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You still technically need a full zipper (not just a back zipper strip) textile for STT Novice. That said, they won't check, and I've even seen one guy bring it up to staff, get called out on it, and still ride. If you're in the market, though, don't buy a new textile suit planning to use it for trackdays.
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Mar 24, 2010 07:46
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Oh, yeah I was referring to a onsie, specifically my Olympia Phantom suit.
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Mar 24, 2010 09:20
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AncientTV posted:Piggy-backing on Resource's post, is there an expectation as far as rider experience is concerned when you show up for a track school? I don't plan on attending one for another year or so due to finances, but even then, I wouldn't want to get eaten alive by all others in attendance. I've seen all ranges of skill at the track, from guys who on their first time out could do pretty decent on a race grid to guys who literally went from MSF to the track. However: it's going to vary between trackday providers as to what they expect from you...look at their site or contact them. Some trackday providers around here are known for being fast, some are known for being more beginner friendly. It varies by organization. Same with gear requirements. A good trackday provider will provide a safe environment for any and all riders out there...in this case, the guy who had never ridden before, a ~300 pound black man on a ninja 250, was flanked by 2 instructors who kept him off the "racing line" in the C group.
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Mar 24, 2010 16:23
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So I guess riding to the track on your bike is a bad idea, even if it's close huh? I don't think buying a bike trailer and tow hitch for a beater while soon-to-be unemployed is the best idea.
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Mar 24, 2010 17:19
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Gnaghi posted:So I guess riding to the track on your bike is a bad idea, even if it's close huh? I don't think buying a bike trailer and tow hitch for a beater while soon-to-be unemployed is the best idea. I've done it before. It's not the best idea simply because you're gonna be tired and beat to hell after a trackday, and most people want to go fast/push their limits on a track day, which comes with an increased risk of crashing. Plus there's the small chance that you could crash due to someone else's mistake, be it oil on the track, or (god forbid) a collision of some sort. What happens when your ride home is trashed? But yeah, it's doable. Just not recommended. I was pretty tired when I rode back from streets of willow to santa cruz, and I went WAY too fast on the way home, my brain was wired for track speed so I was doing 120 and not even thinking about it.
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Mar 24, 2010 17:33
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I've witnessed someones first ever time on a motorcycle being a race prepped KTM 450 SMR on the supermoto track. Helluva way to get started.
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Mar 24, 2010 18:08
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Alright, thanks for the advice, I guess I'll do some work on my 250 and take that to the track, I pretty much have all the gear I need already. I'd still be interested if anyone can recommend a track near me that would be good for beginners. Is trying the track with my 250 and then investing in a track bike the right way to go about this? I was worried my 250 wouldn't be sufficient for a track.
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Mar 24, 2010 18:36
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You'll be fine for C group. Once you get up to pace I'd start looking for something with a bit more kick, the problem with 250s is that you carry a lot of cornerspeed and not a lot of straight speed. I could motor past 250s on my SV, and it was a little scary sometimes when you've got a guy on a 250 doing 100, me on an SV doing 125, and a guy on a literbike doing 160+, all going for turn 1. Plus a 250 can be frustrating because track rules can be restrictive and stop you from really being able to pass people who are parking it in the corners and gassing it on the straights. I'd say the best baseline trackbike you can get is either an SV650 or an older 600, depending on what's available in your area. You're best off buying something that's already track prepped, because there's a fair bit of money that goes into track prep, and you inevitably lose it on the sale unless you part the bike. Right now there's a lot of nice track bikes out there for really cheap due to the economy.
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Mar 24, 2010 18:40
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That's good to hear. About how much is a track prepped bike going to run? If I can't find a track prepped bike, how much would it be to get one set up? (assuming the basics needed for a beginner)
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Mar 24, 2010 18:46
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Ok, needknees posting about me going to a trackday in the goon rides thread pushed me to actually post this. I've been thinking about doing track days this year, but I have a couple of things that hopefully someone can help me out with. First of all, I was planning on getting a Tilt custom before doing this as it's not too expensive and I seem to be a bit tall for the off the rack stuff. My main concern, though, is the bike. I'm sure some of you remember, but right now I have a Katana 750 and an Aprilia RSV1000R. Right now I am really not very comfortable with the idea of starting out riding track on a literbike, especially one which would probably be more difficult than most to get fixed up again after a crash. I am open for advice on this, though. As for the Katana, I don't mind using it on the track but it doesn't seem well-suited for it. People don't make race fairings or sliders for it. Any comments or suggestions?
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Mar 24, 2010 19:38
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Oakey posted:Ok, needknees posting about me going to a trackday in the goon rides thread pushed me to actually post this. I've been thinking about doing track days this year, but I have a couple of things that hopefully someone can help me out with. What year is the Katana? Your first track days don't have to be on a full-on race bike  .
