Evolution of a Sport Rider

[McBiggity]

Get your permit, get a bike. Teach yourself how to ride. Go out on the road. Deal with traffic, morons, jackasses, etc.
Get a license- most likely through an MSF course: try to learn some good habits, learn about being aware. Go out on the road, deal with trafffic, morons, jackasses, etc... But now you are expecting that.
Take a track day or 7, learn what you can do, learn what your bike can do. Yes it is without traffic, but it is muscle memory. You learn your limits and the bike's. Go out on the road, deal with traffic, morons, jackasses, etc. Now you expect it and now you can push your bike and yourself to avoid the situation that presents itself in front of you?

I leave that ? at the end of the last sentence on purpose. Some people here are of the thought that trackdays do not prepare you for real road/street riding. I disagree. The more you learn, the more muscle memory you create, the easier it will be to deal with real life situations.

[Doc]

[butcher bergs]

You already know where I stand on this topic.

trackdays = exploring current limits and developing new limits (whether that be in skills, adhesion, comfort, technique, etc)

[The Snowman]

But a very true dead horse.





.

[viva_brasil]

I'd actually add that after pushing the machine to the limit on the track, you're less likely to want to push it as hard on the street. Taking my car to the track made me drive more responsibly on the street. Once you actually see what the machine is capable of, you realize it's unrealistic and not worth the danger to try to get to that limit on public streets. Same thing on a motorcycle.
Track riding also helps to learn the correct technique in order to get the biggest contact patch/greatest grip- which can help a lot on the street and is something you don't learn at an MSF course.

[breakdirt916]

eh...I only did 2 track days last year, and I still see myself occasionally riding like an idiot on the street

the track day humility wore off after awhile...and for me it was being whopped by faster riders that slowed me down (ie. ride w' stoinky the pig on his roads)

[a13x]

I'd actually add that after pushing the machine to the limit on the track, you're less likely to want to push it as hard on the street. Taking my car to the track made me drive more responsibly on the street. Once you actually see what the machine is capable of, you realize it's unrealistic and not worth the danger to try to get to that limit on public streets. Same thing on a motorcycle.
Track riding also helps to learn the correct technique in order to get the biggest contact patch/greatest grip- which can help a lot on the street and is something you don't learn at an MSF course.

+100

I ride pretty damn slow on the street. I loved in Cali when guys on the street (up at Alice's in the twisties) would be like 'man.. no offense but for a Expert roadracer you are pretty slow...'


bwahhaha

[RyanNicholson]

I ride pretty damn slow on the street. I loved in Cali when guys on the street (up at Alice's in the twisties) would be like 'man.. no offense but for a Expert roadracer you are pretty slow...'

I get that exact same line from almost all the guys I street ride with...its hilarious. I finally got a couple of them up to the track to watch a few races this year, their reaction was basically "oh..."

[Pittenger5]

Another thing the track teaches you is on the street no matter the situation, you're not using more than about half of the bikes abilities. When you used to go into a corner too hot and panic, after doing turn 3 and 6 enough times you realize HOW much farther the bike can lean and still make it through the turn, so you just keep leaning and make the turn.

[jc r6]

i agree with that ...but as far as the comment if you ride on the street you only use half the bikes capibilities...it depends on the streets your riding on.

For people that ride around here....absolutely....all the roads suck. If you don't believe me you have only ridden around here go to NC or TN and it's a world of difference

I'm not condoning pushing the bike on the street just saying there are plenty of roads that are a lot more technical than any track. When i lived in TN we would use The Snake and Gap as practice for the track. We would ride well below our limit and work on being smooth then on the track the corners all felt like sweepers

[seth399]

Another thing the track teaches you is on the street no matter the situation, you're not using more than about half of the bikes abilities. When you used to go into a corner too hot and panic, after doing turn 3 and 6 enough times you realize HOW much farther the bike can lean and still make it through the turn, so you just keep leaning and make the turn.

I agree...going to the track and 'feeling' like I was leaning off the bike in turn 6 then alex and someone was like "ah dude lean off the bike" I realized I wasnt off the bike at all and you just carve more and more

[butcher bergs]

For people that ride around here....absolutely....all the roads suck. If you don't believe me you have only ridden around here go to NC or TN and it's a world of difference

The man does not lie.

[Awesome]

was there are part about going from a 1000 to a 600, to a 450, to a 250?

[Doc]

I ride pretty damn slow on the street. I loved in Cali when guys on the street (up at Alice's in the twisties) would be like 'man.. no offense but for a Expert roadracer you are pretty slow...'
bwahhaha

I get that exact same line from almost all the guys I street ride with...its hilarious. I finally got a couple of them up to the track to watch a few races this year, their reaction was basically "oh..."

I find that before I started going to the track I was working hard to keep up with friends on the street. I pushed my limits and got in over my head quite a few times. I just almost always felt like I was playing catch up and trying to prove myself.

Now I don't seem to have that same problem. It seems I ride at a much more relaxed pace and I don't have any problems keeping up. I wonder how hard my friends push it and if they are out to "prove something" though so I try not to lead but when I do I still find myself riding at a relaxed pace. (compared to the track) I am afraid someone might work hard to keep up and push their limits.

I just don't ride the street the same way I do the track. I guess it is the unknowns that bother me the most.

[breakdirt916]

how many, and how often do you do track days when you slowed down on the street?

[OreoGaborio]

+100

I ride pretty damn slow on the street. I loved in Cali when guys on the street (up at Alice's in the twisties) would be like 'man.. no offense but for a Expert roadracer you are pretty slow...'


bwahhaha

Yup, totally... every once in a great while, during a group ride with experienced street but not track riders I'll actually find myself falling back a little bit, thinking to myself "damn... they're goin' pretty fast."


Doc also makes a good point... I'm sure there are times I'm going faster & leaning further than I used to back in the day, but it's just more effortless & doesn't feel like I'm pushing as much as I was back when I was a slewb.

[OreoGaborio]

how many, and how often do you do track days when you slowed down on the street?

That varies for everyone. Sometimes people slow down right away... some people speed up... some people speed up then slow down or vise versa. Totally depends on the person & where they ride.

Perception also plays a part as I mentioned above. You may be going a lot faster but you're not pushing your own personal limit anymore because your ability exceeds what you're actually doing. Related reading - http://www.foreven.com/trackdod/NoviceGuide/

[Doc]

Related reading - http://www.foreven.com/trackdod/NoviceGuide/

Thanks Pete. I got alot out of that.

Especially, "if you're arguing with a fool he's doing the same thing."

I have to take that to heart.

[a13x]

i agree with that ...but as far as the comment if you ride on the street you only use half the bikes capibilities...it depends on the streets your riding on.

For people that ride around here....absolutely....all the roads suck. If you don't believe me you have only ridden around here go to NC or TN and it's a world of difference

I'm not condoning pushing the bike on the street just saying there are plenty of roads that are a lot more technical than any track. When i lived in TN we would use The Snake and Gap as practice for the track. We would ride well below our limit and work on being smooth then on the track the corners all felt like sweepers

Yea same with all the roads in Norcal and the Bay Area... you literally COULD ride those roads like a racetrack. They were insaaaane. Everything from 15-20mph hairpins to 120mph sweepers. Sometimes I'd wick it up a bit (nowhere near race pace) and just scare myself silly. I saw waaay too many Life Flights and wrecked bikes up there..

I recall one of my first rides thru this forested road getting SMOKED by a guy on a Hayabusa thru the twisties. I was laughing for about the next 5 miles...