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On The TrackHad a trackday, a good or bad day at the track? Want to get started racing? Just like racing? Cmon insde and post questions, results or comments.
I decided to begin a new thread to separate from my "Intimidated and frustrated (sorta lengthy)" post. I'd be a fool to give up everything at this point with all the money and time I've spent. I've promissed myself that I won't "second think" this out again. I'm commited. Enough on that.......
As I do more and more track time, I'm looking for hints and suggestions on skills to work on. What skills would you consider to be a higher prioroity to master or refine. Rank them if you like.
I'm thinking of ones such as:
Throttle Control
Lean Angle (this one confuses me somewhat)
Trail Braking
Visualization - braking markers and otherwise (this one is tough for me)
Anything else I may have missed that would be esential
Trying to work on everything at once is very problematic and I loose concentration on one instead of the other.
I'm trying to be as logical and laid back about this so I don't stress out, as has been mentioned to me.
which one are you worst at, or you think is hurting you the worst. first id figure that out.
Ewwew.....Um nothing like being put on the spot
I'd have to say smoothness. But then again I know that can encompass a multitude of things. I'll throw throttle control in there as well. Timing and when to shift body position. Gear selection. I'm also rusty on trail braking but I've been informed that it's not imperative to conquer at the outset.
No just a simple one or two word answer. My other problem is I really don't know when I'm just loafing it around the track or actually challenging myself. I don't like settling into a comfort zone so much, that I'm not practicing or making it a process of progression. If I'm ever going to make it racing, I've got to drop the comfy zone and "test the waters". I'm not saying to go like a bat out of hell and be dangerous, heavens no. I'm talking about getting in and working myself and "exercising"; if you will, to learn the track, my bike and myself.
first off, i have to say im hardly a seasoned racer...or A racer for that matter....
are you riding anywhere near the edge of traction yet to reallly be concerned about smoothness? smoothness in my experience will come in time as well as not always riding at 10/10. think of it, are you smooth riding at 80%? if so, move on for now.
gear selection will be subjective to the track, you're bike and what ratio you're running. try talking to someone that is really fast at the specific track about that.....or are you wanting to simply understand how to figure it out on your own? either way just take the short cut for now IMO.
baby steps man, baby steps. push your limit, but dont go killing yourself. theres no replacement for seat time. perhaps you need to look for a different mental approach, thats why i said before to try meditation.
knowing when to SHIFT your body (im sensing you mean, when to setup) thats an easy one. go read some books, that will help you there.
choosing a line can mean alot too. you could be riding at the ragged edge and have horrible lines and therefore slow lap times. or you could be putin around and taking perfect lines and drop 5 seconds or so.
the number one objective is to at least finish the race.
practice...practice and more practice.
Even if you're really stupid if you do enough laps you'll eventually get fast and smooth.
I would put trail braking last. I've seen an awful lot of people lowside their bikes trying to imitate those GP racers by braking into the turns; it doesn't help your speed unless you need to get that last ounce of performance out of your bike.
Consistency, smoothness, and a willingness to look at faster riders I would put up there as a vital skill.
I guess there are different schools of thought when it comes to a particular skill/technique. It would appear that the wisest option at this point would be to find someone, a control rider to coach/follow me. At the same time, I don't want to appear cheap and looking for free instruction. I guess I'll have to start asking.
The Advanced rider training course I took focused a certain amount of time to trail braking. Now, I'm not sure which way to approach it. I have tried it and it works but it is such a dynamic technique that it does different things at different times. So much for my plan.
I don't hit the track for about another two weeks. I'm trying to get a good "plan of attack" laid out so that I know exactly what I'm going to work on.
EMD?? I thought I would never see those letters together concerning anything to do with motorcycles. What's the significance to you ??
BTW. I already know what it stands for. I work on their locos everyday.
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"If Japan, Italy, and Germany did product development the same way that Harley Davidson does, there wouldn't be Honda, Ducati, or BMW bikes. There wouldn't be VCRs, mini-TVs, or Sony Walkmans. We'd all still be listening to wind up phonographs and watching black and white TV through vacuum tubes. And we'd be paying thousands of dollars for it and each one would be named "American Heritage Edition FGXLR TV" or something equally lame." Christopher T. Shields
bug99_69, PM sent. Anyone else want to know? PM me and I'll PM you.
Cheers,
SD40
Didn't get your PM. Didn't mean to offend. Just seems weird to me that I see them all day at work then come home and there it is again.
__________________
"If Japan, Italy, and Germany did product development the same way that Harley Davidson does, there wouldn't be Honda, Ducati, or BMW bikes. There wouldn't be VCRs, mini-TVs, or Sony Walkmans. We'd all still be listening to wind up phonographs and watching black and white TV through vacuum tubes. And we'd be paying thousands of dollars for it and each one would be named "American Heritage Edition FGXLR TV" or something equally lame." Christopher T. Shields
Didn't get your PM. Didn't mean to offend. Just seems weird to me that I see them all day at work then come home and there it is again.
PM'd again....
No offense taken. I'm actually very pleased and happy (and surprised) that someone recognized it. No one on my local club board has taken note of it or said/asked anything about it. No big surprise there. I've even shown up to meetings with a EMD hat and still nothing. I always try to keep some connection between my interests.
No offense taken. I'm actually very pleased and happy (and surprised) that someone recognized it. No one on my local club board has taken note of it or said/asked anything about it. No big surprise there. I've even shown up to meetings with a EMD hat and still nothing. I always try to keep some connection between my interests.
Have a super day....
SD
My PM's must be jacked up, still didn't get it. Anyway, sorry I hijacked this thread.
SD40-2's are about as good as they come. We are getting ready to do a EFI mod to our entire fleet of 38's and 40's to meet emissions. Somewhere around 2500 units.
Our shop has 25 tracks, we usually keep about 15 of them with MAC-70's welded to the rail. The gear-train is not holding up in them very well at all.
__________________
"If Japan, Italy, and Germany did product development the same way that Harley Davidson does, there wouldn't be Honda, Ducati, or BMW bikes. There wouldn't be VCRs, mini-TVs, or Sony Walkmans. We'd all still be listening to wind up phonographs and watching black and white TV through vacuum tubes. And we'd be paying thousands of dollars for it and each one would be named "American Heritage Edition FGXLR TV" or something equally lame." Christopher T. Shields
My PM's must be jacked up, still didn't get it. Anyway, sorry I hijacked this thread.
SD40-2's are about as good as they come. We are getting ready to do a EFI mod to our entire fleet of 38's and 40's to meet emissions. Somewhere around 2500 units.
Our shop has 25 tracks, we usually keep about 15 of them with MAC-70's welded to the rail. The gear-train is not holding up in them very well at all.
Bug99_69,
Send me a message: eclipse rd at yahoo dot com (combine the 'eclipese' and 'rd'). That way we don't hijack the list further
Would like to hear more on the EFI, especially on the 40's
Looking forward
No problem
I always try to keep some connection between my interests.
Linear Mode
