Schnitz Racing

/// super streetbike feature
Pic: Alessio Barbanti
how the
a modded
entails riding the wheels off
Do you dream of a career that
p and
rshi
nso
spo
nt,
tale
,
time
of
realities
sportbike, at least until the
any one of
in
us
stat
r
ride
Achieving premier
finding the right ride kick in?
skills and a
or
Maj
.
few
ct
sele
a
for
only
the riding disciplines occurs
the ranks but
are necessary to rise through
general madness for speed
e prep for
nam
big
a
s
doe
How
s?
pro
to the
what happens when you get
ng in
diali
:
ious
obv
the
ut
ition? Forget abo
a race, an event or a compet
the big game
for
y
read
ting
Get
etc.
,
rest
the bike, getting a full night’s
some, blasting a
ugh a bowl of ice cream for
means finding your zen, thro
or relaxing
ition
erst
sup
a
to
g
erin
adh
favorite playlist for others,
g on the
ckin
kno
t
wen
more, SSB
with a brewsky. To find out
the real school
for
s,
ines
bus
the
in
t
bes
doors of some of the
y.
ure a piece of sport riding glor
on how pros prepare to sec
Most of the supersport
goodies we play with on the
street trickle down from
the R&D testing done by
top road racers. Riding the
world’s most advanced
motorcycles at breakneck
speed is the norm here.
Up to 200+ MPH on the
straights, scraping elbow at
the apex and bumping
leathers for position is as
insane as it is fun to watch.
These fearless MotoGP, Isle
of Man TT and Superbike
riders all get ready for the
t
grid differently. Here’s wha
ng
raci
road
rful
colo
t
mos
the
characters had to say about
day-before
prep:
Words: Sean Russell
Pic: Muldoon Photography
Pic: David Collister
Pic: Paul Fishwick
Mark Miller:
“I’m required by the
Gods to eat pizza the
night before every race and
wouldn’t dream of throwing
a leg over a motorcycle if
I didn’t first put on my left
boot before my right. I do
wish that romantic idea of
getting shit-faced the night
Pic: Stephen Davison
d stunt
Nine road race, dragbike an
rstitions,
stars reveal their secret supe
y
habits and routines on the da
before a big event.
Road Racing
before a race remained
an option, but after trying this countless times I’ve
come to the conclusion that
it’s genuinely better to show
up rested with all your wits
about you. If I amp myself
up before every warm-up
lap then drink another 15
Red Bulls to my favorite
Tool songs in the ear buds,
it tends to work against
me. It’s more productive to
remain calm and hungry,
because once the green
flag drops I have no choice
but to bring my A-game as
it’s kinda life or death when
racing on real roads during
events like the Isle of Man.”
getting shitI wish that romantic idea of
remained
faced the night before a race
this countan option, but after tryingsio
conclu n that it’s
less times I’ve come to thesh
rested.
genuinely better to ow up
Pic: Yamaha Motor Corp.
Pic: Courtesy of Joe Rocket
42 / SSB
december 2012
superstreetbike.com / 43
/// super streetbike feature
an MotoGP
Nicky Hayden: “In Europe
track.
the
e
leav
ly
events, I never real
and then
team
the
with
er
dinn
e
hav
I’ll
re going
check in with engineers befo
m there,
Fro
e.
hom
or
mot
the
to
k
bac
e video
som
ch
wat
I’ll just shower up,
over the
go
,
sion
ses
ng
lifyi
qua
the
of
ch a
data, and hang out. I might wat
brothers
my
of
ng
timi
live
or
TV
little
kends
racing in America but race wee
It’s not
s.
ines
bus
all
h
muc
ty
pret
are
a
John McGuinness: “I’m not
an Isle of
religious person but before
were
Man race I ask my mates who
They
me.
r
ove
lost over there to look
I don’t
us,
on
n
dow
ing
look
be
may
e they
know but I ask them just in cas
ny
pen
a
put
ays
alw
I
.
ning
are liste
race too.
down my leathers before a
found
The special penny has to be
I’m out
n
whe
park
somewhere like a
always
also
I
ily.
fam
my
with
walking
er’s
Fath
On
wear “daddy” socks.
got
son
old
ear11-y
my
e,
onc
Day
conlike I can just turn it all off; I’m
’t have
don
I
it.
ut
abo
king
thin
tly
stan
eat
I
if
but
s
ition
any big superst
a certain dinner and have a bad
race, maybe I won’t have that
e
again, or I won’t sit in the sam
l
wel
lify
qua
I
If
chair at dinner.
on Saturday, I’ll normally
use the same towel on
Sunday.”
me some socks to wear
at a race meeting and now
world
every race, anywhere in the
ks. I
soc
dy
dad
of
sort
e
som
r
I wea
down
ny
pen
a
e
hav
suppose if I didn’t
dy
dad
my
e
hav
’t
didn
or
hers
my leat
day
t
nex
the
h
cras
socks on and I did
. If you’re
I’d probably blame it on that
to crash
g
goin
’re
going to crash you
feel a
just
I
,
tally
men
d,
hea
my
in
but
with a
off
ing
sett
n
bit more easy whe
ks.”
soc
cial
spe
and
ny
pen
y
luck
nds
Pic: Courtesy of Honda TT Lege
Pic: Ducati
You’d be superstitous
too after winning
the deadly Isle of
Man TT 19-times and
counting.
