Learning a new racetrack is often a mixed bag of emotions. There’s the excitement of a fresh challenge, which is countered by the uncertainty of unraveling the subtle complexities of an unfamiliar ribbon of asphalt. “What if I’m slow? Will the track come to me? Maybe I just need another day or two…”

Over the past few decades, I’ve had countless conversations with champion drivers and riders about the different ways in which they approach unfamiliar circuits. More importantly, I’ve had the opportunity to be on track with many of them while learning a new layout, and that’s where I discovered the real insight.

It’s not what they said. Rather, it’s what they did. That’s the moment for me when the shift took place. When professionals arrive at a new track, their focus isn’t on learning the layout. It’s on placing their current fundamentals in a new environment. That’s how to approach mastering a track.

Professionals don’t wait for the track to “come to them.” They come to the track. They take what they already do well—what they know works—and apply it. The setting changes, but the process doesn’t. A good exit is a good exit. A good entry is a good entry, no matter where that corner is located anywhere in the world.

Through years of working within structured schools, coaching environments, and my own unique experiences, I’ve tested and validated this process over and over again. The result? I now expect to be within 5 to 7% of my target pace in less than 10 laps. Read that again: 10 laps. That’s right, 10 laps.

Are there caveats? Absolutely. You must be comfortable with your vehicle and you need to understand available grip. Even so, that goal is absolutely achievable. In fact, I recently proved it to myself at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, despite a 27-year on-track absence from the fast, rolling Georgia circuit.

I will break all of this down in a three-part series:

Part 1: What it takes to learn a track quickly

Part 2: Before you get to the track

Part 3: How to get up to speed fast

Part 1: What it takes to learn a track quickly

Open YouTube, watch a few racing videos, maybe even grab some laps in a simulator, and you’re good to go, right? Nope. Not even close, in fact. Bottom line, there are three critical elements that, if followed, will get you inside that 5-to-7% window almost immediately:

• Current state of your fundamentals

• Feel references

• Track dynamics

That’s it. Everything else—fine details, nuances, last percentage points—only begins to matter once those three elements are firmly in place. Worrying about where to short shift or debating minor changes in line selection will have little effect if you are incapable of the following:

• Demonstrating a working grasp of the fundamentals

• Understanding track dynamics, specifically the location of the slow point of each corner

• Building strong entries and exits through the correct application of braking and acceleration forces

• Using standardized references to build your internal track map

• Knowing when you did something correctly

Execute these points and speed will come quickly, safely, and repeatably. Miss them, and you’ll be left chasing laps instead of building pace, hoping the track eventually “comes to you” and telling yourself, “I just need another day or two.” Know this: Hope is not a technique.

Current state of your fundamentals

The current state of your fundamentals is about taking what you already know and placing it in a new environment. If your braking is good, it will be good elsewhere.
If your vision skills are solid, they will be solid elsewhere. Think of it like this: A skilled pilot can land at any airport. A trained quarterback can perform in any stadium. An experienced musician can play on any stage. Different environments, same fundamentals.

Feel references

I’ve written extensively on feel references, what they are and where they live on track. At the very core, that’s what this is all about. If you know what a good exit feels like, or what proper brake timing delivers, you can capture that feeling anywhere. That’s why the best are at speed almost immediately. They know what fast feels like, and they can place it anywhere. Here’s a collection of previously published articles that breaks down feel and feel references in detail.

Track dynamics

Vehicle placement is more than “learning the line.” It’s the first fundamental in the “Order of the Sport” because it demands a deeper understanding of what you should be doing on the track and when you should be doing it for each individual corner. Focus on these areas:

• Identify the type of corner

• Identify the slow point

• Know where to use the track

• Prioritize the correct control

• Identify the vital points

Part 1 wrap-up

Yeah, I know. We all want to get out there and haul ass. Me, too. But this first part is about clarity and what’s actually required to learn a track and get up to speed quickly. It deserves the space to understand what the best are doing and why it works. Part 2 is where everything comes to life. The actual how, with real examples and data.

About Ken Hill

Ken Hill is considered the top motorcycle riding coach in the U.S. He bought his first motorcycle at age 30 and began road racing the very same year. Despite the late start, Ken went on to set track records and win class championships before making his professional debut in the AMA Superbike class, where he finished in the top 10 at age 41. Ken’s passion for learning and, ultimately, bettering the sport, led him to retire from racing in 2007 and devote himself full-time to coaching. Learn more at khcoaching.com.

Everywhere you look, from internet forums to the know-it-all pitted next you, unsolicited advice is rampant. Everyone, me included, is eager to tell you what you need to do and how to do it.

And yet, many drivers and riders continue to plateau, unsure what to do next, second-guessing themselves, “What if I can’t improve? Is this as good as I get?”

More information doesn’t equal more progress. In fact, very little of it is designed specifically for you. Instead, it leans on universal truths and recycled catchphrases.

What if there were an approach that was far simpler to execute, cut through all the noise, and actually moved the needle?

Knowing when you did it right

I’ve worked with clients who believed they had no business being on track—they didn’t belong, they weren’t good enough.

Initially, some elements of that were true. But every one of them possessed a powerful tool that enabled them to overcome their lack of confidence: the desire to improve.

To break that mental block, we focused solely on what to do right. It cleared the path to execution and built the belief they did belong and were good enough.

Focusing on what you do right is simpler and far more effective than chasing the more common what you did wrong or what you think you can’t do.

The “what went wrong” path leads to an endless rabbit hole of negativity. But a few clear “Did I do it right?” objectives for each fundamental flip the script.

Your focus shifts from what you can’t do to what you can do. The result is report cards that confirm in real time if you did it right.

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“Less brakes, more gas.”

