CSS Team

Keith Code
Himself

Without the CSS team I'm nowhere. Everyone at the school is there to help riders discover the skills and the real technology of cornering. I cannot think of a better job than directing this fine group of skilled and dedicated riding coaches and staff. My job at the school is really simple, I watch the student's faces, I read their surveys and listen to them. When I discover what students need and want to improve, I research it thoroughly and then provide it. That is a fun job.

For a complete Bio on Keith and a sample of his writings please visit Keith's Corner.

Cobie Fair
Chief Riding Coach World Wide

I might have a different perspective on our training program than some, as my primary job is to oversee the training of all our riding coaches. And there are quite a number of really good riding coaches at the schools, really sharp guys--all of them in fact. But when they go through the training, they just get better, and really without fail, the top guys are the ones with the most training--not necessarily the ones that have been doing it the longest. That is a testimony to me of how good the program is that has been set up by Keith. And the training is tough. If you find a guy with a gold star or 2 on his hat, jacket, or leathers, he'll be pretty confident in his ability to train virtually anyone--and that's a nice position to be in.

Andy Ibbott
UK School Director (Class IV Coach)

I recall reading the Twist books and calling Keith to ask if there were any schools! As a scum bag journo I came to the USA and did Level One at Willow Springs. At the time I was racing in the Supersport 600 class in the UK and although I did the course in November and didn't race again until March the following year the school made a MINIMUM of 4 seconds a lap improvement over the previous year's times. Impressed? Damned straight. Keith was over in the UK that very same year.

Steve Brouggy
Oz School Director (Class IV Coach)

What the in house training has done for me: What have I got from the in-house courses!?! Easy...I have studied and been thoroughly checked out and passed on core tools necessary for instructing and coaching students. This information is not only correct for training motorcycle riders, but due to the nature of the data, is also applicable in all other areas of life.

There is no more guess work in dealing with a student. I am able to observe, evaluate and then lead the student to the correct understanding with speed and efficiency every single time, regardless of their speed, skill or attitude toward riding.

Dylan Code
Riding Coach (Class IV)

Being a coach at the California Superbike School is a very unique profession and I consider myself very lucky to be in the position I am in. I have learned that there is a big difference between just being a good rider and a good riding coach. Despite having racing experience and many laps around many tracks, I did not have the skill to train others. The coach training I have received has been very demanding and in many ways is more challenging than just going fast. Now I am at a point where I can take a rider and know with certainty that I can help him to improve. I’m not talking about tips, suggestions, or just "follow me", but applying the coaching data I have learned at the California Superbike School. It is a little known fact that there is the same volume of data on how to be a coach as is in any of Keith’s books.

We give a rider the underlying information on how riding works, have him drill the specific skills that relate to it, and from there on out that rider can understand and resolve the problems he or she faces on the road. The skills apply to the street and track, any age or skill level, any bike.

I work full time in the motorcycle industry and I am proud that my actions as a coach are assisting to forward the sport by making better and more competent riders.

Will Eikenberry
Chief Mechanic

I started out as a real street squid. I had 5 RDs, 250 to a Daytona I kept having to get another when I bent one up too much. In 81 I read a book about riding and found the data I was looking for and I didn't have to crash any more bikes looking for the edge. I found out after I started working for Keith it was Twist Of The Wrist that had fixed My Street riding.

Then as a (fast) street guy I hit the track and found out what fast looked like as I was being passed. Now I knew I had to know more and being around the School doing the drills set out in Twist Of The Wrist II from the drafts got my skills to the point That I was out in National AMA races and able to stay on the lead lap with Pros.

Stuart Smith
Riding Coach (Class IVA)

I'm very proud to be a member of the California Superbike School Riding Coach staff. The Riding Coach-training program is quite extensive. I'm learning a tremendous amount about the art of cornering a motorcycle, diagnosing the problems many riders have, and helping them overcome those barriers. The best thing about undergoing Riding Coach training is that I can help other riders discover for themselves the techniques that Keith teaches at the school and that he has documented so well in his books.

