Media Participation/Photo Op
August 24, 2000

BACK SEAT NO LONGER – WOMEN LEARN CONFIDENCE AND CONTROL AT THE CALIFORNIA SUPERBIKE SCHOOL

First-time Ever Women Only CSS Motorcycle Class Takes Place September 10 at Willow Springs Road Course, in Rosamont, California

(Los Angeles, CA) According to statistics from a 1998 Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) owner survey, 1 in 12 motorcycle owners in the United States are women. This number will continue to grow. Per the MIC survey, women were responsible for the purchase of almost one-quarter of the new bikes sold in 1998. Women have found a new social barrier to conquer – in this case, jumping from the back seat to the front seat of the motorcycle. Now, for the first time ever, California Superbike School is offering a one-day women-only motorcycle school filled with award winning techniques and on the track practical experience, Sunday, September 10th at the new Willow Springs Road Course in Rosamont, California.

“Although there are many women riders who have been riding as long as men, there’s a new fast-growing group of women who want to experience the thrill of the open road, and the speed and freedom that only a motorcycle provides,” says Keith Code, Founder and Technical Director of the California Superbike School, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. “Most women want to be as confident on the road as they are in life. We find that a lot of women riders are quickly catching up with males as far as riding technique, cornering and performance. There’s a tremendous desire to cover all that lost ground as quickly as possible.”

Why are more women riding motorcycles? In response to the question, “Why do you ride a motorcycle?” in an American Motorcyclist Association study, one woman respondent answered: “It is an excellent release valve from stress and everyday anxieties. There is no better activity in the world.”

Whether you want to relieve stress or enjoy the sheer exhilaration of riding a motorcycle, it is easy to avoid mishaps by learning the basics. One of the ways to quickly improve riding skills and techniques has been to enroll in one of the many state-run rider training courses currently operating about the country. But many times, women have been intimidated by, or simply unwilling to deal with, the prospect of being the only woman in the advanced training courses. Now there is an alternative learning option. The California Superbike School, in conjunction with Mota, LLC, Motorbike Gear for Women®, is providing women with something long overdue – their own class – to teach them how to ride and corner like pro’s.

Having spent 20 years setting the standard for advanced motorcycle rider training, riding guru and technical expert Keith Code finds his services in considerable demand. Code has been teaching his motorcycle techniques to professional racers, recreational riders and people of all ages and backgrounds who have the desire to improve their motorcycle riding skills. With the surge of women riders taking their place on the highways and on the track, Code couldn’t help but recognize the need for an “all women” class.

“My overall approach to rider improvement isn’t hard, and certainly works just as well for women as for men.” says Code, “Just simplify the actions of riding by defining the basics, and by investigating the decisions you must make to ride well. Additionally, one needs to apply these techniques under expert supervision to gain experience and confidence they can take out onto the roadways.”

The quality and excellence of Keith’s tutelage is shown in the sheer number of successful riders he’s graduated. His California Superbike Schools (which now operate around the United States and in Australia and the United Kingdom) have trained more than 50,000 riders and created dozens of champions, more than any other school. The Women’s School will demonstrate a variety of useful biking techniques and be rolling out California Superbike School’s one-of-a-kind braking rig, normally reserved for their semi-private 2 day Camps. Participants will have the option to ride their own bike, or one of the school’s 2000 Kawasaki ZX-6’s, which Code considers to be the best engineered and built brand in the world.

With his proactive, elementary approach to rider training, Code and his staff of expert riding coaches break riding down into its most basic essentials. Riding, to Code, isn’t about talent or pure skill; it’s about achieving a mindset that allows for success, that conquers negativity, and that focuses on one’s own performance, independent of anyone else on the track. Code’s philosophy is easily applied beyond biking to all efforts in life.

Keith Code has been a pioneer in the field of motorcycle training, implementing the first organized, advanced, step by step rider training format. His numerous inventions include the panic-brake trainer and the lean-and-slide training bike. His books include The Soft Science of Roadracing Motorcycles, and A Twist of the Wrist, Volume 1 and 2, and accompanying video. They can be purchased at www.amazon.com.

For more information about Keith Code and the Women Only class, please contact Christie Communications at (805) 969-3744 by phone or christiecomm@thegrid.net by email.

Media are invited to attend for the training and photo opportunities. Availabilities to experience on-track demonstrations for media are on a first-come basis.

For more information about Keith Code, Superbike School, or the instructional books and video, please contact the Superbike School by phone at (323) 224-2734, by e-mail at media@superbikeschool.com or visit the CSS website at www.superbikeschool.com.