For those of you that have done track days?

[1100s nut]

And no longer do them, why? I am very excited about this new level of riding, and as I gear up to get into this I have done a lot of reading, fact finding and to watch events. I have noticed a fair amount of people that no longer participate in the sport. Just wanted some feedback.

Thanks.
Lane

[tanneman]

This year I won't be doing as many mainly because the funds have been allocated somewhere else. The other thing is that I want to make a few changes to the bike. The suspension needs a rework and I want to fit race fairings to spare the original. The budget for that work alone is a £1000. So you can see it is an expensive hobby, especially if you pay anything from £99 to over £200 for a track day here in Blighty. On top of that it is service time. She gets a good service every beginning of the year and then oil changes ever so often. Soon it will be time to split the bike to have a look at the splines and gearbox linkages.

If a R1100S is your choice of weapon I suggest to get the suspension sorted and make sure the bike is in a mechanical sound condition. I have the motoyoyo mod done to the A-arm which transformed the steering of the bike. The engine will need some work done to help it breath easier and make the response better (or just get a R6). The bike is quirky to have on the track, needs positive steering inputs and gear changes. In slow corners she either dips (meaning she responds slower to lift upright) or pick up as you accelerate depending if it is LH or RH corner. It needs a gear indicator which I build with the help from buzzz. The brakes is good enough (non ABS), sometimes the gearing is not right for a particular corner so you either have the engine screaming or accelerate lazily out of it. The tank is quite wide and lacks grip so to help with those issues when braking and cornering I fitted Stompgrip panels for a Honda Sp1/2 or RC51 ( in America I think), fits perfect. The R1100S enjoys corner speed and is very stable, so brake later and turn in a bit sooner to make the most of it. She is stable enough to trail brake deep into the corner but beware, it is a heavy machine so you will run out of grip so as you turn in let go of the brake lever the more you lean, same with the throttle. Take care in the wet as the telelever suspension doesn't give the feedback you need to feel for the grip (unless you are pushing it in the dry). You can always test for grip with the rear brake. Crashing a R1100S is cheaper than you think unless you crack the subframe mounts but that can be strengthened easily.

Track day riding is good value for money and it is a lot safer than going balls out on the public road. It is a bug and once it has bitten you may well turn your back to road riding. If you think of taking up club racing then think again. Even the fast guys in the fast group will be very slow in a race unless the guy is a race boy. You will need to be committed and a religious fitness regime has to be followed to get anywhere plus it will take a lot of time to learn the racecraft. Factor in the amount of track time you get and the race fee is over £200 a weekend not to mention a set of tyres a meeting plus all the travel and accommodation fees you can see that a track day makes sense. You soon notice the regular guys and strike up track side friendships. I like it but I also like to tour. Just that the missus complains that the corners are being taken faster . Have fun and all the best.

[Psychopath]

^good response

Money is one thing.

Crashing and never shaking the (ghost) is another. I've crashed twice at the track. It wasn't too hard for me to shake the fear however it did take a few trackdays to get back to my PR times.

I've only known one person to simply grow tired of trackdays.

Club racing is the next step up. Kinda.

When it comes to giving up street riding I guess I have not made it to that point yet. I've crashed 4 times on the street since 2007(~60K miles). Three of those were motorcycle vs. deer crashes. The joy of rural Wisconsin.



Personally this is my 4th solid year of trackdays. First on a well sorted R11S. My progression went from the following.

2010-2012 Several TDs on the same track (home track)

2013 Lots of TDs at the home track plus many road trips to different Midwest tracks

2014 A road trip to CA to ride several different tracks

2015 Club Racing is on the agenda.

I budget around $3000 per riding season in WI for trackdays. It's going to get more expensive with the club racing though. I'm not sure if I'm a "race boy" though so I might be a one season deal.

[nail24fac]

Psychopath, how's my old '99 R11S working out for you?

[PFFOG]

$$ and time.

I have done as many as 11 track days in a year, now down to 3-4. Part of it is timing around other MC trips. Years we plan a Europe trip, I refrain until after the trip, because if I did get injured, the wife would probably finish me off for spoiling HER vacation too.

My favorite tracks are 5 hours each way (Calabogie and Mid Ohio), so it requires a fair amount of transport and lodging expense. Add tires for the track bike and cost of the event, and 2 days at the track cost me as much as a week of riding in NC.

