Who was draggin' a bag on the Dragon?

[bergs]

Will they make me want to go slower on the street? Kinda like Prozac for motorcyclists?

Possibly. They very well may give you a new respect for what safe street riding is all about......aaaaaaaand you might actually learn something about riding other than speeding tickets and pucker moments with on coming vehicles.

Hard sayin' not knowin'. Only one way to find out, right?

 

[v65]

I'm gonna let you all in on a little secret.....please keep it just between us, okay?


There are these things called "race tracks"......sometimes you can ride a motorcycle on them.......free from endangering others and I hear there's plenty of open tarmac to get your jollies out on.

Awesome, got a map to the nearest one to me? It sure isn't Watkins Glen, they don't do bikes.

 

[MrTwisty]

Will they make me want to go slower on the street? Kinda like Prozac for motorcyclists?

Possibly. They very well may give you a new respect for what safe street riding is all about......aaaaaaaand you might actually learn something about riding other than speeding tickets and pucker moments with on coming vehicles.

Hard sayin' not knowin'. Only one way to find out, right?

I would LOVE to try a track day. but haven't had the opportunity. Honestly, I haven't MADE the opprotunity. It seems like a lot of money to spend for a couple of hours of fun.

Never really had a pucker moment with an oncomming car though, just gravel...oh yea, and tar snakes once. No speeding tickets either. I really don't ride that fast. I just don't slow down much for the turns. Plus I stay right.

I would never want to put myself, or anyone else in danger. However, I know that my judgement is not always perfect and sometimes my adrenaline addiction overcomes me. I am fully aware that if metal parts are touching the ground, I might be getting a little too rambunctios.

 

[bergs]

Awesome, got a map to the nearest one to me? It sure isn't Watkins Glen, they don't do bikes.

Grattan (MI), Pocono (PA), Thunderbolt (NJ), NHMS (NH), Calabogie (Canada), Mid-Ohio...

I'm sure there are more. Those are ones off the top of my head.

 

[bergs]

I would LOVE to try a track day. but haven't had the opportunity. Honestly, I haven't MADE the opprotunity. It seems like a lot of money to spend for a couple of hours of fun.
Never really had a pucker moment with an oncomming car though, just gravel...oh yea, and tar snakes once. No speeding tickets either. I really don't ride that fast. I just don't slow down much for the turns. Plus I stay right.

I would never want to put myself, or anyone else in danger. However, I know that my judgement is not always perfect and sometimes my adrenaline addiction overcomes me. I am fully aware that if metal parts are touching the ground, I might be getting a little too rambunctios.

Track days are a riot! What seems like alot of money up front really isn't considering what you, the rider, takes home. The skills you can learn one cannot put value on, IMO. Furthermore, every single person I talk to after they have completed their first TD always says "Damn! I shoulda done this a long time ago!" and "I can't wait to get back out there again!"

It's way more than a "couple hours". Most TD organizers start riding from 9am to 5pm in 20 minute sessions. Oh, you think 20 minutes isn't long enough? You will realize how unfit you really are after your 2nd session......ask me how I know.

Then the subject of "crashing my street bike" comes up. During a track day, crashing is a choice. Choose to ride outside your comfort zone and expect to crash. Choose to work on key components of your riding skills little by little and you become a much more efficient rider much quicker and in many aspects. There is no podium finish at a TD.

No tar snakes, no gravel, no SUV-talking-on-the-cell-phone-putting-on-makeup-reading-Wall-Street-Journal drivers. Just concentration at YOUR pace.

Also, taking it to the track avoids being "critiqued" by forum members when your proper-body-position-with-knee-down pic is posted.

So, is it "worth" the $125 to $250 for all that? You tell me.

I think so....but who am I?

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

R90Baron said... Wow! did he make it?

Wed Sep 03, 08:14:00 AM 2008

Darryl Cannon aka "killboy" said...

Yup...it was hard to pick one shot really, he was like this all day long.

"... all day long" ?? :blink:

retraction: I looks like I was WAY off in thinking that was a single pucker moment. I incorrectly assumed someone would learn from an experience like that.

Learning requires intiligence.

HaulinAshe, Let 'im have it!

(My retraction should not be interpreted as an election year "flip flop")

 

[v65]

Awesome, got a map to the nearest one to me? It sure isn't Watkins Glen, they don't do bikes.

Grattan (MI), Pocono (PA), Thunderbolt (NJ), NHMS (NH), Calabogie (Canada), Mid-Ohio...

I'm sure there are more. Those are ones off the top of my head.

