Practice – H2S motorcycle riding course: MNC goes back to school! – Discovery of a piloting course

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H2S motorcycle riding course: MNC goes back to school !

Practice - H2S motorcycle riding course: MNC goes back to school! - Discovery of a piloting course

For its last internship of the year, the H2S driving school trained 42 bikers on the Carole circuit (93). MNC joined these students with very varied expectations to observe the methods of this structure created in 2009. Report and video interviews.

Discovery of a piloting course

8:00 a.m., a Friday morning in September on the Carole circuit (93): the sky is leaden and the Ile-de-France track soaked while the 42 students – including four bikers – registered for the last course organized by H2S in 2015 arrive in droplets. The atmosphere is almost ghostly because of the fog, regularly crossed by the headlights of planes leaving or coming from the nearby airport, Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle…

Based in Albi (81), is a motorcycle riding school on circuit whose "onion-friendly" supervision had favorably impressed MNC during a brief meeting in Le Mans (72), as part of our .

Founded in 2009, this structure enjoys an excellent reputation in the small world of motorcycle riding schools. This notoriety, it owes first of all to the variety of its offers (seven different formulas and nine circuits in the 2015 calendar) and to its comprehensive training. The fame and track record of its three founders also give it a reassuring and attractive image: the "S" of H2S corresponds to the former French speed and endurance pilot, Dominique Sarron himlself !

Alongside the talented 50-year-old (56 years old) with a track record as rich as it is eclectic (a victory in GP250 in 1986, seven successes at the Bol d’Or, winner of the, 9th of the British GP 500 cc in 1992, etc.) Cyril Huvier (on the right below) and David Sciberras (on the left) are rife, two open and friendly thirties whose first letter of their surname completes the acronym H2S.

They too focused on competition, Cyril and David have an interesting career in speed and endurance to their credit. Engaged with the JLC Moto Metiss team, this endurance motorcycle with an unconventional front axle, Cyril Huvier has notably just finished in first place in the Open and 18th in the scratch. A hell of a performance when we know that the GSX-R 1000 engine mounted on the Metiss returned 40 km / h to the fastest in the long straight line of Castellet (1.8 km) !

However, knowing how to go fast is one thing, being able to share your knowledge with students of all levels is another … radically different. !

H2S dispels fog

On this point, MNC can already reassure its readers: the instructors at H2S master all the levers of a good learning, whether it is the theoretical and practical part. Because no, a driving course does not take place only on the asphalt: half takes place in the room where each step is presented and then analyzed student by student after having been implemented between the vibrators.

As a good "southerner", the H2S team relaxes the atmosphere of this grayish morning by making fun of the "nooord" climate, pronounced in a dragging and sinister tone, like Michel Galabru in Welcome to the Ch’tis ! "Almost all of our courses are spread over two days and are held in the south of France (notably Issoire, Pau-Arnos, Le Vigeant, Nogaro, Alès and Ledenon, Editor’s note). But for the past two years, to meet demand, we have also been organizing them in the north: last year at La Ferte Gaucher (77), this year at Carole, but only for one day.", tells us David Sciberras.

While Dominique Sarron is responsible for preparing a coffee to cheer up the assembly – with a communicative smile and enthusiasm – each one fills the usual administrative formalities, during which the groups of levels are indicated. MNC is full of viennoiseries offered to gain strength, because the day promises to be busy: 4 to 5 workshops are planned for a total of approximately "200 km", specifies H2S.

In addition to this rather strong program, for some people, the ride on a motorbike to the circuit (and the return, to anticipate!), Like this nice participant from Paris on the handlebars of his shiny Yamaha RD350LC! This is also the case for Paul-Maxime, who discovers the circuit on his R1200GS (yes, the German trail is everywhere!), Or again for Charlotte who intends to progress on the handlebars of her GSX-R thanks to H2S (see our interviews video on next page).

After some common sense advice (respect for the flags, not to stop even to help a driver who has fallen, to fold up or remove his mirrors, to adapt his tire pressure), the first session begins to recognize the track, still totally wet. Bad pick for MNC: the borrowed for the occasion at Yamaha Motor France is equipped with brand new tires…

Fortunately, the arrival of the sun gradually changes the situation and the exercises begin on a still fresh but practically dry asphalt. Divided into groups of 10 to 15 students maximum, the trainees begin the training with a theoretical course on the position on the motorcycle. Beginners as well as experienced bikers religiously listen to the precious advice, aimed at acquiring – or sharpening – very important skills…

Effective methods and means

Positioning of the boots, swaying, bending of the arm of the inner arm, rotation of the shoulders and head towards the exit point: all these parameters are detailed in the gym, then when stationary on a motorcycle. As underlined by the instructor, the support on the legs is essential to pass from one angle to the other as quickly as possible, without disturbing the direction by a harmful pressure on the handlebars..

To illustrate his point, David Sciberras “poses” in static on an R6 and sways generously from side to side only thanks to the muscles of his thighs, with only the index fingers placed on the handles. Convincing! The application is then carried out on a slalom drawn between cones spaced about 25 m apart, to be negotiated on the second gear with the knee on the ground…

The exercise requires concentration, coordination and speed … but also a sharp physique: rocking from one angle to another as many times in a row quickly warms the thighs and the chest! It’s as if we were negotiating a dozen consecutive "pif-paf": the throbbing of some touches the red zone while others painfully discover muscles hitherto unknown !

