Poll for track day people

[kevin_stevens]

Well, I don't agree with Phil.

Background - I've crashed twice on the street in 30 years; once into a left-turner and one instant low-side on some foreign substance on a turn. I do about a half-dozen track days a year and I've never crashed at one.

But, I do think hour-for-hour, one is *much* more likely to crash at the track, and it isn't because you're an idiot. You'd be an idiot if you WENT to a track to ride around at 20% like the majority of street hours/miles; that's not what a track is for. By definition you are there to practice performance riding, which I arbitrarily define as at or above 80% capability. At that point, I think you are about equally likely to crash on the track as the street, but you're spending ALL of your time in that zone at the track, vs a small fraction of your street time.

And the reason I say "about equally" is that while the track is much safer in terms of *consequences* if you crash, the likelihood isn't much less. Yes, it's cleaner, but you're being passed or held up by people with different agendas, priorities, and abilities. Almost all of my near-crash moments on the track have been as a result of passing activity.

KeS

[modette]

Does the Interstate count as a TRACK? When I was younger it sure seemed like a track.

[kevin_stevens]

Originally Posted by blurr

self control is what its all about then, if you know you will do somethign that could cause you to have an accident, why are you doing it (not hte track day, but your actions on the track)

Because, to a degree, that's how you learn. It's extremely difficult to learn how to do something perfectly without doing it imperfectly. If what you're trying to learn is how to control a racing motorcycle near its or your limit, it's quite likely that mistakes will occur.

If I'm coming up on turn 1 at Willow Springs at 160mph, that's somewhere around 240 ft/sec. The track is 30 feet wide. So my margin for error in selecting a braking point from 160mph is 1/8 of a second. I'm not that good.

So, I don't come up on turn 1 at 160mph, I start slowing down much earlier and "feel" my way into it at speeds I'm more acquainted with, like 80mph. In that example I'm proving your point. But there are lots of other actions performed on a track that you don't have the flexibility to ease into like braking points.

KeS

[blurr]

Fair enough, good analogies btw

[L8 Braker]

Hell, I've been hit by a car more times than I've crashed on the track!!

[blurr]

I gotta say other than the sissies making excuses about going to the track there have been some good opinions on it.
Sticky for the thread requested, with an addition of "both" so I can vote too

[acalliste]

I disagree that you must ride around at at least 8/10ths to enjoy a track day. The last track day I did, I spent the entire day videoing Jenn, riding at about the same level of intensity that I would on a Sunday ride (or less actually depending on what group I am Sunday riding with), and I had a fabulous time. I got exactly what I wanted out of that day, I got to ride on a clean surface with far less obstacles & LE than you have to deal with while street riding. That is the main reason I do track days. Not because I want to be Ricky Roadracer.

[kevin_stevens]

Originally Posted by acalliste

I disagree that you must ride around at at least 8/10ths to enjoy a track day. The last track day I did, I spent the entire day videoing Jenn, riding at about the same level of intensity that I would on a Sunday ride (or less actually depending on what group I am Sunday riding with), and I had a fabulous time.

And that wasn't 8/10s, at least in the critical corners??

But whatever the number, my point is that the majority of street miles/hours are put on at a far, far lower rate of control than either your sprightly Sunday strafes or the track; so yes, the risk is higher for the track activity.

KeS

[acalliste]

Not really... I didn't push my personal limits in any way on the last track day I did.

I am not saying you shouldn't & certainly not saying I don't/won't. Just saying you don't have to scare the shit out of yourself to have fun, and you aren't an idiot if you just go out to have fun.

[modette]

This is where it is at to gain better skills.

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