In addition, as a result of my training I have become a much smoother, faster, more confident rider. I've learned how to spot flaws in my own riding and correct them. My lap times and race results attest to this.

Being a Riding Coach with the school is an incredibly rewarding experience. The progress that our students show, after only one or two days at the school, is simply amazing. One rider with 20 years of experience told me recently that he learned more about riding in one day with the school than in all that time on his own. THAT ROCKS!

Misti Hurst
Riding Coach (Class III)

Working with Keith Code and the unique team of riding coaches has been an amazing experience, and a dream come true.

In November 2002 after two years of riding and one year of club racing, my sponsor CLS West, sent me to all four levels of the school for some technical training, and basic ride instruction. Up to that point, I had simply been riding intuitively with no real idea of the how's and why's of riding, or what to do if I found myself in any kind of trouble on the road or the track. The instruction was incredible and my understanding, confidence, speed and control of the motorcycle improved tremendously.

During the 4th level of the school I tried out for the Riding Coach position and was thrilled when I was accepted. The continuous Riding Coach training has been intense but extremely rewarding and I'm learning new things every time I'm out on the track. My ultimate goal in life was to make my passion my job and with this position I feel like I'm living my dream. Not only do I get to ride on amazingly fun tracks and meet interesting new people, I also have the opportunity to help people improve their riding and make discoveries each time they go out on the track.

Jason Paden
Riding Coach (Class III)

I started out at the school not having any idea how to teach someone how to ride a motorcycle. Over the years of moving up through the training levels I have an exact idea of how a motorcycle works and what is involved in getting around the track with confidence and consistency. I am now totally certain about the subject of riding a motorcycle it is easy to spot the problems riders encounter and help them overcome their barriers.

James Toohey
Riding Coach (Class III)

The Superbike School has been a great experience for me. I know this stuff works because every school I do all the drills the students do and every school I get smoother and more confident. Am I faster you ask well one time I didn't race for 3 months just did some schools and the next time I went out I was 2 seconds faster. Riding is alot of fun when you know exactly what your doing right and not doing right and how to correct it.

The best part of all this is that I get to share this technology and my experience with students in a way that literally changes there lives and sometimes saves them too. As good as Keith's riding tech is it wouldn't be possible to deliver it to the students as profoundly as it is without the just as powerful Riding Coach training program. This is one of the most comprehensive trainings I have been through. It really weeds out the not so dedicated.

I am just thrilled to be part of a group so committed to making life a lot faster.

Pete Castanik (Class III)
Deputy Chief Riding Coach

I moved to California back in 2004 with one thing in mind, and that was to find employment doing ANYTHING with a motorcycle. Just a few months after I moved to the west coast I found myself heading out to the east coast with the California Superbike School road crew as the new Course Control Assistant. Before I started working with the school, I thought riding a sport bike was all about wheelies, stoppies, burnouts, and exceeding the legal speed limits by at least 100 mph. One session on the track and I soon found out that there was more, way more. I was hooked on cornering!

For a couple of years I watched bikes go around the track. I witnessed hundreds maybe thousands of students improve their riding, and I wanted in on it. After reading some of Keith's materials and doing a few of the levels, I tried out for a coaching position. I was accepted and the training began. The schools training program is intense—more than any other training/curriculum I've been involved with. Keith's technology on riding, and coaching can only be described accurately with two words: phenomenal and effective. With that being said, there are no two words at all to describe the feeling I get helping our students with their riding. I get really excited when I see my students improve.

Lonnie Etter
Riding Coach (Class III)

I consider it the ultimate privilege to be a Riding Coach for the Superbike School. I started out as a corner worker for the school, moved on to do all the levels of the school and then became a Riding Coach. The instruction I received as a student was invaluable when it came to my riding and the training I have received as a Riding Coach has not only given me the ability to teach but has also made me a better person. Ultimately there is not a much better feeling in the world than helping a student with something in his or her riding that changes it forever.

