[Guest]

Hey all, i have read this article in RoadRacing World feb issue and think it is important for all sportbike riders to take a look. It is a long one but if you value your health/life, take 5 mins to read it.
For people that think racing is more dangerous than riding on the street, read on...

http://venus.13x.com/roadracingworld/scripts/Include.asp?include=../issues/feb02/injur.htm

tc

 

[adamantium]

Great article. Thanks!

I myself can't wait.. and Kit mentioned that the street isn't the same anymore afterwards.

 

[Human]

no it won't be....good thing ? bad thing ? I dunno...

 

[Kit]

no it won't be....good thing ? bad thing ? I dunno...

Good thing because you learn exponentially and its alot of fun, also you get your speed kicks out in a safe environment and you dont endanger yourself on the street

Bad thing cause riding on the road loses ALL of its appeal and fun, therfore you have to wait, pay and drive (well tchan drives me ) to enjoy riding

 

[TeeTee]

Probably a good thing. You'll be happier to just cruise (as in sportbike mode cruising, not cruiser cruising) when you know you don't have anything to prove.

You'll also realize how resitrictive streets or highways are with their oncoming traffic and blind corners.

I went through this with my driving after racing for a few years. I still USED my car on the street but I didn't feel like I had to prove anything. To a large extent this is still evident in my riding speeds. I'm far from the fastest guy out there but I lke to think it's my racing background that holds me in check. Well, OK that AND the expensive paint job on my fairings....

I was on a ride with my wife's Beemer club around the Duffy lake Loop. I was in the lead for about 20 minutes when a couple of them decided I was being too cautious and went around me. They were doing straights faster than me at around 130 to 150 while they were in sight and went around blind corners with drops on the outside at serious speeds. And remember that this is an area that has mucho wildlife in the woods and suffers from rock falls onto the road on a regular basis. How they havn't had an accident is beyond me.

Or maybe I'm just a wuss.....

(donning Kevlar Jockey shorts........ )

 

[Kit]

Probably a good thing. You'll be happier to just cruise (as in sportbike mode cruising, not cruiser cruising) when you know you don't have anything to prove.

You'll also realize how resitrictive streets or highways are with their oncoming traffic and blind corners.

I went through this with my driving after racing for a few years. I still USED my car on the street but I didn't feel like I had to prove anything. To a large extent this is still evident in my riding speeds. I'm far from the fastest guy out there but I lke to think it's my racing background that holds me in check. Well, OK that AND the expensive paint job on my fairings....

I was on a ride with my wife's Beemer club around the Duffy lake Loop. I was in the lead for about 20 minutes when a couple of them decided I was being too cautious and went around me. They were doing straights faster than me at around 130 to 150 while they were in sight and went around blind corners with drops on the outside at serious speeds. And remember that this is an area that has mucho wildlife in the woods and suffers from rock falls onto the road on a regular basis. How they havn't had an accident is beyond me.

Or maybe I'm just a wuss.....

(donning Kevlar Jockey shorts........ )

Bmatthews - I am actually very similar to you, on the street i am one of the slower guys cause i see no need to prove or risk anything

I was luck in that i was able to do track days way before i even had a motorcycle license (the r6 was my first bike and i have only ridden street bikes for 4 months and about 2500kms), and this provided me with an exceptionally steep learning curve as i was fortunate to have good instructors

it is very easy to see this, put someone on the track who have been doing numerous track days for only a year or so with a person who has been street riding for 10-20 years and you will see the difference

that is why i totally recommend track days, you will all improve immensley

 

[Guest]

living proof
You think i could still be walking around if i had crashed 4 times last season on the streets, instead of on the racetracks? ( and numerous times before ).
If you read the bike mags, most of the bike racers don't even own a streetbike. During offseasons, they go motocrossing instead. I highly recommand everybody that rides go to a riding school on a track at least once, the sooner the better. Some of us does not have the lux. of learning on the racetrack at a trackday or school and have to learn it the hard way on the street because motorcycle trackdays were not as popular even just a couple of years ago. To have a website like this one dedicated to local riders was unhearded of. Riders that just started to learn now are luckier than those of us that has to learn the hard way. Treasure what you have available to you now and listen to people that have been thru it (and make your own judgement!). Also thanx those who take their time to organise and run this website. Remember: Knowledge is Power!
Got to go to the Dr to fix my shoulder now, later.

tc

 

[adamantium]

Got to go to the Dr to fix my shoulder now, later.

:laughing

That's funny.. I was just reading Cycle Canada for this month (the one with the new Honda VFR on the cover), and they've got a racer (can't remember his name) as a 'centerfold'. He's naked just holding his helmet in a 'place'. It's got comments all around it showing all the different things he's done to his body over the years of racing. And he still races!

