Keith Code is one of the foremost motorcycle educators for the past three decades. He operators his legendary motorcycle school; California Superbike School throughout United States and I have a dream of attending this school in the future. For now though, Keith Code’s book “A Twist of the Wrist Volume 2” is my gateway drug to high-performance motorcycle riding. Summarizing the book is to think of motorcycling in a varied of aspects. Keith writes about throttle control, vision, cornering, braking, and ends with a quick chapter on racing. Not street racing but racing in a controlled environment like a track. This is where I desire to be in a few years, racing my motorcycle around a track. Again, another dream but I feel to fully evolve into the best motorcyclist I can be, I must try the track at least once in my life.
Each chapter within A Twist of the Wrist builds upon the previous. Concepts and exercises are written in a way that didn’t really go over my head. I did re-read a few ideas related to throttle control and vision just to fully grasp the point while reading and taking notes. What is so fun about reading a wonderful motorcycle book like Keith’s is that you get to take the knowledge you learn and apply it directly to your riding experience. A few hours of practicing turning points, I began to feel much more confident in taking corners quicker, smoother, and safer. This I tribute to a great teacher like Keith. I will be honest, that by the end of the book, I had experience brain overload LOL. If there is one short coming of the book, is the graphics. The graphics in the book are a bit dated, but if you can get past the cosmetic shortcomings, the ideas Keith teaches you are very paramount to successfully operating a motorcycle.
One of the things I was a bit unsure about before reading A Twist of the Wrist, was if the racing techniques Keith teaches would help me, a street rider. After the introduction, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the racing techniques apply brilliantly to the street. Of course high speed turns are not something I am comfortable with doing on public roads, but the understanding of how to approach a turn, identify turning points, lean the bike over, and complete a turn smoothly with effective throttle control are very important. One of my favorite sections within the book is $10 attention. Within this idea of $10 attention, Keith writes how you start with $10 of attention while riding, and distractions either physical of mental, begin to deduct from your $10. You don’t want to go bankrupted while riding, so it’s important to stay focused on the road, what is happening in front of you, and keeping your bank full.
I really enjoyed the chapter on Vision. I didn’t really understand how important “seeing” your environment physically, and subconsciously, was while riding. I tend to have the habit of looking at everything while riding. This is not effective or safe while riding. Allowing my mind to “see” and my eyes to stay focus on the road ahead is a wonderful method Keith teaches about. Oddly enough, putting Keith’s vision technique to test the last few of my rides, I soon became more relaxed, and focused. Mental fatigue was greatly reduced and I enjoyed my ride even more. It really comes down to trusting yourself on your bike.
A Twist of the Wrist Volume 2 is wonderful! I highly recommended it to all riders. There is something so satisfying with seating down to read a motorcycle book and learning new techniques to help you grow as a motorcyclist. Get your copy today and maybe one day, I will see you at California Superbike School.
Rolf