This is going to be a big fat ramble but oh well.....here goes....
Hello, fine forum people. My name....is Lone.
And I am here to encourage everyone to become increasingly involved in either trackdays or racing.
I am choosing to do so because from time to time I read things in my first few years of riding which helped me as a rider. I was enriched by reading
and hearing things from people further down the road than I. So, I hope that a handful of you might take inspiration from this and further enrich your
own riding lives. Now, with that being said, I happily admit to still being a relative novice in the grand scheme of things.
It takes encouragement sometimes to push yourself a little bit more and to make some additional sacrifices. I see the sacrifices others have made in
their lives and how much enjoyment they have been rewarded with as a result. So, for that reason, I am all but set on throwing myself onto a novice
race grid next season.
And that brings me to this little rant/ramble. You've all made sacrifices in initially purchasing your motorcycles. But look at the machine you've purchased.
The memberships of CBR, R1, R6, ZX6R, etc forums have entire sub-forums fully fleshed out with reams and reams of track and racing posts. So, why does
the humble FZ6 not have half as much track and racing content? We widely advertise our machines to be 85% sport 15% touring or some approximation
thereabouts. Why then does the sport aspect get ignored so much?
Sure, you can have a spirited ride around town. And sure, you can get in some grin-inducing fun in the twisties on road trips. But until you really start throwing
that little machine down at the pavement, you are selling yourself short. You have purchased something which can give you so much more than what you're taking
from it. If you get what it can give you, you won't care so much about the scratches and battle-damage as you will about how "frickin awesome" you were doing until
you did take a spill. And that's if you don't just decide to buy a random trackbike.....they are stupendously cheap. Look into it....anyway....back on topic.
When I got into riding, I got to work immediately with endless hours of parking lot practice, twist of the wrist bedtime readings, and doing the same clover on-ramps
for hours (which have given me my right-turn specialty btw).
I did a level 1 performance riding school in my second year and developed immensely as a rider on that one day. I was able to apply what I learned that day and increase
TREMENDOUSLY my enjoyment of the twisty roads I would travel for the next couple years. Slightly heightened skill meant I was able to spend more time enjoying a
spirited ride safely and less time white-knuckle praying.
Now this is a point where I suspect many of our members are. They have learned the ropes, and enjoy themselves. But they have stopped short of pushing that last
little bit and haven't yet explored the REALLY good stuff.
So that's the reason I'm writing this....to help nudge them over the edge.
I spent all of last year like that. It was over the winter I took a look at that riding season and shook my head. So, for this past season, I decided to take up the same
determination I had in my first few years to improve my riding. I had become too complacent and that had to change.
I bought an R1, and immediately proceeded to scare the piss out of myself for the month or so I had it. This was not the right bike to get more out of my riding with.
It is not a machine that is conducive to learning....even four years in haha.
So, armed with a sporty machine that I no longer was concerned about scratching (my partially destroyed FZ6), I decided I had the right tool for the job and got to
work. Getting laid off was a kick-in-the-pants to my riding budget but I still managed to get in 5 trackdays and a level 2 race school.
Of those, I crashed in three, haha. But I'm retarded....more often than not people won't crash. The rest of them though, I didn't and by the final two sessions in the
last one I was knee-dragging comfortably and putting down laptimes that would put me at the tail end of the middle of the pack of a novice race grid. With some
more work next year on better lines and braking, I know I can get myself closer to the front.
And here I finally get to my point. I had to give the backstory just so it is clear where I am coming from.
This.....is something I should have done long, long ago and that is why I am trying to light in fire in others out there.
You guys bought sporty bikes because you enjoy sport-riding. Getting involved full-on in racing and at the very least HEAVILY in trackdays is much cheaper than you think.
Take an hour before the trackday to pull off your lights and plastics and you won't be so bothered about sliding it down the asphalt.