Andy Burnett
Riding Coach (Class II)

The training we receive as riding coaches has developed my observation, analytical and communication skills. I can spot a student's riding problems accurately and not only get him to understand what he needs to do, but to reliably do it. This puts a smile on everyone's face.

It's transformed my personal riding too. Being able to make the distinctions necessary to spot student riding errors make it possible for me to see my own, where I didn't before. The drills we work on at the school still make a difference in my riding each time I apply them.

Travis Graham
Riding Coach (Class II)

Training to be a Riding Coach has taught me how to best communicate with someone when they do not understand something. It has always taught to help someone, you tell them what to do and watch them do it. When you do this you usually have to tell them 3-4 times how to do it or sometimes they may never understand what is needed. It becomes very apparent that if you give someone the data and then guide them with the right questions they will teach themselves.

The second thing that the school has helped me with is my own riding. I had just started my second year of racing when I tried out to be a Riding Coach. I was mid-pack and slowly moving forward but not at the pace I wanted and I was unsure how to get faster. By training to be a Riding Coach and helping my students to realize what is needed to ride better I also recognized what I needed to make my riding better. With this information I quickly moved to the front and won my class championship. There is nothing better than having your fellow racers come up and ask "Where did you learn to ride like that?".

Mike Smith
Riding Coach (Class II)

I took the school in '89 after only having 3-4 months on a street bike. The experience gave me the confidence to start racing in '90 and I remember struggling with turning in early (low lining). I was a corner worker for the school at the time and I had asked Keith for some help; he gave me a simple thing to work on and my lap times dropped straight away! Race wins and Championships followed in the next few years, even got to the point of beeing competitive in AMA events. Around that time Cobie asked me if I would like to be a riding coach, I was working at course control at the time. I've been a coach for about 12 years now and the thing I get the most out of working at the school is the 100's and 100's of smiling faces on the students we've helped. Nothing is more satisfying to me then when a student gets more confidence in an area they've been struggling with. I'm very proud to know that when students leave our school they will have a much more enjoyable and safer riding experience, this is my mission.

Mike Isbill
Riding Coach (Class II)

The California Superbike School showed me that riding a motorcycle really is about a finite set of variables that, for the most part, can be controlled by the rider given an appropriate level of understanding. This knowledge took so much of the fear and indecision out of my riding and replaced it with a curious mind, intent on finding the causes within myself for the riding barriers I saw in front of me.

With this approach, I was able to improve my riding enough to be asked to try out as a coach. I was extremely surprised and flattered when I was accepted. Joining this group of amazingly talented individuals has been a humbling, challenging, and extremely rewarding experience. The training to join their ranks is as intense and thorough as anything I saw in my time as a military officer. But, seeing the massive improvements and the huge smiles on the students’ faces has made the long hours in the books worth it. This really is a dream for me.

Mike Pesicka
Riding Coach (Class II)

I first came across the school after only 3-4 months of riding. At the time all I could do was daydream and think of how cool it must be to ride around on a racetrack for your job. After doing some racing and reading the Twist books I thought it would be awesome to try and get involved at the school. I contacted Cobie and was stoked when he invited me for a tryout. Some months later and after countless hours of extensive training, I’m proud to say I’m a coach for the California Superbike School.

As all the others have said (and not without reason!) my riding has drastically improved and I have become a much more confident and capable rider. It is extremely rewarding to be able to help teach these skills to students. Watching students make huge gains in their abilities and seeing their smiles after a great day never gets old. Oh, and doing all of this on a racetrack isn’t so bad either. Hope to see you out there!

