We went out some 15 times over the full event duration, enough to really understand and apply the theory. Specific topics included position on the bike, up and down shifting, braking and weight transfer, trail braking, when and how to shift our bum and hang off the bike, how to hang on to the bike when leaned over, throttle control while leaned over, when and how to open the throttle on corner exit, and the proper lines to use in simple and multiple corners.


On dry land, John Sherrard opened our world to the magic and mysteries of bike set-up and suspension, with baseline settings for ride height, sag, preload, as well as compression and rebound dampening. Double that for the two ends of the bike, and you are quickly convinced that you really need to take notes about basic settings, and the effect of any changes you make.

Did it work? Damn right it did! By the end of the second day, I was merrily dragging my knees in corners, making set up changes and actually feeling the effects, turning more constant lap times, as I could actually remember what I did from lap to lap and could repeat it. And best of all, I could do this almost easily, as doing it right required less effort than forcing the bike to do unnatural things, things that are illogical and unsafe.

By the end of the second day, I was burnt out from the mental and physical effort, but could nonetheless go out there and turn relaxed laps, way quicker than my first efforts from the previous day (I already knew the track from racing cars there) as well as way safer. Hey, I even caught myself passing riders on the outside in corners, a ballsy move I would have thought impossible before I got there.

Full marks to Turn2 and my instructors, Éric Moffette, Érick Beauséjour and John Sharrard.

Look for me at the track – I’m a convert!






Photo Credit : Philippe Champoux