Winter Service Special Offer

Winter Service Offer

Your BMW Deserves the Best, and so do YOU!

Discover the benefits of genuine BMW Motorrad service with our 2019 Winter Special Offer.

Service your motorcycle at City Coast Motorcycles over June and July this winter and receive a voucher to spend on genuine BMW accessories or apparel valued up to $150*.

Take care of your bike, and experience the difference between OK… and perfect.

Spend up to $400 recieve a $100 gift voucher. Spend over $400 receive a $150 gift voucher

City Coast Motorcycles BMW Service Centre Benefits

Terms and Conditions.

*Offer is valid from 01.06.2019 – 31.07.2019 (‘Promotion Period’). Minimum total service cost of $200 including GST, is required to be eligible for this offer. The offer only applies to BMW Motorcycles serviced during the Promotion Period. This offer is limited to 1 voucher per motorcycle, identified via the vehicle’s VIN number. Voucher is non-transferable and must be redeemed by the recipient of the mechanical services, at the same BMW Motorrad dealership which rendered those services. Voucher can be used on genuine BMW Motorrad clothing and/or accessories. Voucher will be surrendered on redemption and is not redeemable in cash to any extent. Voucher must be redeemed within 5 days after the service date (excluding any public holidays) after which the voucher will expire and may no longer be redeemed. Offer applies only at participating BMW Motorrad dealers. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Stock may vary between BMW Motorrad dealerships. BMW Group Australia reserves the right to change or extend the offer.

Brad’s Triumph Thruxton TFC is Top Shelf

Rarely is there an opportunity to hand over a beautiful and unique motorcycle, such as the Thruxton TFC. The highly touted Bonneville has been limited to a production run of just 750, with only 39 to arrive on Australian soil. One-of-a-kind premium badging includes a numbered edition plaque that makes each bike unique. As well as all the focused sporty attitude of the legendary café racer, this incredible TFC model celebrates the best of British engineering, detailing and finish with this ultra-rare never-to-be-repeated version that delivers more on every dimension.

Customer Brad took delivery of his new Triumph Thruxton TFC and couldn’t be happier:

“It’s really exciting. I think it’s just got such a different lot of specs and additions to the bike than the standard Thruxton R and it’s really nice to own something that ‘s a little bit special – that’s limited edition and that not too many people in the country have. I am looking forward to keeping it for a long time,” he said.

Brad is already a Triumph convert, having owned one previously and visited the Triumph Factory Experience in Hinckley:

“I’ve been living overseas for four years so I haven’t had a bike since being away. The agreement with coming back to Australia was to get a nice new Triumph. My previous bike was a 675 Triumph Daytona. The lovely lady of the house gave me permission to upgrade to this lovely new TFC.

“For me, it’s just something special, especially the limited range that they’ve got. I’ve always been into the café racer-styled bikes, I’ve just never had the privilege of owning one, so it was time to switch from a road bike to something a bit more classic. The Daytona was the love of my life for quite a few years,” he said.

Thruxton TFC

City Coast Motorcycles Dealer Principal Tim believes Brad has made the perfect choice:

“It was an honour to hand over the Thruxton TFC to Brad. We both stood there in awe after the unveiling! It’s great to give the keys to someone who appreciates such a work of art,” Tim said.

Brad’s now eager #fortheride on his exceptional new Triumph and plans to give it a work out north and south of Sydney:

“I enjoy heading up north to the central coast and up some of the back roads there on the way from home. I like to head down around the Royal National Park and back through the ocean roads,” said Brad.

Thruxton TFC

About the Thruxton TFC

Its 1200 CC Bonneville Engine delivers class-leading handling and power, with titanium Vance & Hines silencers to manage the amazing TFC soundtrack. Carbon fibre bodywork, and aluminium engine rail upgrades, make this TFC lighter than the Thruxton R. The exclusive TFC engine update includes new lightweight low-inertia crankshaft, clutch, balance shafts, rare-earth alternator, magnesium cam cover, and thinner-walled engine covers.

Thruxton TFC

There’s more capability than ever before from this extraordinary new 2019 Thruxton TFC motorbike, with three upgraded riding modes (Road, Rain and Sport), all-LED lighting including 7” headlight DRL with unique TFC badge, tail tidy and paddock stand bobbins.

This TFC includes all of the high-specification rider technology found on the Thruxton and more, including ABS, traction control, torque-assist clutch, ride-by-wire, liquid cooling, USB socket, engine immobiliser and feature-packed twin clocks with updated faces and gold detailing unique to the TFC.

