakes. Hence we were completely dependent on the throttle to set our corner-entry speed, and were expected to maintain a smooth, even and continuous throttle roll on throughout the corner. While we were out on the track, our coaches rode alongside, behind and ahead of each of us, giving us pre-specified hand signals to obey commands. When they were satisfied that we had grasped the exercise they flashed a thumbs-up and vanished around the next corner. After 20 minutes out on the track we went back into the pits to sit through the next classroom session with Chief Instructor Gary, who then explained to us the next drill: turn points.
While we were on the track, our coaches rode alongside, behind and ahead of each of us, giving us pre-specified hand signals to obey commands
Twenty minutes in the classroom and we were back out on the track trying to hit the X’s marked on the track. Another useful exercise on day one was the relax drill, where we were instructed to go around the track while staying completely loose and relaxed on the handlebars. Through the day we were slowly allowed to use two and then three gears, and for the last drill of the day we were permitted to use full brakes and all the gears. After we had completed all five Level One manoeuvres on the first day I checked my bike’s trip meter. I was
amazed to note that I had covered 133 kilometres around the MMRT circuit. Although tired, I couldn’t wait to come back the next day for Level Two.
Day two started off in a similar manner. We sat through the first classroom session where reference points were explained and then went out on track, again without brakes and in one gear, to see what reference markers we could notice around the track. Level Two was all about vision and using our vision to pick different lines through the turn. We were taught to look way ahead through the turn, while keeping track of our markers using only our peripheral vision. The last drill of the day was the Pick Up, which dealt with picking the bike up from full lean going on to a straight to get back to full throttle as early as possible.
The five Level Three drills dealt with how the rider connects with the motorcycle, and taught us how to shift our weight around on the bike when negotiating chicanes without upsetting the chassis. The hook turn drill demonstrated how we can tighten a corner without adding more lean angle, the power steering drill showed us how to use counter steering to turn the bike efficiently, while the knee-to-knee and
hip flick drills taught us how to transition our body from side to side without sacrificing stability.
The last Level Three drill was attack angles, which gave us an idea of the different ways we could approach each corner. We were allowed to experiment around the track with all gears and full brakes, and were able to appreciate how wide the track really is by using our vision as taught in Level Two, while attacking corners in ways we wouldn’t have earlier thought possible.
At the end of the three days, I had ridden my RC 390 for 420 kilometres around the 3.7-kilometre track, and had felt my riding mature immensely. I now have a much better idea of how my voluntary and involuntary actions affect the motorcycle, and also how to keep these destabilising movements to a minimum. I wasn’t the only student at CSS this year that saw a marked improvement in their riding. Accomplished lady racer Aishwarya Pissay, who has represented India in the Asia Road Racing Championship, said that the school has helped her unlearn incorrect practices and fill in the gaps in her technique. She also stated that the training has put her in a better position to adapt quicker to any bike that she may ride in the future. At the other end of the spectrum, Dhruv Chaudhuri, a Ducati 959 Panigale owner and fitness expert who works at a prominent gym in Pune, and who has never ridden at a track before, said that the training helped him get to know his bike better, and the visual skills acquired have made him a better and safer rider on the street. He is now a lot more confident on his bike, and is looking forward to a track-day to further practise the techniques he has learned.
The CSS is not about racing or going faster than the other guys; it is about understanding the motorcycle’s dynamics and piecing together the right inputs at the right time to aid going around corners smoothly and confidently. Once smoothness is mastered, speed will automatically come. I have a lot of practising to do, and am extremely thankful to TT Varadarajan and Siddharth for giving me this opportunity to learn from the best in the business.