Jon Groom
Riding Coach (Class II)

When I decided to get back into motorcycle riding after a very long break, I wanted to make sure that I had the best possible training to ride fast, but to also know what I was doing. I researched a lot of schools and settled on the California Superbike School as they seemed to have the most thorough, complete and technologically advanced training process; I was not disappointed!

Having done all the student levels and the race school, my riding had improved beyond anything I thought possible, to a point where I was invited to try out as a coach. Having successfully raced and instructed in other disciplines, it was clear to me that there was no better place or higher quality program where I would have the opportunity to pass on to others  some of  what I have learned. I soon found out that the road to being a coach at the Superbike School is long, tough, challenging but really rewarding, and there’s nothing more rewarding than actually being able to help other people improve their own riding.

The bonus for me is that everyone at the school is friendly, helpful and just plain cool, so it’s a great place to hang out too!

Kristi Martel
Riding Coach (Class II)

To me, there’s no truer testament to the effectiveness of Keith Code’s riding technology than how dramatically my riding improved since being a student at the school. Which is why I’m ecstatic to pass on this data now that I’m a coach. While training to be a coach has been exceptionally rigorous, being witness to my students’ incredible leaps of confidence makes all the hard work more than worthwhile.

Tim Johnson
Riding Coach (Class I)

When I first took the school I realized very quickly how serious Keith and the rest of the staff are about making better riders. My lap times and confidence improved dramatically. My Riding Coach Jason Paden even suggested that I try out to be a Riding Coach if I was interested. Interested, are you kidding?!

After going through the Riding Coach training, it is even more clear to me how dedicated we are to making better riders. I thought my years of engineering school were tough. The Riding Coach training program is even tougher. I now feel confident answering any questions about riding and can communicate it effectively to students.

Joining the CSS team has been a thrill. It feels awesome to produce the same smiles I got when I took the school.

Greg Gorman
Riding Coach (Class I)

I wish being a coach was as simple as being a fast rider. It's not. Being a coach is a different level of observation, communication, and riding.  The training and drilling created for coaches is amazing.  Training is not something they skimp on.  I'm not talking about riding.  I'm talking about communicating, observing, knowing the material Keith teaches forward and backwards, being able to coach any rider at any level.  It's about being there for the students and knowing at the end of the day that they feel better about their riding than they ever have before.

Josh Galster
Riding Coach (Class I)

In my second year of racing I wanted to take my riding to the next level. What better way to do that than to take a first-class school? My idea of riding was totally changed after taking the school. After I practiced and applied those skills to my riding, I became a totally different and better rider on the track. It showed—my first year of racing a 600, I was the Regional Champion in both 600cc classes. Needless to say, the material that Keith has put together really does work.

After taking the school as a student, Lonnie suggested I talk to Cobie about the opportunity to train as a coach. After intense training, I earned the status of riding coach. That is where things really changed for me. I was now responsible for the improvement of my students. And that is where all the time and hard work paid off. When you see the change in your student’s riding, there is nothing else that compares. I love to see the look of accomplishment in the students eyes when they are riding and to hear about it when they get off their bike to say how much they have improved.

Joe Calabro
Riding Coach (Class I)

James Brown
Riding Coach

Working as coach with the California Superbike School team is an honor and a privilege. I have never worked with such a group of dedicated people with a single goal in mind. To provide students with proper riding information and a safe riding environment.
I first attended the school in 2003 and was amazed at what I did not know about riding a motorcycle. I was so impressed with my results and the professionalism of the school, I returned the following year for the next three levels. I can honestly say my riding and understanding of a motorcycle had improved 150 percent!

In 2004 I tried out as a riding coach. To my surprise I was accepted. I immediately began my coach training and quickly realized how truly dedicated Keith is to teaching others how to ride. Every coach goes through an extensive training period and nothing less than perfection will be accepted prior to actually coaching a student. This training has given me the confidence and ability to coach any student, whether their goal is to become a safer street rider or professional road racer.

