RS Track Day - 4.11.209 @ ECR - FOLLOW UP

[ciaka]

Well, I am here in Austin, checking on the weather at ECR, and it looks like it has cooperated so far, being sunny and in the 70s.
Hope to have you that attended chime in on what it was like.

[shirazk]

It was a blast, I was at ECR for the first time on my gsxr and man what a ride it was. Thomas coached me along with my throttle control and lines and got quite better at doing smooth throttling. unusual amount of wrecks (one guy in level 4 actually broke his bike in half) it seems but other than that was a good day. Those double apex corners are a blast.
more later, I need to go by some motrin for the pain.

[ciaka]

...I bet they were in the am....and I am sure they were told the conditions would be green at first.
Hope everyone is OK, and hope to hear more reviews later on.





It was a blast, I was at ECR for the first time on my gsxr and man what a ride it was. Thomas coached me along with my throttle control and lines and got quite better at doing smooth throttling. unusual amount of wrecks (one guy in level 4 actually broke his bike in half) it seems but other than that was a good day. Those double apex corners are a blast.
more later, I need to go by some motrin for the pain.

[connick]

It was cold and windy through much of the morning, but things got nicer as the day went on. I was working turn 7 (end of the long backstraight into the uphill lefthander), where two guys lowsided in the braking zone. The first was the aforementioned "guy who broke his bike in half," in level 4... he took a tumble in the weeds, and as soon as his bike went off the track into the dirt it launched itself in the air and flipped a few times. Cracked the steering head right off of he frame. Quite impressive. The next session (level 1) another guy did almost the same thing, only his bike wasn't as thrashed, and he was a bit injured (collarbone, maybe?). Besides a few mechanical faults, those were the only two OTEs I saw.

Glad to be home, tired and sunburnt... I didn't think working corners would tire me out as much as actually riding, but it came real close...

[fast_yellow]

Hoping to hear from some of the MTA Texas Chapter 6 guys that were out at ECR today. Rick Butler was supposed to be on his big Venture touring bike. Can't wait to hear his reviews on how if handled on the track. I hated to miss this event. I was hoping to use up one of my 2 earned track days from last season today but had family get together to attend instead. I'll definately be back out at ECR on 5/2.

[gixxerjasen]

Yes, I had been hoping to find a way to squeeze in a trackday this weekend but it didn't happen. I was jealous as all heck at how the weather turned out yesterday afternoon. Hope everyone is well and had fun an learned something!

[shirazk]

There were a lot of different bikes: there was a lazy boy on wheels ( big harley dresser),
the BMW club of shereveport was there ( GS1200 and FS800's), some motard with the name 'V', bunch of regular bikes.
there was also the formula mazda truck out there with their open wheel cars, very very nice.

i had good help from thomas and nathan on techniques on how to 'own' my bike. worked quite a bit on throttle control and i think i am getting there. took nathan's advice on using the traffic as a way to practice setting people up for overtaking and just frustrating my self. all in all great day, cant wait to go back on the 2nd.

[connick]

Does anyone know who the guy with the yellow '09 R1 was? He showed up in Level 4 for two or three sessions during the middle of the day, and was just FLYING. There were some quick guys in Lvl4, and he came out in session 3 or 4, in a grouping of a couple bikes that were turning some decent laps... next lap he comes around, and I'm like, "what happened to the rest of them?" Oh, there they are, just coming onto the straight, way back there.

[shirazk]

i think you are thinking of the 2005 GSX-R 750 Fast Red. i think his name was shirazk. i know the sun reflecting on the red paint might look more like yellow and when the bike is leaned over the gsxr looks like an r1. :rofl:

[shirazk]

http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=595703#post595703 :rider:

[UturnRick]

SK,

It wasn't a big harley dresser or a lazy boy on wheels, it was V-4 Yamaha Royal Star Venture. And there is nothing stock in any of the suspension or brake components on this bike. It's got Race Tech cartridge emulators and heavier springs in the forks, a Works Performance 2 way UltraSport monoshock, and the links changed out to level the bike up giving it more ground clearance.

