Why do track day virgins stay that way?

[The Singing Chef]

I think track days are great to do. Mainly because you have a safer environment to test and practice your skills on, I learnt about sets and how the bike is upset in the transition between and not as stable, I have worked on body positioning to get the most amount of lean my bike will give, which isn't much. I have learnt to set myself up for a corner early so that you are ready to start the next transition.

I got to test how well the brakes work from high speed to low speed, weighting the pegs and how that affects the stability of the bike in corners, etc...

My belief is that all riding is good riding, no matter what it is (scooters not included) because it gives you a large variety of skill sets that will come in handy. My goal is to try all the aspects of riding, such as dirt, road, track, drags and the list goes on. The skills learnt from dirt biking could have potentially saved me when I hit massive slick of diesel through a corner mid-lean. Instead of weighting the inside peg I should have used the outside but it wasn't habit for me to do that so I slid off at 80k.

[NordieBoy]

Unless there's a river crossing and a couple of logs to get over, why bother?

[Deano]

Unless there's a river crossing and a couple of logs to get over, why bother?

At Manfeild there's a fence to fly over and a muddy paddock full of cattle to play in - just ask Drew !

[NordieBoy]

At Manfeild there's a fence to fly over and a muddy paddock full of cattle to play in - just ask Drew !

Sounds promising.

Any forestry gates to get around?

[DEATH_INC.]

Sounds promising.

Any forestry gates to get around?

Gates are for pussies, you have to go OVER the fence...

[Deano]

Gates are for pussies, you have to go OVER the fence...

What is a standard farm fence ? 1200 high ?

No ramp either. Ramps are for pussies.

[vifferman]

OK, I'm not a total trackday virgin - I went to one demo day, and absolutely loved it. However (but!) I haven't yet done a 'proper' track day, for a variety of reasons:

• I don't have leather pants any more, just Spidi Gran Turismo
• There's a BIG excess if I bin it
• I haven't done a weekend ride 'just for fun' in like, forever. All my riding in the last few years has been just communtering. Yawn....
• My weekends are full up with exciting things like erections (retaining walls, stuff like that)

But I'm open to convincing, arm-twisting, etc....

[Voltaire]

I had a 2000 Ducati 900ss that probably would have been ideal for the track, but I never went to one. Now I have a Triumph Thruxton which is less powerful and slower and have been to two levels of the Cali Superbike School and an Art day at Puke. I get passed a lot on the straights but on level 2 could hold on in the corners.
Does it translate to the road? Obviously no everything but you certainly find out what your bike can yourself can do. I don't think I'll be scraping the rearsets on the road but its nice to know I can go that far safely.
I was never that interested in going to the track until I had a go on bucket racer....now thats fun.

[SPP]

... Now I have a Triumph Thruxton which is less powerful and slower and have been to two levels of the Cali Superbike School ...

like this one?

[Voltaire]

like this one?

Yeah that's me... ( beats going to work).

[SPP]

Yeah that's me... ( beats going to work).

it sure does. I was in your class that day, blk R6/ red suit

[Drew]

At Manfeild there's a fence to fly over and a muddy paddock full of cattle to play in - just ask Drew !

Sounds promising.

Any forestry gates to get around?

What ya need to do is hit turn 8 on manfield long track, at the top of third gear on a wanked superbike, lose the front at full lean mid turn. When the bike hits the dirt it needs to get a good tumble on. When it digs in real good it'll get some good air. If you've followed my instructions carefully, the next time you look your bike won't be crumpled in the quite tall wall as you'd expect. Hop over said wall and you'll find your bike lying in a cow paddock near some very surprised looking cows, (one can only assume the look was one of surprise on the cows faces, they're not the most expressive animal).

After all this you get to try and ride your slick shod Gixxer thou through the mud and out of the paddock.

Enjoy

Gates are for pussies, you have to go OVER the fence...

I'd rather have used the gate. That way I wouldn't have been anywhere near as far through the mud as I was.

[scumdog]

Because they are scared of being slower than they thought.
Because they can't get insurance for their bike on the track.
Because they can't get the day off work for track days.
Because they enjoying riding to a destination rather than round and round and round the same corners.
Because they don't have the appropriate gear.
Because they enjoy going for short blasts rather than spending all day out at the track.
Because they don't want to stand around for 3/4 of the day waiting to ride.
Because they....well whatever.

Sound like a lot of my reasons.

Plus add:
Because I'm so unco,
Because I get hurt when I fall over
Because I spend enough time working on my mechanical dollar-suckers without 'creating' more work for myself...

etc
etcl

[MD]

Because they are scared of being slower than they thought.
Because they can't get insurance for their bike on the track.
Because they can't get the day off work for track days.
Because they enjoying riding to a destination rather than round and round and round the same corners.
Because they don't have the appropriate gear.
Because they enjoy going for short blasts rather than spending all day out at the track.
Because they don't want to stand around for 3/4 of the day waiting to ride.
Because they....well whatever.

I love going out to the track, prefer to go out on practice days though as you get more track time, but equally so love riding on the road. I can however understand that there are some out there that the track holds no interest for them for whatever reason.

You missed out the most important one;

Because they don't have to

[Little Miss Trouble]

I had my first time out on track on Saturday doing Level 1 of California Superbike School. The first couple of laps were the most nerve-racking, after that I was so busy learning and having fun that the nerves disappeared completely.


Definitely finding the money for level 2 in February