Commitment bonus at superbike-coach

Does dragging knee make faster?

Of course not. How could it?! I mean… just because the knee puck is on the ground doesn’t mean you’re faster. How disappointing huh?!

Ones you got that knee dragging though… man… ya gonna feel like Superman. It’s a huge confidence boost and you’re in contact with the enemy.

But- it actually can cause you to be way slower by fooling you being fast at the same time. That’s what most Sportbike riders don’t even see. Subconsciously they are riding either on lines which gives them unreasonable lean ankle so that they finally get that knee down- or they overly stick their knee so far out that there is not much lean going on. Both lead to habits which extend the time of realization, unless they work with the right guy.

Another effect could kick in, and that is that the knee is stiff and pointy and turns to a ‘side stand’ which is in the way of leaning more. Ergo the rider runs way wide all the time and can’t get any faster.

Student floors it Rule of thumb… the faster you go- the more lean you do. That is something dangerous though. I mean… with this, you could go out and keep pushing it while your eyes and brain are not ready yet. Additionally- your body positioning is in the way to allow that extra speed/lean. All this is the struggle which you don’t understand- or not knowing how to fix it.

So you waste lots of time watching video after video. You might have spend 5 grands in a racing school and do lots of track days… but still!

Yep, I know. I hate a sales pitch as much as you do, but it’s a fact… the Superbike-Coach Knee Down class is almost a given success. We teach you all the necessary body position Hocus Pocus. We’ll bring you step by step to the appropriate corner speed- from session to session. I make you kick the living out of our mini bike to get your Will up to where it has to be and you do all this in the right environment under constant professional guidance.

Last class success rate: 18 of 21 made it!

The Knee Down class on 7/9/2022 is filling up now. Go get your ticket and get free photography by Dean Lonskey and your meal paid by the Moto Lawyer Rafael Carrillo. Even the track fee is included.

Student fun

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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The truth about motorcycle riding gear

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We’ve been all 18 years old ones. Lacking on reasonable decision making big time, and the only thing slowing us down was the size of balls. Back then, when I started riding on the street, I was not thinking in terms of protection, and it actually didn’t seem anyone would care, really. Also I didn’t freeze money to be able to buy riding gear along with that motorcycle. A ridiculously cheap helmet and a not even real leather jacket should do the job. Guess what… I’ve learned it the hard way.

I was knocked out and woke up on the lap of a Dutch lady who gave me water. Even though I hit that guardrail pretty hard, it seemed I got away without fractures. To give you a measure… the chassis of my bike broke in three pieces. My helmet flew off my head even though the strap was closed. My ‘alibi leather’ jacket ripped apart on the left side, as well as my jeans and sneakers. Positive aspect… that EMT didn’t had to cut much to get me out of the rest of my clothes. The pain of 3rd degree burns is something you’ll never forget, and the treatment is is a journey. Nurses pulling asphalt pieces with pin setts and literally washing your wounds with iodine. I’m sure today you’ll get a partially anesthetization and a trophy just for attending… I got a wood stick to bite on back then. Then they patch your open wounds up, which gets renewed every day. Done that ones?! Well, at least there the hair ain’t grow anymore.

Akkaya Replica by MJL Leathers

Akkaya Replica by MJK Leathers

Needless to mention that my interest for proper riding gear was triggered immensity. Since then, the quality and efficiency of my riding gear has priority and is top notch. I actually can look back through decades of development of riding gear and to be somewhat part of it when I got into racing. One of my early sponsors developed my racing suits in an impressive speed, and upon lots of fan requests they made a street rider version, the ‘Akkaya Replica’, which turned to be a bestseller for MJK Leathers in Europe. It was quite a pleasure to autograph fan suits in the paddocks :-)

But enough of me, so let’s see what’s suppose to be “real” motorcycle riding protection here. Let’s see what I can give you on the way here from what I’ve learned with all this, and with the things I still get to see with about 1500 students per year. First off… when do you need the best riding gear possible? How about during the time when your riding level is not that good- or if your balls are bigger than your ability to judge ‘distance and speed’?! That’s when you’ll need it the most. Don’t ya?! Now where are you at? How do you see yourself leveled objectively when you take ego out of equation? That seems to be impossible for the most, so how about we don’t put the gear question based on level and prioritize this.