“The fast guys barely use the brakes.”

“Brakes just slow you down. It’s all about momentum and corner speed.”

These statements are repeated so frequently they are practically accepted as universal truths. Many apply them to any conditions, corner, track, or vehicle.

Taken literally, they are incorrect. The problem isn’t the expressions themselves so much as the dilution of their original meaning.

What do these phrases actually mean?

“Less brakes, more gas” means, “Accelerate longer, brake shorter.”

“The fast guys barely use the brakes” means, “The fastest drivers and riders use the brakes at exactly the right time and with exactly the right pressure—not less braking, better braking.”

“Brakes just slow you down” means, “Using the brakes improperly makes you slower. Proper braking is the tool that allows you to maximize momentum and speed on corner entry.”

Without effective braking, you can’t place the vehicle correctly, control the slow point, or accelerate early. If you don’t develop these skills, you can’t go fast. It’s that simple.

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I left New Jersey Motorsports Park at the end of the last year’s riding season genuinely impressed with my 2025 BMW S1000RR. What’s not to like? Solid lap times, 162 mph on the front straight, and, overall, very good handling. It’s a bike I enjoy riding, but… There’s always a but.

During the off-season, I have been training primarily in Florida. I was curious how the S 1000 RR would perform at Jennings GP, a 2-mile, 14-turn track that is notoriously hard on rear tires and a true test of rear grip. It didn’t take long to find out. The answer was, “Not well.”

The shock was near its limits at NJMP, but at Jennings, the BMW had very little rear grip. The harder I pushed, the worse the situation became. After the first day, I parked the bike until I could find a solution. I wasn’t going any faster without addressing the lack of control.

There are many aftermarket shock options for the S 1000 RR, but installing any one of them would likely require upgrading the fork cartridges to maintain chassis balance. I wanted a solution that was as close to stock as possible, while substantially improving rear control.

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I created this page to help you quickly source the information you need to address areas that are holding you back on the racetrack—right now. Rather than endlessly scrolling through my site, simply choose the topic that best matches whatever challenge you are currently facing.

Each section briefly explains why that particular topic is important, followed by links to relevant articles, podcasts, and videos. The six fundamentals are interconnected, but progress starts by addressing the right subject at the right time. This builds confidence.

This tab is conveniently located at the top right of the home page here:

My first love has always been cars, but my on-track journey began with motorcycles. When I finally got to spend time in a car on a racetrack, I assumed the learning curve would be steep. After all, the controls, sensations, and techniques are completely different, right?

I give full credit to my former Yamaha Champions Riding School colleague Nick Ienatsch for shattering that assumption in about five seconds. Nick, who is an incredibly accomplished racer, author, and instructor, and also happens to be wickedly fast in a car, made the transition simple.

When I asked him how to approach driving, his answer was immediate: “Everything is the same. Drive like you’re riding a bike; just trade lean angle for steering-wheel angle.” That was it. No complicated explanation, no long technical breakdown, just a clean translation.

Nick gave me confidence that I could do it, and since then, decades of car track time, decoding thousands of data files, interviews with top-level driving coaches, and tens of thousands of laps—both driving for myself and instructing—have only reinforced that belief.

Yes, there are differences, some of which are important, but they are far smaller than most people imagine. First and foremost, the fundamentals—the things you should be doing whenever you are driving a car or riding a motorcycle—don’t change.

• Vehicle placement is still king and determines outcomes

• Vision skills are vision skills; references and eye timing don’t change

• Motor controls create adjustability by managing weight transfer and contact patches

• Brake adjustability still shapes entry speed and steering

• Turn-in point and turn-in rate continue to dictate where you end up in a corner

• Body position and body timing matter, for both bikes and cars

• The slowest point of the corner still defines the sport

Handlebar or steering wheel, you are managing the same physics, grip budget, and human limitations. The tool has changed, but the degree of application and priorities haven’t. Once you realize this, bikes and cars stop feeling like separate worlds and become different dialects of the same language.

Let’s break down the following AIM speed graphs comparing cars to motorcycles to understand what aspects are similar and where the differences lie. First, let’s focus on a couple of car-versus-car GPS speed graphs to determine if the same fundamentals hold true for different cars running at a similar on-track pace.

The first graph represents a 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport (red) vs. a 2019 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE (blue) at the 2-mile-long Nelson Ledges Road Course in Garrettsville, Ohio. Both cars were in near-stock configurations running under 1-minute, 11-second lap times, which puts them at the sharp end of the advanced group.

The second graph shows a 2016 Porsche GT3 RS (blue) vs. another Camaro, a 2021 SS 1LE (red), at the Ridge Motorsports Park near Shelton, Washington. Both vehicles were track-prepped and lapped the 16-turn, 2.47-mile road course in less than 1 minute and 46 seconds, which is also at the sharp end of the advanced group.

Highlights

• Overall shapes are near identical

• Slow-point position remains close to the same and only changes based on driver inputs and/or individual vehicle mechanical differences

• Main difference is how they get to and from the slow point, regardless of different acceleration and top speeds

Now, let’s introduce a bike at four tracks with wildly different characteristics. Let’s start with the same venues, Nelson Ledges and the Ridge, retaining the graphs for the cars. Note: Whereas bikes use the chicane at the Ridge, cars do not. The 2023 Suzuki GSX-R750 (black) was prepped to MotoAmerica Supersport Next Generation spec and ridden by a professional racer.

