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Advanced Skills Course (Stay Upright)

Discussion in 'Learner League' started by JiGa, Mar 4, 2014.

  1. JiGa
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    JiGa New Member

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    Hey guys, I've just booked in to do the course on 6th April. Just wondering if anyone else is booked in?

    And for those who have done the course previously or a similar course, any tips? :). I've heard that you learn a lot from it, so definitely looking forward to it!
     
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  2. Jazz
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    Jazz Member

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    I just did the intermediate course on Sunday which is pretty much just an extension of the P-plate course. I was told on the weekend that the advanced course is an extension of the intermediate course so it covers same things just in more detail, but the afternoon is pretty much devoted to cornering, which should be kinda fun. The cornering part of the intermediate course was a blast, although it was only a small part of the day.

    I was thinking about doing the advanced course but having just done the intermediate course, the $$$ is tapped out for motorcycle stuff for a little while. :(
     
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  3. Someguy
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    Someguy Super Elite Awesome Member Supporter

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    I've done it before. It's a really good course. You don't really need any tips - just be willing to learn and follow the instruction from the instructors.

    Also, purely out of interest, tell us how many hands go up at the ADVANCED COURSE when the instructor says "is there anyone here who doesn't know what counter-steering is?". I counted 5 sets of hands when I did it. Unbelievable.
     
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  4. Alltorque
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    Alltorque Former Member

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    Probably because it's a myth?

    Had he asked about body steering though
     
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  5. Binksy
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    Must say when I did it I was disappointed at the level of tuition. Course is very much a defensive course rather than an advanced course which is very good for road safety however if you have ever been to a defensive driver course about 50% is just repetition. (don't ride over crests in the middle of the road, buffer from potential dangers etc, etc) First half of the advanced day is going back over basics taught earlier including how to counter steer and emergency braking. It really is only the final drill that is actually about picking lines and cornering ability/technique. If the course had started there it would have been great but I was quite disappointed that this qualified as an 'advanced' course

    Of course there were still things taught but $300 worth.... Well I'm not sure.
     
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  6. Someguy
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    Someguy Super Elite Awesome Member Supporter

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    Can't say that my experience was the same as @Binksy. When I did it, it was more about actual skill development. There was an hour or so of discussion regarding defensive riding techniques, but the rest of the time was spent on the bike practising cornering, hard braking, swerving/slalom, low speed control throttle/clutch control, blipping on downshift, etc, etc.

    We spend ages going around the track practising it all together in the second half of the day. We also got to have a bit of an unofficial race at the end. Was great fun :D
     
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  7. Binksy
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    Given that I was on my P's when we did the course and I was a much worse rider than I am now when we did the laps drill toward the end of the day and you pull up at the end of the lap for a chat with the instructor he said "Your riding pretty good but you could change gears more".... Nothing really about lines, riding style, body position, turn in speed, throttle control.

    I suppose that was a pretty big reason behind being disappointed. Didn't really go there to be told I was riding pretty good, I wanted to know what I could improve and how to do it. Either I'm riding perfectly (which I'm still no where near) or there are a multitude of things to fix and I'm at an advanced course to be told what I can do to improve.
     
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  8. Zan
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    Zan Member

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    Judging by what I see of most riders they need to keep teaching the defensive riding information until it sets in.

    When I see a good rider using defensive riding with good lines it is a delight to watch.
     
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  9. Alltorque
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    Alltorque Former Member

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    I could tell ya all those things for free. Go faster, brake later, look cooler. Then profit
     
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  10. Binksy
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    Binksy Member

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    Forgot the last step, take a nap. That was your style wasn't it Cam :)
     
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  11. Alltorque
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    Alltorque Former Member

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    No you take a nap. Then look cool.
     
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  12. JiGa
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    JiGa New Member

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    Will do!

    Sounds pretty good from what you guys have said. Yeah I really want to work on my cornering which is the main reason I've booked it.

    @Someguy, @Binksy, do you remember what capacity bikes people were riding when you did it? The reason I'm asking is that I might be upgrading to a 600cc supersports soon so in the off-chance I get one before then, I might bring that instead of my 250cc. Also, how fast do you guys go when you do the cornering exericses? I've never had any track experience btw so I'd have no idea - plus I'd assume it would be slow, controlled corners?
     
