Super Bikes!

Last weekend we were honored to be invited by Super Bike School founder Kieth Code to attend a session of the school at Willow Springs. Willow Springs is a nine-track complex located in Rosamond, California which is also the home of Edwards Air Force Base. Because of its location in the high Mojave Desert, wind season begins on Januray 1st and runs through December, 31st.

We went over on a Friday night and because of family and motorcycle maintenance issues we got off to a late
start. Even though it has been a warm spring the temperature still drops like a stone once the sun goes behind the hill. By the time we got to Tehachapi Summit we were freezing our asses off and the wind was howling like a Banshee. After getting some food and warmth at the local Mexican restaurant the Wrench Wench and I went back to the bike, layered up and hunkered down for the rest of the ride.

It was really pretty freaky riding directly into a headwind without a windshield. Actually the headwind was so powerful I had a hard time getting the Frankenbeemer above 40o0 RPM. We finally arrived at the Hotel California (see previous blog entry) and listened to the wind howl and bang things around outside.




Track control directed us to the inside of turn 11 just in time to catch one of the first exercises of the day; fourth gear, no brakes. I was very impressed with what a tight ship and smooth operation the school is. Every set of curves has a coach who is in constant contact with master control and the coaches on the track.



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Keith Code is one of those singular, intuitive people who I find fascinating. The kind of person who has and insight and acts on it and it ends up changing everything.
Code initially came to national recognition with the publication of his book "A Twist of the Wrist." However he had been working on and developing the material for a long time.

Code relates his early days of racing and of the dearth of information to help him improve his riding. What he found was that their was a lot of advice but no technololgy. "There was a technology to the building of the road and their was a technology to the construction of the bikes, but when it came to improving ones riding their was only advice," he said.

Eventually he compiled seven pages of data and took out an ad in Cycle Newsand began to see immediate results with the students who signed up for these first one on one lessons.

Since then he has grown the business into the wildly successful Super Bike School.
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Heading for the starting line.



Racetrack Control



"Move 'em Out!"



Young Peter Lenz tears it up!



"Drifting" on the track just above ours.



Fast Enough!

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Back at Bast Camp



We had to smuggle this photo out...the latest technology from the motorcycle "Skunk Works!"



Ever wonder what was in those famous Super Bike/Kawasaki trailers?