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Mar 24, 2010 19:44
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Spiffness posted:I've witnessed someones first ever time on a motorcycle being a race prepped KTM 450 SMR on the supermoto track.
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Mar 24, 2010 19:45
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laymil posted:What year is the Katana? Your first track days don't have to be on a full-on race bike It's an '03. And yeah, I don't mind it's not a race bike. If I was all gung-ho about a full-on race bike I would just track the Aprilia . It's more that I would have to run the OEM fairings without frame sliders if I track the Katana. So if I crash it, wallet->ouch.
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Mar 24, 2010 19:52
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Oakey posted:Ok, needknees posting about me going to a trackday in the goon rides thread pushed me to actually post this. I've been thinking about doing track days this year, but I have a couple of things that hopefully someone can help me out with. Generally, the rule of thumb is: Which bike can you afford to see cartwheel? The Kat will be fine on the track for a first trackday, if that's what you're concerned about. You're gonna have a better time getting replacement fairings on ebay for the kat than you will the RSV. Resource posted:That's good to hear. About how much is a track prepped bike going to run? If I can't find a track prepped bike, how much would it be to get one set up? (assuming the basics needed for a beginner) Well, you can run essentially anything at the track...the biggest thing for most trackday providers is that you need to dump out all your coolant and replace it with distilled water. Most don't require safety wiring anymore, and you will probably need to tape over your lights, although it depends on the trackday provider, and if your housings are glass or not. If they aren't, you can usually get away with just pulling the headlight/taillight fuses. As to what else it needs? Well, newish tires are good. The reason I recommend a trackbike is because if you crash it, you just sort of shrug and shove it into your garage, patch it back together at your leisure, and go back out. You crash your nice streetbike and it becomes ugly garage art until you replace lights and stuff. Race fairings are nice because they take a fair bit of abuse, they're relatively cheap, and they're glassed over so you can run without headlights/taillights/turn signals/mirrors. For the cost of race plastics, track oriented tires, rearsets, and suspension work on a 250 (~1500-2k), I've seen "trackday newb starter deals" with a 8-12 year old 600, and bunch of random spares. Plus you don't have to do the tire shuffle to get sticky stuff for the track and harder stuff for the street. But for now, I'd recommend dumping the coolant and replacing it with water, taping your lights up, making sure your tires are in good shape, and going out to tear it up for a day or 2. You'll know once those days are over if you want a track bike or not
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Mar 24, 2010 20:15
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I've always wondered why an SV made such a good trackbike. It seems like the torquey twin-cylinder engine would make a great streetbike, but would be lackluster compared to more peaky I4 sportbikes on the track.
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Mar 24, 2010 20:24
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Oakey posted:It's an '03. And yeah, I don't mind it's not a race bike. If I was all gung-ho about a full-on race bike I would just track the Aprilia You can get frame sliders for the Katana you have: http://www.scrmotorcycles.com/SCRproducts.html
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Mar 24, 2010 20:39
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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:I've always wondered why an SV made such a good trackbike. It seems like the torquey twin-cylinder engine would make a great streetbike, but would be lackluster compared to more peaky I4 sportbikes on the track. You have a wider power band to work with, you might be able to take a corner a gear higher, and not need to upshift as you exit. Of course the SV doesn't have the chassis, suspension, or brakes to compete with supersport 600. If you just wanted to compare twin vs I4 supersport you need to look at the 848, not the SV650.
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Mar 24, 2010 20:43
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Z3n posted:Generally, the rule of thumb is: Which bike can you afford to see cartwheel? Whoa, I had no idea. Looks like there are a couple of Ebay stores from China and Hong Kong that sell complete fairing sets for it. Are those pretty equivalent to the stuff from Suzuki? Or would I be better off buying those first and putting them on for the track? laymil posted:You can get frame sliders for the Katana you have: Awesome, thanks. Between you two guys looks like I'm tracking the Katana this year. Best forum ever.
