What do you want to get out of a trackday?

[r6rammy]

just so you know, the was for the "might be addictive" part, no reflection on you wanting to race

got that the first time

[dontpanic]

Go fast. Have fun. Repeat.

[oVTo]

The on-track part for me is about skill development, always working on something to improve my riding and helping those with less experience develop into better riders.

One thing not yet mentioned is the off-track time, and I get a lot out of that. Discussing what happened on track last session helps when going out on the track next time. But even when not talking about the track time, I enjoy hanging out with like-minded souls - people who love bikes and riding. Meeting new people and seeing friends and acquaintances I haven't seen since 'last time', hanging out in the garage in the evening, it's all a big part of the track day experience.

[OreoGaborio]

Good question... what do (or did) I want to get out of track days?

At first - Back at my first track day I was still a noob with only 3 months of experience and about 3k miles under my belt. I had MUCH to learn and it showed. I wanted to improve everything about my riding but I was also super pumped when I scuffed my puck for the first time on my first track day. Turn 2 Dragging a knee, while I admit, was a goal, I tried not to let that get in the way of my technique. It wasn't easy but I knew that using good technique would lead to dragging a knee, not the other way around.

Then - Once I got over the whole "zomg, I'm draging a knee" thing, it became more about old skill refinement and new skill development. Slowly and steadily, I improved.

After that - After a couple years worth of track days, once I began racing, I was asked to help out at the track. Track days became not only about polishing the skills I had as a rider, but developing new skills as an instructor. With so many close relatives in my family that teach in some capacity or another, I already had an idea of what it was all about and I was very interested in passing on what was taught to me by those that helped me when I started instructing.

Now - Today I'm involved in the development of our control riders and instructors, and now, 1-on-1 personalized rider instruction; two new and different objectives to those in the past. Helping people with their riding is one thing... coming up with specific plans for an individual and helping instructors to help other riders with their riding is another. I'm definitely looking forward to developing my skills in these ways

Of course, the only thing I want to get out of track days that hasn't changed in the last 7 years... is first & foremost to have FUN. The day this whole track day thing stops being fun & starts sucking is the day I stop doing it.

First off, my skills are weak and need a lot of work. Usually if I get into something, I need to be good at it, so yeah, I dont think I have the time or funds to actually race and be good at it. For now, for a start, I wanna improve skills so I can bump upto expert level in trackdays, then take it from there.

The only way to get good at something is to do it.

Track days are a whole other world from racing. To get good at track days, you gotta do track days. To get good at racing, you gotta race

But I understand what you're getting at - if you're not good at track days, you may struggle with racing until you dial in your basic skills... and I agree.

[TheIglu]

just so you know, the was for the "might be addictive" part, no reflection on you wanting to race

I like watching brady rip up that SV. He makes a lot of people on 600 super sports look foolish.

[BluGixxer]

I have had some pretty bad luck with ridding on the streets, police don't seem to like crotch rockets, right or wrong you get tickets or attitudes .
I havnt had my first track day yet , but soon ,
Just getting on my bike , and ridding with others with no fear of getting a nightstick to the ribs and tickets to follow .
That will suit me just fine besides , I hear if you go down , there will be people to help you off the track so you don't get run over,
looking forward to my first track day

[nt650hawk]

Hope to improve and one day, maybe get a cool pic of scraping elbows, lol.

NICE!

I dream of the same thing. Unfortunately I don't see me doing it any time soon or ever.

I've accomplished it a number of times, just not on the bike. A lot of us have been there.

[Doc]

I dragged my elbow once, in turn 11.

It went Knee, ass, elbow, shoulder, lowside... tumble, tumble, stay low, "please don't hit me Gino!"...

[FireboltEric_MA]

I dragged shoulder once.......Once!

Now I am prepared with Titanium..

[OreoGaborio]

I tried so hard this past year to scrape an elbow... Tony said I came pretty close when we were at NJMP It's one of my 2011 goals

[brady]

I like watching brady rip up that SV. He makes a lot of people on 600 super sports look foolish.

thanks! old age, treachery, and more trackdays than those 600's probably....

some day I'll figure out which one of those screaming EX500's is yours and introduce myself.

[Chippertheripper]

i would say " its the ugliest one", but they're all godawful.

[G21forme]

i would say " its the ugliest one", but they're all godawful.