I still enjoy challenging myself on the track, and the skill enhancement that comes with them.

I have contemplated doing the super-moto thing with the F800GS, as I get serious pleasure riding uncommon bikes. Out riding sport bike riders with the R11S, with saddle bag mounts in place was a lot more fun, than doing so with the track bike.

[1100s nut]

Wow, guys thanks for taking the time for such a detailed report. Cost is a factor for sure, whether you have a lot or a little it needs to be maintained and budgets established. I don't how many I will do this year I hope 6-8. Like what most of you said....I still like to tour a good bit and I am not giving that up. One track is close, Carolina motor-sports park, hour or less. VIR, Road Atlanta and Savanna are 3-4 hours so not too bad. Anyway, thanks for taking the time guys.

Tanneman, you are right about the friendships, my riding buddy is involved with, nesba, desmo and sport bike track time and its cool to see the friendships.
Lane

[bradzdotcom]

i feel so old.
what is now called track days used to be called practice...or testing.
when i worked for magazines & manufacturers, you'd average about one day a week on a road track...a couple more days a week in the dirt.
road race tracks are the only place to really learn about a street bike. Same corners, same day, same consistent results.
if you approach it correctly instead of going banzai, it's like a semester of college in a day.

it's expensive. when i was playing, the bikes and gear were free, so the idea of "i think i can save it" never entered your mind. if it wanted to spit you off, you got off and didn't try to persuade it otherwise. "not my bike" is good for a few seconds a lap. as opposed to "this is my bike", which should slow you down a few clicks.

track days are great for learning. club racing is fun, if you like sprinting. my favorite road racing was the endurance races. you could team up with a couple of other riders and enter 6, 12, and 24 hour events. (again, "not my bike").

when i rode maicos we finally accepted the fact that for 1 hour of riding time, there was about 10 hours of wrench spinning. Road racing is about twice, maybe three times that ratio.

some guys use track days to rapidly sharpen their street riding skills pencil. It's expensive, but probably the best investment you can make in you and your bike.

other guys go track--and never go back.

[Psychopath]

Originally Posted by nail24fac

Psychopath, how's my old '99 R11S working out for you?

ABSectomy done/SS brake lines installed/calipers cleaned and pads replaced
Pilot Power 3s ready to go on
Front forks rebuilt with new seals, bushings, and -rings
Stock suspension is at the shop for a rebuild in spec for me(next year should be the real upgrade)
Hall Effect Sensor replaced. (wires on the old one really are falling apart)
Most of the street trim stuff is going onto my 04 R11S to fix the deer damage.

[Nitro]

I used to rent Sears Point about once a month and run track days. I have not done one ever since I moved to FL. Daytona is incredibly expensive to rent and none runs track days there. Jennings is the closest one but I have not been there.

Track days are awesome until you start pushing more and more and then one day the front tire will just slip...then $$$ and hospital bills. Or one could just take it easy, but what's the fun in that?

[PFFOG]

Originally Posted by Nitro

.................... Or one could just take it easy, but what's the fun in that?

I will not say I don't push, but for the 50 or so track days I have done, only fall was a slow low side, in the wet.

I always tried to keep the competitive juices in check, and always concentrated on being smooth and hitting my marks, NOT going fast. Always slow in fast out philosophy. Even with the BCR, I could out run 600's and even liter bikes in the expert class, on tracks that favored corner speed over HP, so I guess the lack of trying to go fast, just being smooth payed off by getting pretty fast.

Also the best style for use on the street.

[tanneman]

I should add that dirt riding or also called trail riding (in the UK) helps the track and road skills to no end. It is a valuable skill to have and if you do it regularly helps to condition the muscles that are used for track riding. Good fitness is a blessing even if you only attend a few track days a year. It helps you to concentrate and keeps fatigue at bay. Don't forget to eat a little bit at a time and keep hydrated. Here in Blighty we have 20 minute sessions split between novice, intermediate, experienced, so every hour you have one session. It works out 7 sessions for the day so you get a lot of track time. I cycle, do core and upper body exercises to keep fit. Not always possible due to work, but hey. Every year in the first few months we team up and go attend an off road school, usually in Wales, just to brush off the cobwebs and to have fun. I would like to do a training with California Superbike School, the instructors there is very good.

