Learning to go faster safer with Simon Crafar and Motovudu | Tests | Motorcyclenews.com

MCN Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves took a trip to the Almeria circuit in Spain to get some riding tips off 500GP race winner Simon Crafar at his Motovudu school.
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[@jessihogarth6186]

holy shit. watching him take those corners one handed put a huge smile on my face

[@Cupide999]

It is a great experience, I had the luck to do the on track experience with Simon in Aragon and just for one day but it was fantastic. First of all great fun and then understanding how to get the bike to do what you want without having to take risks on your own. To see him doing it so relaxed gives you the confidence to try it yourself. On top of it you get to know a great man and pilot! Highly recommended.

[@nickgnaime]

That taking the right hand off the bar mid turn is something I wouldn't believe unless I saw it. This is a great tip of the iceberg video into the world of his teaching. I'm a fan. Gonna go look him up.

[@nathantaylor5692]

Simon Crafar...., what a ledge. I always admired that bloke. I`ll never forget how surprised & happy he was to beat M.D in 98. That was gold. Good on ya mate!

[@mcgroovy]

I remember Simon back before his career really took off, working in Barry's Point Rd, Takapuna where there are a number of bikeshops together. One time I was down there & he happened to be hooning around on a quad (probably some poor customers ha ha) which was very entertaining. He would rark up the drive, turn full lock, slam on the brakes & spin around a few times. Eventually the quad had it's revenge & rode him up the driveway for a bit. He certainly found the things limit though.

[@ianchan9421]

Good ol Barrys Point Rd!

[@prgv648]

@Kevin G The zip tie indicates the front suspension travel - if it bottoms out or if you are not using its full potential.

[@lpearse5250]

Nice video, that is an excellent way he instructs the riders with those arm inputs and expressions. So simple, they don't even need to communicate 'speech'.

[@SHates]

Awesome. Single handed riding is insane!

[@SkullLikeASecret]

Great video. Glad to see the part about not being on the throttle or brake in the middle of the corner, great tip!

[@enderx33]

I love Almería track...

[@nosherz]

This technique must only apply to multi's. Come off the throttle on a vee twin and it's like having an open parachute slowing you down

[@stanstanxxx]

so leave it in higher gear.

[@cjschmitt4882]

ever hear of a clutch?

[@cjschmitt4882]

or engine breaking settings?

[@one-of-us9939]

I know exactly what you mean. On my Aprilia, I have three different settings of applied engine braking... my custom softail with an ulitima 113" has compression release just to get her started. ♥️them both.

[@Terraceview]

This is incredible, loved the vid and would love to follow Simon.

[@neevesybikes]

@heavyarms223 ha, actually, Crafar teaches the opposite. Low gear, keep a tighter line, better acceleration out of a corner and less chance of highside if it spins. Anyway, don't want to give all his tricks away. You'll have to check out Motovudu. Neevesy MCN

[@jay-rock6627]

magnificent way of riding keep up the great work.

[@CAJFB]

I want to go to the Motovudu school one day!!

[@nikonxxx]

Neeves riding like a BOSS!!!

[@Cupide999]

I can confirm you can do it in Europe, I did it my self in Aragon in Spain and a freind of mine did a track in Germany. Check his web site for more specific news.

[@bigbinston]

must feel shit thinking your on the limit then when the guy in front pointing and waving like hes sitting in the pub chatting to his mates! that mans got some talent!

[@3rduncle]

Another great video, mcn. Been good for a while now. Cheers.

[@neevesybikes]

@Stephen Scanlon sorry Stephen, that's not the case, it's exactly as I said. Check out Simon's Motovudu DVD or book. There's definitely no pulling the clutch in mid-corner. That would spell disaster! Neevesy. MCN

[@THK619]

That goes against Keith code's style of getting back on the throttle as soon as possible in order to shift the weight to the back tire. That's what has always worked for me

[@leeengelsman6356]

You need to keep the throttle on just enough to avoid the common off to on throttle snatch that is found in fuel injected bikes also to maintain forward momentum, centripetal force to required to keep a steady lean angle and allow smooth quick reapplication of power through the exit

[@Alecks1990]

very cool ! its my biggest dream to own a racebike someday and to have the money to really race it everywhere ...

