Going 2-Up on a Superbike in Austin

As someone who has done some pretty intense stuff on a motorcycle - raced Supercross in front of thousands of people and jumped close to 200 feet, to a name a couple - I felt like there weren’t too many other things I could do on two wheels that would really get my adrenaline flowing. I was wrong.

That all changed at the Dunlop Preseason test at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, in preparation for the 2017 MotoAmerica series. I work for Next Level Sports and MotoAmerica was a client of ours at the time. I was in Austin with a coworker (Casey) to help the teams unveil their new livery for the 2017 season and to get to know the riders, team personnel and all of the supporting staff a bit better throughout the two-day event.

Having lived just outside of Austin for a number of years growing up, I followed the building of the COTA facility closely. It was amazing to watch as they erected a purpose-built facility to bring the sport of Formula 1 to the US. Even as a youngster, I could sense that this facility would turn heads throughout the greater motorsports world.

As a big F1 fan, the thought of getting to witness a race first-hand and in the city where I grew up was and still is a bucket list item. While F1 wasn’t in Austin on this trip, some of the most talented superbike and sportbike racers were riding, so the bucket was definitely half full, if not more.

Following a successful unveiling of ten different teams’ livery at Container Bar in downtown Austin the night before, Day 1 of the test went off without a hitch as the racers spun laps around the track at speeds as fast 160 mph.

Day 2 offered the opportunity for Casey and me to do a “2-Up” ride aboard a race-ready Suzuki GSX-R1000 superbike with recently retired MotoAmerica racer Chris Ulrich at the controls. Now, the idea of riding on the back of a motorcycle and being totally at the mercy of someone else driving was not terribly appealing but after watching bikes scream around the Texas countryside at triple-digit speeds and take corners at angles that practically defy gravity, being offered a chance to experience this first-hand piqued my interest. That interest definitely came along with some skepticism about just how safe it would be riding on the back of a superbike at speed.

Having experienced my fair share of crashes and injuries at much slower speeds and with me being in total “control” as carnage ensued, I have to admit that my nerves were revved up. Nonetheless, the thought of a mechanical malfunction down the front or backstretch where we’d be traveling at speeds well over 100 mph or at best low-siding in a turn and skidding across the hot tarmac cast a bit of doubt. This would be one of those circumstances where ignorance would be bliss.

Ultimately, the thrill of being on track and the fact that Ulrich had done close to 1,000 2-Up rides without incident won out and we got suited up.

As we began the process of being fitted with full leather suits, boots, gloves and helmet, my excitement level started to build and I couldn’t wait to get going. It may seem funny now, but I was a little unsure of how my 6’ 4” frame and size 13 foot were going to gel with the tight-fitting leathers and ultra-protective boots.

After squeezing my jeans and collared shirt into an Alpinestars suit and locating the pair of boots that most closely resembled the size of clown feet, we received a quick debrief about how things would go on the bike.

As a precursor, they gave us tips for ensuring that we enjoyed things as much as possible - mainly how to hold on and remembering to breathe, both of which were incredibly important but the latter being much more difficult than one would think.

Prepped and ready to go, we made our way through the garage and out to pit lane where Ulrich was getting ready to head out on a warm-up lap. He fired up the big 1000cc machine as his crew removed the tire warmers and dropped the stand before he took off as our group anxiously awaited our chance to climb aboard for two laps around the Austin track.

I was fourth in line and as each person completed the ride, hopping off the bike with a smile and laughter barely contained underneath the Arai helmet, I couldn’t wait for my turn.

The time finally came and I climbed aboard, instantly transforming the sleek lines of the race bike to something more closely resembling a bear on a tricycle at the circus! But we made it work and before I knew it we were cruising out of the pits and up the hill toward Turn 1 grabbing gears and accelerating as my pulse began to race.

We took the first turn at a pretty mellow rate but that pace was quickly increased as we shot down the second straight and into Turn 2. This is where I got my first taste of how far leaned over these bikes can get. The more we got into the turn, the more we seemed to keep going and going while not only maintaining total control but actually continuing to build speed until we exited the turn and approached the “S” turns ahead.

The quick back-and-forth through the S’s was a little challenging as I was still trying to find the best way to balance myself on the pegs while holding onto the specially-designed handle mounted on the top of the gas tank.

The first trip down Turn 11, which was the back end of the track leading into a valley and long back straightaway, was so incredible it’s hard to describe. We just kept going faster and faster as objects on the side of the track became more blurred with each new gear Ulrich grabbed.

Despite my best efforts to try and keep my head in the most aerodynamic position possible, it was a struggle just to keep the helmet from ripping my head off as we approached speeds close to 150 mph. Just as soon as we got on the gas it was time to hit the brakes in order to slow down enough to make it through the 90+ degree Turn 11.

Now, holding onto the bar and the bike during acceleration was something that felt fairly natural but the rate at which the bike slowed under braking was totally unexpected. Thanks to the massive Brembo dual front rotors, as soon as Ulrich hit the braking point, I immediately felt like someone was trying to flip me over the bars as my butt came off the seat and it took all I had to brace myself enough to try and get positioned properly for the left-hand turn.

We made our way through the remaining handful of turns, seemingly picking up the pace and increasing the lean angle more and more, as we approached the front start/finish straightaway.

One thing I did take notice of fairly early on was how far ahead Ulrich would look as we entered and exited the turns. This is something every racer works on and it makes a big difference in being properly prepared for what’s coming up, something that is even more critical when traveling at the rate of speed superbike racers do.

Rounding the final turn I got a good look at the long piece of track ahead of us and the climb up to the highest point of the track. We hammered the gas as the front wheel came off the ground and we sped by the garages that all blended together into one blurry streak as we passed under the start/finish line, up into Turn 1 and hot on the brakes yet again.

The second time around I had more of an idea of what was coming up and the pace quickened. We rocked through the esses, nailed the tight Turn 11, felt like we were going to actually take off down the backstretch and before I knew it we were pulling back down pit lane.

As the bike slowed to a stop and the crew put the stand underneath the rear tire I had the biggest smile on my face, barely able to contain myself from yelling about how incredibly awesome the last five and a half minutes were!

I thanked Chris for the totally eye-opening experience while trying to wrap my head around the level of excitement and rush of adrenaline that I was just coming off of. I hadn’t felt that level of exuberance on a bike or anywhere else in a very long time.

With this experience also comes a new sense of appreciation for both the high level of skill and incredible mental and physical fitness these racers must possess in order to maintain the intense focus and control of their machines throughout the grueling superbike races.

I also have a tremendous amount of respect for Chris’ ability to ride at the level he does with people on the back who more often than not have never even swung a leg over a bike. Yet he’s able to get an almost instant feel for the level of comfort of the passenger and temper the pace to something that will keep them both safe while at the same time giving the uninitiated the gift of the feeling that they walked a very fine line and lived to talk about it.

I may not have been uninitiated, but that is exactly how I felt and why I can’t recommend the 2-Up experience enough to anyone looking for a rush.