My first track day yesterday.

[cubicincubi]

Howdy fellas,

Long time no chat.

Please help me out. Riding the Hayabusa is living the dream. But it's a hefty challenge to do it incident and hassle free and my progress is slow but apparent. I really want to make some advancement this season.

After my trackday yesterday (I was pretty much the slowest rider all day) I'm feeling a bit downhearted - If I stay in this frame of mind it could lead to considering getting a smaller lighter machine, but I really don't want to - I just need the right direction to get out of the Busa that which has driven me for so long to ride it.

So i'll briefly bring you guys up to speed with my developements..... I crashed my other ride (VTR Firestorm) a couple of months back in a corner on the road... (just before putting it up for sale) pretty much ditched it in a bail out after a fluffed bit of ham fisted riding. No injury, just fecked fairings an indicator and a dunted side rad. Poobah.

I dusted myself down & picked the bitch back up and got back on it and vowed to get some training. I just wasn't willing to risk binning the Busa. I came home and booked some track days.

A couple of weeks after the collision with the grass and mud I went out with an advanced instructor on the roads on the Bus. That was a good day, it helped my confidence and it taught me that the bike will turn in If I make it so.

Yesterday was my first track day with my completely stock K6 Bus running stock BT tyres. I thought I was going to be fast. Boy was I wrong. I became faster as the day progressed but was pretty much beaten by all the other novices on much lighter circuit racing bikes - but I was still grinning - I managed to lean the bike right over (although I could have leant it over less and maybe hung off it instead of being planted on the saddle) when I got back into the pits after session 3 my back tyre was all melted up with knobbly bits of rubber

I had to do some thinking as I was coming out of the corners in too high a gear and tow low in the rev range and just had no power for pulling hard out of the apex, so I tried 2nd gear at 7-8000rpm and was able to fight a good fight (Tre should have been fitted)

It was hard work. It paid off. I learned a lot about the bike. But am I ever really going to learn to be quick on such a big bike (been riding for 1 year, 4500 miles on VTR and 5000 miles on the BUS) or was it simply the fact that I was up against highly strung track bikes with track tyres and guys who wer simply faster riders? (I did get overtaken by an older guy riding a BMW 1100S - but I think he'd ben riding for years)

What do I need to do?

I dont know if riding a smaller machine will help as that will give me experience on that particular bike. I want to hussle my Bus and enjoy my riding without hassle and fuss. I'm pretty much content most of the time but theres a niggling frustration when I find I havent the skill in particular situations.

I have another trackday booked at the same track on August 2nd. Between now and then I want to do as much as I can to hone in my abilities and get this Bus moving.

Reccomendations?

 

[proud dad]

Tire change,at least adjust your suspension and most of all patience.You can get alot more corner speed by hanging off the bike a little.A lot of guys around here do a lot of track days.I'm sure they'll be around too help.

 

[LCB]

Ask yourself - what are you trying to prove and who are you trying to prove it to?... Make yourself happy with your level of riding skills and the rest is gravy. Advance at your own pace, take direction, instruction and advice to heart and apply it as you go. I'm a total newbie, dweeb, slowpoke, etc (as anyone at the Bash will attest to...) but I'm grinning as much as the next guy - no matter what he's riding.

Just the way I look at riding - I could be wrong... but I'm having fun doing it.

 

[proud dad]

(LCB @ May 15 2007,12:47) Ask yourself - what are you trying to prove and who are you trying to prove it to?...   Make yourself happy with your level of riding skills and the rest is gravy.  Advance at your own pace, take direction, instruction and advice to heart and apply it as you go.  I'm a total newbie, dweeb, slowpoke, etc (as anyone at the Bash will attest to...) but I'm grinning as much as the next guy - no matter what he's riding.

Just the way I look at riding - I could be wrong...  but I'm having fun doing it.

Then your doing it right

 

[Juggler]

Remember that you have two big disadvantages with the Busa:

1. The obvious one is WEIGHT. You're probably up 100+ pounds on some of the liter-class bikes. Probably a lot more against the 600s.

2. Wheelbase. This makes moving the Busa around a lot of work.

Although, watching VMAN1300 fly around the track means that it CAN be done, but lots of practice. Don't be too hard on yourself.

 

[JuiceSC]

IMO, you need a 600 or 750 cc track bike. That said, nothing will replace seat time. The more track days you do, the more insturction/critique you get from instructors, the faster you will be. There is no substitute for experience.

I've been riding in the "expert" group now for a few years with TPM. I easily was the fastest in the beginner group. Rode a few years in the advanced group, and once again I was one of the faster guys in there too. In the expert group where 95% of the bikes are dedicated track/race bikes running slicks, I'm a back marker.

If you want to just do a few track days here and there, than a track bike is not worth it. If your serious and want to advance you skills, you need a track bike.

My 750 still has the stock suspension (but tweaked) and for me to go faster, I need to spend money on race suspension goodies and dial in the bike to my weight. And I guarantee that I will still be slower than most out there with a lot more experience.

Don't focus on speed, work on technique. Speed will come.....

