Keith Code, the Man, the Schools

Here is a chronological list of Keith Code's motorcycle activity; riders he has trained and discoveries he has made over the past quarter century.

1974

Becomes a typical California street squid canyon racer.

Returns to racing at the club level after 10 years off.

Does four club races, does well, wins one or two.

1975

Does a few more club races as top finisher.

Gets a ride with Yoshimura in club events.

1976

Continues to ride and test for Yoshimura, wins some club events.

Starts writing down his research on riding techniques.

Begins the "Keith Code Rider Improvement Program" for club level racers. Gets astonishing results. Student lap times improve an average of 7 seconds a lap. Press dubs him The Guru of Roadracing.

Gets to winners circle in his first ever Superbike race at Laguna Seca.

Begins research on visual skills. Defines reference points and other key visual skills.

1977

Organizes the new-rider training for the AFM racing club and runs it.

Does the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Instructor course in Sacramento, CA

Trains new riders at MSF courses and for dealerships.

1977-78

Begins publicly sharing his discoveries by holding lectures for racers on riding technique.

1977-78

Begins to apply training techniques to self and wins 11 out of 12 California events in GP and other classes.

1977-79

Active member, board of directors, AFM race club.

1979

Retires from Superbike racing.

Keith hooks up with Richard Lovell and forms the California Superbike School. Richard came to America with the idea of starting a track school from his experience at Brands Hatch where he worked for the track's own school. On calling around to magazines, Keith's name was given to him as the guy who trained riders. The two established and ran the schools together until Richard went on to family business in Wisconsin in 1987.

1980

Starts the first high performance school, The California Superbike School

1981

Contracts with Kawasaki Motors Corp. to train dirtracker Wayne Rainey in roadracing techniques. The rest is history.

1982

Takes the Superbike School nationwide.

Writes the instant best seller, A Twist of the Wrist book. Still selling in quantity worldwide.

Superbike champion Eddie Lawson agrees to write his notes and comments in Keith's first book after attending Superbike School sessions.

Keith asks and Eddie Lawson helps instruct at Superbike School sessions.

Develops the no-brakes rider training format, used by many.

1983

Becomes first teacher to break riding into specific drills.

Coaches Steve Wise for Honda race team. Steve was fearless but crashed a lot. He made it into the winners circle 11 out of the next 13 Superbike and Formula 1 races with Keith as his coach.

1984

Works with Superbike champion Wes Cooley for Kawasaki. Team Muzzy/Kawasaki staff member, Sparky Edmondson said. "What did you do to him, I've never seen anything like that before!" after Keith brought him from a & string of distant 7th place type finishes to winners' circle after coaching him for only one race!

Develops the panic-stop training bike.

Works with national champion dirtracker Ricky Graham to start his roadracing career for Honda.

First Twist book translated into Japanese.

First Twist book translated into German. Becomes immediate best seller.

Works with national champion dirtracker Bubba Shobert to start his roadracing career for Honda. Bubba went on to win the Superbike championship.

Starts training dirtracker Doug Chandler in roadracing. Doug wins 3Superbike Championships.

Develops and implements first ever high perf. step-by-step rider training format.

Begins training Donnie Greene who goes on to win 3 National Championships after Keith's coaching.

1985

Holds seminars for racers to test techniques he writes about in The Soft Science of Roadracing Motorcycles book. Riders get immediate results. Publishes the book.

Wayne Rainey likes the material and agrees to write notes for the book.

1986

The Soft Science of Roadracing is published and is still the only workbook for racers. Daytona Winner Dave Sadowski later says, "I don't need you as a coach anymore, I have the book with all the answers!"

Writes, produces and technically directs the world's first rider training video. Still number 1 in the world after 16 years.

Soft Science of Roadracing book translated into Japanese.

1987

Develops on-track style instruction with immediate handsignal feedback.

Develops on-bike video training.

1988

Twist video is dubbed in Japanese.

1989

Works with Thomas Stevens. Later becomes Superbike Champion.

Coaches David Sadowski. Goes on to win Daytona and other races.

Coaches Fred Merkel. Goes on to win world Superbike title.

Addresses Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) on riding technology.

1990

Coaches Dale Quarterly. Goes on to win national championship and quitscrashing.

Student Doug Chandler wins his first Superbike race, acknowledges Keith's coaching.

Twist video translated into Spanish.

Twist video translated into German.

Produces the first ever full season of roadracing on TV in America.