[@MPI1000]

He isn't against trail braking as such, he just says it's a pretty dangerous practice. His version of trail braking is that you can lean to a degree on hard braking to take a "shortcut", as it were, to the line and then take the corner on engine braking. Pretty hard to explain exactly in words, but it's in his video. In my experience trail braking doesn't settle the suspension at all, rather the opposite. But I'm no MotoGP rider, OTOH. :)

[@MPI1000]

It kind of irks me when people quote KC/CSS like it's some kind of holy scripture. Not directed at you, mind you, just generally. I know it bothers Crafar as well, he has a couple of digs against CSS. ;) One thing about getting on the throttle as soon as possible is that you probably won't turn as fast as possible, because getting on the throttle tend to push the front from the apex and right the bike. Being off the throttle to the apex helps turning and provides some safe trailbraking.

[@RIDERsxv]

That kind of depends on the corner to be fair. If you watch pros, especially motogp they give it some well before apex to shift weight to the larger tire.

[@echoid]

Quality vid and an amazing rider. Quick question though and I think this has already been asked but how does this compare with the Californian riding school?

[@JoeMama-rt4uo]

No throttle in mid turn...that's pretty crazy. Is he getting on the gas right after the apex or when he straightens up the bike?

[@niels21071990]

Different people have different styles; "Point and shoot" style wich you will see a lot on bigger (1000) cc bikes were the objective is to turn the bike as quickly as possible and being able to pick the bike up soon as possible to hammer the throttle or... One might carry a lot of speed through the corner spending a lot of time at full lean and being easy on the throtlle (smaller cc bikes) just depends what works for you ;)

[@Dannyboy31415]

In a fast sweeper, I think you'd spend more time trailing the brakes into the corner, but I agree with bongwater. Getting on the gas a little keeps the bike stable through a corner.

[@FGDDD7]

True, true. I won't say Simon's advise is rubbish by a long shot. I just can't dispute what I've learnt already until I've tested it out. Guess I'll have to get the DVD and/or book for when the weather improves then.

[@neevesybikes]

Nope, on the track you have to go in so fast that the engine braking holds you in the corner, off the throttle. Anything else and you've just gone in too slow. Neevesy MCN

[@whylie74]

I imagine if there was enough demand, Simon would do training events in the states. going to the website and registering you interest via the "contact us" section wouldn't hurt or start a thread on the forum.

[@dsd-downshiftdave8056]

One thing people next talk about is how to set up your bike for track, suspension, rear sets, ect

[@tomgreaves85]

MCN finally got a new camera! Welcome to the world of HD guys ;)

[@fhhfgj]

They retired the 240p potato

[@R580NZ]

Does he have the idle speed cranked up though like many racers when he's 'off the throttle' mid corner? Cool to see one of our Kiwi legends putting out material like this. :)

[@PerfectoM]

Great video and great riders. Just itching to go ride haha.

[@mcgroovy]

To see how much travel is being used.

[@neevesybikes]

@Stephen Scanlon hi mate. It would take too long to explain here, but on the road you do power through a corner. On the track, who can argue with an ex-500GP winner?!

[@neevesybikes]

@OohhPajjelloo you only use the clutch when changing down through the gears. You don't pull it in through the corners! Neevesy

[@kookworst]

can someone tell my why you dont use throttle in the corner? Twist of the wrist tells that you have to DO use the throttle to keep the engine dragging so the pressure is on the rear tire witch is bigger. When you close the throttle all the pressure goes to the front tire. Am i right in this? Sorry for my bad english

[@uretaffu]

Did you ever get an answer? I'm actually interested on your question.

[@lostinthecarolinas]

If you are using most or all your available grip for cornering, you have little or no grip left for accelerating or braking. So, hitting your apex off the gas and brakes is faster and safer.

[@uretaffu]

So, trail breaking would come into play up until one reaches the apex, no acceleration, or brake should be used correct?

