Hemibee said:
Dyna Sport said:
No motard instructors in Texas though I bet.
I saw a website a few months back, can't remember where, about a Super Moto class at Texas World Speedway. Seems like it was several planned thru the year.
I don't know about motard at track days, but CMRA has had a couple of motard classes in sprints for a couple of years now. There is NO dirt for motards in Texas, though.
Lots of rumbling a few years ago about doing a motard day maybe at Oak Hill, but it never came off. But, we've got some fast motard class racers in CMRA and even TMGP has a motard class, which, I'm happy to say, I was class champion last year.
Actually, I've won 5 class championships in two organizations in four years on that little bike. Motards are the absolute BLAST to ride on asphalt. I've been wanting to try real motard competition, but it's just never come off. I do flat track for my dirt diet and TMGP and CMRA road racing for my asphalt, but I'd sure like to combine it all in one lap!
On asphalt, there's really not much difference in riding a motard than a sport bike or GP other than the bars are higher. I ride knee down, hang off, road race style. It's when you have dirt on your tires that the foot goes down, just like I ride dirt or asphalt when it's wet. It's more comfy on the tard and in the wet I can absolutely fly on that thing. I have a major advantage over a "clip on" bike in the wet. And, there's this misconception by the general riding public out there that the tard guys back it in on the rear brake. That's not so. What you are seeing is weight transfer to the front under heavy braking and the rear lifting and sliding out into a corner as the rider controls the rear with the clutch. There really isn't that much rear brake used on a properly set up tard, just that you're on the front brake just as hard as you are on a road racer and the bike is quite tall and the rear wheel lifts really easily under heavy braking. And, it's much easier to control the slide with the clutch under engine compression braking than it is with the rear brake.
I think what makes the motards fun is the fact that they, being dirt ergos, are easier to slide than a clip on type bike. In fact, it's quite natural to get them sideways! It's a total blast, and I've a complete convert. I've sold my RS125 and if I ever build another big bike for CMRA, it'll likely be a CRF450 or something for a motard class. It's just too fun.
Just my two cents on what I've learned in 4 seasons of motarding in competition.