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Mar 24, 2010 20:44
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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:I've always wondered why an SV made such a good trackbike. It seems like the torquey twin-cylinder engine would make a great streetbike, but would be lackluster compared to more peaky I4 sportbikes on the track. Cheap, moddable, huge aftermarket, enough power to keep up with the 6s but not so much that you can rely on the gas to get around people. Plus they're stupid reliable, and with relatively cheap mods you can get them pretty light (~350 pounds), and they're easy on tires. Out here, you can find race winners for 3-4k, with reliable engine builds, full suspension upgrades, making 80ish HP, and weighing less than 350 pounds. You can find podium capable proddy bikes for ~2k. Lower power is also forces you to focus on getting on the gas early and hard, and using the brakes less, because if you want to go fast, you have to. You don't get to pass in the straights, either, so you learn to pass in the corners. It's also simply a lot less intimidating, so you can get comfortable with the throttle faster, you've got multiple choices for gears through a corner. No need to be afraid of the throttle when it doesn't want to slide on every corner exit. They are fantastic tools to learn to ride fast with, and most people can't ride anywhere near the potential of an SV, let alone a 600. However: You can learn to ride fast on anything. I'm biased to the SVs, as I had a very nice one, it was cheap, and I had a lot of fun on it. But in all honesty, the bike is less important than how you choose to apply yourself. Zool's right in that the real competitor for the 600s is the 848, but I didn't find a 600 I couldn't ride around until I got to the A group. That's where things changed and I really started to see the difference between people of similar skill levels on different bikes. Until I started racing, the only mods to my bike were lighter parts (subframe, fairing stay) and a gsx-r front end/penske shock. The straights are too short on a track to really reward power unless you're racing or you're talking about a 50hp+ difference. Oakey posted:Whoa, I had no idea. Looks like there are a couple of Ebay stores from China and Hong Kong that sell complete fairing sets for it. Are those pretty equivalent to the stuff from Suzuki? Or would I be better off buying those first and putting them on for the track? They're not OEM quality. They'll be a bit of a bitch to fit, and they use really low quality plastic that essentially explodes on impact with the ground. The paint quality is pretty good though. I'd try and find a used set of race plastics. Or honestly, I'd leave it stock for your first couple of trackdays, and then find a trackbike...it's really easy to go mod crazy and end up spending a lot of money when you should have just bought a pre-prepped bike, unless you're an obsessive hunter like me who spends hours looking for deals. Frame sliders are a sort of mixed bag at track speeds, sometimes they can save you a lot of damage, sometimes they're gonna help the bike flip itself into oblivion/destroy frame and motor mounts. In general, I've seen them save more bikes than I have seen them total, but that's just my experience. Z3n fucked around with this message at 20:55 on Mar 24, 2010 |
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Mar 24, 2010 20:52
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Z3n posted:I'd try and find a used set of race plastics. Or honestly, I'd leave it stock for your first couple of trackdays, and then find a trackbike...it's really easy to go mod crazy and end up spending a lot of money when you should have just bought a pre-prepped bike, unless you're an obsessive hunter like me who spends hours looking for deals. I was thinking of running my SV S without race plastics for my first day. It's got frame sliders on it but I was wondering if I crash are these sliders going to do anything other than dig into the ground if I go off? Excuse the noob question but what exactly are the plastics going to do for me aside from better aerodynamics? Just help it slide better if it does crash?
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Mar 24, 2010 21:14
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schreibs posted:I was thinking of running my SV S without race plastics for my first day. It's got frame sliders on it but I was wondering if I crash are these sliders going to do anything other than dig into the ground if I go off? As I said, it's a mixed bag. If you have them on there, I'd just keep running them, the SV doesn't have as many bad potential mounting spots like some bikes, where people will attach them to fairing mounts that are just going to strip or tear out/break off. Totally pointless. With an SV you pretty much have to attach the frame sliders to a beefy engine bolt. Race plastics are nice because the keep your expensive stock plastics nice and clean, they're typically more resistant to sliding (if you get quality ones) they can be easily and cheaply repaired with fiberglass, they're glassed over so you don't have headlight/taillight holes, and generally, they're way cheaper than OEM stuff. Fit and finish isn't as high, but durability and light weight make up for it. Plus usually you only have 4-6 quick turn fasteners holding them on, so they come on and off really fast for work on the bike.
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Mar 24, 2010 21:24
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Anyone have experience with airtech fairings? Their site has pretty much every bike model in existence, and the prices aren't too bad from what I can tell.
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Mar 24, 2010 22:00
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AncientTV posted:Anyone have experience with airtech fairings? Their site has pretty much every bike model in existence, and the prices aren't too bad from what I can tell. Airtech is quality stuff. I don't know how they stack up in crash protection, but from what I've seen their fit and finish is good.
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Mar 24, 2010 22:08
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Oakey posted:Ok, needknees posting about me going to a trackday in the goon rides thread pushed me to actually post this. I've been thinking about doing track days this year, but I have a couple of things that hopefully someone can help me out with. Haha, yessssssssss. Bad influence!  If you're interested in that trackday (and you should be, because it's a loving great price for track time) you better see if there's spots available. It wouldn't surprise me at all if it fills up, if it's not filled up already. http://www.sportbiketracktime.biz//TrackDetails.aspx?id=14 They've got a special going on tires too -- One day at the track and a set of Pilot Powers for 300 bucks, or the full weekend for 409... or skip the tires, and the days are 110/ea.