Thruxton TFC

A host of exclusive beautiful finishes sets this stunning bike apart from any other Thruxton and includes; high-value TFC badging, brushed tank knee pad with hand-painted gold coach lining, eye-catching black RSU springs with black Öhlins decals, a unique key with distinctive gold detailing, billet machined aluminium oil filler cap, and tinted screen.

Staying true to the original legendary sporty looks and attitude of the Thruxton, the TFC includes a brushed flip-top locking Monza cap, twin throttle bodies with brushed intake finisher, Daytona R footpegs, and clear anodised aluminium swing arm.

Thruxton TFC

To find out how we can assist you with your new Triumph – including customisation options – please contact our Sales team on 4228 7392 or visit our Triumph showroom at 262 Keira Street, Wollongong.

Coach Robb: Injury Recovery and Prevention – Part 2

In this three-part series, Coach Robb Beams discusses the top three mistakes when recovering from an injury – and how to avoid them. Here is Part 2…

Coach Robb Injury Recovery and Prevention Part 2

When you become injured there are stages of emotion just like any major issue in life: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

PART 2 – EMOTIONAL

Denial

Unless the injury is obvious: broken bone, concussion, etc., our brain wants to “ignore” the fact that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. Whether this mind set is due to “we don’t want to be considered weak and injury prone” or ”if I ignore it, it will go away”, either way, we as humans fight the idea that we are injured. We have to pull back in our training and become more creative to get workouts in.

Anger

Once we acknowledge and accept the fact that we are hurt, anger inevitably sneaks in. No one clearly understands the sacrifice of time, energy and resources you have invested in your current level of speed, endurance and strength. You feel that all these performance elements will quickly slip through your fingers and your fitness levels will regress back to where you were a year ago. The anger and frustration levels escalate to completely new levels when the source of your injury isn’t truly your fault: car accident, dirty move by one of your competitors, equipment failure, etc…

Bargaining

We begin to bargain with ourselves that instead of training eight hours a week, we will pull back to six hours and this will be enough for us to heal while minimizing our fitness loses. Many times, we will continue with the same sport-specific activities, but rationalize our behavior by “going slower”.

Depression

One of the huge benefits of consistent training is the hormonal release of endorphins commonly referred to as the “athlete high”. When your body doesn’t get to experience the releasing of these feel good moments on a regular basis, the mental capacity to deal with relationships, professional obligations, financial situations, etc., becomes less resilient and even intolerant. Little issues that used to roll off your back now set you off in a verbal tantrum adding to the frustrations of not being able to exercise and sport-specific train like you used to.

Coach Robb Injury Recovery

Acceptance

Once you recognize that ignoring your injury won’t help heal the injury (chemically, mentally or physically) and staying angry isn’t going to solve your situation, it is time to move into a state of acceptance. Facing accountability for why the injury happened is one of the hardest things for an athlete to do. Over my last 35 years of coaching, I have found that the catalyst of injuries typically falls into three categories:

Working in a mode of fear. Instead of working in a mode of fear, successful individuals work in a mode of pleasure. They are motivated by enjoyment of success and look at each decision as a building block to moving them closer to the desirable outcome verses looking at decision and behavior as a punishment for poor choices. Pro-active example: If I go to bed early, I will get more sleep and wake up leaner and fully recovered. Mode of fear example: If I don’t go to bed early, I will get fat. Ironically, the brain much prefers pleasure over pain. However, our society has glamorized the “no pain, no gain” mindset that has literally hurt us.

Not listening to the body. The human body is an incredible machine and has a multitude of ways to let you know when something is not correct. It is our responsibility to look for, recognize and respect when things do feel right. This is where there is a slight overlap with number one above, working in a mode of fear.In the exercise realm, I refer to using exercise for punishment because of the bad food choices that were made. Individuals that work in a mode of pleasure take the time to understand “why” they are drawn towards bad food choices. For example, if someone is craving simple sugar, it is a sign of adrenal fatigue that needs to be offset with high quality fats, not simple sugars as the brains wants to tell you.When a sign of an ailment begins to reveal itself (virus: an elevated heart rate; muscle strain: hurts to walk; bone situation: pain throbs at night while sleeping; stress: becoming more intolerant and even short tempered or get physically weaker with more effort, etc.), if you are working in a mode of fear, you will take the necessary steps to turn the situation around immediately because you are motivated by the enjoyment of success. You recognize that if you acknowledge and respect the messages your body is giving you, you may miss a day or two from training to address the situation (virus: sleep and avoid simple sugars; muscle strain: foam roll or get a massage; bone situation: let it rest; stress: avoid negative people) but it will get you back onto the path of health, wellness and associated performance in a shorter period of time. It will also reduce the amount of residual damage that is done.The accumulation of residual damage (not sleeping enough, not getting massage or foam rolling, not eating fruits and vegetables, etc.) creates a hole that can take a long time to dig out of. For example, when it comes to adrenal fatigue, I get asked frequently “how long will it take to turn my symptoms around?”. The answer is two-fold. First, how long have you been ignoring the body’s indicators – we need to determine the depth of the hole you have dug yourself into. Second, how committed are you to proactively addressing each element necessary to recovery: food, sleep, soft tissue maintenance, balancing volume and intensity of training, managing the overall levels of stress you are placing on your body – professionally, personally, athletically, etc.

