My first track day yesterday.

[vman1300]

It seems that most others have covered the basics.

Hands down, your suspension is the 1st issue that needs to be addressed. Depending on your weight, you may be able to get by with stock springs. But you will notice improved feel with a fully set up suspension for your weight and riding style.

The Busa is a capable track bike up to a point. The major limitation is the length of the bike and the weight.

After a day on the track or at the Gap, I am in need of a break. My body gets sore from all the "work" needed to make the Busa corner like I want it too.

If you start doing more and more trackdays, invest in a good set of sticky tires and raise the rear of your Busa by 1" with dogbones.

I have not yeat reached the limit of my Busa on the track, but I do feel I can go quicker on a dedicated track machine.

Use your track time to improve on your cornering skills, lines etc and apply that to your riding to become smoother on the street.

 

[NICE N EASY]

As mentioned above the Busa is not a track bike.
However, you can work to minimize it's limitations and maximize your skill. These bikes are so much more capable than most riders. So, take it easy, take your time and enjoy yourself. And remember to ride your own ride.

 

[NX95240]

(vman1300 @ May 15 2007,13:58) It seems that most others have covered the basics.

Hands down, your suspension is the 1st issue that needs to be addressed. Depending on your weight, you may be able to get by with stock springs. But you will notice improved feel with a fully set up suspension for your weight and riding style.

The Busa is a capable track bike up to a point. The major limitation is the length of the bike and the weight.

After a day on the track or at the Gap, I am in need of a break. My body gets sore from all the "work" needed to make the Busa corner like I want it too.

If you start doing more and more trackdays, invest in a good set of sticky tires and raise the rear of your Busa by 1" with dogbones.

I have not yeat reached the limit of my Busa on the track, but I do feel I can go quicker on a dedicated track machine.

Use your track time to improve on your cornering skills, lines etc and apply that to your riding to become smoother on the street.

i agree at the about GAP

. i ride with older guys then me. and they run off and leave me all the time and make me mad but i cannot ride over my head and eat the dirt on the busa. i you will get better as time goes on.

 

[Big O]

You'll get it. Practice and Patience. I can drag my knees all over the place, but the smaller bikes still get me in the corners. I pass Everyone in the straights and some catch me at the first turn because the can carry a Lot more speed. No big deal, two different animals.
Ride your own ride, try to be smooth not fast, and the speed will come in a short time. It takes me the first session and half the next one at the track for me to get back to full speed. And I tell myself the whole time...Smooth, not fast. Go a little faster, and you'll have room for mistakes, too much brake in that corner, wrong gear coming out the the next one...etc. Then on the next lap work on that corner or your technique. Ask the other riders questions too.
I'm not fond of the Streets of Willow like Charles

Too tight, and I'm holding up the smaller bikes. I'll wait for a straight and wave them past me. But the Motard bike that passed me in the corner and he wasn't even hanging off!

I laughed for half a lap.

Just when you think you're fast...

 

[cubicincubi]

Just thought I'd update this thread.

Since my whinging moan back in May I've done lots of riding, I've done two further trackdays on my fireblade which I bought after selling the VTR. It gave me a lot of confidence trialing new skills on a cheaper machine which I haven't been so concerned about dropping and it's been easy transferring it to the Busa. My last trackday I finished 6th overall out of about 30 riders in a whole days racing unlimited class bikes, so there was a good mix off cc's and ability, but it wasnt a race as such, just guys out there to iron out creases in their techniques. But I must say, track riding gets really easy and repetative after a while or is it just me finding myself smoother?

I've also took the Busa up the airstrip about 15 times and have pulled a dozen quarters on it, getting used to it in different scenarios. Even went for a trip to Lands End in Scotland with the UK Busa club and kept up with one of the guys who's a class 1 police pursuit rider, though not for long as I simply got knackered... but long wnough to watch his moves - boy that dude can ride his machine to the limits and beyond (ZZR1100)

So all is well and my busa is now quick and hot under the saddle.

Looking forward to next year, gonna go back to that first track for the frisk and show them boys a Bus can hussle  

Running BT014's now, much easy for throwing into a corner

 

[SnapAttack]

(cubicincubi @ Sep. 03 2007,22:03) Just thought I'd update this thread.

Since my whinging moan back in May I've done lots of riding, I've done two further trackdays on my fireblade which I bought after selling the VTR. It gave me a lot of confidence trialing new skills on a cheaper machine which I haven't been so concerned about dropping and it's been easy transferring it to the Busa. My last trackday I finished 6th overall out of about 30 riders in a whole days racing unlimited class bikes, so there was a good mix off cc's and ability, but it wasnt a race as such, just guys out there to iron out creases in their techniques. But I must say, track riding gets really easy and repetative after a while or is it just me finding myself smoother?

I've also took the Busa up the airstrip about 15 times and have pulled a dozen quarters on it, getting used to it in different scenarios. Even went for a trip to Lands End in Scotland with the UK Busa club and kept up with one of the guys who's a class 1 police pursuit rider, though not for long as I simply got knackered... but long wnough to watch his moves - boy that dude can ride his machine to the limits and beyond (ZZR1100)

So all is well and my busa is now quick and hot under the saddle.

Looking forward to next year, gonna go back to that first track for the frisk and show them boys a Bus can hussle  

Running BT014's now, much easy for throwing into a corner  

Wish I had taken my Superhawk to the track B4 selling her... I'm all about technique... don't care who is faster. I ain't getting paid for the risk!

 

[vman1300]

Thanks for the update. The point of track riding is improving your skills to be a better street rider.

I have progressed to a dedicated track machine now, a 2005 R1. I may still bring the Busa out foir a bit o fun from time to time....

 

[The Big Red One]

(cubicincubi @ May 15 2007,09:35) 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 ***** 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?

If your really serious about track days and hanging with the other guys you need to get a track bike. The busa isn't designed for all out track riding...its like using a hammer for a screwdrivers job. You're always going to be fighting an uphill battle. The busa is an excellent handling roadbike...but the roads aren't tracks. If you treat them like they are you're gonna have more probs like your vtr...and possibly get hurt next time

Get a smaller bike for the track and treat the road like a road and you'll be fine

 

[cougar19]

Buy Lee Parks Total Control - great book, you'll learn a lot, including how to set up your suspension. Less than than $20 at Amazon. Spend your money on educating yourself before spending a fortune on the bike. Another great book is Nick Ienatch's Sport Riding Techniques.
Cougar

 

[Lamb busa]

Busa whipped! You are much too hard on yourself! You looked great out there!

 

[gtrpimp76]

To those who say the Busa isnt a good trackbike---

Try following Charlesbusa out there (and Lamb as well-holy sh!t). He's a monster!! I was on my Gixx1K and had a helluva time trying to run him down. We were pretty much even the whole time but he ended up winning the battle (for now

).

It takes practice and lots of tracktime!! Get a control rider to watch your lines, body positioning and tell them your reference points on the tracks (where are you looking coming into a corner). Patience is a virtue if you wanna become fast.

 

[ericw94061]

If you really want to learn fast riding, get a little Ninja 500 or maybe an old school (mid-80's) FZR600 - those things can only go seriously fast around the track by carrying speed *through* the corners.  I've done only a couple trackdays (not on a Busa tho) and my first time I was only impressed by how fast others could pass me on the outside.  Second time was much better b/c I was intentionally late-braking and carrying more speed in the corners.  Hardest part is trusting your tires to do the job (serious throttle control needed if you have power, like on the Bus).   Like others said, focus on smooth not fast, and fast will come.