Wednesday, July 15, 2009

MORIWAKI, LESS TALKIE...

The little Moriwaki MD250H might be the Perfect Cornering Tool for Keith Code’s Cornering School.



Word on the street was Honda had an MD test unit lying around the warehouse. I had an in with the California Superbike School, and for once it’s not all about me. It’s about my 15-year old man child itching to step up from his already-outgrown Suzuki RM85 supermoto bike. He fits the MD too, even though he’s suddenly a bit taller than I am, at around 5’8” and growing. Why not have him do double guinea pig duty, testing both the Moriwaki and the California Superbike School’s Level 1 program?



Naturally we rolled our eyeballs a little at the thought of old pro’s like ourselves having to be instructed by a guy who’s only written three books on roadracing and runs schools in like 20 countries, but the first riding session on the little Moriwaki—with its too-soft suspension and instant reactions—convinced my child it would be a good idea to pay close attention. Throttle Control is Lesson One at California Superbike School. Keep the Moriwaki’s little motor purring along and it’ll carve up the Streets of Willow like few other motorcycles. Be jerky with the gas, and you can run off the inside of the turn if you’re not careful. The Moriwaki is the perfect trainer for Keith Code’s “no-brakes” drill too. Instead of rushing up to the corner and panic-braking too much, like what goes on at many track days, the no-brakes drill has the opposite effect of raising cornering speed. With about 99 percent of its design brief being cornering, the MD250H couldn’t be a better fit for the Code curriculum. Another early lesson is the need to Relax and let the bike do what it’s built to do: The little Moriwaki reacts to every twitch and seems to actually monitor sphincter tension. Like all motorcycles but even more so, it goes best when governed least.




After lunch the lessons continued and my spawn continued to go visibly faster/smoother as his teen worldview segued from whatever, into what-do-I-have-to-do to do this again? Code’s patented two-step method says look for your tun-in point (a yellow X marks the spot), then for your apex. Simple and effective.



Code’s school is pricey compared to a track day, but student/teacher ratio is off the charts at just three students per (highly trained and carefully chosen) coach (the ratio is 2:1 at two-day camps), and if Levels 2 through 4 are as effective as Level 1, I understand why the CSS has so many loyal followers. And I understand why so many of them are kids--most of whom are the best little roadracers in America.


As for the Moriwaki, what a great little training tool for the spoiled little bas, er, kid who has everything (or a fun trackday ride if you’re a smallish adult), and maybe even a good investment if one of the things the kid has is great speed: Honda is serving up a $110,000 contingency program for an 11-race series for the little bikes in the USGPRU (usgpru.net) this year. That’s $2 K for a win! And another $200 if you’re rolling on Bridgestones or Dunlops. What a fine thing for America’s youth, lessons in racing and free enterprise all rolled into one. Why not pick up a couple of Moriwakis today? At selected Honda dealers for just $11,699 each.