BIKES: Tune The Rider For 2010

Rider training doesn't always take place on-track...

Neale Bayly | Posted February 16, 2010 Charlotte, NC

Cornerspin taught me how to spin, slide, and control a motorcycle going sideways on an XR100cc dirt bike making seven horsepower. (Photo: Neale Bayly)

Looking back on 2009 it’s been a difficult year for a lot of people. But with all the financial doom and gloom and despondency, there was still a lot of great motorcycling being done. For me personally, getting involved with Aaron Stevenson, www.cornerspeed.net was one of the brighter parts of the year. As the owner of both the Cornerspin, a high performance motorcycle riding school at Virginia International Raceway, and Cornerspin, a road racing in the dirt school in Spencer, NC, Aaron is totally dedicated to rider training, and not just at the track. As a USA certified cycling coach, his approach is as much mind/body as it is mechanical, and his schools are where this fusion comes together.

At Cornerspin I learned how to spin, slide, and control a motorcycle going sideways on an XR100cc dirt bike making seven horsepower. Now as a complete addict, it wasn’t until I actually did it that I got so quickly hooked. How much fun can you have on a little dirt bike,I had thought in the past? Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s not only one of the most fun things you can do with your clothes on, and you can read all about my experience here, it also teaches techniques that are helpful both on the track and the street. The most important of these to me is picking up the throttle earlier to settle the bike and get me out of the corners faster and smoother. Cornerspeed was just as informative, and I came away from my experience there with a few of my bad habits broken and a lot more insight. Read about my track day at Cornerspeed.

But as much as these schools broke down the techniques, taught me new skills and allowed me to put them to the test under the watchful eye of his instructors, it was Aaron’s continued approach to fitness, health and training that resonated. With his walk the talk lifestyle, it inspired me to really hit the gym, get an old ten-speed for road riding, and start working with a nutritional chef to clean up my act. Working with a trainer buddy of mine, I’ve gone for endurance and strength, and over this year have dropped 12-15 pounds while increasing my strength and stamina. Spending time around Aaron and his instructors has expanded my social network of friends, and I have been privileged to have consultations on everything from riding to diet and exercise from these guys outside school. Hey! It’s perks of the job right?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Neale Bayly

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