Moto-Brian

Wow.. A 15 minute Rider's Meeting rolling into a hot track. Anyone wanna bet on the number of balled up Super Dukes they end up with? Good luck, guys and gals...

The big thing is that they took an already gorgeous car and a VERY awesome driving machine in the M3 and made it look even more badass than it is normally. These cars are amazing and unless you have driven one, you'd think it was just another Bimmer. Of course, just another 3 Series Sedan is still a sleeper... But an M3 is the shit, folks. I think I wetted my pants in pleasure when I saw it... Clean and simple yet very aggressive.

Nope. Had a work conflict on this one... But, you should have one, received a schedule and two, you can easily go onto Mid-Ohio's site... If not, the deal should be like any full event day where the gates open at 7am, registration at 7:15 to 8:15 and Rider's Meeting at 8:20... On track at 9.

Sometimes I do that ,because I'm putting weight on the pegs like I'm suppose to, and I gots big feet. Also I keep contact with the foot controlls at all times, pushing inward on them, sliding my toes ontop and under the pegs, but keeping constant preasure on the peg at the same time. I know it looks gay but works well for me, and I'm able to get weight on pegs and butt off seat ! Balls of your feet are MUCH more the way you should ride. You can move around easier, you can weight the pegs more effectively and as far as the controls, you shouldn't need rear brake if at all and the shifter only needs to be used when using it. No reason to be in the "ready" position for a quick shift...

When you get to the track. Remember onee thing - the weather can be fine around the track and shitty in CBus, for example... The idea is that letting a bunch of people ride your $15k bike in the rain is something that I think is good to not allow. However, a 48 hour notice is pretty short. Just understand that this is not an STT event. We have our coach staff running the program, but it is a KTM and Mid-O venture...

Yeah, not sure why people feel sorry for any dealership specifically. I think it is more a post saying they are bummed that a bike night isn't around anymore vs. a dealership... There are SO MANY shops that are struggling right now and to feel bad for one just due to a bike night is not really supporting the bike industry as a whole. Plus, HD has allowed so many shops to build what I call Boutique Style shops that they go into so much debt and are never going to pay it off - especially when HD has made it so that any person can pretty much go into an HD shop and get a bike right off the floor. There's no waiting anymore and thus, the image of HD isn't what it used to be... Sounds as if they somewhat were a little too loose with their money and it bit them in the ass. Too bad as I remember racing with their son and they seemed like a cool family. But, as we have seen with MOC and others, there are a lot of dealers that should have gone out a long time ago from practicing poor business tactics. I think this economy is going to allow the shops that SHOULD be around to survive and the ones that SHOULDN'T to fade away and die off. Survival of the smartest, if you will...

Dude, we have so many people at so many different levels it is amazing. You don't suck - you simply are starting where we all did or do. Come out to a Track Day and sign up for Novice Group. If you are really worried, sign up for the Group 7 or 8 group as they are either the first timers on any track or the least confident. Even if you are slower than the others, we will work with you more one on one and probably get you a single coach you will work with instead of being lumped into the group. I bet you are faster than you lead on to be. I think you'll be fine. Being humble is a step that a lot of people don't want to take as it makes them look weak. But, they are usually the ones we pull out of the gravel traps, too! PM me for details and we can get you started...

Guy was doing what a lot of inexperienced sport bike riders do. They get way out off the bike in terms of upper body, but their ass is in the middle of the seat. Looks like when an experienced rider jokes and does "goon riding".... He crashed because it looks like it missed the turn or was in too hot for his ability and had the front brakes on. As soon as he hit the stones, he tucked the front. He had more than enough time and area to go off a little and save it. They were NOT going very fast whatsoever... His safety reaction was to grab the brake... It is what made him crash... Edit - he was doing what a lot of others still do and what Adam stated - upper is center and ass is off... I got it backwards... He also does the wing feet shit that bugs the hell out of me. I see all the street guys doing it. Having the tips of your feet out ready for flight. Or, to act as corner feelers...

http://www.schwantzschool.com/ There ya go. Best school in my opinion, but I know almost all the instructors so, I am a little biased... Code's stuff is cool, but these guys are more up to date and are more prone to get you real world info rather than so much info that it confuses the rider. Plus, they don't think aliens are their gods...

One tip. Cancel the spot and buy a spot at the Swantz school.

