Ed Bargy Racing School:
First, for any of you that may be interested Ed Bargy is a fantastic, hyper knowledgeable instructor for either beginners or experienced motorcycle racers. He runs a tight ship and there is very little BS’n around with this guy. The class was $400.00 and it was worth every penny. My 23 year old and I took his course at Barber Motorsports Park on Friday Sept. 21. I rode the Busa and my boy was on a Ninja 650.
We entered the tech inspection area at 6:50am and at 6:30pm the class was over. Between those times there were no breaks, no down time, no time to take pics or film anything, no fluff, nothing but teaching from Mr. Bargy and his 6 assistant instructors – via alternating class and track sessions. The first class sessions were held on the track in segments – I say on the track because we actually “walked†the track on our bikes stopping at each turn for a Q and A session. We would ride to one turn, shut’m down and talk. Ride to the next turn or change in elevation and talk etc.
We did eat lunch but what happened there was an assistant brought in boxed sandwich meals, we grabbed them and while we ate, Ed instructed.
When he was done with a class session he’d look at his little clock, say “7 minutes to track session folks†and it was a** and elbows to get down stairs and saddle up and hit the starting grid. Once the track session was over it was “ok folks, back to the third floor†and you put your bike on a stand and hustled back to the top of the race control building for more class time.
I learned more about riding a motorcycle in this class than I have learned in everything I have ever done previous to taking it – no shi**. Braking, throttle, hand inputs, foot inputs, balance, rake, trail, entry, exit, apex, you name it, we covered it from the bike, to the rider. Phrases like “Smooth is Fast†we will “Separate the men from the boys without separating them from their bikes†“when all else has failed you, TURNâ€
In the third track session my knee hit in turn 13 and again and again after that. I was establishing braking and shifting points, hitting my lines and TONS of folks, instructors included were coming over and telling me how me (and Mr. Busa) were doing. The stator cover is worn off from leaning it over but other than that the Busa came out great. One instructor approached me after a session, asked if that was my bike and placed his hands over his head and starting bowing, he said “you are a beastâ€. Another guy, a track student, came up after another track session and asked me “do you like your plastics?†I told him that I did and he said “well you need to stop leaning that thing over then because they are nearly dragging the racing surface!â€
In short, the Busa went from being looked at like it did not belong there (a drag racing bike) to a bike that several came up to me to compliment and one guy, at the end of the day told me that several students were saying that it was not fair, they could out brake me, they could out turn me but when we stood back up they had no chance on the short Barber straights because…. they didn’t. In the straights the Busa pulled like a F’n rocket!
I am not saying the Busa is a track bike because it is not! Its too heavy. But as some of you know, if it is treated with respect and kept within its (and the rider’s) capabilities it can do pretty well! Mine is nearly stock and frankly, I suck as a rider BUT I am getting better – we were not the slowest!
If you have the opportunity I would highly recommend taking Mr. Bargy’s classes. He is clearly a motorcycle lover and an experienced motorcycle racer and he loves to teach, listen to and interact with his students and his assistants were some of the nicest, most understanding people that could have been assembled to help us all out. They cared, they taught and we all learned. I left with a WERA racing cert but I’ll never use it, I was just there to learn.
There was a lady there taking Kill Boy- esque pics but other than that I have very little because as I said. We had NO TIME to do anything but learn and ride, learn and ride all day. I have her website and hope that she got some of us hitting Barber’s turns but I don’t figure they will be up until early this next week. By the way, that entire facility is WORLD CLASS – before you die, you HAVE to go to the museum, it’s the best $10 you will ever spend!
Ok, like I said, I have no self made pics other than us milling around but here are a few. If I can get some from the lady taking pics of us riding I will buy them and post them up.
Tech Area
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My bike behind the kid's Ninja - his bike says AHHH! on the nose, kids these days eh?
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Nose Job
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Turn 8 MY NEMISIS!
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Molten Front Tire! This was the fist time I have EVER even seen a track, let alone ride on one, but my goodness. We COOKED, literally cooked, our tires! They were so hot that you could pull rubber balls off of them... $300 worth of Michelins, nearly shot in one day...
ImageShack Links Do Not Work
Joe Rocket Pucks / $36.00 plus shipping. Scratching them all to hel* on Barber's racing surface / Priceless!
