Just did first Track Day
 

Completed first track day at Barber this past Saturday. It was the most fun I have ever had. I went to the event with a couple of very skilled riders who were very helpful (rode in Advanced). The event was also a Buell demo day but I will talk about them later. The first half of the day the instructors would not let you pass in the turns only in the straights. Which I didnt think would be a problem until a few riders would come to almost a complete stop in the turns. That being said, the second half they let the rules of Intermediate apply to Begginer. I finnaly got to pass anywhere. I ended up getting to play with a fellow rider on a GSXR 750 with about the same skill level as myself. He would pass me on the straights (stock VTR w/ fork springs 5 mil. shim in the back and P. Powers 2CTs) but I seemed to find the better lines in the turns. We would swap places every lap and would give each other a thumbs up after each session. I also met up with a fellow Superhawk member who I think goes by the name Thumper. He was a great guy also. Brought his SH and a CRF450 supermotard. He and the supermoto could haul A$$. At one point towards the end of the day when my speed had increased I was busy passing a rider in a turn when out of nowhere Thumper comes by us both on the outside on the SM. The Buells were just how everybody described good handling but had garbage for powerplant and shifter. I rode it like I stole it which translates to scraping up the pegfeelers and rubing off the Chickenstrips. Which leads me to the Power 2CTs on the hawk. One of the best investments and improvements you can do to tha SH. Just when I thought my righthand wrote a check the tires couldnt cash I would just lean a little more they stuck and I powered thru the turn. All and all I had a great time, met great people, PTT did a great job on the event and I gained so skill to boot. Now I need to find a track bike.

Welcome to the addiction!!:twisted: I was going to go to that event but I just couldn't work my schedule. Glad you had a blast, if you ever come down to Jennings let me know, I hope to go in May if I'm all healed up,(who am I kidding I'm going in May)! Those Tards are tough in the corners with the weight advantage. I've heard great things about that track what did you think of it?

Addictions right, I think everybodt including my wife would love for me to shut up and quit talking about my experience. Hope to do Jennings soon all my riding budies have been but me. From what they have said Baber is much more difficult than Jenning. Barber has elavation changes plus blind corners which mean you have to learn the track. All that said, I was able to pick up on it fairly fast. Budies are talking about Nashville Superspeedway in April might try to go to it. Will do Jennings soon also.

:thumbsup: Let me know and maybe we'll hook up. I hope to do Barber in the near future and probably Tally too, I've only done JGP and Homestead so far. Where're you from anyway?

Chattanooga, TN about two hour from Barber, Tally, Road Atlanta, And Nashville. A many O track to get hurt at. What is your recomendation on a track bike? Not suprising the SuperHawk did very well. Didnt have to worry as much on shifting but I do see now the need for lower gearing. Thinking I4 maybe an old F3 or F4. There is still alot of older SH out there also, what better way to learn to ride the hawk than having it as a track bike.

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/i...howtopic=31030
Here is another link from VFR discussion.

P.S. that was not me in the video (not that good yet). I am the guy in the middle on one of the pics towards the bottom of the page.

If you're going with one of those I would just stick to a SuperHawk, IMO it's just as good if not better. If you want to get serious and do some racing get a newer 600 but if you're just doing track days I would look for a vtr that needs a front end and do a swap. I think that was the most drastic mod,(as far as improvement in brakes and handling), I did to mine and was VERY happy with the results. It makes it a LOT easier to go fast. If I was getting a track only trackday bike and money wasn't an issue, I think I would get either a GSXR750 or a Triumph 675, if I was racing probably a 600.

Can't seem to convince the wife spending another 5 to 6 thousand on another toy for me is a wise investment. On a good note just saw an 05 R6 in the local paper for $2900 "like new" (something has got to be wrong with it). Might call on it later. The bike in the video is an early model F4i. I dont want something so new I am afraid to ride it in anger, like I am my 05 SH. I seemed to be getting over that problem towards the end of the day.

I think our wives are related or something.....oh that's right they're ALL like that. :lol: I used to have a little voice in my head that said, "you know this is your only bike!" but I told him to STFU, might be why I crashed. That R6 does sound too good to be true and you know what they say about that, I'm going to look for a salvage bike and just get it checked out before I buy it.

cool

There were alot of V twin sportbikes on the track. Buells (of course) Ducs, Aprilias , SV650s and RC51s. The honda SH showed all the V twins its taped-up taillight at one point or another except the RC51 (ate my lunch) and a 999 both better riders than myself. Talked with the RC51 owner. Was very full of himself. You know roadraced out west, name dropped AMA racers he knew,test rode for race teams ect. All this and he was playing in the begginers. Said he wanted to stay out of advanced and learn the track. Funny thing my buddy with the GSXR 600 destroyed him when he went out in the begginer class (later got bumped up to intermediate but could not get bumped into advanced). I wish Thumper rode his Superhawk more, so I could talk him into letting me ride his CRF450 SM. LOL as I said earlier it was fast in the tight stuff (maybe the rider).

