Riding School Luca Pedersoli – July 2015

Riding School Luca Pedersoli – More and more people are interested in riding a motorcycle on the track. Either for a greater awareness of the safety limits of roads open to traffic, or for the fact that the performance of most of the motorbikes present in today's price lists can only be fully exploited on the circuit. Furthermore, and we would like to underline this because we believe it should be the main reason for taking to the track, you learn more in a few hours between the curbs of a circuit than in years of risking your life on the street, especially if you don't know how to ride a motorbike properly. In the car things are simpler, even if there are always points of contact between the world of two o'clock and that of four o'clock. It remains a fact that there is much more risk on a motorbike and that the level of development of active and passive safety devices is at least 5-10 years behind. Just to give an example, in the European Union ABS has been standard on all cars since 2004 and was in fact already standard since 2001 due to agreements between the manufacturers. In the motorcycle field it has appeared in a concrete way and with a certain diffusion only a few years ago and in 2016 it will become mandatory for newly introduced models. Apart from this, a motorbike will always remain a more dangerous vehicle, with incredible performance within everyone's reach (or almost) on an economic level, less so in relation to riding skills. So a "guided" start is welcome and helped by those who have accumulated a lot of experience, either for a competitive career or for the passion for two wheels cultivated in other areas. Obviously courses like the one we are going to talk about are not only aimed at two-wheel novices, but above all at those who already have good experience and want to make a leap in riding level, either for the desire to start using their own motorcycle on the track, you want to understand the limits of the vehicle and how to manage the vehicle at the limit, to increase safety in everyday driving.

Riding School and Luca Pedersoli in brief:
The Riding School, with based at the Franciacorta racetrack, is managed by Luca Pedersoli. For those who don't know him, he is an active motorcycle racer since 1991, with important experiences in Superbike, Supersport and Endurance races. However, in the second part of his career he was able to establish himself as an entrepreneur, founding the school now recognized by many as the best in Italy, but not only. Luca is also the owner of Free Riding, a branch, or a subsequent step after the school. Thanks to this initiative, anyone wishing to continue on the track can take advantage of free practice sessions with the presence and help of the course instructors. Furthermore he is active in organizing events for motorcycle manufacturers and dealers with DSR. Practically a 360° commitment for those who want to have fun safely on a motorbike between the curbs of a track, even without driving. One of the initiatives managed by the school includes some Hot Laps as a passenger on a motorcycle specially prepared, including handles on the tank to keep you firmly attached, with an expert pilot at the wheel to try out a crazy experience, with the adrenaline pumping.

Motorcycle school, for whom?
The school offers itself to a very heterogeneous audience, from the novice to the already experienced pilot who wants to improve with the advice of the best instructors. Without distinctions even of age and sex, because we saw young and old among the participants, as well as a discreet group of very sporty women. Because of this there are 5 courses, plus special initiatives such as motorbike courses for children or the driving school which aims to bring a driver to face a real championship, following a path that includes physical preparation, refinement in driving and the management of everything, from the bureaucratic part of participation in races to starting simulations, the fight for location etc. The main courses are divided into two types, 2 driving courses, basic and road, plus 3 on the track. The basic riding course is also offered to those who have never ridden a motorbike and is therefore recommended even to those who do not yet have an A driving licence, even as preparation for the exam. Going up the level, the "Road Guide" is a first step to delve deeper into the reactions of the motorbike and learn some technique. The most interesting part, however, is the track. We start with the "Basic Track" aimed at those with little or no experience on the track, and then get to the Intermediate and Advanced. As now happens more and more often in free practice sessions on the circuit, too the courses aim to divide the "students" based on lap time. In the Basic you should not go below 1.35, up to 1.25 in the Intermediate and below this threshold in the Advanced. This It's not a whim, but a need for safety, because as we will see later, the differences in performance and lap times lead to greater (and often useless) dangers, especially among those with little experience on the circuit. Our participation in the Basic Track course has in fact allowed us to understand that one of the most important things is to divide the participants into homogeneous groups.

The story of our experience:
Once the course was booked, the first surprise was the scheduled time. The arrival at the circuit, for the Basic Track Course (but for the others it changes little) is at 7.45, 8.15 at the latest. An early wake-up call awaits us, but all the better given the expected temperatures, at least we travel cooler. For those of us arriving from Milan the journey is quite short and simple, especially if we take advantage of the deserted Brebemi, which takes us a few hundred meters from the circuit. A few minutes to complete the bureaucratic part, with the signing of the liability release forms and the regulation of the economic part, including the optional personalized video, then we set off with the motorbike towards the entrance to the circuit. Here the means are checked, but above all they are carried out two very important operations. The first concerns the "scotch" of the mirrors, the second the tire pressure.

The first is aimed at putting the motorcycles in "standard" track conditions, without having to carry out more complex interventions. In fact, on the circuit you drive without mirrors and without a license plate holder, but to avoid long operations, just darken the mirrors to obtain the same result: start getting used to driving without them. The second operation is even more important, because the pressures expected for street driving are very different from those for the track. Furthermore, the manufacturers indicate values ​​based on driving with a passenger and any luggage. On the track it drops well below 2 Bar, the more you push to the limit, the more the pressure drops. In fact, the motorcycle operators keep a higher pressure on the tires than those who participate in the basic course. After a short presentation, in which, in addition to introducing the aims of the course, appropriate instructions are given to participants to travel safely, you start driving straight away, without seeking the limit, but immediately going well beyond road speed. Almost everyone doesn't know the circuit and exploits it the first laps to learn the sequence of turns and the trajectories to follow, while the watchful eye of the instructors (who are at the head of the various groups) monitors the driving and the abilities of their students. From now on to 4 instructors of our course a maximum of 6 motorcyclists are assigned, in turn divided into 2 groups. This is for two reasons: to give the opportunity to have some breaks to take a breath and rest a little, but above all to be able to follow everyone in an optimal way. One of the first things that strikes those who have no experience on the track is that you sweat a lot, not only due to the outside temperature, you have to drink even more to compensate and for those who believe that riding a motorbike is not a sport, we assure you that after After 5 shifts, we arrive at the end of the day feeling like we've done a half marathon.

Track exclusively for the school and 3 people per instructor when turning, these are two of the prides of Luca Pedersoli's Riding School and that's no small feat. The instructors are top notch, among the best, if not the best that you can find, mostly former drivers or those still in their careers, above all selected directly by Luca on the basis of his decades of experience in this field. That said, even they would struggle to do a good job if they had larger groups to manage. Groups that, as we have already said, they must be as homogeneous as possible. So in the second round someone is already moved, because they are faster or slower than the others. You start to get serious, because during the breaks your instructor, as well as others who go around the garage to answer doubts or give suggestions on driving technique, in the various briefings they introduce concepts that are new to some, to give a good boost of confidence to those who take part in the course. For example, on the straights you have to push hard at full throttle, fearless. With the bike straight, the track is a safe place to do this and, without having picked up a good speed on the straight, you cannot manage braking and corner entry in an optimal way. It is then explained that the limit of vehicles and tires both of much higher than one might believe, the instructors will eventually limit someone if they go further than they are able to do safely. Our Suzuki GSX-S1000 he can do much more than he did today with us, in total safety. ABS and traction control took us out of potentially dangerous situations, allowing us to dedicate ourselves to driving with more serenity. Brakes and gas can be used "on switch", because electronics help a lot.

Every group strictly follows his instructor, we alternate positions based on his indications, so as to allow him to study each of us in detail. On your bike you also have the possibility to check the lap time and We were also impressed by the ability to understand from just a few curves the time in which each of us would have turned. Years of experience that teach us to understand everyone's limits. After these two initial rounds we stop for a longer break, where Luca Pedersoli gives his theory lesson in the classroom. In addition to driving technique, the subject of his presentation are aspects such as safety, the rules to follow on the track, including the meaning of the flags that are displayed and the behavior they require, but also suggestions for those who want to "deepen the track theme". Which modifications are immediately recommended for motorcycles, which ones can be avoided and more. After this phase the course comes to life, also because after the first two rounds the groups now become almost definitive, because they are now homogeneous. We end up in a group of only two people, something unthinkable elsewhere. The last shift of the morning is the opportunity to raise the bar higher, the bars of soap on your knees begin to touch the asphalt, the point and the intensity of the detached they gradually get closer to the limit (ours, because that of the motorbike would be much higher). Some motorbikes, of a more tourist nature, they scratch with the pins under the footrests, we see in this photo the satisfied face of a motorcyclist who, after having filed them thoroughly, was treated recommended to dismantle them.

In the last session of the morning there is also another important news: after leading the group, the instructor tells us to precede him, one at a time, to understand how we drive alone, without copying its trajectories and without its references. After letting the second group spin and after the briefing we all go to lunch together, in the restaurant inside the circuit.

Once the break is over we get back on the motorbike, more knowledgeable, but also more tired. Times are decreasing e the technique improves, even if we are at the beginning of a long journey, if we want to get to "the tempo". The feeling with the track also increases, by now you know the curves and you try to take the right trajectory, even if it's not as simple as it seems. In fact during breaks between one session and another, it is the instructor who corrects us and shows us what we are doing well and where we are making mistakes. The last two rounds, then the well-deserved rest. The desire to ride would still be great, but our body honestly wouldn't allow us to do it in a totally safe way. The course ends around 16.30 pm, with the delivery of the certificate of participation in the course, with attached report card..

We take home an experience that we will remember for a long time, especially for those who were approaching the track for the first time. On the road certain things are not done, and should not be done, but the first time the bar of soap touches the ground, or the first braking done well, give strong sensations, some even want to scream into their helmet due to the mix of adrenaline and happiness. The best is having done it safely, thanks to the constant presence of the instructors who were able to take us beyond the limits we had before this course, but always remaining within the safety boundaries. Knowing that you have lapped a few seconds below the theoretical limit for the basic course, remembering that you have glanced at the speedometer before braking and seeing a speed above 230 km/h are small (or large) satisfactions that we take home along the way. return trip.

For those wishing to find out more, you can find all the information on the site www.ridingschool.it or by writing to info@ridingschool.it. We would like to inform you that the price of the Basic Track course is 290 euros, including insurance coverage, lunch and photos on the track. In addition to the certificate of participation in the course, participants are given a free voucher for a session on the track, precisely because the course aims to be the first step on a path that leads towards the track. However, it is also very useful for those who want to continue using their motorbike only on the road, but with greater awareness of how to ride a motorbike, where the limits of grip and braking are, as well as much more. It can be purchased the video of your day, with an additional cost of 39 euros, as well as the possibility of renting motorbikes, clothing, boots and back protectors.

Thanks to Suzuki Italia for the motorbike used for the course, a GSX-S1000, whose road test you can find at this link.

The pit photographs were taken with a Sony A7 Full-Frame Mirrorless camera with a Vario-Tessar T FE 24-70 mm F4 ZA OSS lens

Track clothing:
Jacket: Dainese AVRO C2 LEATHER
Trousers: Dainese DELTA PRO C2 LEATHER
Boot: Dainese TR-COURSE OUT AIR
The beautiful helmet in some shots instead is a: X-lite X-802R Ultra Pure Carbon