Finding the confidence...

[Tufbusa]

I disagree with the track day. Unless you can rent a bike that you are most likely going to crash, I wouldn't do it. You will probably either lay your bike down or crash it on that track day, so I wouldn't do it.

You will get all the confidence you need by just continuing to ride in the twisties and building up your speed as you go little by little.

You can't just throw someone on the track and expect them to come out a professional, which I don't think that is what people are saying. Buy more likely than not, you will crash your bike on that track day and to me that just isn't worth it.

The reason I say you will crash is that you are already scared to death of the turns now, add speed to that on the track and you have a recipe for disaster.

I'm not sure where you came up with this stuff but one thing I can assure you of is you are dead wrong.

Riders very rarely crash on their first track day. Once in a while someone does but not very often. Some track days come and go with not a single crash in any group.

Just to brush you up on reality, it's the guys who have a few track days under their belt that let their balls overcome their skills that are most likely to crash. It's testosterone that causes most crashes at the track.

First time track guys always start out in the novice group and are led around the track for the first couple of sessions by a Control Rider. This gets the brand new guys acclimated to the track. Then they are closely watched by the control riders to help or scold anyone who rides over their head or who may need help getting the hang of things. Ideal place to learn and much less likely to be injured than on the back roads. Along with skilled riders to coach them, what better place to safely improve?

Also, you will never ever accomplish on the streets the amount of skill and confidence you'll acquire from track time.

I challenge you to attend a track day before you make judgments on the more productive way to improve your skills. This idea you have about crashing if you attend a track day is absurd. I can assure you, one track day will improve your skills more than an entire season of street/twisty time!

 

[BIG GUY]

I would definetly hit a track day or 2 and find a great group of guys to ride with that will help you get better at leaning over in turns.

 

[SKnight]

Track day! Run in novice, you'll learn more in one day than years in the twisties. Not only am I a believer, I'm a client! Wanna talk about nerves? Tell me what's wrong with this pic and ask me about nerves.

That rash is six days old. Stupid moment riding at night and a turn fooled me. My knee was so swelled up that it barely squeezed into my leathers.

I also learned so much about control and stability that later my riding buddies had trouble keeping up when I was loafing off.

And I didn't crash. Seriously, you can complete a track day without crashing. Worry about technique and control, go after the track record next time.

In the meantime, some good reading is the Total Control series by Lee Parks.

Seat time, and don't worry about it. If you go out trying to get rid of your chicken strips you'll lose sight of the actual goal. Control is most important, with control comes smoothness, with smoothness comes speed, with speed comes a reduction of chicken strips. The worst thing you can do is rush it.

 

[Big O]

You most likely will NOT crash on a track day. Most track day companies will have an instructor that will take you around the track, (follow him) for a few laps then come in and discuss it. Then they go around at the next session and follow you, then come in and discuss it,(do this, don't do that) If you sign up for a track day, when you get there ask for tell them it's your first time and you would like someone to instruct you. They want you to come back again. ($) It's much safer at the track, especially in the novice division where you usually can't pass in a turn or can only pass on the outside in a turn. The track is wider than a two lane road, which is really one lane since you can only be on one side, it's clean, you can see, and there's no traffic coming the other way.
If you can't get to a track day soon and still want to practice, remember "smooth not fast" fast will come with practice.

 

[SKnight]

Something I forgot to mention, get a shop to setup your suspension for your weight. Best $100 you can spend. Something that feel right will help out a lot.

 

[BUBBA]

You most likely will NOT crash on a track day. Most track day companies will have an instructor that will take you around the track, (follow him) for a few laps then come in and discuss it. Then they go around at the next session and follow you, then come in and discuss it,(do this, don't do that) If you sign up for a track day, when you get there ask for tell them it's your first time and you would like someone to instruct you. They want you to come back again. ($) It's much safer at the track, especially in the novice division where you usually can't pass in a turn or can only pass on the outside in a turn. The track is wider than a two lane road, which is really one lane since you can only be on one side, it's clean, you can see, and there's no traffic coming the other way.
If you can't get to a track day soon and still want to practice, remember "smooth not fast" fast will come with practice.

Hello Owen,
Great words and from experience! I am still getting over the Yips too.
Look forward to the next time we can meet and ride again,
Bubba

 

[Rauzer]

...i also ride with people that are better than me every chance i get and try to follow their lead and watch their set-up and lines

Thats what I will be doing this year. I have a friend thats been riding for 20+ years who also races. He doesnt push hard on the streets, but it's harder than I run, so I follow him around the back roads, watching and learning. He's the reason I put my bike back to stock.

 

[Tufbusa]

Tell me what's wrong with this pic and ask me about nerves.

That rash is six days old. Stupid moment WHEN I BOUGHT THOSE CRASH MONKEYS THEY CALL PILOT POWERS!

OMG, I can' pass this one up! Even I can tell you what's wrong with that picture!

You are on Pilot Powers, that's whats wrong with that picture!

 

[SKnight]

OMG, I can' pass this one up! Even I can tell you what's wrong with that picture!

You are on Pilot Powers, that's whats wrong with that picture!