Following uneducated trainers and self-serving agendas. When someone presents themselves to our office, we always strive to uncover the source of the injury. Ninety-nine percent of the time it is associated with some so-called expert or coach that has recommended some ridiculous training program that has no justification behind the volume, intensity or exercises. Thanks to the proliferation of online coaches and weekend certification courses, everyone has become an expert and as a result, this has led to epidemic levels of injury and burnout.The most imperative question to ask is any program or trainer is “Why am I doing this workout and how does it contribute to eliminating my biggest frustrations that are keeping me from achieving my fullest potential”. Anything that you are doing that doesn’t move you towards YOUR personal achievement goals, puts you on the path of your program or trainer’s agenda.This agenda doesn’t have any regards to your health, wellness and ultimately performance, it is simply an agenda. We have picked up clients that are on a collegiate athletic scholarship and the injuries that they are presenting are nothing more than too much, too hard, too often and the athletes are told “if you don’t want to do what we tell you, we will replace you with someone who will” – no matter what the physical sacrifice.Every minute of every day needs to be spent moving you closer and closer to your desirable goals in a healthy and sustainable manner. You should know why you are training a specific number of hours and what percentage of them are going to be aerobic and anaerobic. The volume and overall intensity need to be in line with the amount of stress your body can absorb in the area of physical activity. Contrary to what many are saying, you can’t handle more than 100% of anything. If you are extremely busy at work and it is commandeering more and more of your hours in a day, where are you going to pull those hours from: personal, athletic, sleep, eating, etc.?Life is all about balance, and if you over-extend yourself, you will find something will start to break down. Unfortunately, it usually is your body – mentally and/or physically!

In the next article, we will do a deep dive on nutrition’s role as it relates to an injury.

City Coast Motorcycles has partnered with MotoE for 2019. We are excited to welcome Coach Robb Beams aboard as a feature writer for our website and newsletter.

Coach Robb is an internationally recognised motorsports performance coach with 35 years of on and off-the-track experience. He is the founder of the Complete Racing Solutions Performance Program, MotoE Amateur Development Program, the Mental Blueprint of Success, and MotoE Educational Series. His success working with riders ranging from 65 cc to the Pro Sport include some of today’s top professionals including Ryan Dungey, Adam Cianciarulo, Jeremy Martin, Jordan Bailey, Alex Martin, Stilez Robertson and Logan Best.

In January 2019, Coach Robb and MotoE conducted two Amateur Motocross Performance Camps for members of the Wollongong Motorcycle Club. Based off the success of these camps, MotoE and Coach Robb will be returning in July. For more information visit MotoE Australian Performance Camps. Follow our Facebook page to stay posted on our exclusive Meet the Coach special event held at City Coast Motorcycles on July 4.

This is not paid content.

Coach Robb: Injury Recovery and Prevention – Part 1

Coach to the champions Robb Beams returns with more sage advice in the first instalment of a three-part series. Discover the top three mistakes when recovering from an injury – and how to avoid them.

Nobody enjoys becoming injured due to overuse or an unforeseeable impact that happens in less than a second; however, as the old saying goes, as an athlete, if you haven’t already been injured, most likely you will be at some point. Once you cross that fine line, there are three areas – physical, mental and nutrition – that tend to get handled incorrectly making the healing process both difficult and slow.

PART 1 – PHYSICAL

First and foremost, follow your doctor’s and physical therapist rehab protocols and complete the entire duration outlined. Coming back too early will only result in less strength, endurance and long-term ramifications like limited range of motion, joint stiffness and unwanted scar tissue. As an athlete this will also result in less speed, agility, strength and endurance.