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  13. Binksy
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    People were on everything from cruisers, to learner bikes to zx-14's

    You should bring whatever your going to be riding in my opinion. If your getting trained you might as well be be trained on tool your going to be using. The groups for the cornering exercises are tiered so as long as you only ride within yourself you'll be fine.

    We were doing some corners at a pretty decent clip by the end of the day

    EDIT: and it's focused at road riders, the "circuit" you are on is a road training surface including line markings, lanes, catseye's etc not a race track
     
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  14. Someguy
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    Someguy Super Elite Awesome Member Supporter

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    One guy was on the smallest capacity bike there - a 225cc Yamaha Scorpio. He left the course early after an incident where, while going around the track for a very slow scouting lap, he ran wide in a corner (don't ask me how he managed that) and went bush. After about 4 metres of bouncing along the grass he literally, and I kid you not, ghostied the bike. He jumped off and landed face down in the grass, while the bike coasted another few metres and fell. I laughed so damn hard I nearly couldn't make the corner myself. The best bit was when I stopped and ran back to see if he was ok. He was still face down in the grass banging on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum. So funny.

    Apart from him, though, there were some 250cc Ninja-type bikes, right the way up to a Honda Goldwing. It was hilarious watching him try and corner. Plenty of variety in the bikes and around the middle of the day they split us up according to type of bike/type of rider - slow group, less slow, medium pace, faster, fastest - which made the cornering drills more enjoyable for participants and spectators. They make a point of telling you that it's not a race track, and if you absolutely must pass someone, only do it on the straight. That made for some fun competition between myself and @airsick. I got up to around 220km/h on the straight. There's a big long sweeping corner at the end which we did at around 170km/h, but the rest of the corners vary between 30-110km/h if I remember correctly. It was a few years back now and I was still getting used to being on a 750cc sportsbike at the time but it's a long straight and you can get some decent speed up :up

    Of course, no matter how fast you think you're going the instructors are likely to pass you like it's nothing. At the end of the day one of them said "ok, fast guys on sportbikes, you get one last 3 lap run, as fast as you like. I'll ride with you". He left us for dead and by the time we did 2 laps, he was already finished his 3rd and had enough time to put a brew on. Was pretty cool to see.
     
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  15. JiGa
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    JiGa New Member

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    Haha sounds like it's gonna be a fun day.

    Definitely looking forward to it now. Hopefully I won't be like the guy on the Yamaha Scorpio - though I've probably jinxed myself now.
     
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  16. airsick
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    airsick Something witty

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    Yep, my recollection is more like @Someguy than @Binksy. We had some good feedback on the day and we only really spent the first half of the morning refreshing the defensive riding techniques. Then it was on the bikes and pretty much all day was about going fast, stopping fast, cornering, corner position and then we had a race in the afternoon where the instructor proceeded to show us all how slow we were.

    They way they broke us up into different groups was quite good. It allowed quite a bit of one on one feedback but also enough time to practice what we had just learned about in between. Generally what would happen is we would discuss a topic then go out and work on it. This might have involved doing a lap and working on it while an instructor followed you. With small groups (four or five from memory) this meant you got a few laps in just to reinforce stuff as well as direct feedback on what you were doing wrong and how to improve.

    All in all I thought it was a good course.
     
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  17. ExistentialQuestion
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    ExistentialQuestion Member Supporter

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    I'd be interested in doing it but I haven't done the intermediate and there isn't one for ages. Would it be viable to just go straight to the advanced course?
     
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  18. Someguy
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    Someguy Super Elite Awesome Member Supporter

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    I hadn't done the intermediate course when I did it. If you're a competent rider I don't imagine you'd have a problem going straight to advanced. If you struggle with throttle/clutch control and don't know what counter-steering is, you're probably out of your depth.
     
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  19. ExistentialQuestion
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    Well I know what countersteering is (thanks CR learner day!) and I don't think I struggle - although smooth is not the best description either... Will give it some thought.
     
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  20. Ron50
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    Yes, I'm still puzzled by what I witnessed at Eastern Creek with a bunch of RightStart instructors.
    One was riding a Yamaha XT225 Serow trailie learner bike with the stock trials universals. Even with the long straight at Eastern Creek none of the sports bikes of any capacity could keep with him.
    If I didn't see it I wouldn't have believed it. And I ruined a set of tyres in 15 minutes and almost high-sided trying!
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2014
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