How Long Did It Take You?

[MidgetTodd]

We usually post the rides and have people meet us at the KFC in Newark, gotta watch for the posts

[DreamNofR1]

Oh I will. Hence why I made this thread - I need to participate on here more!

[grapesmuggler27]

Nelson is not a perfect track, but its still a track, esp coming straight from street the track without the gravel, one speeding ticket takes care of a trackday. You will never learn on the streets what you will learn on the track to make you a better rider.

[MidgetTodd]

Putnam is a fun track and easy to learn on

[speedytriple]

Why do so many here push the track to learn street skills? This makes no sense to me. How does going around the same 10 turns on a well groomed track teach the skills that are gonna be used on the street? I am by no means a fast guy on here but can keep up with almost everyone I have ridden with on here on a STREET ride. Take your time and ride with good riders to pick up tips on lines and stuff like body position. Then get some miles under you and learn the skills like avoidance and being able to react to the unknown. These are things no track day or school will teach you. Unless they started having gravel in the corners and trucks running over the yellow line at track days?

[Disclaimer]

SEOHTT -- I've clicked off a 2:42:15 lap.

[jporter12]

Here we go again...

[speedytriple]

[DreamNofR1]

Why do so many here push the track to learn street skills? This makes no sense to me. How does going around the same 10 turns on a well groomed track teach the skills that are gonna be used on the street? I am by no means a fast guy on here but can keep up with almost everyone I have ridden with on here on a STREET ride. Take your time and ride with good riders to pick up tips on lines and stuff like body position. Then get some miles under you and learn the skills like avoidance and being able to react to the unknown. These are things no track day or school will teach you. Unless they started having gravel in the corners and trucks running over the yellow line at track days?

Definitely. The guy I ride with has been riding for 10-15 (roughly) years so I definitely try to listen to him when I can.

The whole track thing is always pushed because it's a safe® environment and you have actual instructors teaching you what to do instead of flying around corners with oncoming traffic, not necessarily knowing what can happen with other riders who may not even be experienced either. I don't care who you are - there's never enough reaction time for some scenarios. I definitely want to do a track day soon to get set up on my bike - maybe suspension settings, riding position, and just have them tell me what I'm doing wrong. The more skill learned, no harm.

[speedytriple]

No there is no harm in learning new skills.

[oldschoolsdime92]

Keeping up with others is a recipe for disaster. Am I enjoying myself should be your measuring stick. The size of the bike or how long you have been riding has nothing to do with your speed. What you are willing to risk, how mindful of the law you want to be are better indicators. Just because someone is faster on a back road than you are doesn't mean they are a better rider or a better person.

U.P is exactly right. I went on the coshocton ride last year, and ride a bigger bike, but I was still at the very back of the slow group and still had a blast. I didn't speed, and never got separated.I got passed a few times, by some guy running, but regardless, it was fun. Keep yourself in your comfort zone. Theres nothing wrong with wanting to be a better rider, but just because someone is faster, doesn't mean they are a better rider. Your whole riding scenario made me think of the "twist of the wrist II" movie.

Edited June 7, 2011 by oldschoolsdime92

[magley64]

Keeping up with others is a recipe for disaster. Am I enjoying myself should be your measuring stick. The size of the bike or how long you have been riding has nothing to do with your speed. What you are willing to risk, how mindful of the law you want to be are better indicators. Just because someone is faster on a back road than you are doesn't mean they are a better rider or a better person.

THIS^

by all means hone your skills and practice, track days are great for that, but don't worry about keeping up with others. you know where your comfort zone is, ride there. I like to follow better riders and push myself to the edges of my comfort zone from time to time (hopefully nowhere near the limits of my skills) but that's me.

[jporter12]

THIS^

by all means hone your skills and practice, track days are great for that, but don't worry about keeping up with others. you know where your comfort zone is, ride there. I like to follow better riders and push myself to the edges of my comfort zone from time to time (hopefully nowhere near the limits of my skills) but that's me.

Well said Magz. On group rides, you usually have someone faster than you, so that you can see their lines, and someone slower than you that will know if something should go wrong. I like to push closer to my limits as well, and expand my comfort zone. On last months CSBA ride, I was definitely pushing harder than ever, but I was still comfortable.