Unless you have a high impact injury that affects more than one area of your body, you are normally dealing with one area of injury. With this being said, you still have 90-95% of your body left to strengthen and expose to cardiovascular improvement. This usually requires becoming creative with your cardio. If you have broken an elbow or wrist, you can use a recumbent bike, walk in the pool with a pair of sneakers, or use a zero-gravity treadmill. If you have broken an ankle or torn an ACL or MCL you can get a vacuum sleeve to cover the injured area and swim. If you are in a wheel chair because of a leg injury, you can use a Concept 2 Ski Erg.

Despite being injured, your strength can be maintained and even enhanced with a variety of options: stretch cords, TRX systems, free weights, kettle bells and medicine balls. If you let pain be your dictator and you are not masking the true pain with pain killer medicine, you will keep yourself from doing too much and slowing down the healing process.

Coach Robb Physio

With regards to pain medicine, it is imperative that you mask the pain and discomfort with over the counter pain medicines, but ONLY while you sleep. The key is to reduce the chances of your body being woken up due to pain. The deeper your sleep, the longer you are asleep, and the more sleep cycles you can complete per night will ensure that your body is repairing itself as quickly as possible. To maximize the probability of quality, pain-free sleep, eat a high-quality snack or smoothie that is rich in protein and good fats to satisfy appetite and then consume your pain medicine. The fat and protein will satisfy your hierarchy of need of hunger and the ibuprofen will mask the pain allowing you to sleep deeper and with less interruptions.

When discussing the physical side of an injury, the concept of non-sweating physical elements is frequently overlooked. Soft tissue maintenance such as foam rolling and trigger point therapy changes the consistency of the soft tissue meaning that it will respond to pressure by opening the blood vessels bringing nutrients and oxygen-rich blood into the tissue. Fresh blood flow will speed up the healing process.

Another soft tissue modality is contrast therapy where you use cold and hot water to stimulate and change the consistency of the muscle tissue. One of the main reasons why contrast therapy is often discarded is due to the mindset that it has to be so extreme: extremely hot or extremely cold. This is not the case. Think about contrast therapy this way, the bigger the temperate difference, the more effective the therapy is to the tissue. For example, if you have the cold water at 70 degrees and the warm water and 110 the difference is 40 degrees. You can create the same difference if you lowered the cold to 65 and the warm water to 105. Your body doesn’t know the difference in temperature highs and lows, just the difference. If you don’t like extreme colds and you believe that you must be in nearly freezing water and/or it is so cold you feel like your skin is going to burn off your body, you are more prone to avoid contrast therapy. This all or nothing mindset has to be changed.

Coach Robb Massage

In addition to foam rolling, trigger point therapy and contrast therapy, you can always schedule a therapeutic massage. A qualified massage therapist that works on your muscles, tendons and ligaments can identify muscle patterns associated with pain and limited range of motion. For example, if you have injured your shoulder, a massage therapist can help you identify what muscles in your chest or your shoulder blades are excessively tight and causing unwanted “pulling” on the head of your humerus (the top of your arm in your shoulder) resulting in additional pain and limited range of motion. The same applies to each joint in your body.

The irony of these non-sweating components: creative cardio, sleep quality, contrast therapy, massage therapy, etc., should be part of every athlete’s daily routine; however, these are the components that are frequently left out resulting in being mentally bored, physically stale, reduced range of motion, increased nagging injuries and ultimate frustration.

By staying focused on these specific physical components, you will come back from your injury stronger, with enhanced range of motion allowing for better sport specific biomechanics, improved speed, strength and endurance with the areas of your body that are not inured and healing. Once you get clearance from your doctor to resume normal activity with your injured body part, you only have to improve that one area, versus the entire body.

City Coast Motorcycles has partnered with MotoE for 2019. We are excited to welcome Coach Robb Beams aboard as a feature writer for our website and newsletter.

This is not paid content.

Girl Torque.cc: Empowering Women Who Ride

We love #womenwhoride and have joined forces with Fabienne Phillips, Founder of Girl Torque.cc to bring her unique services to the Illawarra. Fabienne offers personalised motorbike training, advice and support for women.

When did you start motorcycling?

I was fortunate enough to have a city and country upbringing. My first ride was on a 49.9cc peddle to start, French mobylettle that my mother inherited from my grandmother. I was around 12 years old, I distinctly remember riding it up and down our long gravel driveway and loving it. Opportunities came about now and then to paddock-bash on friend’s properties with bigger motorcycles. The greatest advantage being off road; it allowed me to focus on how to operate the bike and challenge myself as I got more confident. I still have the Mobylette to this day! In all its simplicity (now lovingly restored) it is a reminder of my childhood and family history.

What drives your passion for riding?