Kevin Quinn
Riding Coach

Coaching at the Superbike School is one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life. The learning process on our side is never-ending. Keith constantly challenges us to prove or disprove the methods used when working with our students, how we present the information, and the actual facts on motorcycle technology. Nothing is accepted at face value. Everything must be proven then improved then improved further.

Our job as riding coaches is simple. We must provide the ultimate motorcycle learning experience.

The rewarding part is that we get to see first hand the improvement our students make each session and every day.

Jeff Rozycki
Riding Coach

I took Level 1 back in 1994 and just that level alone improved my riding dramatically. Since that day I have been a firm believer in the data taught and applied at the school. Now that I am a riding coach I have the privilege to share this data with others and help them apply it. It’s a lot of hard work and very challenging being a coach, but watching the improvements that the students make as they progress through the levels makes it all worth while.

Last year I started racing again after taking about three years off. After my first sessions out on the track, I took out my copy of Twist II and read through it. By applying the skills that are taught at the schools, I was able to use that data to get comfortable and confident on the bike again and my lap times dropped immediately. This stuff works! It works for street riding and for racing. Plain and simple.

Lyle Warner
Riding Coach

Katie Shape
Student Services Director

Trevor Pennington
Course Control

I started working at the California Superbike School on almost a fluke. I applied for a job at the school with little to no understanding of motorcycles or the industry. Riding on the back of a touring bike a couple of times was the extent of my experience. But I got the job, starting out as the assistant to Course Control, let me tell you it didn’t take long to realize how much fun motorcycles were and how important the school was to making better/safer riders and that helps everyone who rides. After my first year I was offered to move up to Course Control as the previous holder of the position had left. I took it and haven’t looked back since.

I have now been with the school longer then any other job that I have ever had. I get asked by friends and other people all the time if it ever gets tiring to be on the road so much, after so long I must want to do something else? I tell them no, I get to be around motorcycles which I love and I get to help make better riders. This is the best job that I have ever had. I work with people who are extremely professional and 1 for one love what they are doing, and at the same time it is one of the most relaxed environments I have ever been in. We all like to have fun and it shows in the way all the staff conducts themselves, and I think that that helps the students to relax too.

Missy Dowling
Course Control Assistant

Michael Lenz
Youth Riding Coordinator & Web Guy

I first was exposed to the school when I was 18, buying my first street bike. There was a brochure for the school at the dealership. I couldn't believe how much it cost! I knew it would be a good experience, but I couldn't justify the cost. It wasn't long before I crashed my brand new bike following a faster ride. You should have heard all the excuses I had for the lowside. The light went on 5 years later during my Level Three class when I started serious work on my body position. I knew why I crashed and how never to do it again.

Hindsight is crystal clear. It would have been cheaper for me to spend the 'unjustifiable' money upfront, than buying the new bodywork, exhaust system, etc. later. Plus, I would have met the great folks that run the school and I would have been faster, that much sooner! Every fast and consistent part of my riding I owe to Keith, Cobie and the rest of the Superbike CREW.

Echo Lubarsky
Administration

I enjoy working at the California Superbike School because of the team effort everyone puts in. We all work together to achieve the same goal and to make sure the students who come to the school leave happy. I also enjoy all of the staff here. They are all extremely fun to be around and even though we all have fun at work, everyone gets their job done and it's done very professionally. This is a great team to be a part of.

Whitney Fair
Office Manager

I started riding motorcycles around 1987. This great guy taught me about that and I was pretty happy with my riding. Oh, and by the way my teacher was Cobie! He told me to read Twist of the Wrist and to take the Superbike School. So I did! In fact I took the school a couple of times and boy that was cool!

About that time Cobie introduced me to Keith and Judy and the rest is history. I started working with Keith and the school a few years ago and recently joined the office staff and it is quite a special place. To me, when I took the school, it was a special experience – the way it is laid out, the way Keith presents it, it is exactly right in so many ways. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it feels right to be here and contributing to this great group.