Thread: Kevin Schwantz School Again

I am tired…my right knee hurts and I think I re tore a muscle in my right forearm…nothing too serious, but just enough to be annoying. Not too long ago I got off a plane from Atlanta after completing my 4th Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School in two years. No I didn’t crash…just getting old…er.
No matter how many times I go to this school I always seem to come away learning something…and also quite a bit faster. While Matt Maldin may have nothing to worry about just yet I am getting to the point where I am pretty good around this track. I was at worst in the top five fastest at best the fastest on the track…there was one guy in a different group that I didn’t get to ride with so I’m not sure, and three other guys one a former racer whom I never got a chance to line up with.
Before I get into the story…I am sooo beyond looking at lean lines and knee pucks, because leaning a bike and dragging a knee doesn’t make you fast. I could really care less how my tire looks…I am more concerned with getting a good drive out of the corners, hitting my apexes and making my turn ins as late as possible. I also keep frightening myself with the amount of braking power these bikes have when it is necessary. My heavy 210lb ass will bottom out a fork and make the rear tire chirp and slide going into a corner(I don’t use the rear brake on the track) and still have untapped braking power that I don’t have the balls to use. The balls at the end of my fingers I mean.
I came back to the school and saw a bunch of crutches…or rather people on them. Instructor Lee Acre who had a bad crash a few months ago, instructor Ted Cobb who fell off a ladder and one of the admin ladies who broke her thumb. Ok well she wasn’t on crutches but seeing a bunch of broken stuff on people is not what I want in my head when I am about to explore the limits of a motorcycle. To tell the truth I would just really miss having them on the track.
There was a large group of people that came to the school together and instead of splitting the class between more experienced and less experienced they set up one group consisting of the friends and everyone else in the other group.
We were the B group who it seems to have most of the fastest guys…kind of lucky I fell in with them. We also had some of the slowest guys, cockiest guys, most oblivious guys, and really some of the nicest guys…maybe I was the only cocky and oblivious one but I digress (did I mention that I was fast).
They had a new instructor who is an up and coming star in the AMA Superstock and Supersport classes Blake Young. He is 21 yrs old and fast is an understatement. He was on the pole at Road Atlanta for the Superstock race and I think he finished third overall.
Now of course we started off the first session fairly slowly and tried to wake ourselves up. I spent that time working on my lines and my body position which has always been my weak point.
For those of you who have been to Road Atlanta before…I hate to tell you…the old Turn 12 is no longer in use. No longer are you flying over a blind curvy hill in fourth gear wondering where the racetrack is, you now flying over a blind straight wondering if the front wheel will ever touch the ground again in third…and wondering where the racetrack is. To translate the drop going into turn 12 is so steep you can’t really see the bottom until you crest the top of the hill. The old turn 12 would see a large addition of throttle to push you out to the apex, the new turn 12 sees a large addition of brake and a downshift to second. It took a bit getting used to…kind of like sticking your toe into a tub of cold water…first you do it slowly and then eventually work you way in. Everything else about the track is the same and for readability I won’t go into all the details of the track.
Ok where was I…we started off pretty slowly and I went into the intermediate lane…and not too long after…fell asleep…not literally but it was too slow for me. I figured I could practice a few of my bad habits (I mean practice getting rid of them), but one slow session was enough for me. We went into the classroom to discuss techniques, the effects certain inputs have on a motorcycle, etc…
Now back onto the track. The second session I found myself in the fast lane with a nice couple and another gentlemen. Now we started with the male (never did get his name) in front if I recall and the pace was quick but comfortable. His wife/girlfriend had excellent form and her lines (racing) were perfect. She did enter the turns slowly which caused me to have a few, “Holy $%@* I am going to run into her” moments, but excellent drive out of the corners.
Now as the sessions go by I get paired with the same guy again. He has trouble keeping up with me up until turn seven. Now if I get a good gap on him by seven I can pretty much write him off…but if we get caught up by a slower group and we both leave turn seven at the same time he might as well be riding the same bike as me. He even passed me once down the straight and I had a notion to repass him braking into 10a, but I remember this is a school and not a race…ok so maybe he broke a little late too…but that had nothing to do with it…
Anyway at the end of the day we do the track walk…which takes an hour and a half. We basically get into a van and stop at a particular turn where the instructors demonstrate the proper line and technique in that particular corner while being narrated by Kevin. All very useful…you get to see the turns in perspective and realize how big or small they are and how some turns have positive or negative camber and how that affects the way you attack the turn. Blake demonstrates how to…handle turn 12 by flying down the hill, getting the bike sideways…and missing the turn. Everyone laughs because of the laid back atmosphere and we understood what he meant to do. It looked really good…
So it’s about 12 hrs after the school begins and they take you out to eat. Basically the entire class is drained, hot and sticky and we all squeeze into a nice Mexican restaurant, which has good food but bad Pina Coladas (virgin of course). We talk and joke for hours with the instructors and Kevin and finally drag ourselves back to the hotel at about 8:30 or 9. I take a shower and I am asleep before my head hits the pillow.
The second day goes a little smoother…although my bike…number 24 decides it has had enough and develops a surging problem so I hop on 22. Now I had my best rides of the day on 22…although the tire seemed a bit spent since I slide the rear a few times, but no major drama.
Now today the instructors led us lead them around the track and I cant help but look back every once in a while to see how close everyone is…we end up leaving the Frenchman behind a few times but the instructor stays on me without even trying.
Now my last session of the day was a one on one with Opie Caylor…I told the instructors I needed someone to push me and he really did…he kept far enough ahead of me to keep me chasing him but he didn’t walk away from me. The most fun session of the day.
I highly recommend this school since the instructors are real world class racers, very knowledgeable and personable. Money well spent.
Anyone interested in seeing what I learned, I will be at NJMP sometime in the next month or so. Beatings…oops I mean lessons will be given.

Originally Posted by Hammer

Nice write up smooth.

Thanks.