Haha! Considering those PP2CTs had ~100 miles on them when this pic was taken I wish I could blame them. I outrode my headlight on a road I didn't know. Crest a small rise, realize the road snaps hard right off camber, decide to turn it instead of shooting up the driveway to my left. The muffler hit first and levered her. Dumb dumb dumb and nobodies fault but mine.

[PSA mode]Wear the gear kids, I had on that same leather jacket and jeans. I slid 30-40 feet on my shoulder, hands and helmet with zero injury. The bike drove my knee into the pavement, no dragging and to this day it's still f'ed up. Armor would have done a lot to help that.[/PSA mode]

 

[MikeSomething]

Watch Keith Code's "Twist of the Wrist 2" DVD... Helped me out alot. My friend's and me watch the video over and over.

 

[CCbusa05]

Don't be tense and rigid....go with the flow! I'm always talking to myself reminding me to relax my arms and grip on the clip-ons. And don't be imtimidated by your peers to work up to dragging knees and all that BS for street riding! You don't need it, I can stay up with the best of them and have yet to scrape a knee! Practise shifting your weight and gradually become more comfortable with moving your butt and weight off the seat slightly into the turn. Don't rush it, It'll come eventually.
And like most of the guys here, I'm an expert on the subject, just check the pic of my sniff-sniff long gone Gixxer for proof!

 

[Tufbusa]

Haha! I outrode my headlight on a road I didn't know.

You didn't outride your headlight, you outrode your skill level!

 

[Goatkart]

OK, that's it..........I'm puttin' ape hangers on tomorrow..........

.........bwhahaha.... dont forget the highway bars and forward controls...


seriously though, thanks for the tips and points guys... trust in the fact that i took them all to heart and listened...


going to see if anyplace close runs track days, but since there really arent any road courses in iowa, i have my doubts...

just Newton Speedway(NASCAR)

 

[fastblackblur]

www.midamericamotorplex.com 180 miles from ames

www.blackhawkfarms.com 230 miles from ames

just couple i found that are fairly near to you

don't know anything about them but it's a start

 

[Big O]

Hopefully soon!

Hello Owen,
Great words and from experience! I am still getting over the Yips too.
Look forward to the next time we can meet and ride again,
Bubba

 

[Twobrothersbusa]

I'm almost two years and 10K miles on the Busa and just joined STT and have my first Novice session at Barber on June 26 /27. I'll hold judgement, but I bet it will be a great learning experience.

 

[SKnight]

You didn't outride your headlight, you outrode your skill level!

Beg to differ that one Skippy, you weren't there, so don't dare judge me.

Running 40 (I looked just before.) in a 35 area, I couldn't see what was beyond the crest and didn't account for what might lay ahead.

I was in the wrong part of the lane for the speed. Had 20 feet before the roughly 60* bend in the center line to do whatever I was going to do. I slid off and turned her in. The right muffler hit and levered. I often wonder if I had high mounts that evening if I'd have made it, the scrapes started just at the apex.

The WERA SE champ whom I was going to visit said he would have been boned had he been going down that road in the dark the first time. I'd believe him first. The reporting officer agreed, so I'll take him second.

Side note, when a guy offers directions to his house, take them. I was following my GPS.

Now that road has a 25 limit and warning signage at that turn both ways. Before it was 35 and no warning signs of any type.

It's my responsibility to keep me safe. Poor judgment in this case got me hurt. I'll fully own that it's my fault and no one elses.

However I was no where close to my skill level considering the conditions that were at hand before the turn very suddenly presented itself. In fact it was just a lazy ride to ironically enough safety wire the bike for that upcoming track day.

 

[SKnight]

I'm almost two years and 10K miles on the Busa and just joined STT and have my first Novice session at Barber on June 26 /27. I'll hold judgement, but I bet it will be a great learning experience.

That's who had my novice day at Roebling Road. It was great, you won't believe how much clearer things are by the end of the day.

There are no stupid questions!

 

[Tufbusa]

Beg to differ that one Skippy, you weren't there, so don't dare judge me.

Running 40 (I looked just before.) in a 35 area, I couldn't see what was beyond the crest and didn't account for what might lay ahead.

I was in the wrong part of the lane for the speed. Had 20 feet before the roughly 60* bend in the center line to do whatever I was going to do. I slid off and turned her in. The right muffler hit and levered. I often wonder if I had high mounts that evening if I'd have made it, the scrapes started just at the apex.

The WERA SE champ whom I was going to visit said he would have been boned had he been going down that road in the dark the first time. I'd believe him first. The reporting officer agreed, so I'll take him second.

Side note, when a guy offers directions to his house, take them. I was following my GPS.

Now that road has a 25 limit and warning signage at that turn both ways. Before it was 35 and no warning signs of any type.

It's my responsibility to keep me safe. Poor judgment in this case got me hurt. I'll fully own that it's my fault and no one elses.

However I was no where close to my skill level considering the conditions that were at hand before the turn very suddenly presented itself. In fact it was just a lazy ride to ironically enough safety wire the bike for that upcoming track day.

Puff your chest up all you want but you simply ran out of talent when you needed it most!

Skippy!

 

[BusaWhipped]

I'll toss another track day onto the pile. I've done 7 track days now and haven't crashed once. But I'm old fat and slow. You don't have to push to the ragged edge to become a better more confident rider. Learn in a controlled environment with experienced supervision.