Highlights

• Right out of the gate, the acceleration of the bike is staggering

• Bike brakes earlier, partly due to its higher top speed

• Bike relies on a more vee-shaped slow point due to its smaller tire contact patches

• Slow-point positions are nearly the same, with the bike’s slow point coming slightly later

Finally, let’s look at two more tracks, again very different: 12-turn, 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey, using a 2025 BMW M4 CS and a 2023 Yamaha YZF-R1 (bikes utilize the Turn 3 chicane), and 10-turn, 2-mile Summit Point Motorsports Park located in Summit Point, West Virginia, again with the Camaro ZL1 1LE paired with a 2023 Suzuki GSX-R750.

Lap times at both tracks were at the sharp end of advanced pace, circulating under 1 minute, 30 seconds at NJMP and 1 minute, 20 seconds at Summit Point.

Highlights

• Acceleration and top speed of the mid-displacement bike compared to the high-powered cars are mind-blowing

• Slow-points positions and minimum speeds of the bike remain close to those of the cars

• In some corners with exits that open up, the slow point for comes earlier and the bike carries more speed

I referenced high-performance production vehicles, but what about less-powerful machines, open-wheel cars, and prototypes? Trends remain the same. Less-powerful bikes and cars produce nearly identical graph shapes, just at lower speeds. Open-wheel cars and prototypes can carry higher slow-point speeds and often reach them slightly earlier, but the margins are surprisingly small.

Major Differences Between Bikes and Cars on Track

1. Contact Patch and Weight: A car has a significantly larger total contact patch than a motorcycle—on the order of 500% greater—which gives it higher absolute-grip potential in both braking and cornering. A significant portion of that grip, however, is consumed simply supporting the overall mass of the car.

2. Power-to-Weight Ratio: A motorcycle’s power-to-weight ratio is massively superior to nearly all production cars. This dramatically changes how quickly inputs translate into acceleration and direction changes, as well as the precision those inputs require.

3. Coaching: Motorcycles generally are more difficult to coach and take longer to see improvements. Cars, by contrast, allow instructors to share space and time, experiencing the same feel references in real time through right-seat coaching, which accelerates learning.

4. Vehicle Placement: The most important reference for going fast safely is largely the same between bikes and cars, with nuances driven by corner radius and corner length. The intent—where the vehicle needs to be on track and why—does not fundamentally change.

5. Vision and Focus: Vision strategy is nearly identical. The primary difference is that motorcycles provide a much larger inventory of feel references and a heightened sense of speed, both of which influence perception and decision-making.

6. Motor Controls: These are conceptually the same, but motorcycles demand more deliberate and finer inputs due to higher power-to-weight ratios and smaller contact patches. Errors are magnified more quickly.

7. Brake Adjustability: This is a major difference. During braking, a motorcycle’s fork compresses, sharpening geometry and increasing steering response and feel. This dynamic geometry change plays a significant role in how a bike turns and communicates grip.

8. Turn-In Point and Turn-In Rate: These remain fundamentally the same. The timing and rate-of-direction change still dictate where the vehicle sets up the entry, slow point, and exit.

9. Body Position: Another major difference. On a motorcycle, rider mass has a profound effect on braking, turning, acceleration, and available lean angle. It’s common for the rider to account for 50% or more of the bike’s total weight. Imagine being able to move 50% of a car’s mass in real time, which would dramatically alter the dynamics everywhere on track.

10. Shared Similarity: One key similarity between bikes and cars is the importance of proper ergonomics, being positioned correctly to support effective motor-control use. Excess weight on the arms or hands is a problem in both bikes and cars, degrading feel, control, and consistency.

11. Taking Advantage of Extra Grip: A car’s larger contact patch is most apparent in the final 50 feet of deceleration. By this point in corner entry, the platform has settled and the tires are fully engaged. That extra grip allows a driver to finish establishing direction with steering-wheel angle while still carrying roll speed, something that is far easier to achieve in a car than on a motorcycle.

Conclusion

John Surtees, Jeff Ward, Scott Russell, and Valentino Rossi are just four examples of champion motorcycle racers who went on to have genuine success in cars. Not because bikes and cars are the same, but because the process is the same. I’ve spoken with Ward and Russell about their accomplishments, and the answer is always the same: The tool changed, but the fundamentals didn’t. Vehicle placement, vision, motor controls, and using the brakes still decide the result. Master those and the platform becomes secondary.

About Ken Hill

Ken Hill is considered the top motorcycle riding coach in the U.S. He bought his first motorcycle at age 30 and began road racing the very same year. Despite the late start, Ken went on to set track records and win class championships before making his professional debut in the AMA Superbike class, where he finished in the top 10 at age 41. Ken’s passion for learning and, ultimately, bettering the sport, led him to retire from racing in 2007 and devote himself full-time to coaching. Learn more at khcoaching.com.

Update: This article was originally published two years ago, but my last two posts—“Initial Throttle Is A Skill For Everyone, Not Just Beginners” and “The Truth About Trailbraking Revealed”—were written as a lead-in to this specific subject.

Mastery of those critical driving and riding skills is what defines the final 50 feet of deceleration and the first 50 feet of acceleration. That 100 feet of racetrack is where a quick and safe lap time lives.

For any driver or rider, this is where everything you have studied and worked on comes together. Vision, steering inputs, motor controls, and body position are all distilled to their most precise and meaningful form. There is no excess here, only intent and precision.

There is another benefit to consider: vehicle dynamics.

• What effect does brake release or initial throttle have on your line?

• Does your vehicle feel stable? What is weight transfer telling you?

• Do you have confidence to add lean angle or steering-wheel angle?

• Does the vehicle feel heavy or light, settled or vague?

This section of the racetrack has now become your clearest feedback loop.

Fundamentals are never linear. They are, in fact, looped. As one area improves, another often lags behind. Individual progress comes from continually revisiting and refining the fundamentals in relationship to each other.

If this is already where your focus lives, continue moving back and forth between technique and vehicle dynamics. That conversation between driver or rider and machine is exactly where the best in the world spend their time.

