track rider/racer question

2016 Views 12 Replies 7 Participants Last post by R6Racer, Jun 21, 2000

FZR400Tony

Discussion Starter · Jun 20, 2000

hey all,

i was just wondering, but since i started riding on the track, i noticed that i ride slower on the street. am i the only one? it seems that when street riding i notice that guard rails are close, and i just don't get fully comfortable on the street anymore. or am i just wus (don't answer that)?

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Tony

00 GSX-R750-yellow & black
88 FZR400-krylon black
94 CBR600F2--sold

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AZ Scott

· #2 · Jun 20, 2000

Ha ha! You're a wuss! LOL!

Naah, just kidding! Seriously, Tony, it's very common. That's one of the cool things about getting on the race track. Not only do you get to do things with your bike that you could never get away with on the street, you also end up toning down your street riding, which tends to preserve your longevity in this world.

When I started racing, it didn't take long to realize that there's not much point in pushing the limits on the street, because: a) It's dangerous and stupid, and b) No matter how fast you think you can ride on the street, you're really going nowhere near racetrack speed.

Another benefit: As you gain more track experience, you will start noticing that you can go as fast, or faster, on the street than ever before, but it'll be easier to do it, with less effort. Your non-track-riding friends will be amazed and jealous. You'll start waxing them without even breaking a sweat.

So, in other words, what you're going through is normal. It is a good thing!

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"If you want to keep working here, Son --- stay off the drugs..."

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cbr600f4gd

· #3 · Jun 20, 2000

I think the track has only made me faster on the street. I can go as fast as before with little effort. I havn't pushed it for quite some time on the street but I probably ride at the same pace that I was before. AZ Scott said it all. The street just seems like a death trap to me anymore.

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Ride Fast. Take Chances.

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Mattrazzo

· #4 · Jun 20, 2000

I have noticed that I am riding more conservative on the street since going to the track (though I am seriously due a track day...). My take on this is that I get all of my adrenaline rush at the track and no longer see the need to do this on the street.

This is not to say I drive the speed limit or anything - I still have a favorite way home that takes me to 100mph on a couple sweepers - but when there are cars around, I just go with the flow. This contrasts to previously when I used to find the need to always be going much faster than the surrounding traffic.

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- Dan

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SpeedPhreak

· #5 · Jun 20, 2000

yup, it just doesnt make much sense to go that fast on the street now that ive raced. (not to say i dont still get loose on the street every now & then

)

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R6Racer

· #6 · Jun 20, 2000

It could even be that you are going faster or as fast as before, but it just seems slower after really going fast on the track.

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SpeedPhreak

· #7 · Jun 20, 2000

never thought of it that way.. very possible though.. i have touched my knee down on the street (a real city street too) w/a passenger but i didnt feel real fast. maybe i was just more relaxed & smooth so it felt slow... either way.. im not riding as close to my limit on the street any more.

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Mattrazzo

· #8 · Jun 20, 2000

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SpeedPhreak:
im not riding as close to my limit on the street any more.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And I think thats the key thing here. Your limit has now been raised, so the same (or more aggressive) riding that you used to do seems casual as R6Racers says. I know I am spinning my rear wheel through turns now where I used to go through much more carefully.

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- Dan

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FZR400Tony

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jun 21, 2000

for me it's more than raising the limits of ability. i went down a road today i used to fly down. this was my first ride on it this summer, couldn't wait to get on it. i babied it. the road is lined with guard rails and it just threw everything out of wack for me. i couldn't get that guard rail inches away from leg out of mind and twist that stick.

i agree that the track raises your limits and you can ride faster w.o pushing, but it's just wierd to me how many dangers i see on the road now.

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Tony

00 GSX-R750-yellow & black
88 FZR400-krylon black
94 CBR600F2--sold

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· #10 · Jun 21, 2000

I have never ridden on the track. Hope to soon. Most of the pro racers that I have talked to about this kind of stuff, have stopped riding on the street for the very reasons you all have mentioned. Once you've experienced that level, the street just doesn't do it any more for them.

So I would say that what you are experiencing is normal. I do have to agree with AZ Scott about it making you a better street rider. The amateur racers that I've ridden with in the Smokey Mountains do ride noticeably different/better(in most cases) than the non-racer.

John

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R6Racer

· #11 · Jun 21, 2000

John - you hit the nail on the head. I used to have a Katana 600 streetbike a few years back. I watched racing on TV and thought, that looks really cool. So I took a racing school (on a ZX-6 that the school provided), and shortly thereafter the Katana was sold, and I bought an F2 racebike

9 or 10 race weekends each summer is more enjoyable to me than all the street riding I did before. I still on occasion wish I had a street bike. Especially that new CBR929RR, man that looks sweet. But, racing is so damned expensive that I can't afford to have 2 bikes, so I'll stick with my R6 racebike for now.

The perfect scenario for me would be the following:

* R6 racebike (best 600 racebike IMO)
* TZ250 racebike (two-strokes are cool

)
* CBR929 streetbike (I know it's Honda, but...)
* Some kind of 4-stroke trail bike

With that stable, I could ride every single day, rain or shine. I'll have to buy some lotto tickets...

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Johnny Roadrash

· #12 · Jun 21, 2000

Hello,
Have had one track day in april (with crash no extra charge) and as of 6/17 I am stareing down two speeding tickets collected over 72 hours. (I'd rather have r6racers broken ankle.) So I dont know if the track day slowed me down but I'll tell you what; those tickets parked my bike for a while.
jr

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speed good. speed limit bad.

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R6Racer

· #13 · Jun 21, 2000

I'd rather have your speeding tickets. Wanna trade?

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