Episode 034: What I am Learning about Motorcycle Gear for Road and Track

In this episode I have a really cool chat with Robby Cichielo Jr, in which we discuss how he got into motorcycling, why he prefers riding on the track, and the amazing experiences he has had as an endurance racer, as a racer in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup Series, and as an instructor and coach for N2 Track Days. We also talk about how motorcycles are the great equalizer and how motorcycling brings people together from all kinds of backgrounds and all walks of life. The shared love of motorcycles and motorcycling seems to know no boundaries and melts away differences in gender, race, religion, nationality, economics and the other things that sometimes put up barriers between people. In a nutshell, when true motorcyclists put on their gear and throw a leg over their bike, they are all very much of the same heart and spirit, and they all share a very special bond, one with another.

We talk about Robby's experience riding motorcycles, including starting on a Suzuki SV650 at age 14, about 13 years ago. He had a Suzuki GSX-R for a while and eventually bought back his original SV650, which then led to getting started racing in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup Series. We go over how Twins Cup is very much a builder series and how riders and mechanics take bikes like the SV650 and other street bikes which are really designed and intended to be daily commuters and turn them into race machines with souped-up motors and more torque.

We also talk about how Robby had to learn how to race the SV650, as it's not a pure race bike and requires a slightly different technique. And we talk about Robby's experience in endurance racing as a member of the 4 Dudes on a Twin race team.

I also mention that now that I have read quite a few books about motorcycles and riding technique, I decided it is time to put my understanding to the test and see how well I can apply what I've learned. That's why I want to start riding on the track, and why I recently signed up for the 2-Day Camp with California Superbike School at New Jersey Motorsports Park in May 2020.

Robby talks about the fact that often it is easier to teach less experienced street riders good riding technique on the track, as they haven't developed a lot of bad habits that can be hard to get people to break. He sometimes runs into "beginner techniques" that are taught in some basic rider training classes that then have to be unlearned. On the same theme, we talk about how strider bikes have been a great improvement over the bicycles with training wheels that many of us had when we learned to ride on two wheels, as strider bikes are two wheel vehicles and behave like two wheel vehicles, so kids learn balance and counter-steering. Whereas tricycles and bicycles with training wheels behave differently and don't teach the skills needed to ride a two wheeled vehicle.

Robby and I also touch upon how buying and owning good, quality riding or track gear is an investment in yourself!

Episode Links

• Robby Cichielo Jr. on Facebook
• Robby Cichielo Jr. on Instagram
• N2 Track Days
• N2 Track Days Takes Over NESBA Track Event Operations
• NESBA - done. N2 track days taking over operations
• MotoAmerica
• MotoAmerica Twins Cup
• Episode 023: MotoAmerica Twins Cup Racer Chris Bays
• Episode 025: MotoAmerica Superbike Racer Kyle Wyman
• Suzuki SV650
• Robem Engineering
• RBoM Racing on Facebook
• 4 Dudes on a Twin on Facebook
• Steve Wilson on Facebook
• Fowl Play Racing on Instagram
• Championship Cup Series - CCSRacing
• California Superbike School