nuhawk

Thanks for the offer, gssbmm! Let me know when you're going again and we will try to make it. And thanks to all the rest of you! All your information is very helpful.

gssbmm

I'm going to try to make the feb 12th one to try and knock the rust off before the first race in the 18th but I have to make sure I have the funds after getting everything preped for the race weekend. I Don't know if you have mondays free for the 12th.

http://www.ridesmart.info/calendar.htm
this is the group I usualy go with because there prices include classroom and on track instrutors and there cheaper.

the other option is
www.lstd.com
they do the track days on the race weekends but they charge extra for there school.

nuhawk

Thanks, man, this is great! I look at the sites and start planning. Mondays are better with me than weekends. Let me do some exploring - will pm from here!

superhawk22

Looks like everyone covered pretty much what I wrote before I lost it all! The only thing I'll add is your first time out try to focus on just getting to know the track. What I mean is don't worry so much about braking points and shifting just learn the lines. The track I ride the 1st timers are requiered to do at least 1 lead follow and sometimes more, they teach you the line and the correct way to pit in and go out on the track adn no passing on the 1st 4 laps. The 1st day I went I found 1 gear that was good for going around the track and just left it there so I wouldn't have to worry about shifting just focus on the track. Like someone said leave speed for later and be smooth that's the most important thing to learn. Smooth on and off the throttle and smooth transitions if you're not that's when the chassis gets upset and you crash! Choose caution over passing until you're SURE you can pass cleanly BELIEVE ME!!! Most important have fun, it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on!!!

nuhawk

I do have one more question and it wasn't addressed in a real straight forward manner on either of the sites. Will they let the kid ride? He's seventeen and has been invited to the ERC by his instructor from his BRC and this group does track days as well. When I met his instructor he encouraged us both to come to their track days. I assumed that meant as riders. Geez, he's probably better than me anyway!

superhawk22

Sorry I forgot about that one it was in my original post that got wiped out. Most tracks WILL allow him to go as long as you sign for him. The track I go to allows kids as young as 14 if they have permission, as a matter of fact I got passed by one kid that was 14!! No fear at that age little whipper snapper!!! Some tracks are different but you should be fine.

gssbmm

yeah he should be fine for both of the track days I sent you. they get iffy about the insurace at 16, so someplaces will someplaces wont. but 17 should be fine.

F1 Fan in Nascar Land

Dont underestimate the 600's, there faster 0-60 then the hawks and top speed is better, there is really no reason to go bigger until a few years down the road, making your bike faster doesnt make you a better track rider improve your skills on the 600 then switch. Just makes sense if you are doing say 1 min 20 sec laps consistantly and you add some Horsepower to your bike and drop that time by a second, did you improve, or your bike? Pretty easy to answer.

gssbmm

I agree, out side of texas world speedway. none of the track reall have the space for you to open up a literbike. most of the liter bike guys end up blasting down the shrt strights and then getting passed in evey corner buy all the 600 and v-twins. the bikes you have are great. in fact the more you ride the track you'll end up gearing them down. you just don;t need the top speed here in TX

superhawk22

+3 stay with what you've got for now, there's a video from the track I go to with 2 of the best FL. CCS riders racing eachother. One is on a GSXR1000 and the other is on a F3, the 1000 never gets away and the F3 actually almost passes him a couple of times.8-) Besisdes part of the fun I have at the track is passing bikes I have no right even staying with!

nuhawk

22, while you're on the wire, I have a question. It looks like (without speaking for him or being too presumptive) that the tracks that gssbmm goes to are on a circuit. There's one up by Ft. Worth, then one out in East Texas and some others. It looks like the guys move from one track to another as the season progresses. Do you usually go to Jennings most of the time? Does Jennings have bike events every weekend or do they share the track with the MG club, the BMW club and the SCCA etc? Do you think it's especially valuable to go to one track most/all the time or better to switch around? I would think that for someone new that going to the same track would be best for a very long time (like maybe a couple seasons at least) with the idea of focusing on improved rider skills and reduced variables (ie same track). OK - I lied - three questions!

superhawk22

We have the same deal down here if you join Wera or CCS,(Racing orgs.) then you go to all of the Fl. or southeast tracks depending on what you joined. The reason I only go to JGP is that they are the only track that does regular open track days with no license needed. They also have regular races there,(motorcycle only BTW), but when they don't have a sanctioned race they put on open days,(about everyother weekend inc. Mon). It just worked out that way but I do think it helped develope me quicker because I wasn't learning a new track and worried about where the best line was. But now I'm itching to try something new, I should be going to do the Penguin Racing school at Homestead,(yes the same place they do Nascar but slightly different layout for bikes), on Feb. 9th.

Arctic Fire

Just a quick note on elevation.. pay attention that first lap (or 3!) Alot of newer tracks have introduced alot of elevation changes, and this can be a VERY different feeling for new guys. Especially cresting hills, and diving into corners while headed downhill.

Just make sure you're always aware of your tracks ups and downs, they can sneak up on you if you focus on right and left only

EngineNoO9

they have no fear cause they don't worry about having to pay to fix the bike or pay medical bills.

PJay

IMHO, the best training you can do is getting on any motorcycles you can and riding them in as many different circumstances as possible.

That means going and doing as many different tracks as you can. Otherwise you'll end up repeating the same mistakes time and again.

The idea that there is only one good line in a corner is bullshit - the precise correct line depends on the speed you are doing, the other machines around you, the machine you are riding yourself...So if you get to the stage where you think you have strung together one good lap, then if you replicate it exactly, you're probably not doing it right.

Lots of good advice above - the main things being concentrating on lines and smoothness. The speed wiill follow.

Make sure the machines you ride are the best they can be mechanically.

As to machines: don't worry - the ones you have are fine. My last track day was with the oldest bike there - an '82 CB1100F. Out of 105 machines, including several 600 Supersports and a few 1000 production racers, it was the sixth fastest around the track. There were a lot of "WTFIT????" looks after the first session of the "fast" group.

My credentials? 35 continuous years of successful competition - won the first event I ever entered, and haven't stopped yet; still competing internationally in historic bike racing in pre-'83 and pre-'89 classes; created the first government-recognised advanced riding course in my country in 1981.

Have fun. I am sure you will.