For those who haven't heard of MotoVudu, here's a brief introduction. Set up by Simon Crafar (yep, that one, former 500GP rider and all-round riding legend), the aim is to teach riders a faster and safer way round the track. It's been around now for five years and isn't a 'do this' kind of riding school, instead concentraing on one-on-one tuition with onboard video cameras to really focus on individual rider's needs. Previously, MotoVudu has only operated at overseas race tracks, but now with triple British Superbike champion John Reynolds and experienced instructor Dean Skipper working for Vudu, there is a British arm with dates at various tracks around the UK this summer. PH2 was invited along to be the first pupil at Snetterton.
A track novice meets a track expert
I've not really been taught how to ride on a track before. I can wobble around at a merry old pace in the fast group, but with over 15 years of bad habits formed I was pretty sure I could learn quite a bit from John and Dean. Usually pupils will only get one instructor but, seeing as I was the first in the UK, the team wanted to test out their video equipment. Even more angles to critique from?
Kicking off with a general chat and bit of advice about dropping the GSX-R1000's tyre pressures (did you know dropping them allows the tread to move and helps not only with grip, but also feel and makes any slides more progressive?), it was out on track for two laps ahead of JR. This meant he could assess my riding with the rest of the session spent behind him with Dean filming my progress. Following someone as fast as JR can be a little intimidating, but the fact he was riding a road bike with road compound tyres and his brake lights still working was a major advantage. Not only was JR super smooth, I could judge his braking points by when his brake lights came on; the fact I knew he was on a road bike and not some track special meant I had the confidence to follow at his pace. Session over, it was back to the pit for a debrief.
Follow and be followed for video
Bad habits and new lessons
I've never seen a video of myself riding around a track before and it was a real eye opener. It's amazing how much you can learn just by seeing yourself and JR and Dean both instantly picked up on a few points, mainly concerning my body position. It's very common for riders to 'twist' on a bike, keeping their upper half above the bike and shifting their lower half to get their knee down. I knew I did this, but I've never seen it on camera before. The more weight you have over the bike, the more angle you need to carry and the first tip was to get up the inside of the bike to keep the bike more upright and therefore put less stress on the tyres. Next under scrutiny was braking.
One of Vudu's mantras is 'make the straights long and corners short.' Which sounds a bit odd but when you think about it makes perfect sense. Basically, when you are at maximum lean (mid-corner) you are on 'dead time' as you can't accelerate and also at the point of greatest potential of crashing as the tyres are being worked the hardest. Vudu's theory is to minimise this dead time by trail braking into the bend, getting the bike on its side with a closed throttle, then up and accelerating out of the bend as quickly as possible.
Using revs into and out of corners key for speed
To be honest this wasn't something I was confident doing as I generally don't trail brake. In my head, braking and leaning over at the same time is a very bad idea as it's putting extra stress on the already hard working front tyre, but JR explained that you need to treat the brake pressure and angle as one thing. Essentially, you brake hard while still upright then as you tip into a corner gently reduce the brake pressure as the angle increases. Then, when accelerating out, increase the throttle position in relation to the bike's angle. Vudu wants you to almost draw a link between the brake and angle on the way in and the angle and throttle position on the exit.
Next up were gears, which was another surprise. I tend to be lazy on the gears and opt for one higher rather than one lower if unsure - this is wrong! JR explained to me that I need to have the engine at quite high rpm (on the GSX-R1000 above 8,000rpm) as it is better to be in a lower gear than a higher one as it can actually help you corner. Again, this wasn't something I've ever considered, but if you enter a bend with quite a lot of engine braking, this can act like dragging the rear brake and actually help tighten your line. Then, on exit, revs are also your friend as should the bike slide you are less likely to highside. Why? If you are high up the rev range you are past that sudden jump in torque that can upset a tyre and should the rear slide, there is a lovely rev limit to catch the sudden increase in rpm. Also, you can actually use the throttle mid-bend to adjust the angle and therefore line. With a lot of engine braking, when the throttle is closed it will pull the bike into the bend, open the throttle slightly and it will pick the bike up and run it wide. Time to put this theory into practice.
No hiding from the camera!
Teaching an old dog new tricks
Another session following behind JR and I'm amazed at the difference these little tips have made. On track my corner exit is usually poor, but with the lower gear selected not only does the bike turn better, I can keep with JR when he opens the gas. On the few occasions old habits mean I select a higher ratio, JR opens about five or six metres almost instantly as he fires out of the bend while I gently accelerate. Yes, it sounds brutal as the engine screams, but that's what race tracks are for. To be 100 per cent honest I'm still struggling with braking into a bend too fiercely as I'm now actually going too slowly due to the fact I'm braking nice and hard in a straight line and also having the braking effect boosted by the rear due to being in the lower gear, but on the few occasions I do it feels much better. Back in the pit, it's time for another video debrief.
Jon learns to trail brake and stays on!
Watching the video I can see some improvement, but JR and Dean point out a few more issues. Going into bends I'm tending to brake and then move across the track to the outside before tipping into the bend. I'm basically braking away from the corner and JR points out that this makes turning in harder as I'm making the bike move one way and then the other. Also, I'm still twisting on a the bike rather than hanging off, and not using all the track. It's funny - if you told me to ride along a set of cat's eyes on the road I could do it no problem, but I'm leaving a good two or three feet of track between my tyres and the grass on corner entry and exit. Obviously riding on the paint like a GP star is out of the question, but JR points out that if I position the bike better, I have nearly two extra metres of track to play with!
The more track the faster you can go through a bend and the larger the safety zone should you enter a bend a bit too fast. Again, obvious stuff but things you only really notice when watching a video of yourself. So, for the final session, JR instructs me to focus on track position and while he is impressed with my late braking, to try letting the brake off earlier and running faster through the corner to carry extra corner speed.
Not cheap, but it comes recommended
Having been instructed by JR and Dean I have to say I'm hugely impressed by Motovudu and its whole philosophy. I'm not knocking them, but schools that tell you when to turn aren't really my thing and having someone with JR's experience on hand to guide you around a track is such a powerful teaching tool. The depth of knowledge that both Dean and JR had was incredible and the video work really helped hammer home what needed improving with my riding.
I left the Vudu experience actually thinking about how I approach track riding and I'm sure that has made me a faster, and hopefully safer, rider. As I was the school's first pupil there are a few small things that could be improved (I'd like pupils' bikes to be put on tyre warmers by the school as track sessions can be limited in their time and the instructor's bikes to only have their brake lights working rather than brake and running lights) but other than that I'd certainly recommend it. It costs £349 half a day of JR's time (£249 with Dean) and you will have to book a spot on the track day yourself. Other options are available, see the MotoVudu site for prices and dates. While you are there, I'd also recommend buying Simon Crafar's MotoVudu book - homework that is actually enjoyable!