[@Acehan]

I'm no expert on this. When you take a turn, you want the bike to have more weight on the front tire (which means balanced weight on the two tires, because when you operate the throttle there is more on the back end of the bike) because if you don't, you will understeer. Why? Because when the weight is balanced, the center of gravity is LOWER and more to the FRONT, and as a result the contact patches of the front tire will have more surface on the ground. That said, on a curve, you actually want to accelerate to the limit of grip, all the while having an angle on the bike sufficient enough for you to turn.

[@PhilipHowson]

Motovudu actually teach quite a few things which are opposite to twist of the wrist. I've seen one of his training videos and his approach to throttle control (or at least teaching the skills) is quite different.

[@saranerape]

Legeeeeeennn... Wait for it..... daary !!!

[@michaelmarx205]

Thanks For That Si, Do You Get Back Home ( NZ ) Much ? Cheers

[@KathrynLiz1]

Simon is not only a damned good rider, he's a gent, like his dad Kevin, who I know of old. :-)

[@FGDDD7]

Thanks for the reply Michael. Would you mind give a brief explanation as to why it's not the case though? I've taken advise from elsewhere (twist of the wrist, and various police motorcycling manuals), of which I trust, and it disagrees with what is stated here.

[@studiooff2946]

I wonder if his engine braking is turned off from the ecu. I have this option in my ecu software but never used it because it seems like a bad idea to not have engine braking at all. I kinda use it to slow down.

[@jryer1]

You won't get Ben Spies agreeing with coasting through the corners. He will flat out tell you, either on the brakes or the gas, otherwise you're losing time on the lap. Now I'm sure there are some exceptions, but he knows a thing or two about winning with contemporary machines, and I think Simon is using an older mindset from the 500cc days, when those bikes were very twitchy indeed.

[@nickaguado7]

This is just a theory guys. It's not how to corner fast. It's a baseline that's going to enable riders to get their bikes to the limits during cornering. Being able to corner with no brakes or throttle is a good starting point to get FASTER at cornering.

[@samborac46]

awsome video! cheers

[@magicman26]

I took that to mean holding a steady throttle through the corner, not to back off it it all together. i.e - you shouldn't be adjusting it mid corner.

[@OohhPajjelloo]

Hey Neevesy do whenever you break to take a corner do you ever pull in the clutch? If you don't, what's the right way to do it, and if you do, when do you let go of it?

[@Chrono348]

I bet When Keith Code watches this he shakes his head & laughs every time

[@pags1981]

Keith Code didn't win GP and race against Kocinski, Fogarty, Corser etc. Also Doohan had a crossed up style which is wrong according to California SBK school, yet is one of the greatest riders ever.

[@hughiemg2]

Schwifty Troy Corser also preaches some of the same things as Simon like sitting forward and pivoting around the tank... and he wasn’t exactly slow!

[@PeterDjordjevich]

No maintenance throttle in the turn? Any chance motovudu dvd will be available for digital download?

[@laconchtumare]

Also, as the lean angle increases, the radius of the tire decreases, affecting rpm? does that matter?

[@MrPninja]

Wish I lived over there

[@exsoldier2012]

Anyone know which cameras they have fitted

[@IdzharMax_IsaTurbo]

Question . Why racing tire front inflation high And rear low inflation...

[@ralentinovossi8081]

Why was he leaning against the turn at 2:18, like he was trying to keep his body upright? Can someone explain?

[@morpheus20170]

This is a lot of what has been said by Keith Code but updated by Simon Crafar although Keith Code explains about maintaining the throttle through the corner and once the throttle is cracked on it is rolled on smoothly. I am confused by this video where Simon is saying that you do not need to use the throttle in the turn as this would reduce the speed due to cornering forces in what Keith says.

[@MrHellboye]

crazy bro,that is the same question popped in my head when the guys said u dont need to touch throttle throughout the turn.man every video i watch i get something different.it is getting more confusing than its already is

[@Knightlore10]

and I'm convinced Keith Codes mantra about rolling on smoothly through the remainder of the turn was responsible for my crash.

[@theoracleprodigy]

I think they are saying the same thing sort of. When you are at the apex you should not be on your brakes or throttle with either method. Before that trail braking is okay. After that roll on the gas smooth. What seems different here is to not roll on the throttle out or trail braking into the corner. This seems like he is talking safest riding not fastest possible. When you ride the fastest possible you are always trying to stay at that 90%+ of your maximum possible traction. So similar in some parts just not pushing as much. That's my interpretation though.

