Move your ass while on the gas | Attending California Superbike School for the first time

When I signed up for the California Superbike School (CSS), I was brimming with misplaced confidence. “How hard could it be?” I thought. After all, I’ve been riding motorcycles for years. I’ve scraped pegs, done long-distance rides, and had my fair share of heroic overtake stories to tell. But let me tell you, CSS has a way of humbling even the cockiest of riders. I arrived thinking I know how to ride, and by lunch was wondering if I even know how to sit on a bike properly.

I quickly realised that I wasn’t just there to have fun; I was there to be humbled. Every turn, every drill, every piece of feedback felt like another layer of my riding habits being peeled away. What you’re left with is the pure, unadulterated truth of your riding skills – often more flawed than you’d care to admit. But that’s the beauty of CSS. It doesn’t let you hide behind your ego.

Every year, participants from across the country gather at CSS with wide-eyed ambition. Some come back for another shot at refinement, while others, like me, were new to this intense yet transformative experience. As I arrived, I wasn’t quite sure what awaited me, but I knew one thing: I was about to become a better rider.

My instructors for the weekend were none other than Dylan Code, son of Keith Code, the founder of CSS, and Martin Plunkett, both seasoned riders and instructors. Dylan guided me through the intricacies of Day 1, while Martin took over for Days 2 and 3. Their years of experience became apparent the moment they started speaking. The drills were broken down into digestible steps, and everything was explained not just in terms of how to do it, but why it mattered. This was something that struck me – riding was no longer just a physical act. It was a science. Each movement had a reason, each position had a purpose, and the more I listened, the more I realised how much I had to unlearn.

As for the ride, I had the trusty TVS Apache RR 310 – a bike very well suited for the track. It’s agile, responsive, and most importantly, forgiving – something I was immensely grateful for as I fumbled through learning the drills. While the power was more than enough for me to push my limits, the bike’s forgiving nature allowed me to focus on the skills CSS was hammering into me without feeling overwhelmed.

California Superbike School Level 1

Day 1 was where the journey began. The first challenge came in the form of the steering drill, which introduced me to two crucial things: counter-steering and leading with your head through turns. Although counter steering wasn’t new to me, leading with my head into turns was new and laid the foundation for everything else that was supposed to come. Then came the real eye-opener for me – my body posture.

One of the biggest things I learned was just how stiff my upper body had become over the years. Dylan pointed it out in the very first drill, and it wasn’t a surprise. I had long been guilty of gripping the bars too tightly, not leaning my upper enough into turns, and trying to muscle the bike around instead of letting it do its thing. The coaches worked with me patiently, breaking down every movement, reminding me to relax my shoulders, loosen my grip, and let the bike flow beneath me. “Relax yourself,” Dylan said, easier said than done when you’ve been gripping the ’bar like it owed me money. Over the next three days, we worked on various drills as they came but the body posture was always there and this sort of personalised coaching really helped me better myself. 

The two-step drill was similar. I’m prone to target fixation, and when following someone, I find myself losing my line. I’ve always been good at identifying lines on a track, but this fixation habit was a hurdle. Luckily, with ample track time – five sessions of 20 minutes each day – I had plenty of chances to work on it. Slowly but surely, I started to see improvements.

California Superbike School Level 2

Level 2 was where we started working on vision and setting reference points while refining the techniques from the day before. The three-step drill built on the two-step, making the flow of information smoother and helping me make quicker decisions. But what made a difference for me was the wide-view drill. With my target fixation issue still lingering, learning to open up my view of the track was crucial. Martin was conscious of this and with each session was pointing towards extending my chin and leading with it. But habits are hard to break and despite his (and my) best efforts, it’s something that I wasn’t entirely able to fix. But that’s the best part about CSS. The learning isn’t restricted to the track and each of the 15 drills that are taught over the weekend can and must be practised on the streets.

Though, I did make enough progress to show that I’m learning. As the day progressed, I could feel myself becoming more aware of my surroundings while simultaneously gaining confidence in my throttle and brake inputs. The final drill of the day was trail braking, something I’d been practising for a while. Doing it in a controlled environment under the guidance of professionals, though, made a world of difference.

California Superbike School Level 3

Day 3 brought Level 3, the one I was most nervous about. With my posture issues still unresolved, I knew this would be the most challenging day. The drills focused on setting yourself up for corners, moving on the bike, and getting your body in the right position well before the corner.

One of the key takeaways was something I had never considered before – “Move your ass while on the gas.” It’s all about shifting your body into position while still on the throttle so that you’re not making last-minute adjustments before entering the corner and unsettling the bike. Turns out, I was  moving my ass a lot and in return wasn’t moving my upper body so much. Point noted, on to the next few drill. Knee-to-knee, hip flick, hook turns, and pickup, all of which I’d practised before, but now under professional guidance, they took on new meaning. 

My nemesis, though, remained the same – gripping with my lower body and letting my upper body loosen up. It was a monster I battled all weekend. By the end of Day 3, though, I had made significant progress. Conscious effort became the key. I was acutely aware of the mistakes I had been making and started fixing them as I rode on track.

If there’s one thing CSS taught me, it’s that the biggest obstacle between me and better riding is... me. My ego. My bad habits. My years of pretending that I know what I’m doing. One weekend at CSS has completely changed how I approach riding. The bad habits I’d unknowingly developed over years of riding have started to loosen their grip. Now, every time I throw my leg over a bike, I’m consciously fixing my form, thinking about my inputs, and applying the lessons I’ve learned.

And, would I go back? You bet. There’s always more to learn, and I still have a few bad habits to unlearn – plus, I can’t let Dylan and Martin have the last laugh.