Throughout my bike riding journey, I’ve experienced many incredible places. Riding has opened up my world. You are always learning when you are riding a motorcycle and I have a passion to continue to learn and hone my skills. Training my students and assisting them in managing their risks and ultimately avoiding an accident gives me great satisfaction. There are many reasons I continue my passion, I love the empowerment, freedom, individualism and adrenalin that controlling a machine gifts. Most of all, I enjoy being in the moment.

How did Girl Torque.cc begin?

Interestingly, it was my own journey that prompted the founding of Girl Torque.cc. As a woman I felt I just wasn’t catered for. I wanted to be submersed in a male dominated industry, I felt discouraged and a little uncomfortable at times throughout the process. I started to identify a bit of a pattern and I thought to myself, how many other women are experiencing the same thing? After I got my L’s my partner stepped in to teach me. He taught me heaps and I’m so grateful but communicating was not easy at times and boy oh boy we had some arguments! From that day, I was on a mission to create a business that I could transform the way female motorbike riders feel and act on the road through access to individually tailored rider training. I want to fuel women’s motorbike wanderlust, help them discover the perfect bike, equip them with the right gear and help find their unique on-road look. Although the business is small, Girl Torque.cc is now Australia’s first integrated motorcycle training organisation, singularly focused on women who ride.

How do you help learner riders?

For women who want to pursue motorcycling, they are required to complete a series of training courses and tests at selected RMS endorsed companies prior to training with Girl Torque.cc. When it comes to embarking on training out on public roads, I understand that the level of thrill, excitement and fear will be different from others. There is a lot to cover in the 2-day learners’ course with little time spent on the open road; the thought of tackling busy streets alone, paired with lack of confidence can be quite overwhelming for some taking the next step. A few of my clients literally have their new bike sitting in their garage and are too afraid to venture out on the road.

I want to completely understand each student’s journey. After filling out the contact form on my website, the first thing I like to do is have a chat on the phone, to hear about their own experiences, fears and challenges. These can all be different and are extremely important in moving forward. This is followed by a short questionnaire.

Breaking down the tasks in an environment that they feel safe and progressing at their pace is key to progression. The great thing about my business is that I come to my students, hence decreasing their level of anxiety from the very beginning. I will take them step-by-step and show the best way to navigate bike operation and safely navigating the roads – even the initial challenges of getting their bike out of the garage or driveway. In cases where my students don’t have a bike, I can also help sourcing their new found joy!

Where do you offer your services?

I am mainly teaching in the Sydney metro area. I have taught students as far north as Newcastle and in the Illawarra region. In these cases, outside the Sydney metro area I have to apply travel time. The best alternative is a group session, so the additional travel costs are reduced amongst the group.

Girls Torque.cc LAMS Service

Is Girl Torque.cc exclusively for women?

When you are on a mission to make motorcycle riders safe for everyone, the word “exclusivity” means to me I am excluding men. The business does specialise for women, however, if a man wanted me to teach him how to ride, assist in understanding roadcraft and manage the risks on the open road, I couldn’t say, “no” – I’d be more than happy to help out!

Does Girl Torque.cc cater for individuals or are there group lessons?

Yes, to both! One-on-one privates – my most popular option – provides effective results for someone who wants undivided attention. I am based in Sydney, so group lessons outside the Sydney metro area with students that are around the same skill level are the most effective.

Do you offer any services for people who already have their motorcycle licence?

Absolutely! I’ve started to organise monthly morning group rides where training is included for my L’s and P riders. Our route is carefully planned so everyone can experience road riding without fear of difficult bends, cambers and heavy traffic. I want the girls to enjoy the experience. It really helps when they know they are riding with riders sharing similar skill level and fears. It’s a fantastic team building experience even though we are all individuals with the same goal. Rides are always to an interesting breakfast spot where we share our stories and build a community of “Girltorquers”.

I also profile women and match them to the most suitable bikes, based on their experience, shape, size and purpose and needs. Another important aspect to riding is the right equipment and I can source and assist in the purchase of all things like apparel, gear, luggage and accessories for women riders.

Girl Torque Personal Shopping

Tell us about the Girl Torque.cc App:

Yes, it’s very exciting! We have developed an App that is the quintessential must-have for all your bike riding needs. By joining up, women enjoy a range of benefits; from 20% off your first lesson to discounted apparel, gear, and equipment from selected retailers and suppliers to discounts at businesses like City Coast Motorcycles. Plus there are savings at selected cafes, bars and restaurants. Benefits are growing.

It also includes privileged features to explore and provide you comfort on the road such as a unique emergency button. No need to Google, the App will get you straight to the motorbike carrier and the transport you need.