Don't be so concerned with keeping her mint. She's a bike.....use her. Use her like the sloppy girl that she is. She will love every second of it. If you had a dirtbike that
never saw mud it would be a bit shameful. Well then by that token having a bike with an R6 motor and relatively sporty configuration should see a lot of track time and
everything that goes with it.
As for racing, I have spoken with guys this year that bought full-on trackbikes kitted with spare tires and levers and pegs etc for $1200.....one guy even bought a fully
kitted ZX6R trackbike for $700....with spare rubber. Seriously...there is no excuse not to at least be PLANNING to get more involved at some point.
So, do what you need to do. Talk to a marriage counsellor or divorce attorney if you have to. Some things just have to be done. It is worth any sacrifice.
It is extremely addictive and once you get relatively well-involved with it, you will make huge sacrifices to keep the ball rolling. And what's more, you will be immensely
happy to do so. It really is something truly spectacular and I for one would love to see more of the members here taking their sportbikes and riding them where they
were meant to be ridden.
Hell, 15 years ago world-calibre racers would have killed to have a bike like ours to race on.
And the worst case scenario is you learn reams of lessons that WILL save your bacon on the road. Getting spooked but keeping your cool is a big one....after a couple
of guys pass you on the brakes when you weren't expecting it on a racetrack, you learn very quickly how to unclench your sphincter and throw into the corner. That is
GOOD muscle memory. When you get spooked on the road, you'll be that much quicker and smoother in loosening up and throwing into the corner.
Anyway, I've rambled enough. With all of that said, I'm going to leave you with some media. I don't have any footage from my final sessions, but that's when I started
to chase guys that had previously been much faster than me and was keeping up. I clocked some laptimes I was VERY pleased with.
Anyway, I'll just leave it at that.
Good riding season this year....all thing's considered.
(video won't work on phones....chase camera has me ahead of it, that camera is mounted on a CBR 954)
Watch in high def full-screen ideally.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSkO0EjmVRM]Trackday Compilation 2011 - YouTube[/ame]
:BLAA:
Hello, fine forum people. My name....is Lone.
And I am here to encourage everyone to become increasingly involved in either trackdays or racing. I am choosing to do so because from time to time I read things in my first few years of riding which helped me as a rider. I was enriched by reading
and hearing things from people further down the road than I. So, I hope that a handful of you might take inspiration from this and further enrich your
own riding lives. Now, with that being said, I happily admit to still being a relative novice in the grand scheme of things.
It takes encouragement sometimes to push yourself a little bit more and to make some additional sacrifices. I see the sacrifices others have made in
their lives and how much enjoyment they have been rewarded with as a result. So, for that reason, I am all but set on throwing myself onto a novice
race grid next season.
And that brings me to this little rant/ramble. You've all made sacrifices in initially purchasing your motorcycles. But look at the machine you've purchased.
The memberships of CBR, R1, R6, ZX6R, etc forums have entire sub-forums fully fleshed out with reams and reams of track and racing posts. So, why does
the humble FZ6 not have half as much track and racing content? We widely advertise our machines to be 85% sport 15% touring or some approximation
thereabouts. Why then does the sport aspect get ignored so much?
Sure, you can have a spirited ride around town. And sure, you can get in some grin-inducing fun in the twisties on road trips. But until you really start throwing
that little machine down at the pavement, you are selling yourself short. You have purchased something which can give you so much more than what you're taking
from it. If you get what it can give you, you won't care so much about the scratches and battle-damage as you will about how "frickin awesome" you were doing until
you did take a spill. And that's if you don't just decide to buy a random trackbike.....they are stupendously cheap. Look into it....anyway....back on topic.
When I got into riding, I got to work immediately with endless hours of parking lot practice, twist of the wrist bedtime readings, and doing the same clover on-ramps
for hours (which have given me my right-turn specialty btw
). I did a level 1 performance riding school in my second year and developed immensely as a rider on that one day. I was able to apply what I learned that day and increase
TREMENDOUSLY my enjoyment of the twisty roads I would travel for the next couple years. Slightly heightened skill meant I was able to spend more time enjoying a
spirited ride safely and less time white-knuckle praying.