That's the beauty of Mid-O as it offers a lot of off camber in a few places, some really unique corner speed turns that can hurt or help you and an assortment of challenges that you can take with you to use elsewhere... Wait until BG opens. There's enough blind turns to set your hair on fire. It's gonna be sweet. It will also offer a lot of unique things that are combinations of other tracks... Putnam offers some really cool things. To the newbies, it is safe and easy for the most part. For the faster riders, it is a challenge as corner speed will hinder or help your lap times... Turns 1-2 and 9-10 are some of the best places to make up or los ground...

In Dead Bear, you must have either let off the throttle a bit or trailed too much brake. That is what loads the front to tuck it... At that point you describe, you should be on the gas which loads the rear. Coming out of Dead Bear if something wrong happens, it is you go off track a bit where that cross over section is and can hit the grass and have issues or riders will accelerate and lose the rear and kick it out... Going in, you can easily trail too much as the turn allows you to, but it can also bite you fairly easy. Some people will modulate throttle there mid corner and allow the bike to come back into line of sorts, but usually, it is alright and can be done w/o too much issue. I suspect you let off the throttle and loaded the front and thus, the low side... That's what Putnam is about - corner speed. It isn't a technical track, but really a corner speed track and can really catch you off guard if you do something wrong... Love the place. Will be going back late this year for sure...

How did you crash on exit w/o highsiding? You should be under load and accelerating out of there... What happened? Get you ass to Mid-O so we can see what you are doing and we can help you get faster...

Glad to see you are ok. Bikes can be fixed... Did you do it entry, mid or exit? Obviously not exit as typically, highsides are common out of Dead Bear... You said curbing so, I am trying to figure out where in the turn it was...

Soooo... Who's this guy and what does he do? I keed, I keed...:D

Yes, I will be leading the event.

After I load the trailer today, I will check notes and give you some data... I will also tell you where to measure and whatnot... You'll need to go to Lowes and get some large washers to change the ride height on the rear as the stock shock has no way to adjust the rear ride height.

Understand one thing. You riding and riding and learning the same thing is fine. However, if you are doing things wrong all along the way and developing habits, that's not the best way, is it? If you are judging yourself based on seat time and what YOU feel is best and progressive, again - you could be doing it in a manner that is not as effective and not correct. That being said, the idea behind track days where instruction is involved or track based schools (Swantz being one of the best, for example) can accelerate the ability you NEED and provide CORRECT ways to do things in a CONTROLLED and supervised environment. Sure, you can learn things on your own. Trial and error is possible. However, understanding your bike and what it does is something that is needed to become a better rider. No slamming here as I believe we all can constantly learn and progress - no matter who you are - BUT, I suspect that you could be a better rider even with all the seat time your have compiled. Maybe the better way to have said it is that the track is the best place to excel QUICKER than trying it on the street. Too often, we get a LOT, I mean a LOT of really great street riders that come to our track days. Even after multiple events at the same track, they are not as fast as they are vs. the buddies they ride with that do not come to the track. The ones that can swallow their pride and want to learn, we can make faster not by running faster laps, but by learning what the bike is doing, how to set the bikes up for THEM, how to manage the bike and what it does and above all, how to manage themselves... All these things usually are not done by the traditional street rider. Has nothing to do with seat time as again, doing it poorly all along is just time and time where you stack up bad habits on top of bad habits. It's just that track schools and days allow the rider to ride well, but w/o using up their tank of ability to do it. They aren't going to really go faster on the street, but what they have left in reserve in case something happens is much greater than if they hadn't. I understand that you feel the way you do. I was in the same boat before I started racing. I thought I was a GREAT street rider. And, I was compared to the 5-10 guys that I rode with. I always got the "Dude, you should race" responses. But, that very first day I went to my race school, I told myself that I was way out of my element and that I wasn't a racer. I felt I was way off the deep end. But, over the years, I got better. Not great by any means, but I got to the point that what I learned on the track really helped me on the street. I eventually quit riding the street, but I will once in a while and honestly, when I do, I prefer to ride alone as I get really nervous when around others as what they do concerns me... To each their own and you'll never convince someone who doesn't want to, but going to the track will help vs. hurt. If you don't feel like you want to, that's cool, but don't say that not riding and learning on the track can make you better vs. if you would.

