LOTs of PICs of trackday

[VEGASRIDER]

Great Pics, thanks for sharing.

Wait a minute, David, no crash?

 

[necrotimus]

Great pics!! ZOMG add some color to that bike my eyes are burning.

 

[Have2BeFree]

Great pics, it looks like it was a blast. I am jealous :thumbup:

 

[cws6fan]

Great pics David, thanks for sharing.

 

[Wavex]

Nice pics. Glad everything went well. What did John think of the bike?

When is the little what due and what's going on for labor day weekend?

#2 is due September 21st at 7:15am

September 7th (Labor day Monday) is exactly 2 weeks before that date, so there is a tiny chance I could do another trackday that day... let me see if I can negotiate something You'd be ready to make it back down to either of the 3 tracks (Buttonwillow, Big Willow or the Streets)?

Great pics man, that white sure stands out. That looks like a really dusty dirty track. I'd be leary with all that fine sand/dirt all over the track. Sounds like ya'll had a blast though.

Would you go back to that track?

We talked about that with Cali_Rider and it will not be our first choice anymore precisely because of the condition of the track... the thing is though, we don't have a lot of choices within 2-3 hours of LA! It's either California Speedway (expensive, like twice the price of the other tracks, but it is close to home!), Buttonwillow, Willow Springs big track, or this one... Buttonwillow would fall under the same category as the Streets in terms of pavement quality (i.e. not great), but big Willow and Cali Speedway are nice...

Nice pictures!! Looks like it didn't take Cali Rider too long to make himself comfortable on your bike!
I signed up for a "test the track" day this Saturday. I am a newbie, and thought it would be the best way to get more comfortable with my bike.
Looks like you guys had a great time.
CONGRATS ON FIRST PLACE!!! :cheer::cheer:

lol @ the 1st place congrats

John had a rough first session (to be expected since everything was new to him and he hadn't been on a track for a few months now), but he ripped through his second session indeed :thumbup:

Great Pics, thanks for sharing.

Wait a minute, David, no crash?

lol :Flip:

 

[Cali rider]

I had a great time in support of David. It was unseasonably cool, probably around 80°F most of the morning and rising to maybe 90°F during the hottest time. Very rare as this area is the high desert of CA and normally sees summer daytime highs of 105°F

Got there on time, setup and got ready. First session came and went without problems. We discussed the technical aspects of this terrible track to get a clue on how to get around without falling down. Neither of us had been there before, and I had no idea how torn up and bumpy it was. One potion had been recently repaved and was fantastic. Anyway, David did the next 2 sessions getting quicker but having fun. In other words, he decided that it was more worthwhile to have a comfortable pace that was fun than worry about finding a tenth here and there and working hard. A very sensible strategy...

Now it was my turn. I have not been back on a track since my big crash in April, and I was on both a new circuit AND a new bike. In addition, this is the time of day that most riders are at their peak as far as concentration and stamina, so I was very cognizant of the potential speed differential. Keeping in mind the points that David made to me about a few corners, I got comfortable with the bike and picking a safe pace.

David rode the next session, and then I went back out for one more. This time was substantially better as I was able to get the quick sections nailed and worked on the slow stuff. His gixxer is a fun toy, handles well and has a very linear powerband. It really doesn't produce much power down low (no surprise here) but it doesn't come on all at once either. Instead, it just builds acceleration rate as the revs climb up to about 15K. With some tire/suspension tuning to my weight and riding style I think I could have a great experience. However, on this day, is was all about getting back on the track and staying upright.

Thanks again to David for letting me ride his bike. I still haven't decided if I'll get back into trackdays full time or not.

 

[CHEMIKER]

Great pics David! As always, thanks for posting these for those of us who haven't done a trackday yet.

John, great to see you get back in the saddle on a track.

 

[Hellgate]

Great pics!! ZOMG add some color to that bike my eyes are burning.

That is the anti-gravity coating that Wavex has applied to the body work. This weekend he had "Revision One" applied. Over Memorial Day he had the beta version, it had a bug...er..."undocumented feature"...eg: not applicable to turn 4b.

 

[mostro]

Nice pics buddy!

Looks like a great time. I had a good weekend too - was on Catalina all day Friday drinking mango daiquiris at Descanso, and up in Venice and Santa Monica all day Saturday :thumbup: (had friends visiting from out of town so I played tour guide).

I'm signed up for Streets of Willow with Hypercycle this weekend on Saturday.

If anyone on here is interested in my spot, I'm willing to sell it. If not, I'll just go anyway, but I'm honestly not prepared for this weekend.

 

[DefyInertia]

This will be Wavex next year...just chillin

Wavex, I can't commit to a track day over labor day because of work, but if I get enough done early and can break away, I may be heading through SoCal on the bike and was just wondering what my LA peeps would be up to if I were to pass through.

 

[Wavex]

That is the anti-gravity coating that Wavex has applied to the body work. This weekend he had "Revision One" applied. Over Memorial Day he had the beta version, it had a bug...er..."undocumented feature"...eg: not applicable to turn 4b.

:rof: "Revision 2" will allow me to drag elbows... will let you know when I spray it on :Flash:

Nice pics buddy!

Looks like a great time. I had a good weekend too - was on Catalina all day Friday drinking mango daiquiris at Descanso, and up in Venice and Santa Monica all day Saturday :thumbup: (had friends visiting from out of town so I played tour guide).

I'm signed up for Streets of Willow with Hypercycle this weekend on Saturday.

If anyone on here is interested in my spot, I'm willing to sell it. If not, I'll just go anyway, but I'm honestly not prepared for this weekend.

