DefyInertia
Former '04 FZ6 Rider
So I did a track day this past Monday. First one since 2009 and I had a blast. I've done a ton of street riding since my last track day and am a much better/confident rider than I was then. I've never had so much fun at the track...no butterflies...just pure joy.
So it was 33 F at the track before the first session....needless to say we had to take it easy on rock hard cold tires and a cold track for the first few laps of the first session. B the 2nd/3rd session things were up to speed and after lunch no one was holding back as it had warmed up to the high 50s / low 60s and was sunny.
I was concerned that I might be too slow for the "advanced" group because I had not run this track before and was doubting my hard braking skills but I ended up running near the front. To clarify, "advanced" is the middle group..."bring it on" is the fastest or "A" group. The cut-off to get into the fastest "bring it on" group is 2:02. I ran a few 2:06's throughout the day and lots of 2:07/2:08 with traffic. Pretty damn sure I would have no problem dropping quite a bit of time with a few more days at this track and could run comfortably in A...and with a sport bike and good tires it would be no problem...but anyway. Some of the people in my group were just TOO slow.
So I didn't edit this video...so the first 2:30 is a slow warm up lap with no attemps to pass (my buddy is in front of me so I'm trying to get some footage of him). If you are like me, you probably won't want to watch a 15 minute video so let me break it down for you:
- 0 to 2:30: warm up lap...nothing interesting other than to note that the guy on the red/white/black Aprilla RSV that passes me in T4 at the 0:55 mark gets repassed by me later
- 2:55 pass a Ninja 650r in T2
- 3:18 pass a Honder 999 around the outside in T4
- 3:30 to 3:55 catch up to two sport bikes in T6 and pass in the T7 braking zone
- 5:50 pass some POS in T6
- 6:34 GET passed by someone a lot faster
- 6:45 Pass some dude in T10, GET passed on the brakes going into T11...but pass back IN T11
- 7:20 pass an R6 in T2
- 7:25 to 8:20...open track! Hit all my marks
- 8:20 GET passed on the brakes going into T7 but keep up until he stands it up and powers away...keep him in my sights but he just disappears down the front straight at 9:15...but then I kinda catch up through T1 to T4 (9:50) and pass an R1 in T4
- 11:25 jump the rubble strip at the exit of T1 (still trailing that guy)
- 12:05 try to pass on the inside going into T6 but get stuff by this girl in white leathers and have to brake pretty hard while turning...get some feedback from the front end
Ok...that's enough
Infineon Raceway - PTT - Advanced Group - February 2012 (2004 FZ6) - YouTube
In a few years I may get a track bike and do half a dozen track days a year for a while...we'll see...maybe I'll even learn how to be fast. For now I'm selling the FZ6 and won't have a bike for the track for a while.
So it was 33 F at the track before the first session....needless to say we had to take it easy on rock hard cold tires and a cold track for the first few laps of the first session. B the 2nd/3rd session things were up to speed and after lunch no one was holding back as it had warmed up to the high 50s / low 60s and was sunny.
I was concerned that I might be too slow for the "advanced" group because I had not run this track before and was doubting my hard braking skills but I ended up running near the front. To clarify, "advanced" is the middle group..."bring it on" is the fastest or "A" group. The cut-off to get into the fastest "bring it on" group is 2:02. I ran a few 2:06's throughout the day and lots of 2:07/2:08 with traffic. Pretty damn sure I would have no problem dropping quite a bit of time with a few more days at this track and could run comfortably in A...and with a sport bike and good tires it would be no problem...but anyway. Some of the people in my group were just TOO slow.
So I didn't edit this video...so the first 2:30 is a slow warm up lap with no attemps to pass (my buddy is in front of me so I'm trying to get some footage of him). If you are like me, you probably won't want to watch a 15 minute video so let me break it down for you:
- 0 to 2:30: warm up lap...nothing interesting other than to note that the guy on the red/white/black Aprilla RSV that passes me in T4 at the 0:55 mark gets repassed by me later
- 2:55 pass a Ninja 650r in T2
- 3:18 pass a Honder 999 around the outside in T4
- 3:30 to 3:55 catch up to two sport bikes in T6 and pass in the T7 braking zone
- 5:50 pass some POS in T6
- 6:34 GET passed by someone a lot faster
- 6:45 Pass some dude in T10, GET passed on the brakes going into T11...but pass back IN T11
- 7:20 pass an R6 in T2
- 7:25 to 8:20...open track! Hit all my marks
- 8:20 GET passed on the brakes going into T7 but keep up until he stands it up and powers away...keep him in my sights but he just disappears down the front straight at 9:15...but then I kinda catch up through T1 to T4 (9:50) and pass an R1 in T4
- 11:25 jump the rubble strip at the exit of T1 (still trailing that guy)
- 12:05 try to pass on the inside going into T6 but get stuff by this girl in white leathers and have to brake pretty hard while turning...get some feedback from the front end
Ok...that's enough
Infineon Raceway - PTT - Advanced Group - February 2012 (2004 FZ6) - YouTube
In a few years I may get a track bike and do half a dozen track days a year for a while...we'll see...maybe I'll even learn how to be fast. For now I'm selling the FZ6 and won't have a bike for the track for a while.
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