Track Day question

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Originally Posted by backinthesaddle

On the wrong side of the equation I was talking to a guy who has done 1/2 a trackday and he is building a modern 600 for street and track and setting it up with a quick shifter and race throttle. I guess to each his own but in my humble and very novice track day experience nothing feels as confidence inspiring as a new set of tires.

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Indeed. Gotta set priorities and build it right. Cover your basics first.

As someone who has one, buying a quick shifter & quick turn is utterly pointless for a track day rider if the bike is set up poorly to begin with.

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Originally Posted by backinthesaddle

On the wrong side of the equation I was talking to a guy who has done 1/2 a trackday and he is building a modern 600 for street and track and setting it up with a quick shifter and race throttle. I guess to each his own but in my humble and very novice track day experience nothing feels as confidence inspiring as a new set of tires.

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Bingo.....Track performance/improvement comes from (in priority)
1. Rider
2. Suspension
3. Tires
.
.
.engine impovements is way down the list (along with polishedswing arms and faux carbon fiber bits)

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Originally Posted by xsiliconkid

Bingo.....Track performance/improvement comes from (in priority)
1. Rider
2. Suspension
3. Tires
.
.
.engine impovements is way down the list (along with polishedswing arms and faux carbon fiber bits)

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Idk I'd put tires before suspension, imho you can ride the shit out of stock suspension before you as a rider need to upgrade. Same can be said for brakes but just my .02 .

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Originally Posted by G21forme

imho you can ride the shit out of stock suspension before you as a rider need to upgrade.

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Agreed... but I thnk Graham was speaking in terms of making sure your suspension is at the very least operating within normal tolerances.

One can argue that good tires still won't work very well if the bike is a po-go stick... but good suspension will still work well if the tires are rocks.

You can absolutely argue it either way... Personally, I feel that tires and suspension work as a system... They should both be #2 :)

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Originally Posted by G21forme

Idk I'd put tires before suspension, imho you can ride the shit out of stock suspension before you as a rider need to upgrade. Same can be said for brakes but just my .02 .

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Does not have to be 'new" suspension......might be as easy as geometry and or springrate/sag /compression/rebound adjusted. 90% of new track day riders just need the suspenion tweeked....as you get faster...suspenion is still just ahead of tires.....Great tires can't compensate for poor suspension

Focused on a V-Strom but most of it is the same for other bikes. Probably answers most of your questions.

Preparing a DL650 for a track day.

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Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

One can argue that good tires still won't work very well if the bike is a po-go stick... but good suspension will still work well if the tires are rocks.

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I recently rocked a 20 year old bike with 20 year oil suspension and oil with 7 year old Avons. You want to talk about po-go. It made me a better rider by the bike telling me (Po-go) of what I should and SHOULD NOT be doing. :hbang2:

For me the loose suspension is/was a great learing tool. I did not, could not rely on a good/decent suspension being able to swallow up my faults/quirks. Pure rawness. Just the rider, the bike and his thoughts. LOVE IT.

Kind of like the EX eh Pete. lol


We all should experience a sloppy bike once you have some skills to recognize the feel of what the bike is telling you. It is a reall eye opener.

Haha. Indeed! :twothumb:

But on the flip side, you gotta be careful with that... cuz riding a bike with sub-par set-up for TOO long will only teach you how to ride a poorly set-up bike. Jump on a properly set-up bike and you'll have to re-learn a lot of things.

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Originally Posted by nt650hawk

I recently rocked a 20 year old bike with 20 year oil suspension and oil with 7 year old Avons. You want to talk about po-go. It made me a better rider by the bike telling me (Po-go) of what I should and SHOULD NOT be doing. :hbang2:

For me the loose suspension is/was a great learing tool. I did not, could not rely on a good/decent suspension being able to swallow up my faults/quirks. Pure rawness. Just the rider, the bike and his thoughts. LOVE IT.

Kind of like the EX eh Pete. lol


We all should experience a sloppy bike once you have some skills to recognize the feel of what the bike is telling you. It is a reall eye opener.

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So, there is a bike out there worse than mine? Wow....

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Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

Haha. Indeed! :twothumb:

But on the flip side, you gotta be careful with that... cuz riding a bike with sub-par set-up for TOO long will only teach you how to ride a poorly set-up bike. Jump on a properly set-up bike and you'll have to re-learn a lot of things.

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Speaking of, I relish the thought of relearning everything next year. Thank you, buddy :wub:

:wub:

(I'm waiting to find out if I can make it up on Friday before I ship it out... and I still gotta dig up those emulators.)

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Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

:wub:

(I'm waiting to find out if I can make it up on Friday before I ship it out... and I still gotta dig up those emulators.)

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No worries. I am in no huge rush. Just excited, and no snow is making me hope winter forgets us this year.

Most Track Day organizations, including BOMO, will have a couple guys that help you set your sag and then point you in the right direction for the compression and rebound as well. Getting it started is critical. Getting it completely dialed in takes time...and experience!

I'm an idiot, I was thinking about new suspension, good point guys.