Again, better luck selling it on STT's forum under the classifieds area for events... http://www.sttforum.com/sttforum/

You are asking for sag and ride height. Which one do you want? 35-40mm sag is optimal. You can get away with around 30mm, but that's aweful stiff... Ride height? If you have the stock shock, you will need washers, but I can get you ALL the notes you'd EVER need for that bike. Raced it from 2001-2003...

The topic was cornering and confidence. Not everything motorcycle. I can prove to you that a person can learn at a higher rate and even become a better rider if they do track days via what we offer vs. if they do it on their own on the street via practicing and learning as they go. It's really simple math... You are not going to learn to hit a baseball w/o being pitched to at speed. You can learn the swing, the technique via a tee, but being pitched to is something that will net faster results than doing it by yourself...

Note to a few guys worried about power... There will be garages available to anyone that wants one. $50 and you can get 5 comfortably in one so, $10 each is pretty good... Just a thought and a heads up. You can pay at the track. None have been reserved via the website...

I am not sure where the liar part was implied. You stated something to the effect of someone being stupid. Maybe you did say the way things were was stupid or whatever, but it is implied that someone is stupid and even you stated that you used that word. Misconception of how things are intended are always going to happen and that's the way things go. If they misunderstood you and what you were referring to as "stupid", you need to clear that up and let them know you had or have no intention to call the STT employees stupid. But, that's the way they took it. I'm trying to help you out here... As for the hotel, I think Monte was assuming you were wanting a cut off date or info about cancelling due to a hotel accommodation or something. I think he felt that must be why you were so persistent on finding out a cut off date. If you read the post from one of the Sports Car Club guys on LR, you will note that STT is at the mercy of the track. STT has to trust that when they ask BG if it is going to be ready and what steps are left that BG is being as up front as possible. If they feel it is going to happen, STT has to believe they know better than anyone. A week is the closest they will go to an event before calling it. A week is more than enough time and more than enough notice for a cancellation. As for the check, if you paid with check, you will most likely get a check in refund or be allowed to use that as a credit. If you paid by CC, you will receive a refund on that card...

Vera- I didn't make the stupid comment up. Why would Bonnie state that was what was said by you. She never stated you said it to the call center people or to her - she just knew you referred to the call center people as stupid. Now maybe she misunderstood what the call center people said you said... Know what I mean? The hotel thing. Again, Monte referred to this. I didn't know this and Monte stated you mentioned something about a hotel reservation... Again, maybe he assumed as he wasn't upset in any way. The deal on not able to get online or won't - why didn't you? How can you come here and on LR and make posts but cannot access the STT site? Just askin'... PMs are cleared and I am not willing to do phone calls. I am pretty busy during the day and honestly, this is something you need to clear up with Monte and Bonnie - not me. I'm just a staff... The way you left them thinking is obviously negative and if I was you (suggestion here), I would call and apologize to them and also post an apology especially over at LR since a lot of those guys are negative towards STT anyways. Brandon talks shit about STT, Ped does, Serpent Racer does, etc. All are tough guys over at that board since I am banned and are too pussy to come over here where they would have to prove their points verbally. The whole deal that they do not get is that STT is the track day company. They aren't going to be at the track everyday. The guys working there? Great they are, but they aren't qualified to asses what condition the track is in. Brandon gives updates and Monte receives them and assesses where they need to be. I know what is going to happen come the deadline and I think what everyone needs to understand is that STT is NOT, N O T going to allow riders on a track that is not safe and is not ready. If they were the money hungry company like the idiots Ped and Serpentracer feel they are, they would take the money and keep it or charge you the 2% they loose on the CC bill. They don't. In fact, there is some cool things going to happen and it will be for those that support STT and feel they are not taking advantage of riders. A few of these guys will not be invited to say the least... Another thing to maybe tell the LR boys is that the track WANTS the track to be open when the date comes. They lose money, too... Everyday can bring a change. Weather can screw shit up. Red tape from the State can prolong stuff. The paddock change that was implemented was a change for the better, but prolonged the opening... All things that are needing to be done and when completed, will make it a great facility. The guys that feel STT is taking advantage of people will be proven wrong. They don't ride our events but maybe once in their time. They don't even know what we do to make such comments. I don't believe for a minute you do either... So, again... My suggestion to you is to call Bonnie and apologize. Swallow your pride and forget what has been said right or wrong. All I know is they think it might be best to refund your money and let you ride another time or at another org's venue... I think you'd really enjoy STT and think if you call and apologize for any misconceptions, it would go a LONG way and get you back on the right list... Just my $.02...