I had a taste, sort of...

[Dogma]

Dogma, how have you healed up?

Well, there's only one bone where there should be a clavicle now. Back in January I finally got cleared to start building strength in the shoulder again. I have NOT been diligent about that like I was after the knee surgery (not bike-related). Push-up or press movements under load (I just tried my first push-up since the crash) feel like tendons are still trying to figure out where they want to be. Also circulation in the right arm is worse than it used to be. I have a regularly scheduled appointment in a few weeks, so I'll ask about all that then. I need to go get some of those giant PT rubber bands so I can get started training.

 

[limeex2]

Joe,

By all means do a track day. I did my first track day at Keith Code's California Superbike School in the mid-80's. I was young, fearless, and a pretty good rider. The school followed a weekend of AMA racing at the old Loudon Raceway in New Hampshire and my lap times on a Ninja 600 would have qualified me for the grid for the 750 Superbike Race. I took the California Superbike School again a couple years at Mid-Ohio where my lap times were middle of the pack. Just a couple years had aged (wisened?) me to the point where I thought more about self preservation than going as fast as possible. I didn't do any further track riding until 15 years ago when I did a track day sponsored by a local dealer and run by Sportbike Track Time. I've done at least one track day every year since and these are my favorite riding days of the year. Now significantly older I have found a balance between improving my skills and turning decent laps. I have no idea what my lap times are these days and don't really care. I now concentrate on being smooth and consistent. I'm probably slower than in my youth but I'd bet the difference is not very great. I usually ride in the Intermediate group which is fine with me. After all these years I must have learned something as last year I got bumped up to the Advanced group. A control rider noticed I was being held up by slower riders in the intermediate group and felt I would do fine in the faster group and also likely improve my skills more quickly as well. I was pretty proud of that, being bumped up for the first time at age 57.

I've never crashed at a track day and have had just one somewhat scary moment where I ground some hard parts on the curbing in a right hand corner and levered the rear wheel off the ground. It took the whole width of the track to get it back under me but I didn't crash. I have seen a lot of riders go down but only one or two times where they were not able to get up under their own power. Like any other time you swing a leg over a motorcycle, things can go horribly wrong.

I wrote the 'Experienced' article Groove Daddy mentioned in his post. That was a couple years ago and my thoughts are still the same. I'd say the biggest things a first time track day attendee can do to enjoy the day to its fullest are:

- Find someone to go with that has done track days before and is willing to help you with the routine. You're going to be nervous and having a friend to help you through registration, bike prep, tech, etc. will reduce your anxiety level.
- Listen to the instructors and follow their instructions. These guys take safety very seriously and the quickest way to have your day end early is to ride in an unsafe manner. You'll probably get a warning or two unless you do something VERY dangerous but you'll probably be done if you do something unsafe three times.
- Ride within your limits. If you start scaring yourself or find yourself running out of track into or out of corners, slow down!
- Pay attention to your brain. Track day sessions are usually 20 minutes and you'll likely have 7 or 8 sessions on the track. That's a lot of track time and you'll expend a lot of energy. If you start to make mental or physical mistakes, pull off the track and rest until the net session. Many (most?) incidents happen at the end of the day when riders get cocky and ride over their heads. Being tired doesn't help either. Recognize and heed the warning signs.


I'd suggest taking the sportiest bike you have. The methods you'll be taught will be easier to implement on a lighter, sportier bike. You also won't have to work as hard you'll have more energy at the end of the day. All the skills will transfer to whatever other bikes you have.

Bottom line - Do it! Just beware.....it can be addictive.

Thanks,
Joe

All true. I feel much safer on the track than the street no matter what speed or bike I am riding. Crashing never enters my mind, its not a race, its for fun and I was never that fast any way. Finding someone to chase is a blast, but being chased is exhilarating. It is EXTREMELY addictive. Go for it on what ever bike you feel most comfortable on.

 

[GSXR7ED]

A Track Day has been on my mind for a while...going at your own pace until you feel confident enough to use the bike's higher capabilities is the only way to go. Definitely NOT thinking about crashing helps. "Think it and you will do it" is something I tell myself when I ride.

There's a Track near me in the Tri-State area...up in NJ. I have yet to consider a bike I wouldn't mind learning on "how to eject myself" if the condition warrants it. As much as I don't wanna "go down", it's still a possibility that ONE would have to know what to do in those instances. Prepare yourself as much as possible in the event something happens. Again, try not to think it but have a "B" plan if it happens.

Now, get yourself a Track Bike or put one together. Either way, if it's a goal...reach for it!



Ed

 

[Joe Garfield]

It's so funny how worried I was about crashing, LOL I just did 2-1/2 laps around "Palomar Racetrack" - Palomar Mountain road, a ridiculously fun canyon road with 'greasy' tight turns and lots of people going fast. I'd never been there before and was pushing pretty close to 100% on my second lap - I even dragged a peg for the first time (which scared the **** out of me, lol, but I kept it in my lane and kept on going). There was a turn with a bunch of gravel, people ripping down hardly staying in their lane, and people falling off the side of the road. Oh...and, uh, this is with luggage on the back and an undersprung rear suspension

If I'm gonna ride my bike like that, I have no right to be concerned about dropping it on a real race track!

Here's a view of one of the turns near the top. This one feels like a giant sweeper after riding the lower half.

That Total Control clinic really changed my riding - I can't believe what's happened. When I started Palomar there were 2 riders on sport bikes behind me. By the second turn they were gone and I never saw another rider in my mirrors again. Before the clinic I was the guy with all the speed in the straights and people up my ass in the turns. Now there's been 2 or 3 times in the past couple of weeks where I lost people in the turns. I'm still just learning this stuff and there are obviously better and faster riders out there, but **** it does feel good to lose people in the turns

 

[Joe Garfield]

These are not my pics but I wanted to brag about where I was riding. Rt 76 joins the two sections at the bottom to create the 'loop'.

 

[gbw]

Looks like a playground out there! Sounds like you're having a blast. Your rear suspension is under sprung? Thought you took that thing to RaceTech.

 

[Joe Garfield]

Looks like a playground out there! Sounds like you're having a blast. Your rear suspension is under sprung? Thought you took that thing to RaceTech.

I did. Like they say, "the best you've ridden is the best you know." The bike felt pretty amazing but I was bottoming out the front a lot. They never measured sag with me on the bike which I thought was odd (or cocky). I went back to have it checked out and got new front springs, and they had to jack the rear preload to 100% to get me in the right sag range. Now it feels like the back is moving around a ton.

In the corners on Palomar, there would be some bumps and the bike was changing pitch through the turns (rear was moving up and down) and it felt pretty squirrely. I had the luggage on, but that's maybe 15lbs and there's no room left to compensate with preload. I'm still using 100% of the front travel but not bottoming unless it's a decent hit.

I think, before, the ride height was low so there was less movement. Or, the front and rear were moving together which kept the bike neutral. In that case, maybe the softer front spring with more internal preload would get the bike back in sync.

I kind of wish I got a full custom rear (rather than a rebuild) although that wouldn't let me change the spring... Hopefully they'll take their time, take some measurements, and get it right the third time. They said they someone sent them a suspension of the naked version of my bike before me. I think mine is the first they've had in the shop, so maybe it takes a little trial and error with a brand new bike. I almost wonder if they made an assumption - like 'it's the same suspension as a GSXR' - and ended up with a wrong spring length or something.

The hard part is I'm obviously not a suspension expert. I have to be careful not to make recommendations or suggestions and only comment about what I feel when I ride.