I'm quite fortunate because there is a few track close by. Bedford Autodrome is 10 miles away, Silverstone under an hour, Snetterton an hour and half, Cadwell Park two and a half hours, Donnington and Mallory Park two hours away. Brands Hatch and Oulton Park is the worst to get to from here.

I guess the satisfaction comes from the experience of hitting the mark every time, the ground rush as you lean over and as you become more relaxed riding at 10/10ths your vision widens and you see more things earlier even thou you are going faster.

You notice some funny crazy antics on track. There was a Kawasaki KR250, sounded beautiful when they eventually got it going, I came up to one of the RH corners and noticed something laying in the track. None other than the exhaust insert of the KR, it died later that day. Some blokes were doing emergency steering geometry fix to a CBR600 by dropping the forks through the tripple clamp using a hammer. I saw 2 guys challenging each other for the corner only for them both to go off the track, funny thing is that the run off is so big you can rejoin the track at the other end. I rounded the chicane at Cadwell Park one session only to find me dodging a GoPro case and crash bung as it tumbled across the track. The most surreal was following Valentino Rossi around that place. Yep, the guy had the full VR46 Yamaha outfit and R1 painted accordingly. I passed him eventually after getting used to the sight. I talked to him later that day and we had a few laughs. He owns and drives a 600bhp track car (money to burn). A retired guy and his mate that I know both have a HP2 Sport and we have a bit of banter going. He is quite a fast bloke, so one session I leave the pits in front of him. Coming up to a corner I squeeze the brake lever at my marker only to see this HP2 Sport barrelling past with the rear wheel hopping as he try to slow it down. Needless to say he didn't make the corner but kept it upright.

Track days are really a lot of fun and I wish that more people would give it a try at least once doesn't matter what's your age. DPG had his fater-in-law along a few. The first time the old fellow went on track was here at Bedford Autodrome and now we see him at the BMW club track days He is like 70 or so.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by PFFOG

I will not say I don't push, but for the 50 or so track days I have done, only fall was a slow low side, in the wet.

I always tried to keep the competitive juices in check, and always concentrated on being smooth and hitting my marks, NOT going fast. Always slow in fast out philosophy. Even with the BCR, I could out run 600's and even liter bikes in the expert class, on tracks that favored corner speed over HP, so I guess the lack of trying to go fast, just being smooth payed off by getting pretty fast.

Also the best style for use on the street.

and I can witness to how smooth you are. as you always say "slow is smooth, smooth is fast".

[Chris Canning]

Track days are a reflection of modern day society gone are the days of buying a bike realising you either going to get locked up or kill yourself so you quite road riding and get a race license instead everyone wants to pretend,having had several years actually working at track days it became rather amusing when punters turned up with their pride and joy and left with it as a box of bits when asking them 'hadn't they thought that a possibility' without fail always met with a blank look.

Only surpassed by the guy who had been rammed up the backside and put into the middle of next week in some gravel trap as anyone who has raced knows just part of the game but at a track day when reality is not on the agenda they would all have their handbags out and get really excited

While a few of my friends went tarmac the rest of us went offroad where I actually learned to ride a bike,all a long time ago and strangely enough leaves you with some very bad habits when going back to the road.

[1100s nut]

So Chris, are you for track days or not?

[tanneman]

Now that Chris mentioned it. In a race you can expect or predict what the guy in front is going to do. But track days are a lot different, I had a R6 pass me on a straight and pull in in front of me and then he thought he was close enough to the corner to brake with me not expecting it as the braking marker was at least another 100 yards or so. That really opened my eyes to the lines I pick to leave a bit of space just in case.

In another case a bloke got knocked off by some cocky person because he passed too close and clipped his handlebar. He soon cleared off after that session because the bloke's brother and mate turned up looking for some payback.

Yep, everybody think they are God on the track until a R1100S (or well ridden GS) passes them . Makes me laugh. I just want to ride with my mates for the banter and we know what each of our abilities are. I enjoy following them really close but they leave me for dead on the straight so I have to play catch-up in the corners.

Have a look at what we are up to. There is a few photos in the gallery section. Chris if you want to come over for a banter just give me a pm, it would be nice to meet you. We are going on 15 April to Bedford Autodrome, doing a group booking for the discount.