Sounds like a good time! I need to go check out Catalina soon... never been there
Dude, don't sell your ticket! If I was single, I'd buy it off of you in a heart beat

This will be Wavex next year...just chillin

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!!! I wish...

Wavex, I can't commit to a track day over labor day because of work, but if I get enough done early and can break away, I may be heading through SoCal on the bike and was just wondering what my LA peeps would be up to if I were to pass through.

Well if not a trackday, we could surely make it a ride! Keep us updated...





Few more pics from Caliphotography (yes, they're too expensive to buy...)

 

[Wavex]

 

[Wavex]

Nice pics. Glad everything went well. What did John think of the bike?

When is the little what due and what's going on for labor day weekend?

I just got an email hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


=============================
Dear David,

We have just added in another weekend to our schedule! It's Labor Day Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, at Streets of Willow! Also with the economy and since Labor Day Weekend the cost is only $110 per day! You can sign up on the website right now for this weekend! See you there!

Best Regards,
Take it 2 The Track Customer Service

Thanks for your business!

 

[PowellB]

Thanks for the track day impressions and great pics!!! (Love the lazy elbow dragging too, haha).

My second track day ever is booked for Laguna Seca in October, but I'd love to get out to Streets or Buttonwillow before then. After hearing your condition report for Streets, anyone know how Buttonwillow's pavement stacks up?

(PS - If you LA guys ever want to get together to ride Malibu, ACH, Ojai, etc... PM me!!!)

 

[Wavex]

We're planning a quick ride on Saturday morning... not sure where yet... pm me if you're interested and I'll send you the details...

I did Buttonwillow last year and the pavement is about the same quality as the Streets... not great at all... I had more confidence @ Buttonwillow though for some reason...

About Laguna Seca, all I have to say is: BASTARD!!!! I realllllllly want to do it too!!!! hopefully next year... how much was it? group B?

 

[The Toecutter]

That has got to be AWESOME!! I wish I had a track nearby.... :rockon:

 

[cv_rider]

Quite a lot of crashes in group C and a couple in group B... with this organization, crash anytime during the day means you're done for the day... bikes stay on the side of the track the whole day...

What sort of condition are the people who crash in? Mostly walk away, or heading to the hospital?

All those pictures sure look exciting, and scary too!

What sort of riders are Group C (I guess those are the slowest)? That's where I'd be if I was doing it. Are they all good skills just going at a slower pace, or newbs who don't really know what they are doing?

 

[rsw81]

Looks like you and John had a great time and were smart about being on a new track/bike and keeping a safe pace. I'm guessing John's ankle is feeling better...:cheer:

I wish I wasn't working this weekend as I'd join you guys for a ride Saturday, but alas I am working as always. We'll all have to get together soon though.

Nate, let me know if/when you're coming to town again and we'll get a big BBQ together or something.:thumbup:

 

[DefyInertia]

What sort of condition are the people who crash in? Mostly walk away, or heading to the hospital?

All those pictures sure look exciting, and scary too!

What sort of riders are Group C (I guess those are the slowest)? That's where I'd be if I was doing it. Are they all good skills just going at a slower pace, or newbs who don't really know what they are doing?

The track is dangerous, don't let anyone tell you otherwise (they keep the ambulance running for a reason).

See also my signature below

C ranges from complete newbs that are dangerous to be on track with all the way to pretty fast peeps who are about to start riding in B.

 

[Wavex]

What sort of condition are the people who crash in? Mostly walk away, or heading to the hospital?

All those pictures sure look exciting, and scary too!

What sort of riders are Group C (I guess those are the slowest)? That's where I'd be if I was doing it. Are they all good skills just going at a slower pace, or newbs who don't really know what they are doing?

The track is dangerous, don't let anyone tell you otherwise (they keep the ambulance running for a reason).

See also my signature below

C ranges from complete newbs that are dangerous to be on track with all the way to pretty fast peeps who are about to start riding in B.

First I agree with Defy, riding a motorcycle is dangerous, going to the track is dangerous, going through life is dangerous

On that particular day, there were 5 or 6 crashes, and they all walked away except for one dude for which the ambulance went out... I am not sure if he broke something or what, all I know is that the ambulance was needed. I do not think they rushed him to the hospital (didn't see or hear anything), but I could be wrong.

Group C is indeed the slowest group, with really slow people all the way through people that really should be in group B. I did my first trackday in group C and it was perfect to start...
The typical differences between the groups are as follow:

Group A: do what you want, pass anywhere... try to keep 6 feet between riders though...

Group B: no pass on the inside of a turn... try to keep 6 feet between riders...

Group C: no pass in turns. Leave a lot of room between riders.

Also, in any group, you can choose to hot-pit at any time if there's a group of riders in front of you or behind you... so if you don't want traffic, it's very easy to hot-pit and get back out there with the track for yourself (more or less).

I guess what I am trying to say is that while it is dangerous (you're going fast on a motorcycle and things can happen), it is also much safer than trying to be Johny Rockets in the canyons... there are no cars, no cops, no deers crossing the road, no oil (normally) on the pavement, there's an ambulance right there in case...etc... and control riders (with flashy yellow vest) in all groups (more in group C) that are supposed to make sure everyone rides safely, and you can ask them for help at anytime... they will ride in front of you to show you the line, or behind you to watch you so they can give you advice later (or in the hot pit, during your session).

In other words, while it's not a "safe sport" per se, I would highly recommend you try it out! Don't let the risk stop you because I believe the experience is well worth it, and may give you that confidence you need to be a safer rider on the streets :rockon: