A day "sideways" with Tissot, EICMA's historic partner
The official timekeeper for MotoGP and SBK starts the MotoLive engines
Time, at the basis of our daily life, regulates commitments, deadlines, the many obligations that follow one another from moment to moment. Time, however formal in the world of work, is still elastic compared to the rigor and precision required in race circuits such as MotoGP and SuperBike, where Tissot is official timekeeper.
In these contexts, being impeccable becomes a determining factor because there are no second opportunities: the moment passes and must be seized (and above all measured) without hesitation.
It is therefore on the topic of precision that our day takes place "sideways" ad EICMA 2017, where Tissot is a historic partner. A day that sees us as protagonists of an adventure in search of the limit, where we have put forward passion, audacity but above all the desire to always go beyond what is known and towards new areas and techniques. All values that are reflected in the Swiss watch brand, founded in 1853 and which has been present at EICMA for several years now.
The event takes place at the track Motolive adjacent to the pavilions where the fair is held. We train where the main competitions organized as part of the motorsport event that recently ended are normally held.
The day "branded" by Tissot
The will of going beyond one's limits is a tradition for Tissot: from the first manually wound watch entirely made of plastic (IDEA 2001), to the wooden watch (Wood Watch), to the granite watch (Rock Watch) up to the most recent T-Touch, a watch with its 6 functions activated by touching the glass. Going beyond the limits is in the DNA of the watch brand which takes every opportunity to present something new to the public and to let us live unforgettable experiences.
For the participants in the event, the idea of going beyond the limits consists in taking a motorbike never ridden before, equipped with practically road tires and launching themselves at breakneck speed up to the first bend where you will have to go sideways.
Let's start in order.
The experience, all “Di Traverso”
For this type of activity we usually rely on professionals in the sector and objectively if we want to look for the number one in Italy in Flat Track (this is what this discipline is called), one must necessarily turn to Marco Belli of the “Di Traverso” driving school. We already knew him, partly because he is Flat Track, someone who is passionate about motorcycles at 360° cannot ignore, but above all because we had already been guests at one of his courses (here you will find the report of that spectacular experience). Different testers, because this time Matteo was busy inside the Eicma pavilions and I shared the bike with Gianluca, but the result is the same.
The reason is quickly explained: Marco simply is a champion, someone who has carried on 20 years of history in Flat Track in our country and who has accumulated a completely unique wealth of experience and knowledge, but above all he is a humble person who has been able to get back into the game to spread his passion for traverses on two wheels. For us he is a "master", with a lot of experience, but also with the patience to explain his discipline even to the less experienced. Some have tried to imitate him, but he remains the absolute reference.
In Italy, Flat Track is basically an almost unknown sport, although very fun, even if it is one of the best ways to refine and improve yourself in other disciplines too. It is no coincidence that champions of the caliber of Valentino Rossi use this specialty to train, so as to improve their riding technique on the track, thanks to the knowledge of otherwise unknown dynamics.
Once the ritual procedures have been completed, which include dressing and initial off-track training, we set out on a small portion of dirt road in search of the perfect technique for tackling the curves sideways. The experience is fun and after a bit of practice you can even do some good tricks, always followed by the different instructors who, step by step, guide us towards the final experience: the lap on the track.
We admit that in the past we had a lot of fun with the motard, but at the same time we realized that the Flat Track, although similar, is a different technique that requires a considerable athletic gesture, especially when braking and in which some things go in the diametrically opposite direction to what you are used to doing on a motorbike. We had fun in complete safety and gave ourselves hard, as always, beyond all limits.
What does Gianluca Cuttitta, with whom I shared the bike, think of this experience?
If you don't know who he is Marco Belli, it's likely that you missed something. A special Varese native, with 4 Italian titles, 3 English titles, 2 European and American ones, as well as podium placings at Peak Pikes (when people still raced on dirt roads). The Giacomo Agostini of flat track, who at Eicma gave us a different day, or rather a sideways one!
A discipline that consists in exploiting the "spin" (as Belli would say) to turn on oval tracks with a dirt surface. Trying it, even for those who are not familiar with it, is an experience worth trying, because only when driving sideways can you experience that sensation. Extra large handlebars, high elbows, technical knowledge to put into practice after the theory lesson, essential for drifting in total safety. We touch on aspects such as the position of the elbows, the position to keep on the saddle and the ideal trajectories, both entering and exiting corners. Moving on to practice, you become familiar with the bike and its reactions on terrain with a rather low level of grip, but which can be exploited if you ride in the right way.
You then need to enter the "Flat Track mode", which is absolutely a specialty in itself, sometimes it goes against all the rules that you have learned over years of driving. It is therefore necessary to get involved and remove certain automatisms, replacing them with a different, gentler method, keeping in mind that the center of gravity of one's body is fundamental for correctly setting both the curve entry and its travel. The body must remain close to the bike, the difference is made by the throttle and correctly carrying the weight of the body to the outside of the curve. Only in this way can we set up a real drift, maintaining full control of the bike while it is sideways, following the ideal trajectory, always playing with the weight of the body and head. The front brake must be completely forgotten in this discipline (racing motorbikes don't even have it), while the rear brake is used mostly to slow down the motorbike before the corner, when downshifting a gear to have the engine fired up and ready to make the rear push as best as possible.
So for anyone who wants to refine their driving, having fun and putting into practice a discipline born around the 60s in America, the "Di Traverso School" is the one for you!
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