[@lostinthecarolinas]

Yes, if you apply the rule to turn quickly all at once, then roll on continuously through the remainder of the turn, you can end up adding too much throttle for your available traction, or adding too much speed and running out of ground clearance. On the other hand, adding a bit of maintenance throttle and holding it might be okay. Simon's rule is clearly the safer general purpose rule as you are less likely to overwhelm your available traction or cornering clearance. So, little or no gas or brakes at maximum lean.

[@650hpreventon]

when you fast to the point cant be faster you dont need gas through a corner, let off gas and let the rolling speed get you to apex., this will get you every feet of it. i do this style in ride 2 and moto gp 2018. this seems very hard to repeat, because you brake so late almost run wide, then turn asap to apex, then roll on gas, but in gas i go full gas, because tire wear doesnt bothers me. seems like toni elias from moto america suzuki do this, he always very late braking. last auguest at laguna sega during qualify first corner he brake almost halfway through braking point at speed 150mph.

[@FGDDD7]

No he's not. Maintain slight acceleration once the lean for the corner is complete (should be next to no time at all), this puts the correct proportion of weight on the rear tire, which has the larger foot print. If you let go of the gas like Simon did, you will loose potential grip as the front tire will be over loaded due to engine breaking. This video didn't explain it very well, but I imagine Simon was pulling in the clutch when he let go of the gas. It's physics.

[@survive.canada]

@neevesybikes what do you do if you need to suddenly slow down while you are in the roundabout or corner? Whats the best way to brake in the corner ?

[@laconchtumare]

Can someone please tell me, doesnt the bike slow down from engine break if you let go of the gas? that would throw your weight tangentially to the curve and upset the suspension? I thought you had to hold it steady, not accelerate but also not decelerate? anyone?

[@Johny40Se7en]

Do they use 250 and 300 sports bikes at these places too? if you want to maybe use a Ninja 250RR or a Hyosung GT250R, just wondering.

[@135boomerkg]

ok so I've been seeing this on a few bikes (mainly ones that are set up for racing) .. what is the purpose for place a zip tie on the forks?

[@Razmil2310]

supongo que es par medir hasta donde se esta desplazando el amortiguador...

[@MPI1000]

Going from his video, he has a pretty simple principle. When the bike is fully leaned over zero to minimum throttle to hold the line. Open throttle to correspond with decreasing lean angle. He rather specifically speaks against the notion that you HAVE to increase throttle once you've opened it. I guess he was getting tired of students high-siding it in mid corner because they were trying to make a corner exit before getting to the apex...

[@royallyt]

On the tricks section is SC saying to try riding using full wets in the dry ?

[@max81chipman23]

You can do it on track!

[@MrSlowestD16]

"Simon has created a track-riding DVD and book called 'Motovudu' - but now you can get 1 on 1 training with the great man himself at race tracks across Europe."

[@exia78]

nice video

[@randykawasaki]

I think maybe SC's style is informed by strokers, totally different approach. It really does depend on what you ride. Big heavy stuff like to be on the throttle ASAP, but if you ride a nippy 400 the whole rule book changes. There is no one way, just opinions.

[@itsFiggers]

How does it compare to California superbike school?

[@heavyarms223]

Ah, thanks man. Btw the reply doesn't respond to the @ anymore. Just click below a comment next time

[@MrSlowestD16]

Yeah, maybe at some point when I have the extra time, as of right now too pinned time-wise for anything :-\.

[@luisramos123]

I was under the impression you should give a little gas in the corner as to maintain acceleration... am I wrong?

[@Cupide999]

got it now..

[@TheGabesnell]

did he pull the clutch in on corners?

[@neevesybikes]

@laconchtumare I think you're thinking too much , matey, jjust get out there and ride the wheels off it! Neevesy

[@shuumai]

Could there be a difference between how a 500cc 2-stroke takes corners compared to a 1000cc 4-stroke? From what I heard, a 2-stroke doesn't engine brake like a 4-stroke. Definitely not like a twin.