Our App is free to download. Just set up and log in! The Membership fee is $9.95 per/month. Alternatively, sign up for 2 months and get 2 months free (this then reverts to monthly subscription). The App will enable you to redeem from the range of exclusive offers as a Girl Torque.cc member.

Download the Girl Torque.cc App

 Connect with Girl Torque.cc on Facebook
 Connect with Girl Torque.cc on Instagram

Zip Pay Now Available: No Wait. No Worries.

City Coast Motorcycles has partnered with Zip Pay so you can have what you want, sooner. Say ‘goodbye’ to wishing and waiting. Say ‘hello’ to owning and loving it…

Spend up to $1,000 in Store

Create your Zip Pay account in minutes. Get up to $1000 to spend in your digital wallet. Now you have the ticket to get that new helmet, pair of boots, comms system, genuine spare part or set of tyres you’ve just got to have.

Payment Flexibility

Everyone’s different. That’s why Zip Pay allows you to tailor your payments to suit your lifestyle. It’s easy; every time you make a purchase it is simply added it to your Zip account. Then at the beginning of the month, you will be sent a summary of what you spent and what you paid in the month. You can then pay it back in full at the end of the month or pay over time from as little as $40 a month.

Interest-free

Every purchase you make with Zip Pay is interest-free with nothing to pay upfront – every time, every day! A $6 monthly account service fee applies. This is waived if there is no balance – no balance, no fee.

Apply Now

Terms and Conditions Summary

Available to approved applicants only. Minimum monthly repayments are required. Paying only the minimum monthly repayment amount will not pay out the purchase within the interest free period. Any balance outstanding at the expiry of the interest free period will be charged interest at the standard annual percentage rate, see your contract for details. A one-off establishment fee applies, a Monthly Account Service Fee (when balance owing) will apply. See your contract for details. Terms & Conditions apply and are available on application. Credit provided by zipMoney Payments Pty Limited (ABN 58 164 440 993, Australian Credit Licence Number 441878). Click here for Full terms and conditions.

Coach Robb: Strength Training for Faster Lap Times

There are numerous professional opinions on whether or not strength training should be an instrumental part of a racer’s training program. In my opinion, strength training is imperative for the successful racer at multi-day races. Overall body strength will help prevent the effects of cumulative fatigue and allow for proper bike position and efficiency on the bike throughout the entire week of racing. Also, full body strength is a complement to the other elements of a complete performance training program: endurance, flexibility, nutrition and mental preparedness.

Three Direct Benefits of Strength Training:

1. It will increase the amount of force your muscles can exert on a particular object. As a racer, moving a motorcycle around that weighs anywhere from 60 to 100 plus kilograms for any extended period of time requires strength levels above the typical athlete that only has to concern themself with one’s body weight. When you add both the weight of the rider, the weight of the motorcycle and the law of physics that exponentially adds resistance to the working muscle, force is a key component for finishing a race as strong as you started.

Coach Robb: Strength Training for Faster Lap Times
2. Strength training will permit your muscles to reach a maximum output of force in a shorter period of time. Even if you are not a big fan of science, hang in there with me for this concept. Weight training will increase and facilitate the balance of strength in all working muscles and the resulting motor units (which include motor nerves and muscle fibres). One nerve impulse can charge hundreds of fibres at once; a rapid series of multiple fibre twitches can generate maximum force quickly and for a long period of time. Weight training will “teach” your nervous system to recruit a wide variety of fibres. As one group of fibres fatigue, another group will be prepared to relieve the fatigued group. Without getting too complex, think about nerves as messengers from the brain which control every physical response. If motor nerves don’t “tell” the muscle fibres to twitch, your muscles won’t contract. The entire concept behind physical training is to teach your nervous system, with repeating particular muscular movements, to get the correct message to the working muscles. With a diversified strength program, you will initiate a message to include the number of fibres to be recruited, type of fibres used (fast twitch A or slow twitch B) and frequency of contractions. Remember, a diversified training program will recruit all of the fibres and the types of fibres needed for the required physical demands. This is the purpose behind sports specificity and related workout – the more specific the more productive.