[Uncle Punk]

Why do so many here push the track to learn street skills? This makes no sense to me. How does going around the same 10 turns on a well groomed track teach the skills that are gonna be used on the street? I am by no means a fast guy on here but can keep up with almost everyone I have ridden with on here on a STREET ride. Take your time and ride with good riders to pick up tips on lines and stuff like body position. Then get some miles under you and learn the skills like avoidance and being able to react to the unknown. These are things no track day or school will teach you. Unless they started having gravel in the corners and trucks running over the yellow line at track days?

Have you done a track day and found it to be a waste of time?

I rode for 25 years off and on and thought I could ride. One track day proved to me that I was wrong. I no longer have pucker moments and have way more in reserve to avoid unforeseen problems purely because of track riding. I know what the bike will do when heavy braking is applied. I can change my line in a curve when gravel is present with the knowledge of how to do it and confidence because I'm not over committed like I once was. Track riding gives you the control over a bike needed to avoid most of the situations you have addressed.

I would be interested to find someone who has done a track day and thought that they hadn't learned any skills that would benefit them when transferring to street riding. I can't justify that experience in my head and need some clarification.

[speedytriple]

I have not felt the need to do a trackday. Not saying it would not be fun to do one.

[MidgetTodd]

Do one and your opinion will change

[Beegreenstrings]

I am sorry, when I started reading this I was thinking, How long did it take you to go from a 600 to a 1000...

I dont ride to keep up with anyone or let anyone ride to keep up with me... I ride within my limits only. Hell the speed limit in southern ohio only ranges from 35-55. I can go through a corner at 55 with issues (most places).

[Bad324]

it took me exactly 288 hours of seat time

[Uncle Punk]

I have not felt the need to do a trackday. Not saying it would not be fun to do one.

Not only fun but beneficial.

I think we have ridden together before and if I'm correct it was last year’s Coshocton disaster so I didn't get a good feeling for your pace and you probably didn't get one for mine. I think I remember you wearing good gear so I know you are conscious of safety and take this as information instead of controversy.

I have no shame in stating that my ability to do street riding safely at an accelerated pace was paid for by doing track days. Before I had done track time I might have ran a quick pace but it wasn’t safe and I for sure didn’t have options when trouble presented itself because in most cases I was over committed. I luckily made it through those years but disaster was always close by, I am trying to safe someone from taking the same path that I did and avoid injuries. I have rode with some fast people that I'm sure you have ridden with from the C.O.R.E. site, the two guys in particular I'm thinking of have done track time. I can’t speak for them but I'm certain that their ability to ride the pace they do come from track time. In fact every rider that I have ridden with that runs the same pace that I do with the exception of one absolutely crazy fucker (Who has gone down riding with me because he was over committed.) has done track time. Not that running a fast pace is the goal but it is a byproduct that comes with being smoother, having more knowledge of the bikes/your limits and that is something you can't or shouldn't be trying to teach yourself on the street.

Having knowledge to assess hazards that are in abundance when street riding is a skill everyone should work on but having the skill to avoid them is enhanced by doing track time. Please do a track day then come back to this subject and I expect to see a different perspective on the skills that transfer to street riding.

[blue03636]

^this, I can't really add any more to this. I have only rode with UP once last year with Jbot and I don't think any of us felt over our head.

[DreamNofR1]

This is all good information. Thank you to everyone for their opinions.

[bambam]

Speedytriple is a fast b'stard and would certainly fit immediately in any Advanced track group. Maybe he is the exception that proves the rule. Me, I agree that a track day would never be wasted time..... but I think hard street miles yield a better street rider in the long run.

[chevysoldier]

I enjoy threads like this. People that have never done a track day say it's really not needed. Those that have say it helped them out a lot. I have yet to see someone post that did a track day and said that it was a waste of time and really didn't give them an edge on the street.

[blue03636]

Not to start a pissing match but I have only seen a few people that come out to a first trackday that could run maybe mid I group let alone mid A. This includes people that have been riding for years on the street blazing twisty roads. Fast on the street doesn't mean fast on the track. I'm sure UP can back me on this but I don't ride anywhere near track pace on the street.

[bambam]

Speedytriple is a fast b'stard and ......

Sorry, did I say 'fast'? I meant Speedytriple is a FAT b'stard.