[@VState60]

Do you think Crafar has maybe consider this also?

[@Beaver314]

does his school have a website with pricing and booking?

[@rstrakovsky]

So he's not big on trail braking then? Isn't the idea to settle the suspension and increase the contact patch of the front tire? This video seems to go against that.

[@TheNoobComment]

So even street riding, you don't want to apply throttle in a corner?

[@bigbinston]

OK mr serious trust me! Michael Neeves is a great rider no doubt about it, but no he doesnt race superbikes he races on a superbike at "CLUB" level he may be very good infact he may be exceptional to me or you but not even near close to any top level racer

[@MrSlowestD16]

Not in Europe :(.

[@alancotterell9207]

Going faster can be achieved by trying less, but keeping on thinking without believing bullshit.

[@MrSlowestD16]

I hear ya, it doesn't matter now, anyway. I broke my only sport bike and since I was moving had to sell it :(. . Riding a standard bike right now, have to wait a bit until I can buy another sport bike. Can't exactly race a standard >.

[@mstershredatrumpclan8037]

Funny how a lot of dudes on here are so quick to say the world champ. And 1 of the fastest moto journalist are wrong. That is def. The fastest and safest way to corner. They're also not saying not to use maint. throttle once you get to the max lean..

[@neevesybikes]

There's no safe way, matey. You need to ride with enough reserve on the road that you can stop around a corner if you need to.ABS will bail you out a bit, but generally if you slam on the brakes mid-turn the bike will probably stand up and go wide, or you'll lose the front.

[@laconchtumare]

i always thought you had to hold the gas steady through a corner but I didnt know you had to not give it gas.. interesting

[@mcgroovy]

Don't wait for it to happen. If you can't afford a decent bike, go bucket racing!

[@heavyarms223]

Daaaaaamn

[@rgvonp]

Off topic but looks like your forks are way to soft

[@19slipstream84]

go kiwi!!

[@heavyarms223]

All about the gears. Higher gear=higher gear ratio=less engine breaking=more inertia into corner

[@aaronperelmuter8433]

Inertia has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with gears (whether higher or lower), gear ratios nor engine braking. But then maybe you’re breaking away from reality and physics as we know it?

[@emoemoguyguy]

was listening to the accent, then goggled him....holy crap he's a kiwi

[@650hpreventon]

when you save up some speed getting to a corner, you dont need gas because you going too fast, just turn all the way and you will turn sharper to apex because no gas input. this seems very dangerus because you cant always know what your max speed you can have begining of a turn, unless you watch you dash: last lap i was going 65, now i try70, then 75 is he limit. from that you know whats the fastest speed this corner allows you to take.

[@MrSlowestD16]

I should have clarified. I'm not in Europe. I'm in the States.

[@mugget]

This is why training is so important - motorcycling is NOT intuitive! Once you understand this it's no surprise why so many people just keep crashing bikes. Yes you do slow with no throttle, but that just means you can use an even faster corner entry speed to compensate and still arrive at your desired speed mid-corner. Check MotoGP, WSBK etc. next time - they all have zero throttle then pick it up later. Machines only work one way. CSS has been teaching correct throttle use for decades.

[@aaronperelmuter8433]

Really, machines only work one way? Is that why 2 different riders on identical bikes can have vastly different riding styles and technique? Is that also why in 500 GP racing in the 70s, 80s and 90s most Euro racers would have a fast in, slow out style, carrying too much corner speed but most US and Aussie racers would be just the opposite, using a far more effective slow in, fast out style? And when you say that machines only work one way does that include and take into account the fact that the rider makes up at least 35%-50%+ of the combined bike and rider mass? What about steering on the throttle vs steering using only the front? You’re comment is completely inaccurate. Maybe riding a motorcycle is not intuitive to YOU but that doesn’t mean we’re all as hopelessly out of our depth on the things as obviously you seem to be. And I realise your comments are from 6 years ago as I write this but I doubt you’ve learned much from then until now.

[@135boomerkg]

hmm ok makes sense

[@mcgroovy]

Fred Merkels California Superbike School?