Hailwood

I'll be around and might be in for Sunday if the forecast holds out.

This. They allowed people to adjust what group they were in after the first couple of sessions based on thier individual pace and comfort level. There were also sub-groups within each session based on 2~3 riders pace level. I was very comfortable in the middle-quick novice group, and had a good chance to push myself a little bit in the later sessions.

That was one of the most fun days of my entire life. This event was run extremely well by both Mid-Ohio and the guys from KTM. They had everything ready to go at all times, and kept a very good schedule, with everyone getting 6 20 minute sessions. At first I didn't think that sounded like much, but with my newbness and the extreme heat it wound up being a perfect mix of learning and skill-execution. The instructors were very helpful, particularly in addressing concerns with specific corners, and the Novice class time was a nice overview of body positioning and on-track skills to practice. We wound up having something like a 1:3 ratio of instructors to students in Novice, so I was able to get some good feedback on my riding and my line selection. The track is incredible. Smooth and flowing, but with some fairly technical sections as well. T8 especially was just so much fun to crank it over and carry some speed through there. I didn't feel even slightly comfortable the first couple of sessions, but by the third I had relaxed and started to get the hang of the layout. By the last session I felt really good, and had an absolute blast pushing a little bit later in the day. The RC8R is the real deal - absolutely one of the best bikes I've ever ridden. The biggest compliment that I can give it is that after 2 sessions I was completely comfortable on the bike, and I really didn't think about it the rest of the day. It simply took my (clumsy) inputs and did exactly what I wanted, when I wanted. I will seriously consider an RC8 the next time I'm looking for a bike. Again, I can't say enough nice things about both Mid-Ohio and all the KTM folks, especially Brian. If you're thinking about signing up for a trackday but are a little apprehensive about taking your bike or not getting enough instruction, this was a great introduction, and I'm definitely planning on coming back.

Same here - I'll be in whenever you're ready. I'm curious to see some of the video on 83 - It's not the most technical, but there are some sections that are great fun.

Video turned out well, but I'd much rather have gotten one of us on OH-260 than this That was such a weird crash - relatively slow speed, and just right off. Really makes me think about how important it is to maintain a constant focus. Glad you're ok, but sorry to hear about the potential for some pretty major surgery. Heal up and take care.

Anytime, man - That's the beauty of the group rides. I'm just glad you were able to walk away from it, and I wish you nothing but the best in your recovery. I talked to your brother yesterday. Hopefully they were able to get your bike back home and you'll be able to get back out there soon.

Glad you guys had a good time and made it back safe. Get any good video of us on OH-83?

Well, that didn't exactly go as planned. We had an incident early into the ride when Kent went down on OH-78. This was an example of a rider riding within his limits but losing focus at the wrong time. I was really impressed with how many people stopped to help, and by the time I turned around and made it back (<5 minutes) the ambulance was on its way. At this point the ride disbanded, and I followed the EMTs to Zanesville. Unfortunately it looks like his elbow was pretty messed up, but but no other serious injuries, and it could have been much worse (especially with that &@$)ing metal pipe). I hung around until his brother was able to get down and make arrangements for the bike and they made the decision to move him to Canton. I'll let Kent fill you in any details he wants to share, but keep him in your thoughts for a speedy recovery. If I hear anything I will let you guys know. It was good to meet you guys. Ride safe out there.

Looks like the scattered T-storms aren't supposed to arrive until later tomorrow afternoon / evening, and we should be able to do this one with no problems. Got the 900 SuperSlow all tuned up today, so I'm planning on riding it tomorrow. I'll post up in the morning before I head out. Thanks for the heads-up bambam. If we decide to go that way, we'll definitely be on the look-out.

Looks like the rain is going to hold off until the late afternoon tomorrow. I'll check the forecast again later tonight to see what it says, but at this point I'm still planning on doing this ride.

Forecast for Sunday just took a dump Now calling for 30% chance of thunderstorms. Hopefully it will improve between now and then.

For some reason it wasn't working on the map I made this morning. I made a new one and it appears to be working. Thanks for the suggestion, that actually sounds like a pretty fun detour through that section.

Err, the bukakke ride was last weekend...