MotoGear USA and Superbike-Coach

MotoGear makes affordable custom suits

I’m guessing you are not a professional rider, so you do a regular job. You have Mondays to do- a family to feed. Someone is waiting for you at home and you want to be safe as possible. Now what is the safest motorcycle riding gear… real leather! Tight sitting and sweat tearing leather- from the neck down to your feet. At this point it doesn’t matter if it’s a one-piece or two-piece leather suit as long as you can zip them together. Why leather over textile? If you watch MotoGP, then you see them getting up 90% at a time, and sometimes running back to the garage to keep going with the session… in the suit they just crashed with. I’ve seen riders crashing in textile on a parking lot which made that stuff useless. Just this comparison should ring the alert bell.

Even if your textile gear sits some kind of snug- the flex in there and the fact that it burns through (so things come lose then) doesn’t keep all your protectors in place. They turn away at first contact with the asphalt and so your knee, elbow or shoulder is receiving full impact. Non of the textile like materials can deliver the strength, flex and heat resistance leather can give you. I’ve seen riders actually getting injured by the protection. He was in kevlar jeans. The ‘alibi’ knee protector slid away- he broke his knee cap, and the protector cut so deep into his flesh so that his leg bone was exposed.

Snug leather is more sexy anyway, isn’t it? Yup, I know it’s hot- I know it’s more expensive, but you guys need to finally understand to add another 1500 onto this subject… your health over horsepower.

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

motogear logo

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Congrats to our Cornering School Graduates

Congrats to all students to graduate from Cornering School. They finished the program with day 3 last Sunday.

Those guys went from day 1 to day 3 and they’ve learned a ton. I am proud for each one of them and I hope to see them again. With their graduation, they also received a ton:

  • A Superbike-Coach Corp completion certificate to get a discount on their motorcycle insurances
  • 2 Superbike-Coach stickers
  • A permanent 50% off discount code when repeating cornering days
  • Discounts from our sponsors: Carrillo Law Center, Raver Synthetics Amsoil, Moto Gear, GoMotoTrip Motorcycle fairings, and Forma Boots USA
  • They are now qualified to do the Track Academy

That’s quite something huh?! Other than that, all of them made their signatures on the Superbike-Coach class banner, and I appreciate the memory a lot. They truly became members of the SBC family where we remember their names.

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Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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There is ‘that one bolt’

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bad bolt There is ‘that one bolt’ which extends a simple job in regard time, dirt, and resources… ONE stupid bolt. You know those?!

So I did a brake job on my Multistrada Enduro Pro, because ‘Indy’ was missing braking power, which is already restricted with those knobby tires. The plan: New brake fluid and bleeding air- new pads and cleaning caliper pistons- and 2 new rotors.

Coach's street rideWhile everything else went well, the rotor bolts are glued in the wheel, and I knew that was coming. Some manufacturers also make it harder by using bolts you’d need Torx tools for. I have, but those are really fragile. One after another coming off, not without a fight though… a bleeding finger and a trip to the hardware store for a new set of Torx tools is what that took. Then there is that one bolt. Out by a quarter and a destroyed head.

“MacGyver mode” is on now, as well as a never surrender mind set. Not enough meat to grab it with clamp pliers. Not enough out to saw its dead head off. Figuring that those cheap bolt removal tools you can buy with those TV commercials are senseless. Drilling the head was next, but the next half size bigger hexa did the job after hammering it in as much as possible. Then turning it as straight and smooth as possible got it finally out.

Four f’n hours and a garage floor covered with dirt, tools, sweat and blood for that one bolt :-)

Coach Tip: Heating up glued in bolts helps too.

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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New Program, the Rider Passenger Class

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I am happily announcing an additional program to the Superbike-Coach portfolio, the ‘Rider Passenger Class‘. I guess the name of the program displays well where this new program goes.

It’s always been existing as an idea, but never got fully into the subject. Until one of our cornering school students specifically asked me to help him and his wife. After making a poll and seeing the results, I started to design a rough program/agenda for a class like this. The more I was working on the details, the more I saw the huge benefits for the riders and their passengers.

Structure:

  • Held on Little 99 Raceway in Stockton
  • Only ones per year
  • Full day
  • All rider/passenger levels
  • 3 level groups of 10 bikes each
  • Classroom/track sessions
  • As usual free sport photography by Dean Lonskey, snacks, drinks
  • For all 2 seated bikes: Sportbikes, Adventure bikes, Touring bikes, Chopper/Cruiser bikes
  • $169 includes track fee and passenger fee

Just this is already a guarantee for maximum fun in a ‘safe as possible’ environment, isn’t it?! I was even more convinced about it when I was writing each subject:

  • Mental Connection (line choice, prediction, focus)
  • Body Synchronization (body language, balanced motion)
  • Emergency Braking for 2 (by unloading the rider)
  • Uber-Steering, Counter Steer (and how to get use to massive transiti0ns)

These are just the major subjects, but the day will be filled with much more information than this. Weight distribution, shifting without headbanging, slow maneuvers, movement prediction, and much more. This class will change everything- for the rider, and for the passenger.

