than 14 years of coaching with
the California Superbike School, I
had to be a student again. At least
the Race Academy used BMW
S1000RR track bikes, the models
used at the Superbike School.
Aragon is wide and fast, with
technical and blind corners. I fol-
lowed my instructor Eskil Suter for
most of the fi rst session. During
my third session Corser blasted by
and signaled me to follow, so I did.
It was a struggle to do everything
he told me to do, but he dragged
me along to a lap time nearly three
seconds quicker than my previous
best time! When we returned to
the pits, Corser suggested working
on my body position and using dif-
ferent fi ngers to brake. We worked
on my body and foot position, and
Corser's suggestions were diffi cult
to follow but proved to be useful in
some corners—sometimes.
That night, in a cavernous
Medieval banquet hall, dining and
drinking with my riding compan-
ions, I thought carefully about
Corser's offer to take me on a two-
up ride. It sounded insane. But
Corser promised I would learn—
and feel—what the bike could re-
ally do. I decided to do it.
Corser plunged into the Ara-
gon version of the “Corkscrew” at
Laguna Seca on a longer, slower
line than I expected, and I was
surprised to feel the rock-solid grip
of the front tire. I mostly avoided
audibly panicking until we entered
Turn One sideways and then Cors-
er fi red out of the corner in pursuit
of someone who had dared pass
him. My helmet fi lled with shout-
ed profanities, but Corser was on
a mission to catch and re-pass the
other rider, and he did. He found
my profanities amusing.
The most useful information
came from the seminars on engine
braking and downshifting. Corser
says that downshifting earlier uti-
lizes engine braking and chain pull
to put more weight on the rear and
maximize grip. His description of
the opposite—late braking with the
rear wheel light or airborne—was a
pretty accurate depiction of how I
used to ride. I tried it his way—and
dropped three seconds a lap!
After Aragon came the cel-
ebration. We found ourselves in
a restaurant in a cave, the walls
decorated with photos of World
Champions who had eaten there.
And after dining, drinking, singing
and laughing, we wound up back
in the castle drinking with Corser.
There are tours, and there
are experiences that you remem-
ber for a lifetime. This was the lat-
ter. And I can't wait to do it again!2019 Schedule
Italian Dream to Mugello Jun 14 to Jun 23
Ride the Italian backroads between Rome, Siena, Ducati Factory,
and Orvieto. Ride a Panigale with Ducati Champions on Mugello
Circuit. Experts upgrade to V4S. Plush hotels and amazing food.Sachsenring & Italian Alps Aug 27 to Sep 5
Ride exhilarating and visually stunning sport touring roads. Rail a,
challenging resurfaced MotoGP track on a new liter bike with
slicks. Most authentic days and wildest nights...Our favorite!Spanish Pyrenees to Aragón Oct 4 to Oct 13
Our latest tour that ran great last year. Ride the traffic free,
endless curves of the Pyrenees. Stay in a castle or two. Get
trained by Troy Corser on the massive MotoGP circuit of Aragón.California Curves to Laguna Seca Nov 12 to Nov 21
The best twisties in the USA, like PCH1 and High Sierra passes.
The best coaching at Laguna Seca from California Superbike
School. All bikes with GPS so you can ride your at own pace.Oct 28 to Nov 6
Check it Out Now http://www.LeodEscapes.com
Australian Curves to Phillip Island
Your season continues down under. Ride the great curves from
Sydney to Melbourne before doing two days track time on the
MotoGP rider favorite of Phillip Island.- 1 or 2 days track time on a MotoGP circuit
- 5 to 9 day tour of curvy roads and authentic experiences
- 3 and 4 star hotels, wide array of sport touring bikes
- Tour Groups range in size from 6 to 12
- Not a standard motorcycle tour, everyone is a track rider
- Book early to get the bike you want
RWIncorporating Troy Corser's suggestions on downshifting to use engine
braking paid off in quicker lap times for the author. Photo by Picman.co.uk.Roadracing World, Trackday Directory 2019—41