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Mar 24, 2010 22:11
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Went racing last weekend, struggled. Buttonwillow sucks. Novice Middleweight: 8th of 36, 36 points 600 Production: 24th of 37, 13 points 750 Production: 32nd of 43, 8 points Formula I: 23rd of 41, 17 points That was my first trip to Buttonwillow in almost 2 years and only my third ever. No excuse though, I rode slower than guys that I should be beating (I podiumed easily in Novice Middleweight last year). Still brought home some points and a complete bike, ensuring that I'll start in roughly the same spot on the grid at Sears Point (where I have way more seat time) next month. Sadly my Vholdr battery is defective and vibrates loose when I use it, so I got zero video from the weekend. Next round I should have plenty though.
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Mar 26, 2010 01:58
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Still a good performance. I've been reading the race reports on BARF and quietly missing the hell out of racing. Also, holy poo poo at there being 36 loving starters in Novice Middleweight. We had 12 last year, I think.
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Mar 26, 2010 02:08
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I'm curious to see the drop-off for Sears, if there is one. Lots of people don't want to make the trip to BWizzle, so it may offset those who drop after the opening round. Hopefully it stays high, I need points when/if I podium there.
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Mar 26, 2010 02:23
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Any STT members going to Nashville in a couple weeks? (April 10-11). I'll be there!
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Mar 31, 2010 16:49
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I'm going to start trackdays this year. I need to double-check what I'm planning on buying to be acceptable for a few sessions this year. For the CBR F2 (already has racing engine covers, no side fairings): - Belly pan ?? For me (already have racing boots): - One piece suit - Gauntlet racing gloves ?? Any other good additions, particularly things that work well on a streetbike that occasionally gets tracked? Also, I'm in CT, and the closest good track that I see is New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Any others that are closer?
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Mar 31, 2010 21:23
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You're gonna want a standalone back protector if you're out on the track. I actually think one of the organizations down here in the south (sportbiketracktime) requires back protectors for anyone running Intermediate or higher. Something like http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/Alpinestars_Bionic_Back_Protector--615412.html. Remember to fit your suit while you're wearing the back protector.
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Apr 1, 2010 00:28
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If you by chance get a suit from Tilt Customs, they have an option to include a back protector for $45. On the way to a Fri-Sun 3-day at Road Atlanta, atm. I think it'll be my last trackday for a while, so I'm planning to get back in the groove Fri/Sat and really push it to set a PB Sunday.
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Apr 2, 2010 07:09
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How much are you paying for that? I haven't been out to Road Atlanta despite living less than an hour away. Last I checked through STT it was almost $400 for 2 days; so expensive.
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Apr 2, 2010 11:01
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About the same -- shy of 200/day.
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Apr 3, 2010 03:28
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Someone talk me out of paying too much to go to a trackday at MidAmerica next weekend. Please. My resistance is waning 
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Apr 5, 2010 00:30
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needknees posted:Someone talk me out of paying too much to go to a trackday at MidAmerica next weekend. Please. My resistance is waning Don't pay too much to go a trackday at MidAmerica. Sure, it will be awesome fun, but there are more important things in this world than fun. For example, saving for retirement and filling out your census form.
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Apr 5, 2010 00:53
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Gnaghi posted:Don't pay too much to go a trackday at MidAmerica. Sure, it will be awesome fun, but there are more important things in this world than fun. For example, saving for retirement and filling out your census form. It's not terrible but it's not a great deal. Instead of having a novice division that includes a fair amount of instruction for newer track riders they make you take their "school" that's an additional 50 bucks over the cost of the trackday. I don't know how much more instruction you get over say, a STT or NESBA day but if it's really more of a school instead of an informative novice trackday it's probably worth it. Don't personally know of anyone who has gone through it, though  .
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Apr 5, 2010 01:18
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It is really more of a school. They have both classroom instruction and some laps where you are followed/led by instructors. At that's what it looked like when I saw it, haven't been through it yet myself
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Apr 5, 2010 02:57
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Loki, have you ridden Barber before? I live like 45 minutes from the track.lokigoesrawr posted:T1-T2, around 0:12- Be aware that just after 6 is a pretty good little bump that will catch you by surprise. I think they fixed the one between 5b and 6. Also, don't target fixate on the brick wall in 1; it looks way closer than it is and scares the poo poo out of everyone their first time. Edit: Oh hey the post I replied to is like 2 months old. 
frozenphil fucked around with this message at 03:06 on Apr 5, 2010 |
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Apr 5, 2010 03:04
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lancemantis posted:It is really more of a school. They have both classroom instruction and some laps where you are followed/led by instructors. TrackAddix novice school (which I'd be going to if I went to MAM) or are you talking STT and NESBA? I think NESBA does some days at MidAmerica Motorplex but I don't think they have anything scheduled there this year yet .I did just find out NESBA is at Blackhawk the same day. Little bit longer of a drive but still not bad, and even with NESBA's memership fee it'd come in about the same price as MidAmerica... Choices choices.
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Apr 5, 2010 03:47
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I'm speaking of the TrackAddix school
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Apr 5, 2010 13:32
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