Coach Robb: Strength Training for Faster Lap Times

3. The duration of time your muscles can sustain the level of force before exhaustion is extended. The overload principle is based on the concept of subjecting the muscles to slightly more load levels than it has incurred in the past. With incremental load levels, the muscles will increase the fibre solicitation and corresponding recruitment. With proper rest, the muscles will grow stronger by developing new muscle tissue as an adaptation to the load levels. With increased muscle mass, the muscles are able to exert higher levels of force and for extended periods of time before exhaustion. To capture a better idea of this concept, imagine you have muscles that fall under the category of primary and secondary muscles. The primary muscle groups are the obvious muscles that are responsible for assisting movement. The secondary muscle groups are also referred to as “assisters” for primary movement. However, once the primary muscle groups fatigue, the secondary muscles are required to step up to finish the task at hand. Strength training makes this task familiar to the secondary muscle groups at both the muscular and neuromuscular levels.

Three Indirect Benefits of Strength Training:

Concerning tendons and ligaments, weight training will increase the size and overall strength of both which will increase the stability of the joints that they surround.
Bone density will increase as a by-product of tensile force being placed on the bones – without this tensile force, the bones will actually become brittle and susceptible to breaking.
An increased range of motion at the joint is due to the increased strength and size of the tendons and ligaments. This increased strength will enhance the ease of mobility within the joint due to tendon and ligament strength and resulting efficiency.

When you look at all three of these components collectively, they address the concern of every racer: broken bones and torn up joints (particularly knees). Keep in mind that the ultimate goal of the muscles and a self-protecting mechanism called the “Golgi Apparatus” are to keep the bones from being taken outside the normal range of motion. If you have a strong muscular system accompanied with good flexibility, you will be able to take large impacts without the typical injuries because your body has the proper mechanisms to protect itself.

As a top racer, you need to identify your weaknesses and address these variables specifically.

City Coast Motorcycles has partnered with MotoE for 2019. We are excited to welcome Coach Robb Beams aboard as a feature writer for our website and newsletter.

This is not paid content.

Coach Robb: Keeping Cool while Training and Racing in the Heat and Humidity

motocross hydration

As we exercise, our bodies burn the calories that that we consume i.e., carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It is the breakdown of these calories and muscle movement that causes heat to build up and raise our core body temperature initiating the demands of the body to maintain its ideal body temperature. There are several ways that the body dissipates heat (skin and exhalation, for example); however, the most complex system involves your ability to sweat.

Simply put, water molecules evaporate from your skin removing heat energy, leaving water molecules on your skin making you feel cooler. The endothermic process of converting liquid to a gas is beyond the scope of this article; however, the ultimate goal is to maintain your body’s ability to efficiently dissipate heat throughout exercise. What makes it difficult is dealing with elements that we don’t have any control over – heat and humidity.

On hot days when there is little difference between the skin’s surface temperature and the ambient air temperatures, the skin provides only small cooling benefits – increasing the importance of sweating to maintain your internal core temperature. Humidity decreases your body’s ability to evaporate sweat because the air is already saturated with water vapor, slowing the evaporation rate. Though you and your clothes may be saturated, it is not helping you in your cooling process – sweat must evaporate to remove heat from your body. It is this concept that makes hydration so important; if you don’t have enough fluids to produce sweat you will over heat guaranteed, along with the adverse side effects – performance and health wise.

Coach Robb

On average, racers lose approximately 30-35 ounces (around one litre) of fluid per hour of exercise. The actual amount varies by body size, intensity & duration levels and heat/humidity levels. There are numerous formulas floating around in the sports performance world regarding ideal food and fluid intake; however, keep in mind that there are three things that we need to evaluate regarding ideal performance nutrition: fluid intake (sports drink & water) electrolyte balance (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium) and calories (sources & amount).

Here are my tips for training and racing in the heat and humidity:

 Wear gear that facilitate the evaporation process – avoid cotton at all costs!

 Train at times that are relevant to your race i.e., if you are going to be racing at 2:00 pm, then practice at this same time, “teaching” your body to acclimate to the heat and humidity.

 Avoid over-hydrating on plain water; drink a sports drink that has a 4-6% concentration rate for optimal hydration levels. If the concentration rate is too high or too low, your body will not absorb your fluids and you may become nauseous.

 Consume cold fluids; they absorb faster than warm fluids; use insulated bottles to help you keep your fluids cold.

 During hard training intervals in the heat, back off of the intensity for 30 seconds; it is like shaking your hands over a jump.

Be sure to pay attention to external signs of heat stroke sequence:

Stage 1 – Dry skin: This is an indication that you have stopped sweating. Should this occur, stop the workout. You have hit a point where your fluid levels are dangerously low.

Stage 2 – Cold chills: You will have visible goose bumps. Your body is attempting to capture your attention; you crossed the danger line; performance is irrelevant.

Stage 3 – Become lightheaded: You get a headache or feel queasy – you are so dehydrated that your core body temperature has reached a critically dangerous point; bodily functions are being negatively affected.

