Thinking about starting to race

[jacob92icu]

No one should try to pass you on the inside on the brakes and take you out, breaking your collarbone, shoulder, arm, ankle, leg or fingers.

I agree, but why so much breakage? That was quite random

[SAFE-T]

That's just the stuff I've seen get broken at the track over the past 7yrs.

Not all at once LOL

[SAFE-T]

But like I said, a lot of people find that racing is more than they can chew.

[jacob92icu]

For sure I understand that. I definitely want to start doing track days and start keeping track of my lap times and try improving and hopefully eventually participate in local races. Is that usually how one climbs up the ranks?? Lol.

[burning1]

Those are my videos. The button on the left isn't connected to anything - I just push it out of habit from my street riding. I actually broke the habit because of the number of people who've asked.

Most of the TDP's I've worked with permit passing. Typical rule is 5 foot passing distance. One or two have a no passing in corners policy. Many allow outside passing only for the novice and intermediate riders.

[jacob92icu]

Hmmm thats interesting, like turning the blinker off? Silly habit! 

I really like your racing videos, crazy how you can basically keep up with the 600s on the track, and you get so low with your turns. I just wish I had disposable income so I could start doing track days all the time... Well not disposable, but you knows what I mean.

[Bluesmudge]

I think its around $260 for a track day at pacific raceways. About $100 more if you also want instruction. There are two companies that run the track days last time I checked.

You don't need safety wire for the pacific raceways track days, just tires at 80+% no leaks of any sort and all the lights and mirrors taped. You could even ride to and from the track if you are up to the challenge.

My dad raced novice at PR for a year. It took all of his spare time and money and was definitely a mixture of stress and adrenaline. The way he talked about it made me want to get a motorcycle. He loved it, but sold the track bike and hung up the leathers after one season. He got his fix after a few races and a mid-season low-side. Like others have said, racing is not for everyone.

However, a track day is for anyone with a bike and a few hundo to spare. At pacific raceways track days, passing on the outside is permitted but the responsibility is on the passer to be safe.

[wera90ex]

[quote author=jacob92icu link=topic=63064.msg744695#msg744695 date=136078546

One other barricade to me wanting to race is my girlfriend. She freaks out cause she thinks I'm going to be  like those 1000cc bikes in the gp moto right when I start out. I don't know what to tell her lol...
[/quote]

  Your Girlfriend? You want to do this for her or you?  Sac up and dump her and get your license. They always want to compete with the bike whether your wrenchin' on it or racin' it. Get another GF later,that way, when she starts crabin' about the time & money you spend on the bike you can tell her, "Sorry Hon, I came like this".
Look Dude, If you really want to do this you'll find a way. And when you do, you'll know it was all worth it.

[jacob92icu]

Wera, I know what you mean, but I have a tendency of doing things whether or not she agrees with them so she told me yesterday that she knows I will do whatever I want no matter what she says... Soooooo.... 

Bluesmudge, I have been looking into 2fast, they work with pacific raceways a lot. I saw all of the stuff you were mentioning and I plan on going down there to find out more information. One other thing is I need to fix the side cover leak on my gs. Probably just a new gasket but its making me mad cause its not perfect for track day!

[bombsquad83]

This thread has motivated me to get on with my dream of doing at least one track day someday.  I registered over at Sportbike Track Time Forum (www.sttforum.com).  Right away, I found that Ninjeff (who lives in my town and used to be a member here) just recently signed up there as well.  He plans to track his Ninja 650R this year.  Riding the track is on my bucket list, so it will happen for me someday if I can help it.

[SAFE-T]

I was volunteering with a music teacher in Turn 8 last year. He raced a Ducati 998 for a few seasons. Can't remember why he said he got out of it ~ probably some combination of time/money/injury. But he said he really missed it. This is pretty much what I hear from anyone who enjoys riding on the track ~ that the freedom to go as fast as they are capable is the best part.

[SAFE-T]

Most older 'racers' seem to either stick with it for 5-10 yrs, or give it up after 1-2 seasons. Going fast(er) all the time is difficult ~ it's just too easy to get in over your head and get hurt. There is a big drop-off in numbers from Novice to Intermediate, and again from Intermediate to Advanced. A fast novice might still be a back-of-the-pack Intermediate. I've also seen fast guys that just got bored of the facility, but weren't interested in travelling to California or Utah.   

[burning1]

Biggest bit of advise I can offer anyone... If you want to go fast, learn to relax.

You are the single biggest destabilizing factor on the bike. Your job is to get it pointed the right direction, and then get out of it's way. You can help the bike a lot by getting out of it's way.

Racing can be a little stressful - the desire to win can wear you out. But track-days were always a relaxation for me. The closest thing I ever had to a perfect Zen like moment was on the track - everything just came together. Mind was at peace, body was relaxed, and I was very much living in the moment.

One of the track-day providers here in Norther California has a special VIP program. For a slight bump in cost, they will let me run in 2 groups instead of one. So, 40 minutes on the track, 20 off. The only way to pull that off is to let go.

I strongly encourage people to run a lap timer. You are a terrible judge of your own speed... One session, you'll think you were flying around the track, and the timer will show you that you are 3 seconds off your pace. Another, you'll feel like you're poking along, and you'll find out you set your best time yet.