Stunting
and
Cops chase ‘em, kids love ‘em
wild
the
as
ters
most think of stun
ever
ones in the riding world. How
t,
sec
e
styl
free
you feel about the
,
trol
con
ttle
thro
e
ooz
s
guy
these
bike
onfor
ck
balance and a kna
ain’t
acrobatics. Killing the streets
g it in
easy on a bike or rider and doin
r a long
afte
es
judg
of
el
pan
a
of
t
fron
harder.
night of travel to a venue is
favorites
d
crow
of
trio
a
how
is
e
Her
ition:
gets amped before compet
ly big
real
“I’m
:
ton
Col
on
Aar
ally
into mental and how you actu
ition. I’m
pet
com
re
befo
day
the
feel
it sober,
all about fun in the sun; keep
44 / SSB
december 2012
My new van throbs hard so
I just pound music when y
getting ready. I like hyph .
ing
music, stuff that’ll get me go
at time.
keep it clean but have a gre
boys the
r
you
with
out
go
w,
kno
You
get
you
sure
e
mak
night before but
rwork it.
ove
’t
don
and
p
slee
ugh
eno
d jams
I’m about good attitudes, goo
re a
befo
long
day
all
ic
mus
loud
and
but
it
like
’t
don
ple
comp. Most peo
I just
my new van throbs hard so
y;
read
ting
get
n
pound music whe
ko,
Rus
ers,
Play
o
Bing
like
ds
ban
of
sometimes hip-hop and a lot
ic, stuff
mus
hy
hyp
like
I
.
dub
rent
diffe
DJ at
the
e
hav
I’ll
g.
that’ll get me goin
song I’m
e
sam
the
play
ition
pet
com
a
n I’m
listening to the day before whe
t, same
bea
e
sam
the
it’s
so
ping
prep
vibe. It works out good.”
Pic: Ryan Skut
/// super streetbike feature
Chris ‘Teach’ McNeil:
“Heading into any freestyle
as
contest, I think about my run
try
little as possible and instead
to relax and trust my practice
regiment. Being loose and hav
ride
ally
usu
I
ial.
ent
ess
is
fun
ing
some motocross for a good
workout and find ‘relaxation’
e
while flying to the event. Onc
iliarfam
nt
spe
is
time
re,
the
area
izing myself with the riding
hang
to
pits
the
to
ring
reti
re
befo
aracam
the
for
with my buddies
can
cles
orcy
mot
only
that
e
deri
ts, I
bring. Alone with my though
alvisu
and
ing
ryth
eve
out
k
bloc
flag
en
gre
the
ize my run. When
I’m
drops, so does the clutch and
for
k
mar
my
e
out trying to leav
!”
the next two minutes of fury
bek:
Rafal ‘Stunter 13’ Pasier
elf.
mys
by
tally
men
lot
a
are
“I prep
t
star
and
y
read
y
I get my strateg
I don’t
so
ning
trai
my
n
dow
slow
to
only
strain myself. Strategy can
sn’t
doe
ing
ryth
eve
e
sinc
far
so
go
I lises
etim
Som
.
always go to plan
rap to
or
p
-ho
trip
like
ic
mus
to
ten
e is my
help concentrate. Tech N9n
ectionperf
a
is
He
er.
rapp
rite
favo
ires
ist with his music and that insp
my
with
t
onis
ecti
perf
a
be
to
me
riding.”
Pic: J. Billera
Drag Racing
e than dropping the clutch and
ing a winning ET is nothing mor
cutt
and
t
ligh
eye wrong
the
at
up
g
Think linin
level is required. Blink your left
Perfection at the millisecond
t be just
mus
ns
ditio
con
bike
shifting gears? Think again.
and
level. Not to mention track
pro
the
at
e
dby
goo
ory
vict
and kiss a
seems.
is far more complex than it
right too. Rising to the top here
Pic: Kawasaki Motors Corp.
Pic: Paul Fishwick
tly trying to gain
Rickey Gadson: “I’m constan
h late night
muc
as
eat
I’ll
.
race
a
weight before
cake and
et
velv
peach cobbler ice cream, red
ause the
bec
eat
ly
mal
nor
ldn’t
wou
other stuff I
your
er
long
the
in
more you weigh at weighs. I natuclas
et
Stre
l
Rea
the
in
be
swingarm can
and have to weigh
rally hover around 163 pounds
rs ago, I used
Yea
s
clas
race
this
170 pounds for
ear worn in a
erw
(und
to wear my lucky drawers
now I don’t
but
)
won
e
hav
’t
uldn
sho
race that he
do any special ritual stuff.”
46 / SSB
december 2012
have
Kent Stotz: “Since 1982 I
y
been going to my friend Larr
to
pit
’s
ride
McB
”
“Spiderman
t
talk tech the Saturday nigh
Top
of
lot
a
Not
ng.
lifyi
after qua
et
Fuel talk transfers to Pro Stre
an
r
Afte
do.
s
orie
the
directly but
beer. I
hour or so of talk I have one
r usuam not a drinker so one bee
ugh
ally slows my mind down eno
t’s
nigh
d
goo
a
get
and
to relax
in
sleep. I started this when I was
of
ster
mie
Hof
T.J.
with
Funnybike
Mr Turbo and we ran 6.95. Now
turbo
our streetbike was the first
Pro Street to run a Six (6.98).”
Pic: Delirious Photography
me with the team,
Ryan Schnitz: “You’ll find
ds until 3 AM.
not out on the town with frien
I always get
but
s,
itiou
I’m not really superst
only wear
also
I
.
side
left
the
from
bike
on a
er type
oth
Any
k.
trac
athletic shoes to the
s.”
race
ning
win
from
me
s
ent
prev
Pic: Stotz Racing