Track day video

[Rembrant]

Hi Folks,

I was out for a track day this past Friday and had an absolutely outstanding day!

Here's a video from on board a friend's Yamaha R6. I don't show up until the 9:30 mark when the R6 went wide in turn 11, and I took the opportunity to sneak by on the inside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HunPDg96y_c

Please forgive the poor form...it was the last run of the day, and I wasn't getting off the bike much anymore. With the heat and humidity and the leathers, I was spent....I thought I was going to fall off the bike when I got back to the pits...lol.

Cheers,
Rem ;D

 

[Sport rider]

:great: :great: :great: :great:

 

[Douglasjre]

Congrats on your new addiction  :beerchug:  what did you learn/working on that day?

 

[Rembrant]

Congrats on your new addiction  :beerchug:  what did you learn/working on that day?

Couple things...
I still need to work on my transitions from straightaway, or partial straightaway, into turns.
Not that I'm terrible at it, but I can shave off some time here. I'm doing a little bit of coasting instead of holding my speed longer and braking later.

Other thing I'm working on is passing. I find myself braking or slowing down behind other bikes either before or while in a turn, but I can't get by them easily either. I currently have only a couple spots where I'm feeling 'safe' enough to pass.

I need to work on both of those things. I get my knees down just fine, but I should be carrying more speed in the corners.

Track is 1.6 mile, and the Pro's are running between 1:09 and 1:14 lap times. Amateur and Sportsman groups are running between low teens and high teens. Track day guys like me...mid to low 1:20's when all is well. I'm still at the point where I can shave off seconds at a time...but for all intents and purposes, I'm still pretty slow. I will never run pro times, but I may have hit 1:19 once or twice, and that will more than like be as fast as I'll ever get.

I'm having some fun with it all, but since I almost killed myself out there a week ago today...lol, I might have to take a break for a while.

Rem ;D

 

[Sport rider]

Really just depends on how serious you want to get.  are you gonna race, or just going for fun.

Keep in mind the setup process to pass someone.  passing in particular spots that you are comfortable is not uncommon, but the setup is the key.  you want to time the entry at your speed so that you can get around the other rider.  I tend to do that with a later apex and coming out underneath them.

I started out on a light 600 and it helped me to learn to corner better and carry a bit more speed.  Now that I've moved to a 1000, I feel like I can corner and pass better than some because of the lessons learned from the smaller bikes.  it's not even a bad idea to start on a 250 to learn how to really carry speed through corners.  most of the guys that go to track days on larger bikes rely on the HP to pull out of turns instead of the importance of really hard braking and carrying speed through turns.  I learned that really quick when I got to take a few laps on one of the buell 1125s.  lots of HP and torque and I was passing the liter bikes because I could pull out of corners better.  combine that with late apexing and you can scoot under folks pretty easy.

I learned a humble lesson at the same time on that buell.  the pro that was following me on the demo ride was obviously leaps and bounds better than me.  I was late apexing and passing liter bikes at will.  however, once he decided I was reasonably good and not going to crash their bike, he made a turn even lower than me.  I passed the liter bike, and he passed me at an even faster pace!  LOL

 

[Rembrant]

Keep in mind the setup process to pass someone.  passing in particular spots that you are comfortable is not uncommon, but the setup is the key.  you want to time the entry at your speed so that you can get around the other rider.  I tend to do that with a later apex and coming out underneath them.

What's interesting is to watch the pro's. They'll be out there running their best times all alone on the track. Now, throw a bunch of amateurs out in the middle of it, and the funny thing is, they don't effect the pro's times at all....they just go by them like they aren't even there...lol.

The 250's are very popular at our local track. Wanna be humbled?...lol. They will pass 600's and 1000's all day long in the turns. They cannot pass you in the straights of course, but slow down for a turn...think you're getting all set up for it just right like you know what you're doing, and vroooom....a 250 blows right by you...lol. It's great stuff.

I may actually race next year...we'll see. For now, track days are it, and I do enjoy them.

 

[Sport rider]

I gave up on trying to do anything more than ride for fun.  there is ALWAYS someone on the track to humble you! 

I have the most fun getting with a group of riders who are similar experience and spending a few laps just passing and being passed a bit.  One of the guys tells me all the time my twin sounds like a helicopter when I get up behind him. 

 

[guyhoovler]

They cannot pass you in the straights of course, but slow down for a turn...think you're getting all set up for it just right like you know what you're doing, and vroooom....a 250 blows right by you...lol. It's great stuff.

Sounds like 250s are the spec Miatas of motorcycle track days.    :motonoises:

 

[Daytona_Mike]

I thought I recognized that track. I am from Halifax. I been on that track.

 

[Rembrant]

I thought I recognized that track. I am from Halifax. I been on that track.

Well Mike, no matter how long it has been since you were on it, it hasn't changed much...lol, except it might be a little bumpier now.

Oh...they've paved the paddock area too.

I'm just outside of Halifax, about half way to Peggys Cove.

PS: Your package is on the way.