First track day & crashed the '04 (Good pic 2-16)

[Alphamazing]

Went out to College Station (about 2 hours from Austin) to Texas World Speedway, running on the 2.9 mile layout



First session I went out I was going very well, got stuck behind people, but eventually got to pass them. A lot of the instructors were impressed when they saw how much I was hanging off. I'm like a monkey, apparently. They were even more impressed when I was able to drag my knee, especially with how cold it was, and especailly since it was my first time there.

Dragging my knee the first time scared the crap out of me. Totally didn't expect that feeling, so I panicked slightly and had the front end wobble a bit. Next time around I commited to it and learned to love that feel.

Second time around I got about 15 minutes into the 20 minute session and came around turn 10, the "Horseshoe", which is the tight U-turn towards the right and lower-center in the picture. Halfway into turn 10 I lowsided, sliding off the track on my knees and fingers, looking back at the guy who was following me. I got up after I stopped and had to sit down again because my knee was hurting me so badly. The tips of my fingers were burning from the friction, but I looked and saw that the leather didn't rip through at all, so I knew it was just heat transfer from the asphalt. The ambulence came around and I climbed up inside so they could check me out. Final diagnosis? A sprained right knee and a jammed left thumb. The knee got sprained because when I lowsided I got rotated about with my right leg still on the bike.

The bike came out alright, nothing but front end damge, most of it easily repairable. Since I didn't get my track tank in time, my current tank will now be my track tank, as it suffered two large dents in the sides where the handlebars hit. The bars were severely bent and rotated downwards. The front brake lever broke off, and my SS brake line snapped. The right barend's screw got bent, and chewed up the right grip a tiny bit. The right footpeg's rubber was chewed up a bit, and the exhaust was scraped. The most serious damage, aside from the tank, was the tachometer's inner white plastic bucket broke. The chrome ring and glass survived, but it pulled that white bucket's lip off in a place and pulled the gasket out with it. The metal frame that houses the guages got bent a little bit as well; fixable though.

What caused my lowside? Numerous factors. The track was cold, and my tires probably wern't as warm as they should have been. I talked to some of the Level 4 riders (the highest level) and they said that turn 10 can get pretty slippery. I'm not sure wether I was going to fast, as I had made that turn before at what felt like a similar speed and wasn't off on a bad line. Also, and here's the kicker, I sneezed right in the middle of this turn. f%$king lame, I know. It pisses me off, because that sudden jolt to the bike and my concentration was probably the deciding factor in what sent me down. My hands and shoulders get a twitch when I sneeze, and when you're cranked over dragging knee in a turn like that, you do NOT want sudden steering inputs.

Important things I learned:
-Make sure your tires are fully warmed
-Don't ride above your level
-Make sure you're not sick
-Make sure you can get junk body work on time so that you don't ruin your good stuff.
-Knee dragging is addictive
-My knee hurts like hell

I came out of it alright, and the bike is easily repairable, thankfully. Pictures forthcoming, including my knee dragging pictures from session one that the track photographer took at the same turn I crashed in.

EDIT: Oh, and my newly installed caseguards did their job very very well. Minor scrapes on the right hand side one, and that's it. I can sand and repaint it, or leave it battle scarred. Good cases savers though.

The leathers saved my ass, too. Damage was mainly on the pants, and a minor amount on my jacket. A hole wore through in the crotch area on the pants ( ) and in the right knee. The right knee scraped through all the way to the armor, too. The jacket had a slight scrape on the elbow and some more serious scrapes on the right hip area. The boots got some minor roughing up on the outside toes and the tip of the toes on one boot. Nothing to serious, thankfully. Not a scratch on my helmet. 

[scratch]

Sorry to hear that you crashed. Heal up well. Where were you looking when you crashed? Did you crash right after you sneezed? It wasn't tires if you already went through it several times, the tires would have been warmed up enough; even after 15 minutes into the session.

Turn 10 would be the right-hander, going counter-clockwise, center left of the track picture.

[Alphamazing]

I was looking almost towards the next turn, right before it, thereabouts. I crashed RIGHT after I sneezed, if not during.

And yes, that's turn 10 you described. It's a great turn when you don't crash. I think someone said that I might have been going somewhere in the neighborhood of 50mph through it. I taped over the speedo, so I have no idea.

[Phaedrus]

Wow Alpha, glad you are ok. And thanks for sharing your insights like what you learned and how to prevent it again    Got photos of the bike? The gear? What kind of gear?

And more importantly, when are you going back?  :mrgreen:

[Roadstergal]

Aren't you glad you had leather pants?  