Now this is a point where I suspect many of our members are. They have learned the ropes, and enjoy themselves. But they have stopped short of pushing that last
little bit and haven't yet explored the REALLY good stuff.
So that's the reason I'm writing this....to help nudge them over the edge.
I spent all of last year like that. It was over the winter I took a look at that riding season and shook my head. So, for this past season, I decided to take up the same
determination I had in my first few years to improve my riding. I had become too complacent and that had to change.
I bought an R1, and immediately proceeded to scare the piss out of myself for the month or so I had it. This was not the right bike to get more out of my riding with.
It is not a machine that is conducive to learning....even four years in haha.
So, armed with a sporty machine that I no longer was concerned about scratching (my partially destroyed FZ6), I decided I had the right tool for the job and got to
work. Getting laid off was a kick-in-the-pants to my riding budget but I still managed to get in 5 trackdays and a level 2 race school.
Of those, I crashed in three, haha. But I'm retarded....more often than not people won't crash. The rest of them though, I didn't and by the final two sessions in the
last one I was knee-dragging comfortably and putting down laptimes that would put me at the tail end of the middle of the pack of a novice race grid. With some
more work next year on better lines and braking, I know I can get myself closer to the front.
And here I finally get to my point. I had to give the backstory just so it is clear where I am coming from.
This.....is something I should have done long, long ago and that is why I am trying to light in fire in others out there.
You guys bought sporty bikes because you enjoy sport-riding. Getting involved full-on in racing and at the very least HEAVILY in trackdays is much cheaper than you think.
Take an hour before the trackday to pull off your lights and plastics and you won't be so bothered about sliding it down the asphalt.
Don't be so concerned with keeping her mint. She's a bike.....use her. Use her like the sloppy girl that she is. She will love every second of it. If you had a dirtbike that
never saw mud it would be a bit shameful. Well then by that token having a bike with an R6 motor and relatively sporty configuration should see a lot of track time and
everything that goes with it.
As for racing, I have spoken with guys this year that bought full-on trackbikes kitted with spare tires and levers and pegs etc for $1200.....one guy even bought a fully
kitted ZX6R trackbike for $700....with spare rubber. Seriously...there is no excuse not to at least be PLANNING to get more involved at some point.
So, do what you need to do. Talk to a marriage counsellor or divorce attorney if you have to. Some things just have to be done. It is worth any sacrifice.
It is extremely addictive and once you get relatively well-involved with it, you will make huge sacrifices to keep the ball rolling. And what's more, you will be immensely
happy to do so. It really is something truly spectacular and I for one would love to see more of the members here taking their sportbikes and riding them where they
were meant to be ridden.
Hell, 15 years ago world-calibre racers would have killed to have a bike like ours to race on.
And the worst case scenario is you learn reams of lessons that WILL save your bacon on the road. Getting spooked but keeping your cool is a big one....after a couple
of guys pass you on the brakes when you weren't expecting it on a racetrack, you learn very quickly how to unclench your sphincter and throw into the corner. That is
GOOD muscle memory. When you get spooked on the road, you'll be that much quicker and smoother in loosening up and throwing into the corner.
Anyway, I've rambled enough. With all of that said, I'm going to leave you with some media. I don't have any footage from my final sessions, but that's when I started
to chase guys that had previously been much faster than me and was keeping up. I clocked some laptimes I was VERY pleased with.
Anyway, I'll just leave it at that.
Good riding season this year....all thing's considered.
(video won't work on phones....chase camera has me ahead of it, that camera is mounted on a CBR 954)
Watch in high def full-screen ideally.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSkO0EjmVRM]Trackday Compilation 2011 - YouTube[/ame]
:BLAA:
