Hobbies - Motorcycle Diaries

Mastering the Rules of the Road

By George Carvalho

Pushing a motorcycle to 140 mph on the straightaway section of a track demands an incredible amount of concentration. At that speed, any mistake is a huge mistake. Kevin Nekimken and Jamie Keating know this. For them, these challenges are part of the thrill. Their need for speed, though, extends beyond simply going fast. Complete mastery of a difficult and unforgiving sport is their goal--that and having a whole lotta fun.

To improve their street-riding skills, Nekimken and Keating enrolled in Reg Pridmore's CLASS Motorcycle Schools at Infineon Raceway (formerly Sears Point Raceway) in Sonoma and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey. After obtaining expert instruction, they had the confidence to attend open track days at Buttonwillow Raceway Park near Bakersfield.

The two Alameda residents met at the Emma Hood Swim Center where they both swim laps with the Alameda Aquatic Masters. Swimming is part of their triathlon training regimen. Their determination to excel as triathletes helps them tackle back-toback 250-mile days on their motorcycles at the track. Nekimken, 30, is a commercial diver with the Port of Oakland. Keating, 35, is an asset manager whose dream of bringing European-style go-kart racing to San Jose is almost complete.

Seen side-by-side, they could be brothers. Both are tall and whippet thin with buzz cuts. Both are highly competitive. Nekimken is actually the faster rider of the two, but Keating is determined to catch up. He insists that Nekimken's lead is vulnerable and "not gonna last long."

California's Leading Advanced Safety School, or CLASS, is designed for motorcycle riders who are comfortable at freeway speeds. The school offers one-day training seminars with expert instruction in a controlled environment that's free of oncoming traffic, potholes and cell phones.

A fierce competitor in his day, Britishborn Pridmore is a three-time American Motorcyclist Association Superbike champion. Now 67, he's technically retired, but even so, he's got a lucrative sponsorship deal with Honda, and he is busy celebrating the 20th anniversary of CLASS. From March through November 2006, Pridmore has organized 25 seminars in six states. Students spend half their day in a classroom and the other half riding.

The classroom instruction emphasizes becoming a smoother, safer and more confident rider. Smoothness refers to throttle, brake and body position technique. At high speed, a light touch and small methodical adjustments are best. "Herky-jerkiness on a motorcycle can get you really messed up," says Keating. The trick is being smooth if you're suddenly consumed with panic.

Being on a track for the first time can seem daunting. This is normal, and Pridmore makes it clear that turning in lightning-fast lap times is not part of his curriculum. The first thing students do is ride around the track together to learn the curves. This also helps warm up both their tires and the track. Later, instructors follow behind individual students and then pull them over to critique what they observed.

At high speeds the rider, motorcycle and track become one. Nekimken loves this feeling, and he's become totally addicted. In fact, his girlfriend, Meagan Schumacher, 29, readily volunteers, "He's the definition of an adrenaline junkie." This is not a cheap hobby. Nekimken's 2002 Suzuki GSX-R1000 cost $11,000. Then there's full-body protective riding gear with armor, after-market accessories like carbon fiber silencers and $6-a-gallon high-octane racing gasoline. One day at CLASS costs $395 plus $300 worth of new tires. Fortunately, he can do his own wrenching, and doing the maintenance himself saves him a bundle.

Over the years, Pridmore has received thousands of thank you letters from his students. Quite a few have written to say that the skills he taught them saved their lives. Driven to reach an even bigger audience, he co-wrote Smooth Riding the Pridmore Way with Geoff Drake, a book outlining the same riding philosophy espoused by his CLASS motorcycle schools. Motorcycles, Pridmore maintains, are akin to a loaded gun. They require proper training and hours of practice. Respect and a clear head are essential in motorcycle riding.

Keating started out at age 6 with a dirt bike, and he still enjoys that. He got his first street bike in May 2005. Currently, Nekimken and Keating are kicking around the idea of participating in amateur races with the American Federation of Motorcyclists. However, Keating has a wife, three kids and a life insurance policy whose fine print says motorcycle racing is verboten. Nevertheless, he's quietly pushing ahead and confident as always that the details can be worked out.

In the meantime, Nekimken and Keating have forged what could well be a lifelong friendship. And in the end, whether or not they ever win a motorcycle race, that's a wonderful prize in and of itself.