To those who have never done a trackday - come inside General Motorcycle Discussion Discuss To those who have never done a trackday - come inside in the Motorcycle Discussion forums; Originally Posted by griffinzx10 Niner, i agree that at a first track day, a person shouldnt be concerned with speed, times or keeping up, the main goal is to just ...

[Niner1000RR]

Originally Posted by griffinzx10

Niner, i agree that at a first track day, a person shouldnt be concerned with speed, times or keeping up, the main goal is to just get used to being on the track.. Get the jitters and unknowns of being on a track out of the way. Go and have fun, relax and go at your own pace...


But very good write up

IMO until you are running expert times you shouldn't be concerned with your speed.

Getting faster has nothing to do with speed. It's very simple, it's about becoming comfortable with your pace. Getting out of Novice is about learning the track and becoming comfortable with it, at your pace.

Until you are comfortable you should not increase speed, once you are comfortable it will naturally feel slow, so obviously you will naturally pick up the pace, you won't even realize it until long after.

You should NEVER increase your pace! If it's not happening naturally it's because you aren't ready/comfortable at your pace. It either happens or it doesn't, NEVER force it! You'll end up having to fix something! :( or going slower.

Getting out of Intermediate (IMO) is about stringing sections together. Forget looking at the track in terms of corners and straights. They are sections. For an intermediate rider trying to find that next level, or even expert riders, this is their focus.

They have to approach and breakdown the track into sections. Early Apex here because of this straight, late apex here because of this one... blah blah blah.

To the noobies reading thinking DAMN yea I am lost and don't want to get into this. These are the things that make TD's so much damn fun!!! Just talking about this shit gets me excited! :D So DON'T be intimidated!!!!

Trackdays once you are into them are very strategic and every lap you do will be very thought out, it's all part of the fun!

Originally Posted by Mass Junkie

The first step will be going out to show support for my boy joker and see how it all works and hit you all up with questions

Why not see how it works first hand?!?!!?!?

Dude you're gonna get there and regret not signing up, I promise! You're going to see the Novice guys cruising around and KNOW that SHOULD be you out there! DO IT DO IT DO IT!!!!

Originally Posted by njul9925

great write up niner.. hopefully i will be at the 2 day event at jennings... im trying to get a couple of friends to go too...my goal is not to wreck my bike lol
her joker what track day u plan on doing??

Thanks man!

[shortyr6]

Originally Posted by Tungue

I can see how you think that, but after riding on the new PBIR track, I'd say one should go with Homestead over PBIR.

It's true that there are more opportunities to get to higher top speeds at Homestead, but Homestead has a lot of run-off room without a concrete wall anywhere near you.

As for the gravel traps at Homestead, just relax and you'll ride right thru them if you're carrying enough speed. I know that from personal experience. And yes, I think I tested out each and everyone one of the gravel traps. Well, maybe not the one on the inside of turn 13. And no, I don't want to test it out at the next track day.

the key to gravel traps is not to roll off the throttle or break. just stay on the throttle a little and ride over the rocks. as soon as you let off you will sink.

[griffinzx10]

niner i agree with you 100%, a person needs to become smooth before they can become fast.... As Keith Code says, the most unstable thing on a motorcycle is the rider. So until that rider can become smooth and relaxed at their current pace, they cannot go faster.

And remember there are 2 things to speed, actual speed, and OUR PERCEPTION of our speed... The latter is usually faster then we really think. So if you are TRYING to hard to go faster, then there is a good chance you are riding above your head..

And finally you are absolutely correct about lap times, i have seen a few people at jennings all concerned about their laptimes (Novice riders) people above the 1:45 mark crash cuz they are trying to hard to drop their times. The worst thing a novice rider can do is worry about laptimes.. NEVER worry about your laptimes, they will drop naturally as you become smoother, and more comfortable on the track

[shortyr6]

^ Griff you hit on something about perception of speed. you come to a point in riding the track where you are going as fast as you think you can and you are white knuckling it through the track, your heart is racing, things are going by quick, althewhile you are providing negitive input to the bike.

you know you are going faster when things around you slow down as you speed up and your heart rate does not rise as fast as your RPM and you can steer the bike with a couple fingers or let it steer itself with head and eye movement. that's when you know you are becoming smooth and as a result faster.

[griffinzx10]

good point....

[germangsxr]

As some of you know iam from gemany . I did trackdays on the nurnberg ring. Do a google search . That was the sickest thing ever.

[Niner1000RR]

Originally Posted by shortyr6

^ Griff you hit on something about perception of speed. you come to a point in riding the track where you are going as fast as you think you can and you are white knuckling it through the track, your heart is racing, things are going by quick, althewhile you are providing negitive input to the bike.

you know you are going faster when things around you slow down as you speed up and your heart rate does not rise as fast as your RPM and you can steer the bike with a couple fingers or let it steer itself with head and eye movement. that's when you know you are becoming smooth and as a result faster.

Absolutely, that perception of speed is about comfort. When you are comfortable at a given pace it feels slower.

I know when control riding, guys ask, WTF, you're sitting up looking around, waving, pointing, when I'm fully tucked and trying so hard. I just try to explain, it's not because I am any faster. I am just more comfortable at that pace, this allows me to focus on other things (your things).

[shortyr6]

Originally Posted by Niner1000RR

Absolutely, that perception of speed is about comfort. When you are comfortable at a given pace it feels slower.

I know when control riding, guys ask, WTF, you're sitting up looking around, waving, pointing, when I'm fully tucked and trying so hard. I just try to explain, it's not because I am any faster. I am just more comfortable at that pace, this allows me to focus on other things (your things).

I remember following melka, sixx, and many others when is started riding the track and i am doing my best to keep up and not crash, while they are on their knee going through a corner turned around looking and pointing at me. i am like WTF, im about to crash and this fooker is watching me with no hands on the wheel.

you know you are comfortable at speed when your asshole looks like this "O" instead of this "."

[Niner1000RR]

Originally Posted by shortyr6

I remember following melka, sixx, and many others when is started riding the track and i am doing my best to keep up and not crash, while they are on their knee going through a corner turned around looking and pointing at me. i am like WTF, im about to crash and this fooker is watching me with no hands on the wheel.

you know you are comfortable at speed when your asshole looks like this "O" instead of this "."

LOL absolutely! LOL

It's actually quite funny, guys come up to you in the pits going WTF?!?!?! You make me look SLOW and stupid out there! LOL

But yea, that comfort level is your goal. that's the proof that it's NOT about speed or being fast. It's about being comfortable.

We all know that when you are comfortable at a given pace things simply slow down.

So again to the noobies, FORGET worrying about your SPEED, BEING FAST or LAP-TIMES! Work on being comfortable! That is the point to all this!

[griffinzx10]

ha ha ha, i know this feeling all too well, i remember a couple of years ago, following Ian around jennings, and as we went thru T-11 he is leaned over, dragging his knee, and reaches out and slaps the T-11 sign, I was like WTF?? That was sooo cool... He said that he did that to show me how tight to take that turn. At the time, he said that when he runs his pace, sometimes his shoulder will hit that sign..

It is all about experience...