[jacob92icu]

Bombsquad! Lets accomplish this dream together! I cant wait to get good enough to where I can compete in races. Once I have a job when I graduate I'll be able to pay for everything and what not, even though it will still be a PITA.

Safe-T, I definitely don't want to be one of those flakes that only do one track day and get scared, or a whole season and get scared and not go again. I don't know if this means anything, but I enjoy riding fast pretty much everywhere I go, though I do it safely, I am always flying by cars (in the other lane) and I like to sometimes push my self. I'm not stupid and will stay in my own limits, but I think that might be  a unique characteristic of me that some other riders don't have.

burning1, I was thinking it would be a little bit of a pain, I love to win and I get that it would be exhausting starting out and not winning haha. In all honesty how much are you working on your bike during the race season? And how much money do you spend per season (excluding the purchase of a whole bike) i.e. maintenance, new parts/tires, track fees, and gear upgrades/sustainment? And whatever else I'm forgetting.

[burning1]

First of all, it's important to set personal goals for yourself. Winning may not be realistic - there's a grid full of people who want 1st place. Your goal could be to beat another specific rider, it could be to set a specific lap-time, or it could be to make it through the full season. That's up to you.

I didn't do a lot of work on my bike during the race season, but there were occasionally some emergency tasks that would come up... E.g. brakes are cooked, caliper is siezed, rotor is worn out, suspension needs adjustment, something fell off the bike, etc. Knowing the bike well and being handy will save your ass.

E.g. I had one race weakened where I discovered that my front caliper was completely buggered. I knew, based on the time I had spent looking at fiche that a SV caliper would fit. I was able to bum a replacement from another rider. Alternatively, I also knew that Ninja 250 pads would fit the GS front caliper. Was good when I needed pads.

Typical race weekend cost... Was about $300 in registration fees for 3 events + practice. I paid my pit buddy $100/weekend to cover food and transportation. I probably spent $20-$40 a weekend on fuel for the bike it's self (I got 13MPG or so.) There were a few misc consumables; I went through two sets of tires a season, a set of brake pads every few weekends. Brake fluid was changed regularly, fork oil changed twice a season regularly. Burned about a quart of oil per weekend, and changed the oil fairly regularly.

My wife and I also did a lot of trackdays together. We got to the point that we could usually get 2 full days at the track for less than $800 between us, including fuel, transportation, and food. Key was to pack a lunch, and camp at the track. Our expenses were basically fuel, service, and track time.

[jacob92icu]

So, your pit buddy, is he just a good friend of yours that is better/quicker at mechanics then you? Or did you have to hire him or something? and do you have to pay a ticket for him too? And are you required to have a pit buddy? Hmm, I would only be doing track days alone, so probably about 400 dollars for two days for me I'm guessing. 

[wera90ex]

Most older 'racers' seem to either stick with it for 5-10 yrs, or give it up after 1-2 seasons. 

36th consecutive season here.

[burning1]

So, your pit buddy, is he just a good friend of yours that is better/quicker at mechanics then you? Or did you have to hire him or something? and do you have to pay a ticket for him too? And are you required to have a pit buddy? Hmm, I would only be doing track days alone, so probably about 400 dollars for two days for me I'm guessing. 

Pit buddy was another racer. He'd pick me up on the way to the track, and we'd split costs. When I go to the track with my wife, we usually don't take a passenger. But if either of us go alone, we offer to haul along anyone who needs a ride. It works out well for everyone involved - money saved on fuel, etc. and trackdays for someone who might not otherwise have an opportunity.

36th consecutive season here.

You rock, my friend.

[jacob92icu]

^^ salty veteran here! haha

Sop could i use my friend who is a pretty good mechanic for pit crew? Like it doesn't matter who you use?

[SAFE-T]

36 yrs is mighty impressive

I know several local riders that like to ride fast on the street. All of them have raced on a closed circuit at some point. One was very good at it, and eventually 'downsized' to a super-motard from a ZX10R on the street, while moving up from a Triumph 695 to a ZX10R on the track. This same person totally annihalated the first bike they brought to the track in their first season ~ an RC51 ~ went off corner 2 so fast it bounced over the hay bales and landed on a public road.

One of them has done a couple of track days, but then he moved to an area that has some great roads and no local tracks and had a kid ~ he works away from home (like South Africa away) as a welder so I guess the last thing his family wants when he is home of for him to go to another part of the country.

The others tried racing and just didn't like some part of it ~ one moved from racing sportbikes to racing super motard; one liked spending money modifying bikes more than spending money racing, one got bored; etc...

Being fast on the street didn't necessarily mean fast on the track either:
* Two fast street guys were also fast on the track. One became the local 'champion' club racer; the other got bored
* One 'slower' street guy went faster on the track
* One fast street guy went slower on the track. He now has a very trick KTM RC8 for the street.
* One of the fastest street guys was dead last every race on the track. He now has a Ducati 1198R for the street.

I wouldn't say any of them were 'flakes' ~ they just did or didn't get on with it and/or had other things they placed a higher priority on or that interested them more.