Looking at this subject from that perspective, then, if you haven’t already read the following article or watched the accompanying video, please take the time to do so. —Ken Hill

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Simple. Problem solved. Competitive lap times will immediately come easily. Except, they don’t—and won’t. The “what” is obvious: improved acceleration. The “how” is where most drivers and riders struggle.

Acceleration is constrained by the type of corner and its radius, available grip, power delivery, electronics, trajectory, and, whether we like to admit it or not, fear. Advice is what to do. Technique is how to do it.

Initial throttle application isn’t just about adding power. It’s about applying throttle in a way that deliberately transfers weight, builds grip, refines trajectory, and boosts confidence, all with one clear goal: getting to wide-open throttle as soon as possible without compromising control.

Initial throttle matters. It doesn’t matter if it’s 8 horsepower or 800. When technique is correct, initial throttle becomes a confidence tool—not a guess, not a risk. And it’s something elite drivers and riders work on continuously.

What does “initial throttle” actually mean?

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“Trailbraking is for experts. It’s an advanced skill.”

“You can’t trailbrake in a Porsche.”

“Trailbraking on a motorcycle requires special tires.”

“What do you mean? I’m already trailbraking.”

Before going any further, I need to make an important point: There are critical differences between trailbraking and simply using the brakes in a corner. They are not the same, and lumping them together—as so frequently happens, especially in instruction circles—is one of the greatest sources of misunderstanding in motorsports training.

Why is this distinction vital to your success on the racetrack?

• It eliminates any confusion if the brakes should even be used in corners

• Believing you’re trailbraking when you aren’t. This actually makes you slower

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I’ve spent nearly two decades in the motorsports-vision world. Last year, I was invited to speak at the International Sports Vision Association conference in San Diego, California. There is a lot going on in that world, and the subject matter can get overwhelming fast.

You don’t have to think of it that way. While an individual evaluation is ultimately the best option, you can sharpen your foundational vision skills with a simple, one-minute drill that targets many of the exact visual and cognitive demands you need to employ on the racetrack.

This quick drill improves:

• Focus shifting with orientation

• Tracking (smooth pursuit eye movements)

• Peripheral awareness

• Anticipation and prediction

• Depth perception

In the accompanying video, I’ll walk you through the drill, which can be done from pretty much anywhere.

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Few skills challenge track-day and racing enthusiasts more than corner entry. Overslowing—decelerating to a speed less than what either you or your vehicle is capable of—eventually appears at every skill level. And yes, I’m guilty, too. There are countless tracks with specific corners where my heart rate spikes simply approaching the braking zone, no matter how many laps I’ve done.

That’s completely natural. Fear drives it.

Overslowing is by far the most common “How do I fix this?” question I receive and rightfully so. Accelerating into a situation in which a solution is not readily apparent, you default to current skill level—what is comfortable—and slow too much. But wait, you want a quicker lap time, so you push on, braking later and harder, which only accentuates the problem.

But it can be fixed. Let’s get into it.

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I launched this Substack a little more than two years ago, so I feel it is the right time for reflection and a sincere thank you. This community has become an important part of how I share motorsports education.

I originally created this account as an extension of my podcast, a place where I could go deeper—more data, more video, more multi-part topics, and more of the “how to do it” behind driving cars and riding motorcycles at a high level. So far, so good.

What I have learned, however, is simple but incredibly important: I can’t do this alone. I can’t maintain the quality of the posts that I want without an editor, and I certainly can’t succeed without you, the reader.

Participating in motorsports is simply incredible. There is nothing else like it—period. Driving and/or riding well is one of life’s greatest thrills, and the goal of this Substack is to share that possibility with you in the most useful, accessible way that I can.

But to accomplish that at the standard I expect of myself takes money and time. The topics are nearly infinite, and diving into them properly—researching, analyzing, writing, and editing—comes with real costs.

Up until this point, the majority of the articles I have posted on this account have been free, with only a small percentage of them hidden behind a paywall following the site’s recommended guidelines and best practices.

While I want as many people as possible to have access to this information, I also believe there is real value in the work being done here. And doing that work without sponsors or outside influence requires support directly from you.

My goal is to keep this platform accessible and affordable while also making it sustainable for the long term. You should feel good about the content you receive, and I need to feel good about the time and resources required to produce it.

With that in mind, beginning in early 2026, this Substack will move to a 100% paid-subscription format. To make that transition easier—and to thank you for being here—through December 31, I am offering a more than 50% discount off an annual subscription. It’s a solid value per lap.

This platform has always been a collaboration. Your curiosity, your input, and your questions push my curiosity, my input, and my questions. The more I learn, the more you learn. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Discount code: https://www.khcoaching.com/1e92a56c

NOTE: If you are a current paid subscriber and renewed in the last few months, please send me a direct message and I will reimburse you for the difference.

Focusing on setup too early in the learning process wastes effort and time, and can become a crutch that conceals skill deficiencies. It is all too easy to get swept up in a rollercoaster of incremental adjustments. Does an additional turn of spring preload or one more click of compression damping really matter if you’re still braking 200 feet too early?

In the FIRST of this two-part series, I addressed the correct approach to diagnosing whether the improvement(s) you are seeking is a matter of developing your technique or working on your vehicle. In this second installment, I am focusing once again on guidelines to assess your performance and build a feedback loop as you start adjusting your riding and/or setup.

Time to download

Once you have experimented with different approaches to diagnose the problem and have concluded that the issue is related to your technique or to your vehicle, it is time to build a systematic evaluation process to avoid the inevitable rabbit hole of infinite chassis and geometry adjustments.

