Just some thoughts about the Slipway tracks. When we first started using this track I thought it would be a pointless exercise. However I was proved wrong. The first tracks were flowing & you could get a groove on.> We seem to have lost our way the last few times we’ve set up. I think we have to accept that it is a narrow bit of tarmac & any attempt to try make some technical corners just results in the bus stop get off & push type of arrangement we had at the far end of the track. Anywhere where we have 1st gear after the start is not racing. Beginners get put off & racers get frustrated leading to the inevitable tangles.> The other thing we have to watch is safety. We did avoid this on Sunday a fair amount, but only after a bit of a rejig. We must avoid situations where people are turning a fast corner banked over & aimed at the other side of the track where they are doing the same thing. A bit of an island was inserted & entry re aligned, that was probably enough. We learnt this issue in the 90’s on Ohakea after a couple of nasty head ons. Lets not fall into the same trap. Also the drifters often pack tyres up several layers high. Hitting tyres is no fun, but sliding into 3 tyres would seriously injure you. They won’t move much. So that’s my 2 cents; it is a track with limitations, but I think if we embrace those issues it can be a useful fun venue.
Don't you look at my accountant.
He's the only one I've got.
Agreed. I don't think we need to try and make seriously technical tracks anymore at Slipway, we have Kaitoke for interesting corners and stuff, and you're right, any track that you have to ride around corners in first gear sucks bum, for once I actually felt sorry for the guys on 4 strokes and was quite glad I could use my clutch and second gear around those stupid corners!
The beauty about Slipway is being able to build a track that changes each time, within the parametres we have, and what cracks me up the most is if you don't like how the track is you can get off your bike and change it, or give a tyre a kick on the way past to alter a corner slightly
Yeh with you Dave. Slipway is a great relaxed place for people to learn to ride. The bus stops are dangerous and we all know that low speed get offs can be very painful. When I first started riding there the tracks were simple and allowed for passing and safety. I will review some of my old video footage and try and recreate some of the layouts for future reference.
It wasn't a bad track IMO, and did flow quite nicely, however naturally not wide enough, we are rather lucky to have kaitoke back. =). But a little bit of effort into slipway and i'm sure it will still make a pretty nice circuit. The top hairpin in the latter part of the day was really nice. CCW direction.
I thought the track was quiet tough clock wise, but def more managable and fun the other way. It wasn't much fun coming to an all but stand still when going clockwise. The tracks used to be a little more flowing in the past, and obviously it's going to be tighter and slower than Kaitoke, but isn't that a good thing. We just don't have to go over board with the tech-ness of the track.
My 2 cents worth.
Gingas get life...Why don't murderers and rapists?!
It wasn't a bad track IMO, and did flow quite nicely, however naturally not wide enough, we are rather lucky to have kaitoke back. =). But a little bit of effort into slipway and i'm sure it will still make a pretty nice circuit. The top hairpin in the latter part of the day was really nice. CCW direction.
People riding trail bikes are excluded from making valid opinions of skid turn tracks.
Don't you look at my accountant.
He's the only one I've got.
I think you shoud all stop moning. I had a lot of fun. un luckey that dad pushed a little to hard
Haha agreed. As long as there are no walls to slam into then I'm happy.
Although having easy places to pass is something to consider. I understand that Slipway has a lot to do with how fast your bucket is because it's basically 2 long straights so my opinion is that it's a different ball game to Kaitoke where cornering is the key and Slipway seems to be fast buckets and heaviest on the brakes wins. My opinion. Oh and who doesn't crash on that slippery surface
I rode slipway a few times not long after you got it and loved it how you had if you went up the right hand side a straight witha fast flat out chicane into a sweeper/hair pin it was a sweeper but was tight, to your left down through some more esses and into another hairpin back onto first straight mentioned by the skid pad i thought that was a great circuit
i think the main thing is to keep safety in mind by avoiding corners that, if a rider gets it wrong, wont then send that rider into oncoming traffic on the other side of the track. Setting it up to make it like this takes a bit of thought. We also want to avoid the BIG switch backs as people struggle to get around them, even the good guys, this also can lead to accidents.
Making it as safe as poss. helps to protect the organisers in the event of a big injury that will bring in officialdom, also protects us as it is already easy to crash at Slipway and who needs more crashes.
Just my thoughts.
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and was quite glad I could use my clutch and second gear around those stupid corners!
RAG Racing
Originally Posted by quallman1234
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