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Originally Posted by G21forme

I'm an idiot.

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For posterity. :D

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Originally Posted by jtryz

I know I am asking a lot of questions, but my wife is cool enough to let me do these things with out to much hassle :hbang2: she knows riding keeps me normal. I have done tons of riding, very lucky to ride some of the best roads in the East cost but Track is new and exciting.


but in return I have to give her an estimate so there is no SURPRISE factor at the end.... I use to do the O YA I forgot??? never went over well.....:dunno:

Truthfully, I am not nervous about it. I use to go to Drag nights on the "run what you brung" nights in FL when I was young. And grew up around cars and racetracks with my bro when I was a kid. I feel comfy at a track.

Mentally feel pretty cool just all the requirements that I am not sure about. Think I am a fair rider, mabey a little of a risk taker, but think my knowlege is OK.
Feel like if this is a book, I now the start and finish, but missing some important info in the middle. If that makes sense?
I am sure I will be many times better after a ride, just need to do IT..

What else are we missing?

Gear! check
Safety wire! check
Food, gas, tools stands etc! check

My truck can roll it up in the back. DO THE TRACKS HAVE AN area to unload from a bed or do I need ramps?

O ya, Lodging! can I camp in my tent so i dont spend anymore money. Cause I still need tires.. LOL

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don't want your wife to yell at you, don't ask any more questions. That way every little extra expense is a surprise to you as well.

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Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

Indeed. Gotta set priorities and build it right. Cover your basics first.

As someone who has one, buying a quick shifter & quick turn is utterly pointless for a track day rider if the bike is set up poorly to begin with.

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I'm still told by fast people I should get a quickshifter and slipper clutch but I still like doing it myself.

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Originally Posted by CBR929RE

don't want your wife to yell at you, don't ask any more questions. That way every little extra expense is a surprise to you as well.



I'm still told by fast people I should get a quickshifter and slipper clutch but I still like doing it myself.

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After having a slipper...ill never go back.

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Originally Posted by CBR929RE

I'm still told by fast people I should get a quickshifter and slipper clutch but I still like doing it myself.

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While they help, they're far from necessary.

I have a quckshifter on my bike and I saw virtually no immediate difference in lap times after I added it, which I attribute to the fact that Loudon requires so few upshifts per lap... But that's not to say it doesn't make shifting easier. It does.

I also use my left fingers as a slipper clutch, but have ridden bikes with true slippers and again, I don't see it really making much of a difference in lap times... But again, that's not to say it doesn't make shifting easier. It does.


There's something to be said for making things easier, but that's not to say they will make you a faster or better rider.

Again, it all comes back to priorities.

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Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

While they help, they're far from necessary.

I have a quckshifter on my bike and I saw virtually no immediate difference in lap times after I added it, which I attribute to the fact that Loudon requires so few upshifts per lap... But that's not to say it doesn't make shifting easier. It does.

I also use my left fingers as a slipper clutch, but have ridden bikes with true slippers and again, I don't see it really making much of a difference in lap times... But again, that's not to say it doesn't make shifting easier. It does.


There's something to be said for making things easier, but that's not to say they will make you a faster or better rider.

Again, it all comes back to priorities.

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The biggest reason I got one for my motard was to control engine rpm on downshifts. Now I'm addicted.

Yeah. On motards, my impression from what I've seen/heard around the paddock, is that it certainly does go a long way to help with engine and crank preservation.

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Originally Posted by CBR929RE

I'm still told by fast people I should get a quickshifter and slipper clutch but I still like doing it myself.

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I am told just to get a new bike:dunno:

Never having ridden a bike with a quickshifter when you use a quickshifter you hold the throttle open, the pressure on the shift linkage cuts spark or retards timing for a split second and then the bike is in the higher gear and you're WFO again. If that is correct is the shift more aggressive, for example on a high powered bike could it be more of a challenge to keep straight, kind of like dumping the clutch at power or is it smooth?

It's pretty smooth. Some would say it's smoother than a manual clutchless upshift. There's no smooth roll off/roll on, but because it's so quick and you're not changing your throttle position, it's pretty smooth.

If it makes you feel any better, I grab a wide open upshift at the granstands coming out of T6 and I'm almost on my knee.

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Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

It's still pretty smooth. Some would say it's smoother than a manual clutchless upshift.

If it makes you feel any better, I grab a wide open upshift at the granstands coming out of T6 and I'm almost on my knee.

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Thanks for the info, doesn't make me feel better though, makes me feel even slower, LOL.

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Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

If it makes you feel any better, I grab a wide open upshift at the granstands coming out of T6 and I'm almost on my knee.

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I tried this without a quick shifter.:shock:

Let's just say I decided that was not something I would do again real soon. :D

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Originally Posted by Rada

I tried this without a quick shifter.:shock:

Let's just say I decided that was not something I would do again real soon. :D

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just means you did it wrong. Most of the time I grab an upshift in 8 just before or at full lean. now if I could just go faster through 6/7 I would already be in that gear for 8.