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Fast forward 10 months later, and I continue to see the same pattern: the setup trap. Drivers and riders chasing minor, incremental gains while overlooking fundamentals that yield the biggest improvements.

Consider the Elantra N driver focused solely on mid-corner rotation: He added a larger rear sway bar and staggered tires, but he still struggled with poor brake usage and abrupt initial throttle. The result? A front-wheel-drive car hopelessly pushing toward the outside of the track with no chance of finishing the corner effectively. The fix? Carrying the brakes slightly longer and a more deliberate throttle build from 0 to 50%. No bigger rear sway bar needed.

Or the novice Yamaha YZF-R6 rider changing gearing at the track because his setup didn’t match what the “fast guys” were running. He spent half a day chasing ratios, borrowing tools, and growing frustrated, valuable time that could have been spent working on himself, refining apexes, and closing the 15-to-20-second gap to those same riders. The fix? Apexes equal horsepower.

The question isn’t whether setup matters; it is when to focus on it, and how to approach it. I have revisited and refined the original article, now presented in two parts, and I encourage you to read it again with fresh eyes. The insights remain just as relevant, perhaps even more so the second or third time.

Improving on-track performance, whether it is defined as enhanced precision, a quicker lap time, or simply maximizing personal enjoyment, comes down to the dynamic interplay between you and your vehicle. Setup is a crucial element of this equation, but it only makes a difference once you have achieved basic fundamental competency.

Focusing on setup too early in the learning process wastes effort and time, and can become a crutch that conceals skill deficiencies. It is all too easy to get swept up in a rollercoaster of incremental adjustments. I mean, does an additional turn of spring preload or one more click of compression damping really matter if you’re still braking 200 feet too early?

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“How do I become successful in motorsports?” I am often asked this question, and my answer is always the same: “I don’t know.”

Your definition of success isn’t my definition of success. I don’t know your goals, your circumstances, or the level of the first driving factor: your desire.

After watching other people chase this sport for decades, I have seen more failures than successes. But I can tell you what guarantees success.

There are three pillars, and each one carries equal weight. If you want to be successful, these pillars must remain in a constant loop.

Desire

This is where it all starts. Usually, the desire bank is full: “I want to run in the expert group,” “I want to qualify for a pro race,” or “I want to degree my own cams.”

And, you want it all—right now. Without help. You want to skip the drills, bolt on horsepower instead of skill, and somehow be a pro racer and mechanic, overnight.

Desire is easy. Execution is hard. I have seen more motorsports journeys end because of misguided desire and the ego that comes with it. I mean, how hard can it be?

It’s hard, trust me. But that doesn’t mean your goals are out of reach. Balancing desire with the right amount of curiosity and patience goes a long way.

Team

At some point, you will need more knowledge than you currently possess. That means people, experts in their own lanes who can evaluate, guide, and help you take next steps.

Building a team around you, one that supports you both objectively and subjectively, infinitely shortens your path to success.

Opportunity

You can have all the desire in the world and the best team around you, but none of that matters without opportunity.

What is “opportunity”? It is access to equipment, a racetrack, a place to train, and even a plan. But it also means matching opportunities to current needs.

Do you really need to own the fastest or most powerful car or motorcycle if you haven’t even mastered the slowest or least-powerful one?

Wrapping up

I truly believe you can succeed. But it takes work. You can shortcut some of that work by studying the three pillars and asking yourself the following questions:

• Do I have the desire to get moving?

• Do I surround myself with people who listen to and grow with me?

• Do I take advantage of opportunities, performing eye drills in my favorite chair or working on motor controls during my commute?

About Ken Hill

Ken Hill is considered the top motorcycle riding coach in the U.S. He bought his first motorcycle at age 30 and began road racing the very same year. Despite the late start, Ken went on to set track records and win class championships before making his professional debut in the AMA Superbike class, where he finished in the top 10 at age 41. Ken’s passion for learning and, ultimately, bettering the sport, led him to retire from racing in 2007 and devote himself full-time to coaching. Learn more at khcoaching.com.

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Going fast is easy, right? All you have to do is lever on sticky slicks and you’re ready to rip quicker lap times. I was set to make a tire change on my 2025 BMW S 1000 RR, but then I asked myself, “What really happens when you modify a modern production superbike? Are you ready to grid up and race, or are you potentially taking a step or even two backward?”

As I was preparing for a coaching day at New Jersey Motorsports Park, I decided to make the jump to Dunlop SportMax slicks. Compared to the stock Metzler Racetech RR K3s, the front Dunlop is 6mm taller and the rear is 14mm taller. I consulted my MotoSPEC chassis program and concluded that I would have to change both the chassis geometry and final gearing.

In the interest of systematic changes, I laid out a three-step plan:

1. Fit slicks with no other changes to see how bike reacts

2. Change gearing to see if there is actual improvement

3. Optimize chassis and suspension based on feedback

Fitting Slicks

I’ll admit, I was spoiled by the stock tires. With no warmers and minimal setup work—a touch more rear preload and a bit of front rebound—the stock chassis was a joy to ride. The bike turned like a bicycle, and the way it held its line exiting corners was intoxicating. But I wanted to go faster. Increasing grip adds force, so I wasn’t exactly sure what I would be up against.

Slicks threw all of that goodness out the window. Stock gearing felt even taller. The bike wanted to stand up as I released the brakes, and the front felt like it would tuck as I added drive throttle. And, it turned slower. My lap times improved, but slicks didn’t deliver the expected gains. Before, I had head room to think about going faster. Now, I wasn’t sure how to find more speed.

This highlights how well BMW nailed the stock chassis settings. There is a clear understanding how to balance the grip level of the OEM tires with the forces needed to produce a quick lap time. My next step was to figure out how to get that fun, effortless feeling back, while still hitting my personal lap-time goals.

