Going to re-post what I've posted on another forum -
I got back yesterday from doing the Level 1 California Superbike School (CSS) class. I still do not have a motorcycle trailer solution worked out, and New Jersey Motorsports Park is a little over three hours away. Because of this, I opted to ride one of the BMW S1000RRs.
My ride for the day (#22) -
The class is fantastic. Keith Code is a really nice, cool, funny guy. The coaches were quite helpful in class, and my assigned coach (Jon) did a fabulous job guiding me on track (and providing tips/goals after each session). The course material in Level 1 is designed to hammer down the fundamentals of cornering. I had five sessions in all, each one practicing a different cornering skill. A large focus is on throttle control, and to help get a good natural feel for speed, the first two sessions were no-brakes (and at max two gears, first session being only one gear). Definitely made me think differently!
Thunderbolt Raceway is a fantastic piece of road to ride on. There are several turns that were just pure joy to run through. I really liked turns 9 and 10. 9 because it's good fun to just throw the that bitch over right for the decreasing radius (wouldn't believe how many riders I caught right there by turning in from the outside) and then ride smooth/hard through the much more even turn 10 going left.
My instructor's bike (in the much prettier blue/white/red paint scheme) -
Great instructors, great track, lots of cool people to meet. It has probably been my best day on a motorcycle in 21,000 miles.
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And since some of you may be wondering about the S1000RR, I'll give you my opinion/impressions of it. It feels small, but is still quite comfortable. It's easy to ride and quite forgiving. The shift assist is really cool as you can upshift without snapping off the throttle or pressing any buttons...just apply pressure with throttle on and it shifts nice and smooth. The bike's power is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I rode that bike pretty much entirely in 3rd gear around the track, except for the upshift to 4th in the straight and the occasional need to go down to 2nd. It wants to be up there in the revs. When it gets up high in the RPM it does really get going. So while it has strong power that can be really fun, I guess the downside is the power is definitely biased, much like a middleweight. It still has gobs of HP (more than you could ever need) and is stupid fast. One thing I did not appreciate was the amount of vibration I got from the bars and rearsets. It was pretty ridiculous, actually. I think it's the first time I've felt my hands/feet go a bit numb while riding...all in one session. The vibrations could have easily been from the RPM I was at most of the time (remember, same gear most of the time).
Overall, it's a great bike. It's a bike built for the track, ready for the track out of the crate with all the options offered by BMW. That said, I'm still loving my R1. I may give BMW a look a couple years from now if they're still the best show in town. A bike would have to be better to me than my R1 in every way for me to switch up so soon.
For me, this has done it. I'm getting a trailer solution up and running ASAP. I have to go back to the track for more, though I'll probably be going to Summit Point next, as they're much closer. I do plan on re-attending CSS for the next level.