I think if your going to be competitive, your going to run the risk of getting just as screwed up as the article says... but at least not AS screwed up as running into a SUV with some stupid lady talking on her cel phone, getting launched over her car, into the intersection and run over by a semi.

Oh, and thanks for the compliments on the site.

 

[Kit]

living proof
You think i could still be walking around if i had crashed 4 times last season on the streets, instead of on the racetracks? ( and numerous times before ).
If you read the bike mags, most of the bike racers don't even own a streetbike. During offseasons, they go motocrossing instead. I highly recommand everybody that rides go to a riding school on a track at least once, the sooner the better. Some of us does not have the lux. of learning on the racetrack at a trackday or school and have to learn it the hard way on the street because motorcycle trackdays were not as popular even just a couple of years ago. To have a website like this one dedicated to local riders was unhearded of. Riders that just started to learn now are luckier than those of us that has to learn the hard way. Treasure what you have available to you now and listen to people that have been thru it (and make your own judgement!). Also thanx those who take their time to organise and run this website. Remember: Knowledge is Power!
Got to go to the Dr to fix my shoulder now, later.

tc

holy cow your awake, its only 10:eek

 

[Miteorite]

Wow, that's a good article.
I didn't know that the first month was the most at risk month. Good thing I m out of there.

Total changed my perspective on the whole track deal.
What does one need to participate?

-D

 

[Peach]

Thanks to tchan for encouraging me to go to all the track days and motorcycle schools. I've been to the Reg Squidmore one and the Keith Code school at the Streets of Willow in LA. (BTW, the Keith Code Superbike school I went to was the first all women's school - 60 ladies!!!) I've never had more fun, gone faster or felt safer!

The skills I acquired on the track also transfer to the street, but I don't even feel like riding on the streets much anymore...and when I do, it's fun to just cruise.

If you've got something to prove, bring it to the track

 

[CG]

Total changed my perspective on the whole track deal.
What does one need to participate?

-D

Money $$$ , something which I need

 

[Peach]

yah - what ARE you doing up at 10 in the am????
I was sure you were a vampire or something

 

[Kit]

yah - what ARE you doing up at 10 in the am????
I was sure you were a vampire or something

i know wierd huh 10am!!!! he must be getting ready to go bed or something?:laughing

 

[Guest]

didn't you read my last sentence?? I have to go to physio to fix my shoulder!!!:rolleyes

tc

 

[Hu99]

I'm not sure a career on the track is a prerequisite for riding on the street, but it couldn't hurt. I do think too much emphasis is placed on getting track time though. Riding track or riding street are mutually exclusive. You can still have fun on the street without ever having seen a track. You'd be missing out on some fun though.

 

[Guest]

Riding track or riding street are mutually exclusive.

You are right, you don't have to ride the track to have fun on the street, but i think you are missing the point here. To ride the track is to take your riding skill to another level in a "controlled" environment. Then, to go back and ride on the street will make you become a better rider, thus hopefully your improved skill will make you safer. That is what going to a riding school on a racetrack is all about. If you want to look at it another way, you can call it "an enclosed piece of road" instead of "racetrack".

There is also something that a lot of street rider do not know: a racetrack is designed to challenge the rider. The corners are made specifically to demand higher skills and judgement in order to go fast. ie deceasing radius, blind exit, negative cambered, 2 or 3 linked corners. In the real world, roads are designed to be as safe as possible for the general public, so they are usually easy to go fast without much differculties. So, the idea here is if you can master the corners in a racetrack, you will have to have a higher skill level and bike control than say, riders that only rides on the street. And THAT will make you a better rider.

tc

 

[Kit]

I do think too much emphasis is placed on getting track time though.

Just IMO i dont think too much emphasis can ever be placed on something that could one day save you life, and i am a true beliver that the skills you learn on a track regarding riding and bike control could quite possible save your life one day should you ever encounter an emergency situation

much like helmets and gear, i can never emphasis that enough either

but you are right you dont have to do track days to enjoy your bike, just look at harley riders, they LOVE riding and there bikes but never set foot on a track

to each his own

 

[TeeTee]

....... just look at harley riders, they LOVE riding and there bikes but never set foot on a track
......

That's a bare faced LIE. Harley riders often can be seen at race tracks......... at the BEER gardens..........

 

[Kit]

That's a bare faced LIE. Harley riders often can be seen at race tracks......... at the BEER gardens..........

sorry i forgot, you mean they are at the beer gardens at the NASCAR races right!