Changing Gearing

Why start with gearing? There are several reasons. I wanted to keep the stock chain and make a minimal wheelbase change, but I needed a big enough swing to avoid being in first gear multiple times per lap. Dropping the countershaft sprocket from 17 teeth to 16 was the easiest, quickest, and most cost-effective way to accomplish that.

This change also set me up for the next step, optimizing the chassis for the switch to slicks, since adjusting wheelbase and reducing front sprocket size affects both balance and suspension settings. I wanted to sort out gearing first so I wouldn’t be chasing any negative chassis effects later.

So, did the new gearing help? Absolutely. In fact, the change benefited the bike much more than even the speed graphs suggest. I no longer needed first gear, and I had fewer overall shifts per lap. The S 1000 RR accelerated harder, and I could finally use fifth gear effectively on the long front straight instead of holding fourth.

Here is a GPS speed graph highlighting where the gearing really came into play.

Optimizing Handling

Swapping the Marzocchi fork cartridges and shock for aftermarket replacements right out of the gate would have been easy. I have access to the best in the business, and the right parts with proven baseline settings are only a phone call away. But I wanted to understand the capabilities of the stock suspension, knowing that OEM components are always a compromise.

I could write a novel about every change I made, why I made it, and the result. Rather, I will highlight here a few key areas, then dig into what stood out for me:

• Fork and shock preload adjusters have a wide thread pitch

• Chassis has a narrow window in which it feels right

• Electronics can either work for you or against you

• Yes, I found the good feeling that I was initially missing

Where to Start

The first step was to restore the geometry to match OEM specs. In this case, that meant lowering the rear ride height using the OEM adjuster. From there, it was all about dialing in the fork and shock to find the braking and acceleration support needed for the feel I wanted. That, however, wasn’t so easy.

Let’s pause here. This bike might have the most sensitive chassis I’ve encountered. Small adjustments have big effects. This is partly due to the coarse threading on the stock suspension. One turn of the shock collar, for example, is nearer 1.5mm than the standard 1mm. Damping is the same: two clicks of fork compression felt more like a spring change than fine-tuning.

I found myself scratching my head and double-checking my notes. Factor in swingarm pivot height, along with front and rear ride heights, and it’s easy to spin yourself in circles. How do you avoid that? Notes, lots of them, and staying consistent with tires. I ran Dunlop R3 front and R8 rear slicks the entire time, always at the same hot pressures.

In the end, I was in an ongoing loop of adding support to either the front or rear until I had too much or too little, then balancing front and rear feel with geometry changes.

What Stands Out About the BMW Chassis

• Neutral stance preferred, slightly biased to front

• Initial fork travel is critical

• OEM shock holds back bike

• Swingarm pivot changes can help, or hurt, depending on what you’re chasing

• Designed to lean into electronic aids

• Within 6 seconds of the fastest 2024 MotoAmerica STK1000 laptime at NJMP

Bottom line: The 2025 BMW S 1000 RR is a highly capable platform. Below is a GPS speed graph comparing slicks with virtually no setup (black) versus a fully dialed-in setup (red).

Watch this video as I break down and compare all of the changes with data graphs for each change.

About Ken Hill

Ken Hill is considered the top motorcycle riding coach in the U.S. He bought his first motorcycle at age 30 and began road racing the very same year. Despite the late start, Ken went on to set track records and win class championships before making his professional debut in the AMA Superbike class, where he finished in the top 10 at age 41. Ken’s passion for learning and, ultimately, bettering the sport, led him to retire from racing in 2007 and devote himself full-time to coaching. Learn more at khcoaching.com.

Every athlete is at a different place in their skill set, and each driver or rider faces unique, individual barriers to reaching the next step in their progression. The data always points to the answers, if you know where to look for it.

As a coach, I rely on a set of key references, always used in a specific order. Once a driver or rider has mastered the base fundamentals—apexes, slow point of the corner, and motor controls—they’re ready for one of my favorite references: end of braking, the exact point the brakes are released.

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While there is definitely value to those directives, they aren’t techniques; they’re advice. Real methodology goes deeper—much deeper. It’s structured, complete, and should contain the following:

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• Define what you’re working on and why it matters

• Create measurable objectives, with corresponding drills

• Confirm progress in real time, followed by evaluation with data, video, or coach feedback

Proper methodology is built on the same fundamentals used by the best racers in the world. These aren’t random tips; they’re proven techniques that let them run record pace, lap after lap, while mitigating risk. Each one builds on the next, creating a loop of continual improvement. The best don’t just push harder and hope for success. Every action is deliberate, with a specific plan for every inch of the racetrack.

How do I know this works? Decades of classroom and track time, tens of thousands of laps with students, and daily debriefs with my instructors—constant evaluations predicated on both subjective feel and objective data. The results speak for themselves: Not only do lap times improve, but understanding, precision, and safety go through the roof. Students have a clear path forward.

Let’s look at some of the common catchphrases, and how I’ve unpacked them through years of riding, coaching, and analysis to create clear, actionable methodology:

1. Lines = vehicle placement

2. Eyes up, look ahead = vision and focus

3. Smooth equals fast = motor controls

4. Trailbraking = brake adjustability

5. Turn faster = turn-in point and turn-in rate

6. Body position = body position and body timing

I call this “the order of the sport,” and it isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about understanding what’s really holding you back and finding a solution. Each piece connects to the next, pointing you toward progress. So, the next time you hear, “Your line in Turn 6 needs work,” don’t just nod. Ask why, what it’s costing you, how to fix it, and how fixing it will move you forward.

