Track day!  and lived

[WWJD]

did a track day at Mid America road course today! did about 5 20 minute sesssions and almost ran out of gas. it was a beginners class so we started really slow, worked up to higher speeds and the last session was a free for all. I got all the way to the edges of my back tire and did okay on the front, scrapped BOTH pegs on the track a few times, almost lost it a couple times.

there was me, an 03 r1, an 04 r1, an FZ1 and i think a 636. I think overall the busa [or my new skillz] hung pretty well on the track. a couple people who were stuck behind me in the turns tried to pass on the strait but couldn't. it was a blast and well worth the $195 cost. excellent instruction, excellent track and location, and a BEAUTIFUL DAY! 77 sunny, low wind. for the record I ran tire pressures ON THE TRACK of 31ish PSI. my diablos never melted and beaded up but they never let me down either. didn't get any cool pics, but next time I'm doing a helmet cam!!

Here's the instructors bikes. track weapon of choice? Kawasaki 636

 

[WWJD]

forgot to add, I rode 2 hours out the teh event and back. kinda gruellign doing it that way but what the heck! I'm young and pretty.

Here's my beauty! In one peice before AND after the track day, thank God! especially since I had to ride home and everyone else brought a truck..... nyea!

 

[WWJD]

everyone loved the looks of the new R1, including me, but on teh long ride home I realised, once again, why the busa rocks every catagory! this guy was a decent rider [we were ALL n00bs] but I think I was catching on the strait

 

[WWJD]

more of mine. can't help it. it's SO beautiful, even with dust and rain on it. busa ain't the best track bike, but it does okay! I could have done much better, I feel, if I had done ANYTHING to the suspension. I left it at stock settings so I had some wobble accelerating out of turns and lots of nose dive on braking. oh oh oh! and bird almost hit me! flew out of the grass for no reason right into my line and I braced for impact, but he reversed and fly back - musta been about 2 feet in front of me. All I could do was tuck and hope. guys behind me swore I hit it, but I know it missed. scarey at those speeds!! So there it is, stock busa on a road course track.... 2nd gear was my freind!

 

[Mikey D]

Way cool!

Your bird annecdote reminded me of one of my squids, Uh students today said he had a bird hit him at 160 yesterday.

I tild him that one hit me at 40 and it about took my arm off the bar!
Also that it definately would have pulled his arm off and left a bruise.

He then changed his story to it hit the fairing and then rolled off onto him. LOL!

Good on ya WWJD!

 

[gcal]

right on congrats
i cant wait till i can get a track day in (one day i hope)

 

[BigDawg_03Busa]

Looks like fun WWJD, gonna have to try that one day.

 

[seitan]

Glad to hear you had fun. Busas rock!

 

[Juggler]

WWJD,
Glad to hear you and your machine made it back in one piece. Other than taping/removing mirrors, did you have to do anything else to your bike for track day?

It sounds like you had one hell of a good time.

<insert jealous smiley here>

--Juggler

 

[WWJD]

as a beginners course, the requirements weren't as harsh, but if I keep going, and I might, I will also need to run engine ice/distilled water instead of antifreeze, "safety wire" all bolts and parts that could work loose and you have to have full leathers either one piece or two that zip all teh way around together as well as ankle covering boots, helmet, and gauntlet gloves, also make sure you have plenty of tread but it will be going bye bye on the track. all the setup is for "Tech inspection", you don't pass you don't ride. also we run tire pressure of 30, so tires heat up and stick and grip like there's no tomorrow. at first, all that sounds like a lot of work for your average rider, but it's not. especially after you find out it's 10 time the fun and 10 times safer than street riding.
Here's more info for the thing I went to: mam rider school info
Again, I'm not doign this to ever race or compete, I just want to become a better and safer rider. THIS is what hooked me - 2 TOTALLY FREE TRACK SESSIONS
There's not much cooler than following an R1 into a leaning corner abotu 6 feet behind, just like you are IN A RACE! except maybe passing them on the strait!!! or rounding a corner and seeing the instructors shadow about 3 feet behind you. fun fun fun

 

[Sane_man]

I never wanted to take my Busa on the track because I didn't want to bin it on the track. I go to the track days with my Busa to watch friends ride, but now I may have to chance it.

 

[Let 'er eat!]

Wow sounds like a great day!!

Thanks for the pictures. I'm going to put that on the short to do list

 

[WWJD]

I never wanted to take my Busa on the track because I didn't want to bin it on the track. I go to the track days with my Busa to watch friends ride, but now I may have to chance it.

I know what you mean, but if you ride within YOUR limits it's fine. near the end I would stay in the back of the pack because I was reaching my limits with the stock suspension setup and I didn't want to slow anyone else up from progressing. their bikes are more track-ready out the gate so they would keep getting better and I found my limits with the weight, suspension, my ability etc... I was fine with that because I'm not competitive at all. I was just having a ball! I can NEVER ride my bike on the street like I can on the track... you can just do so much more. I think with a summer of practicing, great tires and GREAT susupension setup, I think I could do just as well as the liters and 600's, just gotta hang my butt off more!

 

[Rich]

That is cool. If mine was not lowered and stretched I would take mine out there. That sounds like fun, cool to hear that you had a good time.

 

[bacharles]

 

[monsterspeedfreak]

Very cool dubdub

 

[Pacaveli]

I'm lowered a bit too, so is it not good to be lowered and go to the track. I'm not slammed, and I still have stock swingarm. Also, did you find better to lean with the bike or against the bike? Everyone seems to do it differently.

 

[PACIFICBUSA]

awesome....fuggin awesome, WWJD.

When I get out there, that is DEFINITELY one of the things I will do.

 

[busabrother]

I know this is a dumb question. Why do you have to cover lights on a road racing course?

 

[WWJD]

I'm lowered a bit too, so is it not good to be lowered and go to the track. I'm not slammed, and I still have stock swingarm. Also, did you find better to lean with the bike or against the bike? Everyone seems to do it differently.

Can't help ya with the lowered part as I ride stock all the way. I would guess that lowered means you'll be scraping somthing much sooner and you'd need to hang off the side more for turns. What do you mean with or against lean? I learned I HAD to lean over side more to lower center of gravity and keep bike more upright so pegs wouldn't scrape. Ima n00b at track riding, there must be others on here with better experience to share.

Like why does my bike feel so much more 'wiggly' when hanging off the side of it? It feels WAY MORE planted in corners when I'm just leaning her over and staying above the tank. Advice?? I know my suspension is still factory and kinda loose...