Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[wedgiewolves]

I had a big off mallory couple of years ago highsided at the end of Gerrards . took me a couple of sessions after to get back into it and rode as i did, but my mate Dunc broke his ribs at Snett nearly 2 years ago and fell off the pace he even went off his gsxr1000 and brought a zxr400 but this has brought his confidence back up and he has just moved out of novice into inters. It moght take time and trackdays are fun if your having fun so leave the lap times for a season and concertate on having fun youll soon be backing it in buddy 

[nuddy]

I've had the same mate, a few years ago i was on it at donnington in the inters, dicided to move into the fast group, well lets say i spent more time off road than a sunday morning green laning

I was trying to push it too much and forgot the basics, slow in fast out, keep it smooth and get the right lines

Since then all my mates now go in the fast group and i'm going backwards as i've lost my confidence, last trackday 2010 i went out in the novice group to find my old trackcraft (no pressure) and it works

Forget all the wannabe's and do your own thing, speed will come with time

[robbosliding]

OK, so I did another track evening tonight and did much better. I used my ZX6R ('09 bike with the BPF, very very good bike). I approached the track with a slower in, quicker out attitude, used high gears and began to carry in more speed into corners in higher gears. I was more relaxed, enjoyed it more and was on better lines. Steady and slower in to go a bit quicker. It is beginning to come together again. Thanks for all the kind words of advice. Who'd have thought it, all pink and fluffiness on a bikers forum!!!

[Mr Marv]

Just had a quick read through this and got to the last post and thought... Are you using 2 different bikes? A 6 and a 10? If so then in my opinion switching between thr 2 whilst your trying to regain confidence will only take you longer.

Your probably more than aware of the 2 different riding styles and alternating between high corner speed on the 6 and the drop in pick up and fire of the 10.

Your last post seems like your getting your mojo back, but if you are using 2 bikes, id advise to using one for now, just untill your confident in your abilty again.

Before i go out, either racing or trackday, i have a few second sat on the bike with me. Just breathing and smiling. Some people have called it stupid, wierd, or rekon im being a cock, but it settles me down, and so far, its seems to be working.

Either way, glad its getting there.. Hope it all comes back soon

Martyn

[robbosliding]

I'm settling dowm nicely now. I did Cadwell last week (Eve) on my ZX6R and the lightness aided me to start carrying a lot more speed into corners. I went to Donington on Friday on my Zx10R and the mix of carrying in more speed and using more mid range and torque had me riding quite smoothly and going around the circuit in a round 2 minutes which is a steady pace, not slow and not winning races but the important thing is I was enjoying it. About to set off to Cadwell for what promises to be a wet evening session. The wets are fitted.....

[robbosliding]

Things going OK, I have booked a day at the California Superbike School....new thread.....

[gaz_d]

Ive just stopped racing due to not enjoying it anymore and self preservation kicking in. At the moment im road riding just for fun and im lovin it. I'll do a trackday sooner or later, but just for fun, not to chase laptimes.
a lot of peeps take trackdays as serious as racing, personally i think they should yive racing a go.

[robbosliding]

Yeah, I think thats true and fair comment but I know my own limitations. One of the "limitations" I know is in the back of my mind is my bike is mint, pristine and undamaged. It's not that I can't afford to drop it (I had a bike destroyed a year or two ago but more of that in a minute) I think I would be willing to push a tatty to the point of finding limits. I would be no good at racing because I like to have some room around me, I enjoy the speed, the bends but not swapping paint. Another limitation is the concern of other riders getting it wrong near me. It was infact the cause of me highsiding having had an idiot (ACU licence holder riding in the inters....) plough into my inside rear on the exit of a corner causing me to highside. Hence I enjoy track days, not racing- its a pity some can't distinguish between the two and ride accordingly and save me the injury and expence, 2K rebuilt and a dislocated ankle. I take my hat off to those that do race but I am not currently quick enough to consider it. At the end of the day no one is going to pay to repair my bike and there is no prize money (not that I'd get it!!!)  I just wan to be able to ride my bike smoothly and quick without being cleared up on the road or banned

[Jak]

I think your last post pretty much sums up how most of us feel about track days and riding in general. Racers can and do use track days for "practice" and the inters group seems to be a favourite for the less skilled amongst them. Mostly they dont bother me as they are much faster anyway and I'm happy to do my own thing without chasing lap times. My first "track day" was with the California Superbike School in 2001 at Rockingham, which was good, but expensive. The only other track I've tried since is Pembrey which is probably considered too short for a lot of racers to bother with. I have witnessed track days becoming much more hardcore, with race prepped machines etc (even in some novice groups  ) This is a shame as it puts a lot of people off what is probably the most valuable and rewarding experience anyone can have on a sports bike  Some reckon your better off in the fast group as the riders are more skilled, but I'm thinking more of novice for my next (first) trackday on the new bike 

No one wants to crash, but I dont think that anyone who wants to ride really fast can afford to worry about this when they're riding. As Carl Fogarty once said  sic"you crash every bike you ride, I know of no exceptions to this" 

[robbosliding]

Did you take much away from the California Superbike School?

[Jak]

A Certificate 

................and a few other things as well, check out my response to your other post