About Ken Hill

Ken Hill is considered the top motorcycle riding coach in the U.S. He bought his first motorcycle at age 30 and began road racing the very same year. Despite the late start, Ken went on to set track records and win class championships before making his professional debut in the AMA Superbike class, where he finished in the top 10 at age 41. Ken’s passion for learning and, ultimately, bettering the sport, led him to retire from racing in 2007 and devote himself full-time to coaching. Learn more at khcoaching.com.

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There I was, sitting on a 2009 Yamaha FZ1 at the start/finish line of Miller Motorsports Park, now known as Utah Motorsports Campus. The naked liter-class inline-four had less than 2 miles showing on the odometer. I was staged alongside journalist and fellow racer Nick Ienatsch, who also was astride a fresh FZ1. We were both nervous, and it showed.

Let me set the scene: We were about to launch the newly formed Yamaha Champions Riding School in front of tens of thousands of rabid WorldSBK race fans. Neither of us had ridden these bikes, which were completely stock, down to the tires. On top of all that, we were both carrying passengers. There was no time for a warm-up lap and zero room for error.

By the third turn, Nick and I were inches apart, swapping positions, scraping footpegs, and laughing inside our helmets. The FZ1 felt incredible. I was instantly hooked, and the bike quickly became one of my favorites. During the past 16 years, I’ve logged more than 50,000 track miles on FZ1s. In fact, I still have a super-clean 2012 model in my garage.

For many years, the FZ1 was my definition of a “do-it-all” motorcycle. It was a total pack mule, in that it could handle an insane level of racetrack mileage, carry a passenger with ease, deliver bulletproof engine reliability, and even crawl around the circuit at parade pace, yet still rip off a fast lap at near-pro-level speed.

Over the past couple of decades, I’ve ridden and tested nearly every naked bike manufactured, including a three-year stint on a mildly modified Yamaha FZ-10. My testing window is admittedly extreme, but that has given me a sharp sense of what works and what doesn’t, when it comes to a track-focused, all-around motorcycle.

So, when Honda released the 2025 CB1000 Hornet SP, I couldn’t wait to throw a leg over it. Thanks to Nate Phipps at 2 Wheel DynoWorks, I got my chance: two full days of lapping at the Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, during a Ken Hill Motorsports Fundamentals Masterclass. On paper, the Honda checked every box, so I was more than ready.

My history with the FZ1 (and FZ-10) shaped how I judge every naked bike that has followed in its wheel tracks. The Yamaha is the standard for reliability, versatility, and the ability to deliver both fun and outright performance. I wasn’t merely curious about Honda’s latest effort; I was measuring it against years of testing and teaching on bikes that earned my trust the hard way.

The Hornet SP that Nate supplied is owned by 2 Wheel DynoWorks and used to produce and hone its ECU tuning, along with various intake and exhaust upgrades. For my first outing, the bike featured a soon-to-be-released ECU tune, a complete Dominator exhaust, and a fresh set of Michelin Power Cup 2 tires. Oh, and handlebar risers; Nate is 6-foot 9, a foot taller than I am.

I rode the Hornet exclusively during the masterclass school at the Ridge. The curriculum is based around alternating 40-minute classroom and riding sessions, guaranteeing a lot of time on the bike in every imaginable scenario, along with the opportunity to dial in the chassis and suspension to my personal preferences.

Enough backstory. Let’s ride.

Other than setting the tire pressures, I left the bike 100% stock, with the suspension set as it was delivered from the factory and the electronics in “Sport” mode.

First impressions:

• Brakes have little-to-no initial bite, and ABS was active even at a relaxed pace

• Chassis is incredibly nimble, quick steering with good stability

• Engine is quick-revving, pulls hard to the rev-limiter, and is really playful

• Bike feels wide when you first sit on it, but that feeling disappears as you ride

• Riser-equipped handlebars are tall but easy to get used to after a few laps

• Suspension is soft, soft, soft, even at a slower track pace, with little feel or support

• Quickshifter suffers from too much delay, but auto blip is great

I spent the rest of the first morning and afternoon stiffening the fork and shock, concentrating on building support under braking and acceleration. Once I had a decent feeling, I worked on the geometry to bring back feel and stability.

What I felt and changed:

Fork: Straight off the showroom floor, the Hornet’s 41mm Showa SFF-BP fork is very soft and lacks any sort of control at track speeds. I added more spring preload, as well as compression and rebound damping. By the end of the first day of testing, preload was nearly maxed-out, along with compression.

Adding enough rebound to control how quickly the fork bounced back after initial brake release created issues elsewhere on the track. For example, the front tire began to tuck when I picked up the throttle, and I discovered newfound instability over rises. I never quite found a happy medium.

Shock: Starting with the factory setting, the Öhlins-manufactured remote-reservoir shock lacked high-speed damping control and was upset by quick directional changes. I added one turn of preload, but to get the support I wanted, I had to increase compression and rebound beyond the usual envelope of a higher-end TTX shock.

While this change worked to a degree, it also required deliberate and smooth steering inputs. Once the shock blew though its stroke, though, the chassis was prone to aggressive oscillations.

Geometry: I raised the fork 4mm to take weight off the front and increase trail for more stability. This, combined with the stiffer fork setting, let me brake harder and later. I went faster, but the sensitive ABS intervention reared its head even worse with the deeper corner entries. Everything is a compromise, especially at the racetrack.

Day 1 impressions:

I love this engine. Whatever 2 Wheel DynoWorks did to the ECU for wide-open performance is fantastic. The 1000cc inline-four revs eagerly and pulls cleanly to redline—lap after lap. Is it crazy fast? No. But is it fun fast? Hell, yes.