Thanks for the heads-up. I've never ridden 260 before so I was planning on taking it on the easy side anyway. I'll make sure to keep an eye out.

Saw that on Superbikeplant earlier. So. Much. Win.

I created a new thread here, and revised a route somewhat based on the feedback. Hopefully some of you guys can make it.

Continuation of This Thread The weather is looking great for this weekend, and I definitely want to make the most of it with a nice longish ride. This is a modified version of the route I proposed in the other thread. I've revised the route based on some suggestions, and my desire to try a new road (OH-260) in this area. Start in Millersburg and end in Bolivar. Should be about ~250 miles round trip. Tack on whatever distance/time for the meet-up/end. We will plan on stopping for gas every 80~100 miles (Caldwell, Woodsfield, Bolivar), but I'm not planning on a lunch stop, so plan accordingly. Google Maps Link Meet at the Speedway on OH-83 in Millersburg at 9:00 AM, with the intention of rolling out by 9:30. It's a little bit early, but that should allow everyone to get back home by ~5:00. The pace is whatever you feel comfortable with - ride your own ride. I will be keeping it 70~80 in most of the straights, and whatever I feel comfortable with in the corners, and will adjust my pace based on how I perceive the road conditions. I will pass on a double yellow if I feel that it is safe, but don't assume that it is safe for you - use your judgement and pass when you feel comfortable. We will stop at all stop signs and turns and wait for everyone. No one will be left behind. I will be wearing full leathers, and recommend you do as close to the same as you are able. As Inya is so fond of saying, if you show up in b-ball shorts and a ball cap, that's fine, but this may not be your ride. Other than that, the only goal is for everyone to have a good time and make it home in one peice.

Thanks for the input Inya and LINK. I'll keep thinking about the route and might make some revisions. As long as the forecast still looks good for Sunday, I'll probably post up a separate thread for this ride, either tonight or tomorrow.

As far as I can tell, we both have excellent taste... Thanks for the info, I'll try to come up with a slight revision to avoid OH-800 where they are paving. I'd want to start as early as feasible. My preference would be to roll out of Millersburg no later than 10:00 AM. 9:00 would be even better, but we can see who's planning on coming and from where.

Here's the basic route, beginning in Millersburg (Speedway) and ending in Bolivar (DQ): Google Maps Link Nothing super technical, but some really good twisties, and I know the roads pretty well. ~250 miles for just this route. Tack on whatever mileage needed to get to the start/home from the finish. Edit: For some reason the Google Maps embedded object isn't cooperating on showing the full route back to Bolivar, but you get the idea.

If the forecast holds out I'd probably be down for Sunday. How long a ride are you looking to do? I've got a pretty good ~300 mile route down to the river and back that I've been wanting to try.

Thanks for the kind words all. That KTM was really fantastic - I probably took ~50 shots of it between qualifying and the race. Something about the look and sound was just right. It was nice to see them do so well in their first race.

Another year, another set of Hail-photos from the AMA races at Mid-Ohio. The vendor representation and crowd seemed to be quite a bit smaller than in years past, which is unfortunate since the racing was absolutely spectacular. Both the DSB and Superbike race were incredibly close. I swear there was a pass for the lead at least 3 times a lap in DSB. I went back to some of the spots I got good shots in last year, as well as a couple of new ones. The bottom of T10 was a great spot, and had a lot of good passing during the Superbike race. Chris Fillmore on the KTM coming through T1: Josh Hayes in T1: Blake Young leading through T10 - The racing was this close pretty much the whole time: Josh Hayes in T10 in the Superbike race: Jason DiSalvo put in a good showing on the Ducati during DSB: Dustin Dominguez leading the SuperSport race on the Triumph 675. This was the first time Triumph had won an AMA National event since 1999: Fillmore on the KTM. They had a really good result (7th) considering this was their first race ever: MotoX stunt exhibition: MotoX stunt exhibition: Lots more here. I'm thinking next year I may just find a good spot to jump the fence and walk around until someone kicks me out.

I'll definitely be there Saturday, and maybe Sunday as well.

As long as family stuff doesn't come up, I'm planning on going down on Saturday.