[Chris Canning]

Originally Posted by 1100s nut

So Chris, are you for track days or not?

Nope I'm dead against them unless your a racer looking for extra track time,tanneman's post is track poser's meets reality because someone got punted off they don't like the idea!!! and he's off to get his brother tracks are for racing for going as fast as you can for finding the limit and when you do you fall off so you know were that limit is(most of the time),you go from the start line and the fastest man wins and the slowest is at the back and you can't BS your way out that like the track dayers do

I'd had a couple of years of road riding where the object of the exercise was to avoid contact with anything,the first time I raced and had a guy put a block pass on me it was like having a electric shock,but then I realised that it worked both ways and I absolutely love it,separating the two was the problem so I stopped riding a road bike for some years.

I worked for a manufacturer a few years back taking bikes to track days so punters could try them,they were amazed that I didn't want to go out and we had a day when a couple bikes had new tyres and needed scrubbing in after going with one of the guys they were surprised that I could actually ride and I got the same old question why I didn't?? and it was free and it's a simple answer in the end you'll end on your arse or in the gravel trap if your racing that's all part of the game but at a track day when folks get a serious dose of reality they want to beat the sciht out of you no thanks!!!

And course this is what happens in the end.

Rider in Oulton Park track day pile-up to sue - Motorcycle news : General news - Visordown

[1100s nut]

Tanneman, nice group you're involved. I like the friendships and enjoy the banter too. The guys I ride dirt with, and most of us race or have raced so very good riders...it gets competitive and then at night drinking and joking around the campfire is great.

Chris, it's seems you dislike people that want to do some track riding-racing unless they are getting paid. I am a partner is a couple of companies...I don't want another job. Maybe it's different here...but I don't think everyone is a poser...punter...is that a beginner? If so all the pro riders were punters at some time. As far as someone's brother getting mad and going after someone....well that happens in professional motor sports as well.

Lane

[1100s nut]

Originally Posted by Chris Canning

having had several years actually working at track days it became rather amusing when punters turned up with their pride and joy and left with it as a box of bits.

Well if you ever have a bad crash on the road at high speed there are probably some people out there that might find that "rather amusing"

[Chris Canning]

For reasons best known to yourself where does the paid thing come from,you will have to answer that.

Having an accident on the road or racing is the price you pay, riding around on a track for no particular reason most certainly isn't its pretending to be a racer which brings me back to my original poster 'It's a reflection of modern day society' track days are a modern thing,and modern day society has a tendency to shy away from the real thing.

Ride on the road or go and get a race license and see how good you are the rest is BS.

[tanneman]

In the paddock at race meetings especially club meets the atmosphere is very relaxed. But you know that everybody there is a very capable rider. There is a certain camaraderie and respect between the guys, none of the the tough talking, just ride your race. You mess up and that is all it is no BS. The racers rarely turn up for track days unless it is an open pitlane event where one or two might turn up to familiarise themselves with the track. I did some pit crew duties for Ducks Cross Racing and it is a different world.

I can understand where Chris is coming from. There is some guys at track days that have some big egos, others have bikes that won't pass a scruiteneering and some kit is questionable. It can be intimidating if you are a newcomer. So when things do go wrong there is always some story to it. In the end racers and track dayers don't mix, the one is a wannebe and the other is very committed.

For me it is a time to ride with friends the way you are not allowed to on the road and it is something we enjoy. Don't think we are hooligans on the road, it is just something we do together. It is safer than road riding for me anyway. I crashed twice on track days and luckily nothing serious but both was down to my own stupidity. Just as you start to get cocky it screws your head back in. As one well known racer said: 'How can you crash going that slow'. The bike is cheap to fix but one caused me enough injury to suffer for a few weeks. The other really pissed me off because I should have learned from my previous mistake, that was at Oulton by the way. In fact I was so disgusted with myself for being a knob that I packed up and left (typical knob response). If I would have waited a bit longer I would have had a nice dry track to correct the mistakes I made. Yes, in the past I did upset one or two on track but I knew it was my mistake and apologised to them. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

The one thing I must say is that I learned a lot of myself and the bike doing track days. You notice some things about the bike or what you do and you scare yourself somewhere else and try not to do it again.