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First, for any of you that may be interested Ed Bargy is a fantastic, hyper knowledgeable instructor for either beginners or experienced motorcycle racers. He runs a tight ship and there is very little BS’n around with this guy. The class was $400.00 and it was worth every penny. My 23 year old and I took his course at Barber Motorsports Park on Friday Sept. 21. I rode the Busa and my boy was on a Ninja 650.
We entered the tech inspection area at 6:50am and at 6:30pm the class was over. Between those times there were no breaks, no down time, no time to take pics or film anything, no fluff, nothing but teaching from Mr. Bargy and his 6 assistant instructors – via alternating class and track sessions. The first class sessions were held on the track in segments – I say on the track because we actually “walked†the track on our bikes stopping at each turn for a Q and A session. We would ride to one turn, shut’m down and talk. Ride to the next turn or change in elevation and talk etc.
We did eat lunch but what happened there was an assistant brought in boxed sandwich meals, we grabbed them and while we ate, Ed instructed.
When he was done with a class session he’d look at his little clock, say “7 minutes to track session folks†and it was a** and elbows to get down stairs and saddle up and hit the starting grid. Once the track session was over it was “ok folks, back to the third floor†and you put your bike on a stand and hustled back to the top of the race control building for more class time.
I learned more about riding a motorcycle in this class than I have learned in everything I have ever done previous to taking it – no shi**. Braking, throttle, hand inputs, foot inputs, balance, rake, trail, entry, exit, apex, you name it, we covered it from the bike, to the rider. Phrases like “Smooth is Fast†we will “Separate the men from the boys without separating them from their bikes†“when all else has failed you, TURNâ€
In the third track session my knee hit in turn 13 and again and again after that. I was establishing braking and shifting points, hitting my lines and TONS of folks, instructors included were coming over and telling me how me (and Mr. Busa) were doing. The stator cover is worn off from leaning it over but other than that the Busa came out great. One instructor approached me after a session, asked if that was my bike and placed his hands over his head and starting bowing, he said “you are a beastâ€. Another guy, a track student, came up after another track session and asked me “do you like your plastics?†I told him that I did and he said “well you need to stop leaning that thing over then because they are nearly dragging the racing surface!â€
In short, the Busa went from being looked at like it did not belong there (a drag racing bike) to a bike that several came up to me to compliment and one guy, at the end of the day told me that several students were saying that it was not fair, they could out brake me, they could out turn me but when we stood back up they had no chance on the short Barber straights because…. they didn’t. In the straights the Busa pulled like a F’n rocket!
I am not saying the Busa is a track bike because it is not! Its too heavy. But as some of you know, if it is treated with respect and kept within its (and the rider’s) capabilities it can do pretty well! Mine is nearly stock and frankly, I suck as a rider BUT I am getting better – we were not the slowest!
If you have the opportunity I would highly recommend taking Mr. Bargy’s classes. He is clearly a motorcycle lover and an experienced motorcycle racer and he loves to teach, listen to and interact with his students and his assistants were some of the nicest, most understanding people that could have been assembled to help us all out. They cared, they taught and we all learned. I left with a WERA racing cert but I’ll never use it, I was just there to learn.
There was a lady there taking Kill Boy- esque pics but other than that I have very little because as I said. We had NO TIME to do anything but learn and ride, learn and ride all day. I have her website and hope that she got some of us hitting Barber’s turns but I don’t figure they will be up until early this next week. By the way, that entire facility is WORLD CLASS – before you die, you HAVE to go to the museum, it’s the best $10 you will ever spend!
Ok, like I said, I have no self made pics other than us milling around but here are a few. If I can get some from the lady taking pics of us riding I will buy them and post them up.
Tech Area
ImageShack Links Do Not Work
My bike behind the kid's Ninja - his bike says AHHH! on the nose, kids these days eh?
ImageShack Links Do Not Work
Nose Job
ImageShack Links Do Not Work
Turn 8 MY NEMISIS!
ImageShack Links Do Not Work
Molten Front Tire! This was the fist time I have EVER even seen a track, let alone ride on one, but my goodness. We COOKED, literally cooked, our tires! They were so hot that you could pull rubber balls off of them... $300 worth of Michelins, nearly shot in one day...
ImageShack Links Do Not Work
Joe Rocket Pucks / $36.00 plus shipping. Scratching them all to hel* on Barber's racing surface / Priceless!
ImageShack Links Do Not Work
