From: groh@omicron.cs.fsu.edu (Jim Groh)
Subject: California SuperBike School (Road Atlanta)
Reply-To: groh@nu.cs.fsu.edu
Organization: Florida State University Computer Science Department
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 92 13:30:13 GMT

Just got back from California SuperBike School at road atlanta and thought
I would share the experience with you.  First, if you get a chance, GO. 
It is a rush!!  Being an old, slow Harley rider the experience was different
then any I have had on a bike.  I used to moto cross and dirt bike alot but
nothing like this.  Road Atlanta is a 2.52 mile course with a 5000' back
stretch.  Showed up monday for school and spent about three hours in a
classroom environment talking about the techniques that would allow one to
go fast in corners.  However it rained and rained and rained, so our options
were to come back on tuesday or get your money back.  I chose to come back,
not going to quit now.  On monday the Spice racing time (Allard of england)
brought a Cosworth (Ford) powered GTP prototype to test.  All Kevlar panels
and a screemer.  The put rain tires on and ran a 1min. 26sec lap in the rain.
The track record for bikes is held by Scott Russell on a 750 Kawasaki and is
1 min 25.12 secs.  Maybe cars are faster then bikes on a closed course.

Tuesday dawns bright, clear and cool.  Perfect day.  Show up at the course
and start suiting up.  They supply all the equipment you need.  Full
leathers (size 50 for fat kids) gloves, boots and helments.  Starting to
get into this, I even look Mahhhvelous!!  The bikes supplied are ZX6 s
with rev-limiters set to 12500.  We all mount up and follow Danny 
(Greengo) Green leading us aroung the first two laps.  Ok not to bad,
down the front stretch, right turn then up a hill, blind left turn
at top of hill followed by a decreasing radius right (pucker time),
then followed by a left down hill into the S's. Up the hill, heavy
banked left into a short straight away.  Now two square right turns,
the second is a bit off camber, deep breathe, into the back straight
away. It starts with a small hill and if you hit 6th and the top just
right you pull a 120 mph wheelie, this is better then drugs.!!!!  Down
the back straight, watch the tach bounce as the revlimiter cuts in and
out, doing about 146mph, glad these puppies don't have speedos.  Long
sweeper to the right comes up, stay on it, no problem, down the hill 
little jog to the left, up the hill, god, I must weigh 600 lbs., they
don't call it the gravity cavity for nothing.  Pucker time, sharp right
at top of hill, under the NISSAN bridge.  This is a second gear turn,
get on the binders, seriously son, now, ease out the clutch roll it
on and down the last hill, 3rd gear, into the last turn, right, roll
it on, straighten out for the front stretch and power shift into 4th.
And almost immediately we are back into the first turn.  We ran three
20 minute sessions. That may not sound like a lot, but after each session
you are whipped. Your arms feel like lead and you are hyper from the
adrenilan.  Words just can't explain how much fun it is.  So how did 
I do?  Well the first session my lap times were in the 2min 40 second
range.  By the third session I was turning laps in the 2min 1 sec to
2 min 3 sec range.  My biggest problem was being in the correct gear
coming out of the corners, I always seemed to be in too high of gear.
My biggest screwup was the turn at the top of hill after the back
straight were I didn't brake hard enough and when I popped the clutch
out and the rear end broke loose, can you say tank slapper and shit your
pants.  There, I knew you could.  I got it back under controll before
I ran out of road but my next lap was a bit slower.  All in all I had
a great time.  Was it worth $250?  Most certainly!!  Would I do it 
again?  I don't know, this type of riding is not the style I usually
do, nor do the Harleys handle like the ZX6 (when I got back on my
sporty to ride home I wondered who had messed up my brakes ). I learned
some things and I feel I am a better rider so it was well worth it
to me. Sports bikes are a lot of fun and I certainly can understand 
why people like them so much. 
-- 
Jim Groh     groh@sig.cs.fsu.edu  | DoD #0356  |   Hog# 0437643 |new  improved
1959 XLH 900  **  1982 FXR  **  1989 XLH 883  **  1990 XLH 1200 | smaller sig