Resumes coaching of Donnie Greene. Wins another National 250cc title.

Holds first schools in Australia.

1991

Holds first schools in Guatemala.

Starts coaching Scott Russell. Russell begins Superbike career and publicly acknowledges Keith's help. Wins USA and World Superbike Championships.

Voted Motorcyclist Magazine's, Motorcyclist of the Year, for his students and other rider training accomplishments of the past decade.

Coaches Jake Zemke for a season. Jake later becomes national podium regular.

Coaches Mike Smith. Mike goes on to win National Formula USA title.

1992

Coaches factory rider Jamie James.

Chuck Graves becomes Code student. Wins Formula USA title.

At age 48 returns to 250 racing to research A Twist of the Wrist, Volume II. Does pretty well for an old fart. Winners circle at club events, runs in top 10 at some national events.

Discovers quick turn riding technology.

Writes Twist Volume II. Still number one book on high performance riding today.

Discovers pivot-steering technique.

Is honored by Motorcycle Safety Foundation for promoting rider safety.

1993

Discovers hook-turn body positioning technique.

Writes the world's first researched understanding of Throttle Control.

Dissects and presents understandable data on rider input and its effects on handling.

Continues 250 GP racing for grins and giggles.

Writes columns for Sportrider and Motorcycle Consumer News.

Twist, Volume II translated into German. Becomes German bestseller.

1994

Gets into bicycles and invents a corrective device for rider's shoes, patented.

Writes A Gear Higher book on bicycles featuring team Yetti rider Marla Strebb.

1995

Returns to Australia to do schools, by popular demand.

Starts Australian franchise of Superbike School.

Completely restructures Superbike School training format into 4 levels.

1996

Starts Superbike Schools in the UK. Schools rocket to number one in nation.

Develops in depth training courses for riding instructors.

Does 125 GP bike schools with Moto Liberty to test new training techniques.

Does Harley-only schools to prove new training format works with any rider.

Ben Bostrom comes to school and then works with Keith.

Eric Bostrom comes to school and consults with Keith on riding.

Works with Roland Sands. Sands immediately quits crashing (one to three times per race) and goes on to win national title.

1997

Develops and releases the Steering Drill: trains thousands of riders worldwide.

Coaches Sean Higby. Higby becomes top twins competitor.

New visual drills added to the schools already successful ones.

Invents, patents and implements the Lean & Slide bike.

1998

Coaches Tommy Hayden back to winners circle from injuries and bad finishes.

Coaches John Kocinski. Wins World title next season.

Creates the No BS bike to sort out countersteering and body steering.

1999

Lean & Slide bike sales overseas to foreign training centers.

Australian branch expands into Malaysia.

2000

Consults with Chuck Sorensen. Chuck wins national 250 title again and again.

Develops corner-attack technology and adds it to school curriculum.

Develops Knee-to-knee, quick flick stability techniques and adds it to school drills.

UK school wins top road school award at prestigious Motorcycle News annual awards.

2001

Race And Competition Experience curriculum developed.

Employes radar at the R.A.C.E. schools for immediate feedback on technique.

Schools expand to France and Spain.

Invents corrective Body Alignment Device for rider training at schools.

2002

Both Twist books become audio books on CD.

Completes and introduces his wheelie-trainer device.

Schools expand to Greece.

Australian branch expands to the Philippines.

Norwegian DMV adopts Code technique-oriented approach to rider training.

Student count reaches 100,000 riders trained at Superbike Schools worldwide.

2003

Twist, Volume 1 interactive CD version released.

Keith's Slide Bike device becomes standard training for Police, Fire and Civil Defense officials in Singapore.

The school adds Sweden and Ireland to its tour schedule.

Superbike School rider's forum is launched at www.superbikeschool.com/bbs

2004

School adds South Africa to its tour schedule.

2005

California Superbike School Coaches Thomas Luthi. Wins 125cc World Championship.

Coaches Leon Camier. Becomes British Supersport Champ.

Keith started riding in the dark ages of motorcycling, the 1950's. He first raced in the 60's at age 16, again in the 70's, 80's and 90's. He went to design school; was a photographer; designed and manufactured shoes for the stars; sold pretzels on the street; was a full on drug addict in the 60's; cleaned up with Dianetics; became a writer, inventor and dedicated himself to understanding and teaching the art of riding motorcycles. He was the first person to put words to roadracing and riding, and his research continues today.

Keith lives in Glendale, California with his soul mate of 32 years, Judy. He has one son, Dylan.