Track riding miscoception - by street riders

[derailleur]

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I did a track day a little while ago. Before we did anything, we actually walked around the track with the people who were leading it. They pointed out hazards and lines. Then we got onto bikes and rode round the track, slowly, for the first few laps, just working on the lines. The group got split into 3 groups, beginner, intermediate and people who had previously raced this specific series. As the day progressed, people moved between groups fairly often, going into the slower group to work on specific lines or body positions, then moving back into faster groups to try it at speed.

This was also free for me (well, $12 in gas) and included lunch.

Of course you would have to own a cbr125 to get this kind of treatment though.

Included in this track day was a 12 or 13 yr old who had never ridden a bike on tarmac before.

For those of you looking for track experience without using your expensive SS, think about buying one of the cbr125r challenge bikes (I know at least one of them is being sold for $2200 track ready) you will probably learn just as much if not more trying to ride a slow bike really fast.

 

[Brian P]

Which is the better school between turn2 and racer5? This is on my to-do this summer but I need a program that rents a bike, no way im taking my nearly new bike with street plastics to the track.

Turn2 happens (generally) at Calabogie, a fast, premium, scenic track 4.5 hours out of Toronto and they have a variety of rental bikes that are mostly 600's with a few others sprinkled in. Racer5 happens (generally) at Cayuga, a tight, bumpy, and not very pretty track an hour out of Toronto, and the rental bikes are CBR125's. Turn2 obviously costs more because the facility costs more and the bikes cost more. Both will teach you about riding. Better check with their respective schedules, though. Some of them may be getting full.

 

[kamenrider]

Which is the better school between turn2 and racer5? This is on my to-do this summer but I need a program that rents a bike, no way im taking my nearly new bike with street plastics to the track.

You should consider FAST as well. They have very solid program using Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki 600 bikes and all gear rentals. Probably the most expensive one but worth every penny.(IMHO) They have R6, so you can use the same bike as what you have.
http://www.fastridingschool.com/index3.html

 

[sarky]

You should consider FAST as well. They have very solid program using Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki 600 bikes and all gear rentals. Probably the most expensive one but worth every penny.(IMHO) They have R6, so you can use the same bike as what you have.
http://www.fastridingschool.com/index3.html

i took fast, pretty good imo

 

[unL33T]

And street riding is??

paying $12k for a streetbike, $2000 for insurance and being forced to ride around at 1st gear pace.

Yep, sounds like a good ROI to me.

And that's why SS bikes for street use makes absolutely no sense to me but to 90% of people on this board if it doesn't do 250 kph then it's a "girl's bike".

I must say that I was surprised how much it costs to ride/drive a track when all the media seems to say, "Why speed on the road? Take it to the track." As if that's something anyone can just do at a whim... not so much.

Glad to hear the track is friendly though.

 

[Tonto]

I don't see what's so funny, I'd never say that unless I really thought I could. Are you as much of a dick to your students as well?

HEY-Back off dude! He may be short, he may love watermelon, and he may be very cuddly, but make no mistake- HE IS BADASS!
For the record-He knows of what he speaks- has the racing cred to back it up, and he's a hell of a teacher to the fast crowd. As an example of his work, look at my avatar- he's behind my kid during one of their training sessions- oh, and the kid on the 600rr- is 11
Yes Don is a great instructor to the fast crowd- take him up on his offer!

 

[Crashtest]

If it was like Europe where you can pay 14 euros to go and whizz around the Nurburgring I'd definitely do that for a blast, even advertise and pay for someone with skills to come and give me a few tips for the price of his lap, might even do it a few times at that price...but with the ridiculous prices for trackdays/schools here I have zero interest in riding around on the same circuit for a day. Would rather see an advanced street motorocycle course put in place (would be more worthwhile for street use) that gives takers insurance breaks (similar to UK) for people that sign up and do more long distance touring where I see different scenery as time goes by.

Probably the most dangerous piece of pavement in Western Europe. Riders die weekly there.
Riding around on the same closed circuit for a day allows you to better know yourself and your machine. Taking the same turns on the same day in the same conditions can only help you. The ring is no place for amateurs.
Trackdays are worth the price, even here.

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