Inside the life of AMA pro racer turned coach and writer, plus her drive to publish “Life in the Fast Lane: Discovering the Art of Cornering,” – now rising fast on Kickstarter.
Former AMA Pro racer and long-time California Superbike School coach Misti Hurst has spent more than two decades helping riders gain confidence, master cornering, and push past fear. Now she is sharing those lessons in her debut book, Life in the Fast Lane: Discovering the Art of Cornering. The Kickstarter campaign launched in November 2025 and surged past the halfway mark of its goal in the first ten days, earning Kickstarter’s Project We Love badge.
Part memoir and part riding guide, the book blends Misti’s personal story with practical coaching insight from teaching riders around the world. With a foreword by California Superbike School founder Keith Code, the book dives into the heart of performance riding and the deeper lessons behind speed, mindset, and resilience.
“I wanted to give riders real tools to corner better, but also inspire people,
especially women, to chase the things that light them up.”
Misti Hurst
Misti didn’t start riding until she was twenty-four. Like most women of similar character, the back seat of a bike, while fun, was temporary. Misti took charge, bought a bike and began her own riding journey. Confident and in control was where she belonged and would remain in her life. Now, two decades later, approaching fifty, she is still going top speed but this time to complete the book she promised her 18-yr-old self she would write by 50.
From First Track Day to Pro Racer
Once Misti began riding, she was all in. She rode daily. A trip to Seattle to watch a friend race presented her with an up-close and personal look at the inside of motorcycle racing. That experience paired with the opportunity to ride her own bike on the track during lunch, got her hooked and by the end of the day, she was signed up for race school.
Misti earned her racing license in 2001 and a year later won her first race on a 2000 SV650. By 2002, she claimed the 650 Twins Championship near Vancouver, B.C.
Her racing experience was all encompassing, including a crash in 2003 that sidelined her with a broken collarbone. Character building is what racers call this. No set backs of injuries or drained finances, could put out the racing flame living inside her and she returned to competition in 2005, racing in the 600 Amateur Nationals, and eventually turned pro in AMA 600 Supersport and FX in 2007 and 2008. Her career didn’t end there.
Enter the legend: Keith Code and California Superbike School
In 2003, a sponsor sent Misti to the California Superbike School, where she met Keith Code – the now legend of teaching high speed braking and cornering to racers and riders all over the world. I myself went to see him after I had a harrowing crash on the California coast and had mental trauma that was preventing me from fully enjoying riding again. He fixed me.
Just like I experienced, meeting Keith changed Misti’s path so much so that she wanted to give back and joined the ranks of the coaching staff. Coaching soon became a cornerstone of her career.
“As one of the top riding coaches in the world, Misti’s observations are spot-on,”
Keith Code
Today, she is known worldwide for her rider training and her ability to help students break through mental blocks and technical challenges.
Work / Life Balance
Naturally, as her career began to take off, Misti became more recognized in Vancouver for mentoring young riders, championing women in motorsport, and balancing a demanding career. Wanting to have a family presented the challenge of how to make that happen and she eventually gave up racing to become a mother.
“Riding is what calms me down,” reflects Misti, “so without it, I’m not going to be the best version of myself. I think it is important for women to hold fast to what their goals and dreams are because otherwise we lose ourselves in the demanding role of being a mother.”
“We are better mothers when our minds and bodies stay connected to what fuels us.”
She is open about the pressure women face to step back from their passions after becoming mothers. Riding keeps her grounded and helps her show her kids what it looks like to live with purpose.
“None of my male counterparts, have had to struggle to maintain family life and their careers. It is slowly changing but when I had my sons, now teenagers, women were expected to simply drop everything, stay home and deal with the bulk of the mental load of raising children. In my opinion, it is so important for women to have other things to push us forward.”
Misti is currently working and traveling, with family in tow, through Australia, riding tracks like Sydney Motorsport Park and Phillip Island, before heading to Taiwan to continue writing and coaching.
“It is nice when they [her sons] get to see what I do. My 16-year-old son just got to be a student at the school for the first time ever and it was epic watching him interact with the other coaches and my co-workers. I trusted them explicitly to take good care of him.”
One of her most memorable coaching moments happened in India. A student struggled deeply with the steering drill, more than anyone she had coached before. She jumped on the back of the bike and physically guided his body and elbow until the concept clicked. The breakthrough changed his riding and reminded her why she teaches.
Riding taught her to follow the things that matter and to help others along the way. Life moves fast, so the goal is not just performance but meaning.
“When you put your mind toward what you love and it helps other people, good things happen.”
Writing
I have heard the saying, “if you want to get something done, ask a busy person.” Misti is a classic example. In addition to racing, coaching and parenting, along the way Misti has contributed a monthly column to Motorcycle Mojo magazine fittingly titled, Life in the Fast Lane, for the past nineteen years. The title of her upcoming book is a tribute to the column that helped her grow as a writer.
Her race reports, riding insights, and unique perspective as a woman in motorcycling from the early days to modern day, made her a standout voice. Many readers have become lifelong friends.
A Kickstarter Powered by Community
Her Kickstarter campaign has grown quickly with support from riders she coached, women she inspired, and families she helped. Backers can choose from signed hardcovers, dual-signed editions by Misti and Keith Code, exclusive global eBooks and paperbacks, speaker engagements, coaching calls, and even private track day experiences.
The Rider Support Tier is one of the most popular rewards. One backer will win a full day at the California Superbike School in the United States with a BMW rental included. From experience, every rider should do this! Only a limited number of people have backed it so far, which means unusually strong odds.
What Comes After the Book
More books. More stories. More coaching. More travel. Misti has decades of material and a life that keeps offering new chapters. New tracks. New students. New countries. New adventures.
She is always busy, sometimes tired, but fully alive.
“I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” she says with a grin.
