Track day mindset?

[R6_kid:Me]

I'm going to give that a try next time. I found when I ignored the speedo I was much faster and smoother but my eye keeps checking it on autopilot.

Most trackday n00bs find that the last thing they did before they crashed or screwed up a corner was look at the speedo.

[ajturbo]

I'm going to give that a try next time. I found when I ignored the speedo I was much faster and smoother but my eye keeps checking it on autopilot.

Most trackday n00bs find that the last thing they did before they crashed or screwed up a corner was look at the speedo.

what i did once... in a race on the RG, was to watch the speedo as i exited the corner... then the next time around, looked to see if i could do it faster... and faster, but your right, it did slow me a couple of times...

[wbks]

One good thing I found to use the speedo for is a braking point along the straight. I was getting out of the sweeper, and down the straight consistently, so I was braking by the time I was at 150. Next time I waited till I got to 155 etc and ended up braking a lot later at 165. Sure, the distance markers are good for the rest of the corners but it's hard to tell when you're going to get to the 200m marker at speed or if theres a bike on your right blocking your view. Off topic but I thought I'd add something to the speedo thing. Rest of the track though I don't look at the speedo. I got scared when I realized I was going faster then I do on the highway while tucked in and leaning over haha. I do pay attention to my rev gauge in my peripheral vision though, just to make sure I shift at the right times

[discotex]

Most trackday n00bs find that the last thing they did before they crashed or screwed up a corner was look at the speedo.

I can believe that. It takes away too much attention when braking hard and basically means you don't use a turn-in point.

what i did once... in a race on the RG, was to watch the speedo as i exited the corner... then the next time around, looked to see if i could do it faster... and faster, but your right, it did slow me a couple of times...

It's good on exit. I figure I can use the tacho instead. I.e. if I cross point x at a higher rpm than last time I must have a better drive.

I do pay attention to my rev guage in my peripheral vision though, just to make sure I shift at the right times

You should be able to use rpm as your speed gauge as well if you need it. I.e. you know you get to 10000rpm in 5th before you roll off and you need to be in 3rd for the left at the end of the straight (made up example).

[Tony.OK]

One good thing I found to use the speedo for is a braking point along the straight. I was getting out of the sweeper, and down the straight consistently, so I was braking by the time I was at 150. Next time I waited till I got to 155 etc and ended up braking a lot later at 165. Sure, the distance markers are good for the rest of the corners but it's hard to tell when you're going to get to the 200m marker at speed or if theres a bike on your right blocking your view. Off topic but I thought I'd add something to the speedo thing. Rest of the track though I don't look at the speedo. I got scared when I realized I was going faster then I do on the highway while tucked in and leaning over haha. I do pay attention to my rev gauge in my peripheral vision though, just to make sure I shift at the right times

That depends alot on your previous corner exit speed though, as you get more comfortable you roll on earlier and reach a higher speed faster, you may be braking earlier than before if your speed is higher faster.
Looking at markers is good in that you aren't concentrating on the bike in front, watching the speedo going into a corner will eventually catch you out............tape over it and work on being smooth going in at a given point, you'll know if it feels early so then try braking progressively later.

[sinfull]

Emo kid

BTW peeps - I'm not beating myself up...more analysing it and trying to figure out what might help me next time. Yes there is a difference between a track day and a race day but I felt that I wasn't even riding as well out there as I do on the road. I think for instance of my recent tootle to Taupo. Went through much tighter corners and all the other palava that you get on the road and reckon I was maintaining a more comfy speed and was definitely riding smoother.

Anywho I am not down on myself about it....it's just that natural learning stage where you realise you still aren't as good at or confident with something as you'd like to be and it bums you out a bit.

Why not bring a bucket to the next track day ? Where's the rule that ya have to be on a road bike ?
Be kinda fun to watch ya out brake (or not brake) and go round the outside of all the straight line jockies at full noise !

[jrandom]

I reckon all the others are onto it. Just keep at it and you'll feel better in due course eh.

Riding an SV650 on the track's gotta be fairly different to riding a bucket. It's a new skill set, so it's hardly surprising you didn't go out and rip it up. As someone said, a healthy sense of self-preservation is key!

