By AJ Jacobsen After completing the rebuild on my transmission, and getting that and the clutch reinstalled in the bike, I had one more weekend of final prep left to do before I felt ready to kick off the season. First up was installing a new chain. While this is a routine task, it
Femmewalla 2018 – Part 1 – Just Getting There
By AJ Jacobsen Since I first got introduced to track days, one day I have hoped and been told I “needed” to attend was the famous “Femmewalla.” This track day is an all-women only day, for all groups, and is hosted by the owners of Chuckwalla Valley Raceway near Desert Center, CA, east of Los
When Riding Doesn’t Go As Planned: Part 3
In some ways, the external fixator wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It weighed less than the splint had, and it supported my leg in the proper position when I was trying to sleep (rather than having to try to prop my leg up creatively with pillows and blankets). For all of
When Riding Doesn’t Go As Planned Part 2
Monday following the crash from the previous Saturday, I met with the orthopedist I had chosen. He had good reviews for doing good work, although it was also said he didn’t have the best bed side manner and tended to just “tell it like it was.” I was okay with that, I just wanted someone
When Riding Doesn’t Go Right
We all love riding. Motorcycles mean a lot to us, and for many people, it’s far more than just an alternative form of transportation. Racing has become my passion, and at the end of the 2016 season I was excited for the upcoming year, quickly putting together plans for the 2017 season. As things came
Setting up the Chic Cave
A few weeks ago, I finally managed to regain the remainder of my garage space after the previous roommate got the last of their stuff. This meant that I now had the room and freedom to set things up the way I wanted. I had a few things in mind that had been goals when
Choices, Choices – New Bike Debate
As my riding has continued to improve, I’m finally getting to a point where my current bike is beginning to hold me back. When I’m on point, there’s not much more I could squeeze out of it. Part of me is a bit surprised by the progress, part of me knows it still needs some
Smashing That Goal
After the last AFM round, Ken Hill (khcoaching.com) had watched my videos. I had been feeling pretty good about seeing sub-2 minute laptimes at Thunderhill, and was pretty stoked with the progress. Right up until Ken called and told me “we need to fix your braking. There’s two seconds to be had on your brakes.”
Thunderhill Raceway, Women’s VIP Day, June 12th, 2016
Back in 2011 I ventured into my very first track Gday. Other than watching some AFM races as part of a group ride I was on earlier that year, I had never even been to the track. The idea was appealing, but I didn’t make it out there until I had been riding for over