Attention everyone, interested in motorcycle design and motorcycle dynamics, Tony Foale is planning a two day seminar at Mid Ohio, Monday and Tuesday, July 31/August 1, 2006, immediately following the weekend of vintage motorcycle races. Many of you already know that Tony offers some of the most comprehensive training available on the subject of why motorcycles behave as they do. He has given his seminars all over the world but he hasn’t had a public seminar in the U.S. since 2004. This is a great opportunity you really should not miss.
Tony is trying to gauge the level of interest before confirming the venue and the specific selection of topics to be covered. If you are seriously interested in registering, please let Tony know as soon as possible. The price of the two day seminar will be $250 and considering the amount of material covered, this has to be one of the best bargains in motorcycle training available anywhere. The Kneeslider will definitely be there and I hope many of you will be there, too.
These seminars have limited seating so don’t wait! You don’t have to commit at this stage, but please do not say you will be attending unless you really plan to be there.
Tony has also just published a new edition of his book, Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design. The book is one of the best sources of knowledge on the topic of motorcycle dynamics and this new edition has loads of new information and is now up to 510 pages. If you can’t get to a seminar, buy the book.
Seminar or book, this is great material that will advance your knowledge of motorcycles in motion. Mark your calendar and let Tony know you’ll be attending.
For those of you over in Europe, Tony is also planning a seminar July 8/9 2006 in Northern Spain. Details and contact information are on his website.
Update: Be sure to read Tony’s comment below …
For complete information and the outline of subjects covered in a typical seminar follow the link below.
Link: Tony Foale Seminars
aaron says
I was at his seminar in vancouver last year. very good, but he can talk over peoples heads sometimes. a few of the racers with little technical knowledge or background sat there with the most dumbfounded looks on their faces!
my only beef was – about half the first day covered how tires interact with the pavement, shock absorption and damping qualities of tires, tire profile effects, etc. it kinda drove me nuts, because I can build (one day) just about anything on a bike – EXCEPT the tires. well, i guess i could, but after tons of time and money I’d only end up with something good enough to competitively run at the isle of man in 1921!
If you can, buy and read his book beforehand, (and the gaetano cocco & john bradley texts too!) because he covers so much more in the book than he can in 16 hours of speaking. the trick is to ask a billion questions, during or after the presentations, about what topics you need more detailed explanations on.
try e-mailing him about a package deal for the book and course. (and software, if you want to do your own suspension design) if I remember right, he sells the book at a discount during the seminar, but you will get MUCH more out of it if you’ve pre-read the text. bring business cards too, and pay attention to who’s there. anyone in the industry who hasn’t been to a seminar could show up. (has CSYZ been to one yet?) collect everyone’s card you can – because you can never know too many bike loving materials and mechanical engineers, suspension techs, aftermarket component manufacturers, etc. if you need help on a design down the road!
goodies at my seminar included some freeware for bike design and a copy of the powerpoint slides he used in his presentation.
that new volume is tempting too…maybe I’ll have to upgrade to the new edition!
Tony Foale says
Aaron,
Thank you for your comments, I always welcome feedback because it is the only way that I get to know how to improve the content and presentation of the seminars.
The two Canadian seminars had people with an unusually wide range of previous experience and educational background and so it was practically impossible to provide material that interested all the attendees all of the time. I aim to give a presentation from which everyone walks away having gained something of use to them. I sincerly hope that happened in your case.
It is unfortunately that the first morning’s tyre topic was unhelpful to you. However, a good understanding of tyres is a basic necessity to understanding practically all other aspects of bike dynamics, and is probably one of most misunderstood areas. In fact I get more feedback thanking me for the tyre section than I do on any other aspect. In any case you’ll be glad to know that I have changed the tyre material to try and enhance the general interest without removing the detail that many people want.
I don’t want anyone signing up with the wrong idea of they are about. These are not seminars to show anyone how to build stuff, rather they are designed to explain the dynamics of how and why motorcycles behave as they do. Although designed around the physics of a bike many riders come to me and say that the knowledge gained has helped them with their riding because they understand better what is happening when they make certain control actions.
You are right that more benefit is derived from the seminars by those who have already read the chassis book, but that is not always practical.