http://www.hart-photography.com/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewImage=656770

The previous 4 times I have been to a RideSmart track school, I was on my Ninja 650R. But this time I wanted to see how my big touring bike would negotiate the track and it went pleasantly well and I don't think I held the group up too much. But even those BMW F800 STs were passing me in the straights. I could hang with them into the corners, but once they got straightened up, they were gone. But I had a blast and was even able to pass a few bikes before the day was over. It's this bike that I ride to Arkansas and the Hill Country, etc so it was important to see if the same techniques I learned on my 650 in the previous 4 classes would translate to the handling of this bigger bike.....and it did. I couldn't get the lean angle or corner speed that I could on my 650, but the lines and throttle and brake control worked the same.

Never stop learning :trust:

Rick

[connick]

Man, seeing you take that thing around the track was freakin awesome. I'm pretty sure I would have died if I'd seen you actually passing people on it! You were keeping some really good, smooth lines though, and you were only one vote away from getting smoothest rider in your level. It was fun to see alot of 'unusual' bikes out there... the Venture, a 1200GS, I think there was K1200RS, etc.

[dhdrider]

Man, seeing you take that thing around the track was freakin awesome. I'm pretty sure I would have died if I'd seen you actually passing people on it! You were keeping some really good, smooth lines though, and you were only one vote away from getting smoothest rider in your level. It was fun to see alot of 'unusual' bikes out there... the Venture, a 1200GS, I think there was K1200RS, etc.
That's why it's called Ridesmart Motorcycle School, not Ridesmart Sportbike School...:mrgreen:

[fastbroshi]

Oh dude how I wanted to go to the track day on the 5th, but alas I was visiting friends in Oklahoma and they didn't want me to leave, **** it all.
I'd never been to a track day before and asked if you can go in just to observe and they said that it was free. How sweet is that?
Gonna have to sort the VFR* a bit before I head out on the track though.

*Pics coming soon

[DancesWithCurves]

If you think free observation is cool, wait'll you hear about the free parade laps at lunch...:trust:

[Hockeybiker]

I was in the group with Rick on his venture and can certainly atest to his accounting of the day on a cruiser, well done and no you did not hold anyone up, you were scooting it around very well, probably a scraped floor board or two I would guess. It was a great day and I am looking forward to the next one!!

[jfoster]

ya kinda late on this post but it was alot of fun can't wait to do it agaian. ya it was fun to see the royal star eat them up in the corners...

[ciaka]

...glad to see all of you have fun...and we do hope you will choose to join us for more of same at our scheduled events.


Take care.

[shirazk]

I came off a bit rude there, wasnt the intention, I kept out telling all my friends to lookout for the maniac on the touring bike. On the corners when i was behind you i must admit i was looking at your bike more than the corner. and i definitely agree with ciaka that this is a 'motorcycle' school and its about all bikes.
Plus you had better lines than me anyways http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDdufUxI4lQ :clap:

SK,

It wasn't a big harley dresser or a lazy boy on wheels, it was V-4 Yamaha Royal Star Venture. And there is nothing stock in any of the suspension or brake components on this bike. It's got Race Tech cartridge emulators and heavier springs in the forks, a Works Performance 2 way UltraSport monoshock, and the links changed out to level the bike up giving it more ground clearance.

http://www.hart-photography.com/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewImage=656770

The previous 4 times I have been to a RideSmart track school, I was on my Ninja 650R. But this time I wanted to see how my big touring bike would negotiate the track and it went pleasantly well and I don't think I held the group up too much. But even those BMW F800 STs were passing me in the straights. I could hang with them into the corners, but once they got straightened up, they were gone. But I had a blast and was even able to pass a few bikes before the day was over. It's this bike that I ride to Arkansas and the Hill Country, etc so it was important to see if the same techniques I learned on my 650 in the previous 4 classes would translate to the handling of this bigger bike.....and it did. I couldn't get the lean angle or corner speed that I could on my 650, but the lines and throttle and brake control worked the same.

Never stop learning :trust:

Rick