Racing motorcycles has been a big part of my life since 2004. Funny enough, it was an article I read on a website that sparked my curiosity and turned a pastime that I enjoyed into an obsession. I have fond memories from the early days of sleepless nights, waking up at 2am to begin my trek to the race track (because I will never sleep anyway), and sleeping in the truck outside the track gates (thankfully I splurged and bought an extended cab). Often when I tell people of the lengths I drive or the sleep deprivation I subject myself (and others) to for the sake of my sport, I am met with puzzled looks and often asked why.
My name is Andy Cule and this is my Supermoto blog! My intention for this blog is to bring recognition to the sport, promote dialogue between riders and share best practices for race preparation and riding technique to make us all better riders. I have been racing for a while now, which in no way makes me an expert – it just means I have amassed some experience. And like many of you know, there is no substitute for experience. My experience prior to racing comes from years working as an automotive technician at a Ford dealership; some years ago I switched careers into the teaching profession and now I teach auto shop at a Hamilton high school.
My life is complemented and completed by an understanding partner in Shanna. We live in a modest home with our three pets; two dogs and a cat. I am a middle child, having an older brother and a younger sister. I am an uncle of three nieces and a nephew, all of whom ride motorcycles, albeit my nieces favour the four-wheeled ATV after a bad experience on the PW80 at their grandparents’ house.
So now that you know a little about me, I want to share with you what I do in the off-season to keep in riding shape, in the hopes that you will in return share your methods of keeping the riding cobwebs away. I spent the time and money and built a set of ice riding tires for my MX bike. Ice riding is as close as you can get to Supermoto when the weather is frigid and uninviting. Taking a set of MX tires and building ice tires isn’t that hard if you are not afraid of a little work. Alternatively, you can buy a set of professionally made tires if that is easier for you. Beyond ice riding, indoor motocross is another option – Chestermans indoor motocross is a challenging track located in Tillsonburg, Ontario.
We’re always open to new ideas and new riding buddies, so please offer up and contribute what you do to stay in riding shape. Take a moment to let the motorcycle racing community know what you do to stay in shape in the off-season.
Happy riding,
Andy
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