I would have preferred slightly softer initial throttle mapping, specifically 2 to 15% (which 2 Wheel DynoWorks has since addressed). The flip side is the clean way in which the engine responds at mid-to-high rpm. It’s a real joy to use, even if this was only the first track outing for the beta ECU tune. You can’t wait to grab gears.

After I tweaked the fork and shock, the chassis was working well enough that I quickly began to run short of cornering clearance. Whenever I attempted to up the pace, the toes of my boots and the ends of the footpegs ground into the pavement.

I used the dash menu to adjust the quickshifter and engine braking. From what I can tell, the quickshifter works through effort, not time. I also bumped up engine braking. That change was more subtle, but I felt a difference. Early on, I completely turned off traction control.

While powerful, the brakes have little initial bite. ABS, however, is the main issue. The chassis is begging to get into corners deep, but immediate and intrusive ABS intervention spoils the show. And no, you can’t turn it off or remove a fuse.

In fact, the issue was so severe that sometimes when I went to the brakes and built pressure the ABS came in so hard that the bike would shoot forward. Then, the brakes were reapplied hard enough that the rear wheel came off the ground. Yikes…

Once the shock was properly loaded, mechanical grip exiting corners was excellent. Similarly, with the modifications to the fork, the front tire offered great feedback from turn-in all the way to the slow point of the corner.

Day 2 impressions:

Day 2 was dedicated to fine tuning. I tried a few more suspension tweaks but ended up at the same place. Other changes caused a front-to-rear imbalance or a small improvement in one area that made the bike worse in others. I also worked on different braking applications to avoid engaging the ABS during corner entry, but the inconsistencies remained unnerving.

Over two days at the Ridge, the Hornet endured more than 15 two-up rides at a “learning pace,” a few quick laps with fellow track-day instructor Mark Price on his very quick 2 Wheel DynoWorks Triumph Speed Triple, as well as a full-bore throwdown at the end of Day 1 chasing a personal-best lap time.

What would I change?

Brakes: The ABS has to go. There is lap time lost not only in performance but confidence. I would also spec a proper, track-specific brake-pad compound.

Rearsets: Cornering clearance was second in line for my brain space, right after the ABS. Much higher entry and mid-corner speeds are achievable with additional clearance.

Remove the handlebar risers: Sorry, Nate! Yeah, I know the bike doesn't come with those risers, and the difference wasn’t terrible, but I want a lower riding position.

Suspension: The fork isn't too bad, but the shock has serious issues. I would look into rebuilding and revalving the shock for more comfort and control.

Engine: This may come as a surprise, but I would leave it alone, at least in this configuration. OK, I wouldn’t complain if there were 5-to-10 more horsepower, but it doesn’t really need it. Nate’s tuning work paid off.

Chassis: I probably wouldn’t change anything. I absolutely love the way the Honda turns. It is effortless, with a ton of feedback.

Gearing: For the Ridge, given how well the tuned, quick-revving engine runs, I probably would take a tooth off the rear sprocket to extend second and third gear.

Wrap it up:

I realize this is a different type of test. I’m not delving into brake-caliper piston dimensions or the number of available USB ports. You probably have a better idea of those specs than I do. Rather, this is about my experience in a very narrow and extreme environment.

Overall, I like the Honda. It has great potential to be a very quick and comfortable track bike. Compared to my trusty FZ1, it’s 3 seconds per lap slower. But that’s after thousands of laps on the FZ1 at its absolute peak. The CB1000 is still waiting to be unleashed.

Would I buy one? The short answer is, yes. The FZ1 I rode for comparison had no electronics, no quickshifter, and was stock except for a slip-on muffler and Dunlop Sportmax Q3s. If I had ridden the CB1000 in that configuration, it would have gotten punched in the face.

You can’t blame Honda for having to meet tougher emissions and noise regulations, but to match the FZ1 in stock form will take some simple modifications. Ultimately, though, there is a better overall package waiting to tackle whatever is thrown at it.

Watch the accompanying video where I break down the timed laps between the Honda CB1000 Hornet SP and a Yamaha FZ1.

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About Ken Hill

Ken Hill is considered the top motorcycle riding coach in the U.S. He bought his first motorcycle at age 30 and began road racing the very same year. Despite the late start, Ken went on to set track records and win class championships before making his professional debut in the AMA Superbike class, where he finished in the top 10 at age 41. Ken’s passion for learning and, ultimately, bettering the sport, led him to retire from racing in 2007 and devote himself full-time to coaching. Learn more at khcoaching.com.

The best understand that real progress comes one step at a time, constructed through a personal feedback loop, a process that moves you forward by focusing on one detail at a time, one lap at a time. Let’s start building your own feedback loop.

Starting Your Own Feedback Loop

1. Set clear goals: Define one or two specific objectives before you roll out of the pits, such as improving brake release or consistently nailing apexes.

2. Write it down: Update your feedback-loop checklist before and after every track session while the information is fresh in your mind.

3. Stay focused: Keep your mind on preset goals, with actionable report cards. Avoid chasing a lap time; improvements will come from working on your goals. 

4. Complete a report card: Score key fundamentals (e.g., vehicle placement, vision, brake adjustability) using a scale of 1 to 5 with 0.25 increments for precision.

5. Review and adjust: Use the data from your feedback checklist (below) and report card to fine-tune your goals, creating a continuous improvement cycle.

About Ken Hill

Ken Hill is considered the top motorcycle riding coach in the U.S. He bought his first motorcycle at age 30 and began road racing the very same year. Despite the late start, Ken went on to set track records and win class championships before making his professional debut in the AMA Superbike class, where he finished in the top 10 at age 41. Ken’s passion for learning and, ultimately, bettering the sport, led him to retire from racing in 2007 and devote himself full-time to coaching. Learn more at khcoaching.com.