...he's right...
 

...he won't shut up!

Just kidding!!!!!

Rooster did VERY well for his first track day! Got the layout quickly and really threw that SuperChicken around.

There's a quote about trackriding being addictive... something to the effect of, "It makes heroin addiction look more like a craving for something sweet." Great stuff...

Way to go Rooster! Way to throw it around!

Bus made it look easy but who couldnt on an 05 GSXR600, just kidding! Bus did threaten to demo the Buell Blast that was there and show me the back tire. Thank goddness that didnt happen. Nobody wants to get there A$$ handed to them by a little bike with half of a hunk o Sh*t engine in it.

Pics are up!
 

Rooster on a demo:
http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/Orde...0576&po=576&c=

Me and Ulysses.. not an odessy(second in line, behind Lou, our neighbor):
http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/Orde...0570&po=570&c=

Superchicken!!!!!!
http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/Orde...0746&po=746&c=

Cool, glad you guys had fun! Nice color on that 'Hawk!

I want to do jennings one weekend. I live in Jacksonville so it isn't that far away. I need to ask you guys a question. I notice the hawks have about an inch peg feelers. I weigh 145 lbs is that enough to touch the pegs down on this bike or do you run out of tire before that? Just curious before i lean it over too far. This is the sportiest bike i have ever had so i am used to touching a peg so i know my limit.

I took the peg feelers off and didnt touch any hard parts down. After looking at my pics I dont look like I am moving around much in the saddle. I need to work on my body position.

So how do you know when your tire is about to run out? By how much you get off the bike? So you are saying if i leave my peg feelers pm that i will touch those before i run out of tire.

Rooster, sorry i didn't let you try my CRF450 SM. It was my first time trying the SM as i barrowed a set of wheels from a buddy and quickly converted my CRF in the garage Friday night.

It was too much fun, i actually picked up my own Excel Pro Wheels today and will be back on the SM fairly soon.

The only thing i feel bad about is i spent hours preparing my SuperHawk for the track day (spare body work, Track day tires,, etc) and i only put her on the track once session. The dang Motard was like the most fun i have ever had on a bike. At this point i dought i will e taking the superHawk back to a TrackDay as long as i got my CRF.

I could rail around all the heavier sportbikes in the turns and if they caught me on strights i could just out brake them into the turns if i braked at all enterring the turns. The new wheels i picked up have a 39 tooth rear sprocket instead of a 45 tooth. I should now be able to hit 110 or 120 down the striaghts before hitting red line. I could only do 92 mph with the setup i had last saturday.

Barber ROCKS!

Me on the CRF450R - First time ever putting my Dirt Bike on the Track
http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/Orde...0111&po=112&c=

Me on the SuperChicken in the only session i rode her
http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/Orde...0378&po=378&c=

Thumper can you give me a rough guess of about how much money you invested into your SM. Cant seem to make up my mind weather to go supersport or supermotard. Either way it would be around 600 cc. That being said there is a 02 gsxr 750 I might look into. Can't make up my damn mind. This might be harder than choosing my first bike. Choices, choices choices.

Rooster that is tough for me to answer as i bought the CRF450R new in 04 and have raced it in Hair Scrambles and Motocross as well as hundreds of hours of woods riding. I am first a woods rider and second a street rider. I spent several nights preping the superhawk for the track day and at the last minute decided to barrow the set of motard wheels in the pic. I did nothing else to my primary dirt bike other than install his wheels and chain/sprocket set and run the crap out of it at Barber. I did soften the compression and rebound, but that is it.

That being said a good used motard will probably run you as much as the 600 you mentioned. I just today i bought my own set of Excel Pro motard wheels from a friend of mine for $800.

My plan is to by a crf450X rear fender and front number/headlight plate and rig up a brake light system so as to be able to legally license and ride it in our east TN twisties and an occasional Trackday. No plans to race on the track, but come fall she will go back to her Dirt bike form and hit the woods.

I am new to the SM scene so i am not the best person to answer this. All i can say is i had an ear to ear grin while on the track at Barber and it was so much fun that the SuperHawk got neglected all day.