Its all about having fun!
Summit point trackday

 

[hbr]

Juice - Good advise, but your picture makes the thread dam near unreadable, little help?

 

[dadofthree]

You don't always start at the top. It's always going to be a challenge on the Busa v. Trackbikes.
Enjoy

 

[VaBusa]

I'd feel the same way, but I'd have a blast!!! Just doing a track day has to be fun, and from what I hear from friends that do 'em, you only get better as you do more and you learn to push yourself AT YOUR OWN PACE as you go along...

I don't think many take to the track and feel overconfident after doing so...it's a learning experience, just grin and have a blast!!!

 

[JuiceSC]

Sorry about the size of the picture. I can't reduce it at this time. I can edit it out for now, but I'll leave the link up.

 

[WWJD]

Busa VS Track bike = Busa at disadvantage. The only thing a Bus a does GREAT at the track is hammer on the strait. But then you gotta SLOW DOWN For corners. It's just too heavy an dlong. A great time though! I enjoy it a lot, even while being passed by superior riders on 600s

- get your suspnsion setup
- get decent tires [stickie, not long milage]
- don't fret others PASSING you - you are not in a RACE at trackdays

I do about 6 track days per summer on my Busa, ride in the middle group - the beginners seem to be out to prove how fast they are, and they ARE fast at over shooting corners and crashing, not following lines, not being curteous on the track. Watch yourself.

but to keep you learning and advancing, you need a track bike.... race tires, tire warmers etc etc
like everyone else already said.

 

[MPH 200]

I was at the track yesterday as well.

I will not risk my pride & joy Busa on the track. Drag a knee on the street yes, but there are too many hot shots out there. There was a guy on a Busa yesterday - ran off the road numerous times.

I have a full race prepped RC51 W/ slicks - that is for the track.
I went down 2 months ago in a corner where another bike had crashed & split the case. They thought they had it all cleaned up. 4 of us went down including an instructor who broke his ankle.

Total damage to the RC51 - $15.00 new clip-on handle bar. If that had been my Busa $$$$$$$

I saw a guy highside a Ducati 999 yesterday - had some explaining to do to his Wife.

Not me, mine rides on the track too.

 

[Charlesbusa]

You need stickier tires for one. The stock tires aren't meant for track use and they will make you feel uncomfortable. Run Qual, M3, PP, PP2ct, Corsa III or BT015.

I don't care how fast I'm going in relation to other riders at the track. For me, its all about me/the bike/ and the track. Ride to have fun, who cares if you're the slowest guy out there.

Suspension. Stock suspension settings suck for the track. Most trackday events have a suspension guru and for $20 he can set your suspension right.

Once your tires and suspension are ready. To go faster you can try this.
1)Spend a couple sessions memorizing the track. This means selecting racing lines and braking markers. The 1st couple sessions are when all the idoits are crashing anyway.
2)Once you've selected racing lines and braking markers, try braking just a little bit later and getting just a little more aggressive with the gas. If you go off line, you went to far. Take very small steps, that way you have plenty of track to correct if you go too far.

Here's a video from my trackday at the Streets of Willow. I'm on my busa in the novice group. That was my last time in novice group as you can see I was the fastest in the group(minus the camera guy). This track is VERY tight and is probably the worst track you could take a big/heavy/long busa to. I LOVED IT!!! I lost the camera guy on the 1st lap because he was on race tires

http://www.veoh.com/videos/e147104f55686qk

 

[VaBusa]

Great vid Charles!

 

[raydog]

Hey Cubicin....I was already to give you friendly advice but after reading all the above awesome responses, it reminds me the value of Hayabusa.org!
Having said that let me add some things.
1) Schools that supply the bikes (California Superbike School, etc.) will help you make a quantum leap in skill and confidence when back on the Busa.
2) Alot of your description was based on others and their bikes and abilities. There is an old saying, "one man's ceiling is another man's floor". That really applies in motorcycling, especially at the track....be your own baseline for skill growth, someone is always faster, there is great power in humility! And finally, if you got blown away on the track in your Austin Martin Vantage(3900 lbs.) by a Lotus Super Seven(1700 lbs.) you would probably understand, just transfer that to motorcycles! Raydog

 

[cubicincubi]

thanks a lot fellas, I'm feeling much better

 

[Charlesbusa]

Just noticed that it was your 1st trackday.

Give it some time. I didn't get a knee down until my 6th trackday.

 

[MPH 200]

Good drill they had us doing yesterday was riding the whole track in one gear. It helps you w/ braking & corner entry speed.

Tires will definately be the 1st thing to change. - just have fun

 

[Juggler]

Not to thread-jack, but Charlesbusa, that's got to be a hard track to learn. It didn't look like there were an abundance of RPs there. The track looks a bit featureless. I feel bad for those corner-workers too.

Nice vid!

 

[hbr]

(JuiceSC @ May 15 2007,10:19) Sorry about the size of the picture. I can't reduce it at this time. I can edit it out for now, but I'll leave the link up.

Didn't mean to come across as a Richard, thanks and the pic is cool.