Sorry that you crashed, but glad you're OK.  Talk to the instructors - they should have some input on what happened and how to use that experience as a positive lesson in the future.

[Alphamazing]

Wow Alpha, glad you are ok. And thanks for sharing your insights like what you learned and how to prevent it again    Got photos of the bike? The gear? What kind of gear?

And more importantly, when are you going back?  :mrgreen:

Yeah, I've got photos of the bike and the gear, I'm just too lazy/sore/tired/depressed to post them right now.

Gear I was wearing:
Teknic Lightning Jacket with Fieldsheer armor in the elbows and back
Teknic Sport Pants (Thanks RG! Your pants saved my... well, not my ass since I was sliding on the front, they saved my crotch!)
Teknic Kevlar race gloves (old, planning to replace ASAP)
Sidi Strada Evo Tepor boots

I'll be riding the track again on either March 4 or April 15. Then again in July and again in September. I love free track days.

[jbeaber]

Glad to hear you are okay, Alpha.  Scary stuff.  Best of luck getting everything repaired.  Just happy to hear that you weren't hurt too badly.  The important thing to do is to learen why you went down so it doesn't happen again.  Crashed are less painful if you learn something in the process.  Best wishes, man.

[Alphamazing]

I might be wrong, but when I was knee dragging around turns, it sort of felt like the rear was getting a bit slippery. Am I imagining things, or is that possible?

[scratch]

If you put too much weight on the puck you'll unload the rear and she'll want to come out from under ya. You'll actually go slower draggin' puck. Next time use the puck to guage your lean angle. Actually, don't do that, just concentrate on riding. The puck is there for just in case you drag your knee. Kenny Roberts was the first to drag knee; he used duct tape, because a leather knee will wear and roughen and then grab the ground.

[Alphamazing]

Well, I think that's what happened then. I think I was putting quite a bit of weight onto the puck because no one told me otherwise  . Ah well, at least I learned something.

[toole2go]

knee dragging on your first day at the tracks? if that's the case then the reason why you crashed was probably being too cocky. I used to photograph these kinds of track days and you really have to work your way up. i rarely see knee dragging until the intermediate groups and only see it properly done (i.e. not sticking your knee out for the sake of it) at the advanced group. take your time man!

still crashing is a bummer but at least you came out relatively unscratched!

[sledge]

Considering it was your first track day maybe overconfidence and lack of experience played a part. I dont like to be brutal and I know it will hurt your pride but its the way I see it. You cant turn out first time and expect to perform like Carl Foggarty!! Take it a bit easier next time and get a proper feel for the bike and track before trying the fancy stuff.

[Alphamazing]

I think a lot of those factors played in. Overconfidence was probably one of them. The track had a pretty good feel to it, I think. I think that the reason I scraped puck so early might have also been atributed to how much I hang off.

Don't worry about hurting my pride, I hurt it enough already. I'm still pissed off at myself. I'll get pictures on Wednesday (when the track photographer puts them up) and you can tell me what you think then.

[Phaedrus]

Kudos to Alpha for being a good sport  

[Alphamazing]

Hey, I made a mistake. I want to learn as much as I can to avoid this happening again. I want to be a better rider, and making mistakes is one way to go about learning.

So yeah, if anyone has any insight or tips or tricks or comments or whatever, please post them!

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

any insight or tips or tricks or comments or whatever, please post them!

SHINY SIDE UP! RUBBER SIDE DOWN!  :lol:  Anyway, glad to hear you're ok, and damage to the bike is minor, and looking forward to the pics on wednesday! Heal up quick man! And be glad it was just a sneeze, not your epilepsy kicking in!

[pandy]

Alpha, I'm glad that you're ok, and it's VERY refreshing to see you owning your mistakes and keeping your ears and mind open to the constructive criticism of the vets here.

Next time, ride more, drag less, and DEFINITELY keep the shiny side up!

[Alphamazing]

My knee right now. It's still hurting, and that bruise is all that's visible. It's a bit swolen, but not too much thankfully. I'm keeping off of it, staying in bed and watching movies and studying. Keeping it wrapped up to prevent excessive movement, too.

Maybe I should shave... :lol::lol:

[pandy]

Maybe I should shave... :lol::lol:

Dude...might I suggest a lawn mower or weed wacker!?  


:lol:  :kiss:

[werase643]

other things you should learn....

a good street bike....will become a roachy track bike...after a crash

therefore... buy a roachy nail for the track.

race tires are better than street tires on the track
and they heat up sooner

if it is a track bike....remove all body work....why buy more bodywork for a roachy nail

good gear is much more important than the bike....back to the nail comment.

my first race bike had a tank,  fender, and number plates for 2 or 3 years