Just keep plugging away. And maybe have a go on the SV at Taupo, too. Manfeild's fun, but in my limited two days of experience there, pace around Manfeild is all about how late you can brake and how early you can get on the gas, both of which require a certain willingness to explore the limits of traction. There's more of a swoopy buzz to be had around Taupo without the need to push either end of the bike beyond what you're comfortable with. (Yes, obviously every track is about when you brake and accelerate, but, y'know. Taupo and Manfeild are fun in different ways. Etc.)

And another thing. Corners on racetracks, even 'fast' ones, can actually be quite tight. The open run-off areas and wide track disguise the true nature of what one is doing, IMHO. The perception one gets while one is out there is not always accurate. You think you're riding worse on the track than the road, but I suspect that's just a matter of perception.

Anyhow. It all takes time. Get back out there, and relax and enjoy and ride your own ride.

[FROSTY:Me]

Number 1 if its simply an answer to ya question you want then others have answered it pretty well
Even the likes of Rossi have off days where it just doesn't jell
A solution
There are two mindsets on this one.
One is to go out as soon as possible and ride on or past your personal limit. Focus on the corners n stuff and blast.
That works for some people pretty well because it gets their brain to shift gears into race mode.
That DOESN'T work for me
What I do if things don't seem to jell is slow down till im feeling comfortable. Forget style, forget other people just going round and round feeling like im not out of my depth.
I must say when that happens Im a grumpy shit to anyone around me.
Kinda crawl into my mental man cave when Im not on the track. --thats the back of my van usually.
A couple of thoughts for YOU.
1) next time take your bucket down and ride that -as you said you were cornering better on that than your SV so why not ride it to get your self confidence back.
2)The bike being "well" setup is a bit of a misnomer. Yep it was set up to suit your good man but maybee not well set up to suit where you are with your riding It might have felt alien to you.
Im all for the idea of starting with the bike being EXACTLY as you ride it on the road then as you find fault with it getting adjusted to suit

[slowpoke]

Working a weird roster often means I can't get to the track as often as I would like to, months sometimes. Put it this way, I did my first race meeting nearly 4 years ago and I'm still not up to double figures.

When I finally get to the track after an extended break I feel like I've got a lot of ground to make up and have to improve instantly. Having scared myself stupid riding outside my comfort zone I realised that is the absolute wrong way to go about it. It's all about confidence and being comfortable on the bike. And most of all it's about having fun. What's the point of doing it if it isn't any fun?

We aren't racing for world titles, we aren't going to have adoring fans clamouring for autograph's if you do sub-(insert time here), so just relax and enjoy exploring your boundaries.(hmmmm, must try that line on the missus....)

One thing I always forget to do is use reference points. I keep finding myself riding like I do on the road and judging a corner by eye instead of braking at X and turning in at Y. The reference points give you consistency which leads to confidence. Before you know it you'll be moving the braking point closer to the corner and people will be talking about "that fast chicky babe on the SV".

[Kendog]

Lot's of great answers, but I have a question.

What were you wanting to achieve from the track day?

You were on your road bike, not a race bike. You were at a track day, not a race day. You were riding in the slow group (not really like any slow track day group I have ever seen, everyone was riding at a pretty decent pace) taking tuition on lines, smooth riding, body position etc etc.

To me all that adds up to improving the way you ride in general, on your road bike, on the road perhaps?

[Number One]

Why not bring a bucket to the next track day ? Where's the rule that ya have to be on a road bike ?
Be kinda fun to watch ya out brake (or not brake) and go round the outside of all the straight line jockies at full noise !

If I'm braking on the fiddy I'm lapped three times! imagine it though at Manfield 4 minute laps...I could take my knitting for the straits

Number 1 if its simply an answer to ya question you want then others have answered it pretty well
Even the likes of Rossi have off days where it just doesn't jell

True that - I guess it was more than just not gelling it was more like my brain was stuck in the wrong gear.

There are two mindsets on this one.
One is to go out as soon as possible and ride on or past your personal limit. Focus on the corners n stuff and blast.
That works for some people pretty well because it gets their brain to shift gears into race mode.
That DOESN'T work for me
What I do if things don't seem to jell is slow down till im feeling comfortable. Forget style, forget other people just going round and round feeling like im not out of my depth.

