Motovudu - Dark Art Of Performance

THE BEST TRACK DVD by far I have ever seen.Covering so many things, that all seem so simple and effortless - when the GP guys make it look like it's so easy and effortless.But, the reality is - they all know to the millisecond what, where and how they are doing the things they do - to make the bike do it's thing.I've done a few track days and courses, and by the time you get the hang of it...it's all over...If I'd have done another 5 laps or so - I probably would have crashed. The Race Schools etc know when to stop you from getting big headed - and falling.Simon Crafar was in with the likes of Doohan, McCoy and Biaggi along with all the names in GP500....no Rossi etc.He was on Big bang engined bikes, 500cc two strokes...with tyres of various manufacturers and an open field.Not as closed in some ways as it is today. Simon managed to win on bikes that regularly used to spit off very accomplished and skilled UK bike riders...Terry Rymer and a host of Brits. Simon admits he learned the hard way - so we don't have to.Myth-busters: Wow - so much against all we road riders are taught, trained and use on a daily basis. But this is the track, and Simon does an excellent job of conveying what he does, why and when...it makes total sense.Doing it in reality - is another matter...A novice like me has his brain overwhelmed by what's going on, the speed, the doing things against all you've learnt - ever. Things that have kept you alive on the road....are all wrong for track riding.The idea of really loading up the front tyre as you go into a bend, whilst braking is alien to the road teaching...lose your speed on the straight, be in the right gear, and slight throttle to get you through the turn, then accelerate once you are upright and on the straight.Simon explains it so well that you think it can't be that hard to do....but the fact is - he covers so many things, that you can watch this DVD again and again, and I bet only 10% will sink in....but it's for track use.How much of our time are we on a track?For me, it's an excellent DVD, from a been there and done that rider, who has no ego or edge to him. If we could all go round a track with him alone for a day, we'd learn to much to put into use...we couldn't cope with it all.Imagine a fighter pilot saying, "Do this, don't forget that and push hard and go faster, faster and push it all WAY beyond where you are comfortable"...our heads would blow up...well before we even got near what the plane could do....it's not our World.Simon does a good job of getting over what he is doing - why and when NOT to go like a looney."It's not who gets on the gas first, but who gets on FULL gas first"...so true, but so hard to do in real life.He's on about the throttle pinned to the stop, all the time...then brake very hard, whilst turning in relatively straight...keep the bike uprightish, then lean your top half of your body over - to steal a few metres....I know my brain automatically puts the brakes on - before I do nearly all of that - or any of it.It's so alien to a road rider, but when he goes on a track, you suddenly learn that you don't really know HOW to ride a bike HARD....You've never needed to.Simon is very unassuming, he misses out all the decades of finishing nowhere, being 12th...6th...we never notice that.Take it from me, that anyone who has been at that level - is a bloody God on two wheels, even more so if they stay on the thing and learn to get better on it. Some MOTO GP qualifying times have the top 10 riders separated by less than 0.8 of a second.Rossi nowadays is not so dominant...you telling me he can't ride?They are all so bloody good at what they do - because they have studied it, "Why did I crash?" Tyres, set up, pushing too hard?They analyse everything - to become better at it.Simon Crafar is very good at explaining. When you see his on-board footage you think, "Yeah, good - bet I could do that a bit on track"You can't - don't even think you can ride a bike...we can all go quick in a straight line for a while, then brake etc...these blokes brake HARD, carry the speed - no throttle, lent over more than your brain says is OK...then hammer that throttle as soon as they get halfway to vertical....we can't do it.A great DVD, the feature about all the family and dirt bike stuff is a nice insight into someone who has been at the very top - where do you go from there?...except downwards...it must be the saddest thing, but Biaggi has just done it, Doohan did, Schwantz did ...they all have to someday.Simon has put something back in.I've never seen Mick Doohan explaining why he dominated for ages...oh no, he becomes an adviser to some young kid coming up called Marquez...Rossi has has cards marked an he knows it.Simon Crafar was in this game when it was very brutal, Doohan ended his career with a nasty crash - again...so if they tell you to do this and that on track - yet you saw them last week lose the front and go into a wall at 120 MPH - of course you remember all that - and your own brain says,"Slow down you idiot - you know you shouldn't and can't do this!"...yet they all do it week in, week out.I conclude that any racer of any good level, is different to all the road riders out there - full stop.Crafar has been at the pinnacle, been there - ouch!!! etc.As he says, the top level blokes wouldn't share their knowledge or secrets with him...so how the hell do you learn?It's as if,"We won't tell him this, or that...he'll crash out, and we'll keep our factory ride = dollars for another few years"Simon says it's easier to change the rider than the tyres...says it all.Great DVD if you are ever serious about going into the Dark Arts of Racing...it really is Voodoo (VuDu) to the rest of us, so alien to what our heads will cope with.Well made, well shot and Neevesy too, a great Kiwi / British film.Easily 10 out of 10...it's like he's only just scratched the surface of what he knows.Superb.

This is a sound guide to riding on track. Simon Crafar describes the techniques required to lap at speed well. The supporting video footage & graphics are good too. However, given clarity is most important when giving instructions, some of the terms & explanations Crafar uses are open to misinterpretation: when talking about braking for a corner, he describes stopping the bike when he means slowing [the supporting graphics do explain this though he would have been better off using 'slowing' to start with]; some of the chapter summaries lack punctuation so the points made run into each other; Crafar talks about 'cracking open' the throttle the meaning of which is not made entirely clear [it might be Antipodean English gives this term a different meaning to that used in the UK]. Nevertheless, if he hadn't been a professional racer, Crafar would have done well as a school teacher: he has a way of expressing himself that engages the viewer's attention fully. With an open mind*, it's impossible to come away from watching this DVD without having an enlightened approach.*having ridden dirt bikes & used some of the techniques on the road, the idea of cornering on a closed throttle takes some getting used to...

loved it. so much to take in. ive watch it so many time. started watching it the night before a track day now. just dont tell your mate you ride with :) dont want them to work out how you found that extra speed lol

This DVD is extremely good. It totally rips twist of the wrist to shreds.It's a very good instructional DVD for riders of a moderate to fast riding experience and very good camera angles. Can't see anyone beating this. There's loads of good advice on tap.Definatelt money well spent !!!!

Excellent book & DVD that have helped me knock seconds off my lap times on track. Seriously considering paying for on track tuition with the Motovudu team.

Amazing . Bit short but so good. Does what it says on the tin and a great help. I watch it every month and some how you still hear new stuff love it

easy to understand, I have the book and just wanted to add to it. looking forward to putting into practice.

A common sense approach to going fast you want to go fast at the track buy this dvd.