Stage 4 – Cooking: The top of your head feels like someone has put a hot skillet there; your head feels “hot”. You are literally “cooking” yourself from the inside out. Long term problems could result if you continue.

City Coast Motorcycles is excited to welcome Coach Robb Beams aboard as a feature writer for our website and newsletter.

This is not paid content.

BMW C 400 X at City Coast Motorcycles

A Perfect Ride Through Any Suburb or City.

The C 400 X is a mid-size LAMS approved scooter made for the city. With its design, comfort, motorisation and safety features, it is ideally prepared for the challenges of city traffic.

This is how comfortable urban mobility can be.

Commuter stress in city traffic belongs to the past from now on. Get to know the city and its routes from a whole new perspective with the C 400 X. Your smartphone fits into the charging compartment with an integrated power outlet, so that you don’t have to miss anything during your journey and while exploring the city. The fold-out flexcase in the stand provides additional luggage room for helmets, bags and anything else the city has to offer.

Sophisticated lighting.

The front headlights sparkle with full LED technology, thus underlining the high standards of the BMW C 400 X. The horizontal, Y-shaped daytime light interprets the front light unit of the GS range in an individual way.

Fully connected while on the road.

In the scooter segment, the C 400 X offers an innovative new world as a special feature: BMW Motorrad Connectivity. The high-resolution 6.5-inch TFT color display makes it easy to use smartphone applications such as calling, listening to music or navigating – even while riding.

Stability and safety.

The entire architecture of this mid-size scooter is designed for excellent, vibration-free rideability and stability on both straights and bends. ABS and automatic stability control (ASC) also come as standard for more safety, even on adverse road surface conditions.

Efficient, powerful, optimized consumption.

The engine of the C 400 X is light, manoeuvrable and perfectly designed for the mobility requirements in the city: With a displacement of 350 ccm and a power of 25 KW (34 hp) at 7,500 rpm, it is not only strong, but also scores with low consumption.

Last year, Tim from City Coast Motorcycles was privileged to preview and test ride the C 400 X at the International BMW Motorrad Conference in Sardinia, Italy:

“Wow! This is a really fun machine. We rode through small Italian villages, then curvy mountain roads. The C 400 X has a surprising amount of power and very precise handling. What an awesome commuter, with amazing under-seat storage for your helmet. The Comfort Package adds the TFT dash, along with heated grips and heated seat. Any motorcyclist would enjoy owning one of these because you cannot help but have a smile on your face,” Tim said.

Opinion: Coach Robb’s Training School was a Blast!

Our MX Team’s Brock Ninness shares his MotoE Australian Performance Camp experience…

Coach Robb’s training school was a blast! On the January school holidays, I took part in a three-day camp run by Coach Robb Beams, founder of the Complete Racing Solutions Performance Program.

We started our first day with talking about our frustrations on and off the bike, from pre-race preparation to working on how to last a full moto; as the three days went by we challenged ourselves to overcome these frustrations. The cool part about this school was that it wasn’t all about riding and going fast. During our riding breaks we sat down and discussed nutrition, hydration, race prep, ways to approach practice days, training at the gym, recovery, mindset, as well as the mental parts of racing bikes.

Coach Robb explained the importance of hydration and eating appropriate meals through race days and backed up his comments based on information from his past clients and his own experience as an accomplished triathlete.

On-the-bike training consisted of starts, cornering and jumping (what I would say are the three most important parts of a race track). We learned about how essential it is to grip the bike with our lower body off the start and to keep your bike as straight as possible. Coach Robb went over the proper use of the front brake through corners, especially right-hand corners; you have to really rely on the front brake and this helps enormously when turning and needing to change direction quickly. Coach Robb also taught us scrubbing technique, so we get back to the ground as fast as possible to keep driving forward. He explained that as you progress and get faster, you should be scrubbing more and more so you can get back on the ground and keep charging forward.

Sitting there, receiving all this information at first seemed over-the-top and overwhelming, but knowing of Coach Robb’s success with professional riders such as Adam Cianciarulo and Ryan Dungey helped to keep me engaged with his conversation. Coach Robb has seen and done what it takes to be the best and explained to us riders exactly what he did with these professionals. This has really inspired me to keep going with what I’m doing and to keep pushing towards my dream to be the best.

Brock Ninness #47

 Connect with Brock on Instagram

Brock participated in the MotoE Performance Camp at Wollongong Motorcycle Club. Find out more information and about up-and-coming Australian camps with Coach Robb HERE.

This is not paid content.