Installed at the edge of the track, the instructors guide each student using signals (more gas, less gas, anticipate with the gaze …) and mimed attitudes. Seeing Jose Kuhn (14th in the GP 500 World Championship in 1993) gesticulating vigorously to recommend pulling out his chest and head, folding the inner arm to help out, is as uplifting as it is fun. !

Then, return to the classroom where the debriefing begins without downtime with clear advice, adapted to each level and mixing a pleasant alternation of seriousness and humor.

"If you arrive in a curve with the impression that it will never pass, dive in spite of everything: in nine cases out of ten, it passes.", assures the top pilot Cyril Huvier, in charge of the" dynamic "demonstrations on track but also of the optional" Drive Control "follow-ups, during which it is possible to be coached via a radio link with the instructor (see box below). below).

An informative and technological course

All the workshops are filmed from different angles in order to then be explored trainee by trainee. Because a video is better than a long speech: the strong points and especially the weak points literally burst the screen! Position, gaze, trajectory: nothing escapes the instructors who, with the video, have a support that is all the more valuable because it is incontestable. Bad faith impossible !

Here again, MNC appreciates the pedagogy deployed by H2S: the video decryption is carried out with efficiency and tact, in particular thanks to attentive and cordial exchanges with the student concerned. Each participant is thus directed according to his level, with the sole objective of instilling good reflexes..

"We are not here to set times ", recalls Dominique Sarron. "The aim of the course is to teach you how to ride correctly on the circuit. Therefore, do not hesitate to lower your pace slightly to better practice each exercise, especially the movements of the different parts of the body to negotiate a turn.".

Workshop after workshop, the entirety of this chronology guaranteeing an efficient passage in curves is revealed. First shift the buttocks before braking, then extend the inside leg. Then rotate the motorcycle as quickly as possible at the trigger point while tilting the torso, then put the knee on the ground with the head and shoulders turned towards the exit. Finally, as soon as the turn is over, "regroup" your legs and arms along your body and plunge your head into the bubble to get the ultimate km / h…

Very well equipped, H2S has in particular a drone to photograph each part of the track, which facilitates the explanations in the room because the work is done from "real" photos and not from a map. Unfortunately, there is no question of taking out this expensive equipment at Carole, the proximity of Roissy airport obliges! The flight school also uses speed sensors placed in the braking zone and connected to a screen visible from the rope..

Thanks to this radar – no detrimental effect on the driving license, that one! -, it is possible to know its input speed at each revolution. As the day goes on, it increases significantly for everyone: the sign that H2S advice is bearing fruit !

Between each session, the instructors give a few minutes to the trainees wishing to tackle a particular point, whether it is a misunderstood posture, a methodology to be adopted when braking or a question relating to suspension adjustments. H2S provides for this purpose a sheet on which the interested parties note their standard settings, which makes it possible to define a working basis.

Based on their comments and the behavior of the bike observed in curves, the instructor indicates the settings to be optimized and the way to go about it, all to be recorded on this precious reusable sheet later. Almost official pilot treatment !

There is something for everyone

The day ends – too – quickly after final exercises aimed at negotiating the famous "Parabolique" of the Carole circuit or the "Hotel" pin. Even if fatigue begins to be felt, each participant continues to combine theoretical lessons and practical sessions with a smile on their face..

The different formulas and prices

H2S offers various services, from simple free driving to two-day courses billed on average 520 € (the ideal format for progress) through "low cost" one-day courses at 160 €. There can also be "VIP" or "Privilege" packages with an instructor for three students, an individual box, the cost of meals, photos, etc. A high-end service billed accordingly: from 990 to 1,650 €.

During the internship, it is possible to subscribe to an optional "Drive Control" session (from 100 to 150 €), during which the intern receives advice directly via headphones. These ultra-personalized tours are filmed and then dissected in the theater.

H2S also offers duo baptisms: entry into sliding curves, knee-to-ground rope diving and wheelies await the bravest of passengers against € 120 (photos included) !

Finally, an equipment and motorbike rental service is available: count 35 € per day for a wetsuit with back protector, 40 € for a helmet, 15 € for boots and from 190 to 540 € for a Yamaha R3 or an R1 . Thanks to this service, a participant from New Caledonia (!) Followed this course arriving with his hands in his pockets on the morning of registration, offering himself an unforgettable experience during his stay in France !

All are delighted to see real progress, validated by a first "knee rest" for the "rookies" – nickname given to beginners in competition – or the improvement of their personal lap record against the clock for the more experienced (see our video interviews on next page).

And despite difficult weather conditions at the start of the day, only two minor falls were recorded. Further proof of the quality of H2S supervision, and in particular of its mastery in gauging the potential of each trainee: this is an essential point so that the discovery of its limits can then push them back … and not the reverse !

In the end, between the satisfaction of better understanding the subtleties of driving on the circuit and the pleasure felt on his motorcycle when the right sequences gradually become automatic mechanisms, everyone leaves this driving course filled with satisfaction, whatever their level and expectations..

H2S’s field of expertise is sufficiently varied to reach a very large audience and provide it with suitable skills to efficiently file sliders on the track. All in an atmosphere that is both studious and friendly, perfect for progressing.

A general satisfaction which once again validates our observation that this type of training is aimed at both beginner pilots and experienced racers (also read our and our).

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