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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Coach Reviews Continental TKC80 Tires

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I seriously love to ride our 2018 Ducati Multistrada Enduro Pro. When this version came out and I saw a pic of it- the first thing I thought was that the damn thang looks like a Indiana Jones movie. This is why we’ve gave it the name ‘Indy’ :-)

There are lots of reasons why I like this bike so much. Besides a ton load of technology in regard electronics (like an semi-automatic suspension), it’s got that mean battle cry only a 1200 V2 can put out. Well, especially after some mid pipe modifications. Furthermore it’s wild design, combined with all the tech and it’s pure size. That fascinated me the most.

But there was something else which got my racer blood temps up. Something which make this a bad ass ride. The aggressive look of those mud slinging animalistic appearing tires man. So I was sitting there looking at the picture smiling… who the hell is gonna ride that thing on asphalt?!

Even those Italian engineers an designers came to my mind. They seem to have a blast and went “F… it. Let’s give it 160 horses and put it on dirt tires!” So yea… I would ride it :-)

So when Indy finally arrived last January, it came on Italian manufactured 70/30 (dirt/road ratio) dirt tires with about 400 mls on them. So enough meat on them to do a row of Road Skill 1on1’s while I was waiting for Continental to send us replacement. In other words- I can compare here directly, right?!

Now here is the thing. 99% of the time I use this bike to work with lots of Road Skill students, so on asphalt. You might look for the sense of even putting 80/20 dirt tires on again, and even my boys at Conti are asking questions. But I have three reasons. I already mentioned one reason above, and the second is to literally keep me physically in check. You know… ex pro racers are very sick people ;-)

Logically, a dirt bike tire is not good on Highway mileage and top end grip, but the TKC delivers a hell of grip for a 80% knobby tire. I mean… look at the pic above. I have less chicken strips on my sides then most street riders have on their Sportbikes. That should tell the story in this regard.

So yea, the mileage I got out of my first set of Contis is not really compelling, especially when you are a true Adventure Biker. This is all relative though. I mean, if I would have used a Sportbike with comparable power- I also would get about 5000 miles out of the rear tire- BUT this set here cost only half as much. OK, I swapped the first TKC rear with 5200 mls on it, but I still had about 20% left. The 70/30/ tire the bike came with was totally done at 2800 mls already, and not to forget that the TKC is a 80/20.

At the air pressures I am riding at, I have phenomenal feedback from the rear and front. I ride those tires on the lowest Traction Control setting I have, and I can hang on exits right in there. I bet if Conti would redesign them a little, they would cost lots of Sportbike confidence for some. They could connect the smaller knobbies on the sides with the bigger one next to them to achieve more stability in full lean. Oh boy :-)

Good bridge to make my third reason. I kick so much ass on those TKC80 that it should turn on a light bulb on you, for what more asphalt appropriate tires from Continental must be capable of then, right?!!

Hoeadcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

#contimotousa #tkc80 #contitrack #tkc70

 

 

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Poll For Rider/Passenger Class

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We have some requests in regard a Rider/Passenger class, and I actually like the idea. I am hoping you help us out with a poll and to see if there is interest for such class:

  • Held on Little 99 Raceway in Stockton
  • Only ones per year
  • Full day
  • All rider/passenger levels
  • 3 level groups of 10 bikes each
  • For all 2 seated bikes: Sportbikes, Adventure bikes, Touring bikes, Chopper/Cruiser bikes
  • Classroom/track sessions
  • Content: sitting pos., awareness, synchronized dynamic, weight management, emergency braking, etc
  • As usual free sport photography by Dean Lonskey, snacks, drinks

I believe that a class like this can help both, rider and passenger, to make their hobby even more enjoyable and to gain safety massively. There is actually so much you can do on the passenger side. I just can imagine how much of a fun especial couples are going to have on our track.

Please help us and give us an idea by polling 4 quick questions: https://forms.gle/7pfsAiMF2PbgiQfR8

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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