We went to the track and to school with Roberto Rolfo to discover the hilarious world of Pit Bikes and to improve the driving technique to be safer on the road.
Our road safety column begins on the track, in Cremona, with Roberto Rolfo's driving and driving school. Our goal is to introduce you to the many sports disciplines of the motorcycling world and understand how much they help you improve in everyday driving.
Content index
- Roberto Rolfo and the RR44 school
- The Pit bikes
- The course and the day
- Why try
- Equipment and protections
Roberto Rolfo and the RR44 school
Roby is first and foremost a great athlete, still competing in the Endurance championship, and above all an excellent driver capable of transmitting and explaining all the techniques that distinguish driving on the track and on a pit bike.
With the RR44 Driving School you have the opportunity to take one or more days of Pit Bike course or courses on motorcycle road, always on the track. The circuits chosen and Roberto's organization are impeccable, as are the bikes that you find available from him that will keep you entertained all day long.
With the support of videos and photos, already in the early stages you get to the heart of teaching and learning, which continue on the track, in shifts, followed, or rather chased, by Roby who checks your every slightest movement.
The Pit Bikes
Pit bikes are “motine” bigger than a mini bike and smaller than a supermoto. The engine is responsive but does not kick and allows you to modulate the driving well throughout the circuit without regretting more cavalry. The chassis and the driving position are a separate chapter and it takes a few laps to fully understand how they should be ridden.
Afterwards it becomes child's play: as pace and confidence increase, they are really suitable for learning and daring, that is, gaining confidence with the exact position on the saddle and with the movements to be performed to ride well and increasingly stronger. And if the grip betrays you, nothing serious. You slip, get back up and start again, thanks to the protections and safety that only a track can provide.
The course and the day
The course is divided into different phases starting with the initial briefing, a first session in which Roberto observes you followed by those of learning and improvement. Already after the first laps you can see the mistakes made and the improvements to be made thanks to the videos that are shot on board and on the track.
Then follows the training in the square, dedicated to the eight. Roberto places the pins around which to turn with the right criterion to learn well accelerated, detached, lean and change of direction. In a single exercise, which even professional pilots often do like training, you really learn a lot, and the difference on the track is tangible as soon as you get back on it.
You also have time to grab a bite to eat and have a coffee before resuming your afternoon shifts. These are more and more in the name of refinement, fine corrections and even enthusiasm. It opens more, comes off longer and longer and folds with greater mastery, until sunset.
Why try
Your safety on a motorcycle, especially on the road, depends on many factors, first of all on yourself. For this reason, the best investment is not only in motorcycles and safety devices but above all in one's riding skills, in all conditions.
Trying a discipline like Pit biking, in a safe environment like the track and with a qualified instructor will certainly help and we can already appreciate it at the first ride on the bike. At the same time, fun and awareness of the vehicle and one's abilities increase, to the benefit of safety and one's own safety.
Trajectories, braking and control are the 3 key factors you can work on, and the more you practice the better, especially in environments intended for these activities such as circuits.
For info and costs you can contact Roberto via the robyrolfo.it site
Equipment and protections
Obviously, safety does not alone come with the track, for this reason it is advisable to be well protected or ask Roby to rent what is necessary.
In our case we used the following articles feeling really in an iron barrel!
- Helmet Airoh GP 550 S: helmet racing for asphalt and curbs, excellent both on the track and on the road, very ventilated, light and with a perfect fit.
- Tuta Gimoto Imola: Made in Italy e custom-made, fits like a glove and protects every inch of your body.
- Back Protector Zandonà Hybrid Back Pro: maximum level 2 protection with the possibility of adding chest protection Netcube Armor Chest instead of suspenders.
- Obviously don't forget the gloves Leather with track protectors and the righteous stivali with slider.
See you at the next episode of Drive Better and on the track with Roby Rolfo!
