06-26-2006, 10:26 AM
Well I took and passed the class over the weekend. I kind of wish you could do a little more turning at higher speeds than like 10-15 mph, but I understand how you cant really accomodate that in a parking lot. Took a little bit to get used to shifting, but got that down pretty smooth by the end of the weekend.
The one part of the test I didnt do as well as I could have was on the long slow turn, as I worried to much about staying in the lines and not enough about looking through/rolling on the throttle, so I came fairly close to crossing over on the inside part of the turn. When we wern't testing, but were riding arround during the drills/lining up, my turns were fine and my speed was great, but for some reason when I had to force myself to stay in those lines, I just didnt think about where I wanted to go/how fast I should have been going. I figure that will get better as when I start to get some time under my belt. Nobody failed in my class (written or riding), and only one person dropped his bike (some cocky guy who wouldn't stop talking about how easy everything was). He was the first one up on the braking in a turn drill, and forgot to straighten up the handlebars :wink: .
Im still amazed at how big a difference it makes if you just look through a turn. Ive never been on track or even autocrossed, so Ive never really been forced to, but on the occasions I did it made a world of difference.
The one part of the test I didnt do as well as I could have was on the long slow turn, as I worried to much about staying in the lines and not enough about looking through/rolling on the throttle, so I came fairly close to crossing over on the inside part of the turn. When we wern't testing, but were riding arround during the drills/lining up, my turns were fine and my speed was great, but for some reason when I had to force myself to stay in those lines, I just didnt think about where I wanted to go/how fast I should have been going. I figure that will get better as when I start to get some time under my belt. Nobody failed in my class (written or riding), and only one person dropped his bike (some cocky guy who wouldn't stop talking about how easy everything was). He was the first one up on the braking in a turn drill, and forgot to straighten up the handlebars :wink: .
Im still amazed at how big a difference it makes if you just look through a turn. Ive never been on track or even autocrossed, so Ive never really been forced to, but on the occasions I did it made a world of difference.
2008 Mazda 3