Actually I think the first option might have worked. I started off riding at a comfortably slow pace and I didn't manage to get myself working on the bike then either and so I didn't get any faster and because I felt like shite I didn't get any smoother either. I wasn't really trying things. This is my first 'big' bike and as a fairly cautious person who was returning to bikes after a break I have been really really conscious of riding it defensively all the time. This was also my first track day on it - what was frustrating was to know that I could do much better (and no I don't JUST mean faster) but I couldn't seem to even begin to push myself AND I didn't ride well (for myself) so that continued to keep me in that comfort zone of riding within my limits.

A couple of thoughts for YOU.
1) next time take your bucket down and ride that -as you said you were cornering better on that than your SV so why not ride it to get your self confidence back.
2)The bike being "well" setup is a bit of a misnomer. Yep it was set up to suit your good man but maybee not well set up to suit where you are with your riding It might have felt alien to you.
Im all for the idea of starting with the bike being EXACTLY as you ride it on the road then as you find fault with it getting adjusted to suit

RE 1: I think the comical value of getting on the big track on my fiddy alone is worth it
RE 2: This bike has been developed and played with in partnership. Both of us ride it everyday. The set up is mint...no really I kid you not it's

We aren't racing for world titles, we aren't going to have adoring fans clamouring for autograph's if you do sub-(insert time here), so just relax and enjoy exploring your boundaries.(hmmmm, must try that line on the missus....)

Aww really? speed isn't the thing for me - smoothness and feeling at one with the bike and shifting my weight and being able to maintain a more consistent speed are the things that I hungered for. Also I would have loved to explore my boundaries but I didn't get anywhere near them!

One thing I always forget to do is use reference points. I keep finding myself riding like I do on the road and judging a corner by eye instead of braking at X and turning in at Y. The reference points give you consistency which leads to confidence. Before you know it you'll be moving the braking point closer to the corner and people will be talking about "that fast chicky babe on the SV".

What I need is to back myself more in terms of entry speed. I slow down too much AND THEN I ALSO brake. My exit speed is generally good and I get on the gas quite early but what I need to do is not slow down so much....but then that's why I am going to race the lil fiddy this bucket season - that will teach me to hold entry speed pretty quick I imagine.

What were you wanting to achieve from the track day?

You were on your road bike, not a race bike. You were at a track day, not a race day. You were riding in the slow group (not really like any slow track day group I have ever seen, everyone was riding at a pretty decent pace) taking tuition on lines, smooth riding, body position etc etc.

To me all that adds up to improving the way you ride in general, on your road bike, on the road perhaps?

Wow Nige - great question...thanks for asking! Actually it tells me that you weren't listening when we had that conversation but that's ok I will forgive you

I wanted to spend time on the bike, get more comfortable cornering and tip toe around the edges of my boundaries a little AND If I am really blatantly honest with myself I did want to do a laptime that was at least as good (IF NOT BETTER) as I did on my little 250 all those years ago

So I didn't have any designs on becoming the next Valentino or anything so lofty but I thought I would at least be able to go out and ride my bike on the track at least as well as I do on the road...and I was wrong and that shits me.

ONE THING I did think of today that might have contributed to my being a bit off..I was putting in a lot of time mechanicking on the day - we did two tyre/wheel and brake pad changes in the morning, I put the bike on and off the race stands I guess if I am honest I will admit that all took something out of me so I wasn't my usual rested (from sitting back watching Sully do it all pleading ignorance and hopelessness) self

Another thing I thought of today too...the drunken skunk impersonation I did the night before may also not have helped

[Kendog]

Wow Nige - great question...thanks for asking! Actually it tells me that you weren't listening when we had that conversation but that's ok I will forgive you

I never listen

[Number One]

I never listen

It's just as well

[jrandom]

So anyways, what lap time did you actually manage?

[quickbuck]

Not the sort of thing to go admitting to here.

Ummm, he may very well have third party.
ie, no actual insurance for himself, but has it for everybody else....

I'm in that boat. If I bin and it was my fault, then stiff bickies.
If some muppet hits me they pay (or the insurance company does if they have it).
Yes, sticky if they don't have any.... but I make a habit of keeping away from muppet drivers....
So far I haven't had to buy my bike all over again in premiums!