That's the problem for me, now you are adding a two night hotel bill on top of the track day, and an entire weekend down. That, and don't most tracks require full leathers? If you can rent them, still looking at $400-$500 track day (gotta eat, and the FJR does use gas). Ouch.

 

[ShawnKing]

I'd like to ride like that, and am prepared to take moderate risk in ATG, but would like to do so as safely and intelligently as can be done using proper technique.

Then get to a Track Day up at Loudon, NH. You'll have an absolute blast, (eventually) learn to "ride like that" and be able to do it (relatively) safely and in a controlled environment.

 

[Crash Cash]

Maybe he's got a Rick Mayer seat and he CAN'T hang off! :trinibob:

 

[ShawnKing]

I do sometimes wonder how much the obvious presence of Killboy contributes to the crashes at The Dragon. I catch myself smacking away at the little devil on my shoulder who's saying... "Drive into that corner and lay it down low so that it will look good in the pic!"

There are (supposedly) 318 curves on the Dragon - Killboy and other photographers are at...what....20 of those curves? Most of the accidents do *not* happen at the photography corners.

I'm willing to bet that if you removed all the Killboy(s) from The Dragon itself and forced them to setup shop at either end, it wouldn't take too long to see a noticeable decrease in pilot-induced crashes.

I'll take that hypothetical bet. You'd have just as many accidents. You know why? It's a nasty, twisty, dangerous road. It was before Killboy and it will be long after he takes his toys and goes home.

Don't blame Killboy for rider inattentiveness. Killboy isn't jumping up and down in corners saying, "Smile for the camera!" If people *are* showing off for Killboy, that's the *show off's fault*, not Killboy's.

 

[zip]

I'd like to ride like that, and am prepared to take moderate risk in ATG, but would like to do so as safely and intelligently as can be done using proper technique.

Then get to a Track Day up at Loudon, NH. You'll have an absolute blast, (eventually) learn to "ride like that" and be able to do it (relatively) safely and in a controlled environment.

I'm convinced you're right, Shawn. It's in the plans at some point, perhaps in the Spring.

 

[monk69]

When I was stationed in the UK(after Nam)for three years,was when I learned not to ever cross the yellow line(including my head/not just the tyres)I was there in the late 60's/early 70's,but no one crossed the line(cars/mc they follow the rules to a "tea"(pun intended).The only law broken was the speed.But the advantages of never crossing the line,also go past the safety and law breaking reasons....And this is where the fun comes in.......You have a 12 foot wide slab of asphalt curvy as any track over here and you can practice your riding in the s'es,and you can't help but get better.....Now take 7 feet of that width away....now you have five feet of asphalt to work with....which one is going to increase you're riding skills....I really learned the difference when I went to track days........

How does this tie in with the Dragon Tail? The things I noticed were They cleaned and marked the road ( OIL ) and also there were enough people that were hanging out taking pics and just watching that it was almost as good as having corner workers ( flags )....And best of all I didn't see anyone crossing the line too much on blind turns....And staying on your side of the road,while still improving your skills,You can't go as fast....so it's got help keep the tickets down......

Track days are worth the money,so are racing classes....It may seem like a lot of money....It can cost say 50 bucks for 18 holes of golf ( 3 hours ) ,or 80 bucks for all day racing which is also cheaper than what it would cost to inter a race for 25 laps.....and the freedom of only thinking about your line/ & tech ,and not about cars and grease....Then along comes Race classes ( 3 days Keith Code for me early 80's )......Need I say....Even if we all think we know it all....the best thing I could say is after taking a class don't judge what you learned from it till you get back home and go up and down your favorite piece of road....then ask yourself,was it worth it......

FYI.......2 cents

 

[Calimus]

First I know I'm way late to the party, but I've been busy riding.

Secondly, I can say 100% that sure as hell wasn't me. As some others here can attest, I can't ride like that :blink: ...yet. Also, I'd never put a fire-stick on my FJR and I don't have stock pipes. It's certainly a Ga tag though.

Oddly enough Dom, I thought maybe it was an old shot of you up there. Hows that for irony?

Hey wait.
1) That really looks like a GA plate (the sequence of characters).

2) That Givi V46 looks familiar (like the one off my 05)

3) I swear CALIMUS has a big antennae like that

HMMMM.

 

[ngarider]

:lol: :lol:

Ok, so, the gods honest truth be told, I thought it was me too... for just a split second. I saw the blue, the Givi case and sparks -- and I know I've left peg feeler material on that road.

But, I don't have a big antenna (never did), that dude is WAY bigger than me (I'm like Tiny Elvis compared...). Also, I zoomed in, and the lights on the V46 aren't lit, and you know I had a light kit (cause you got it!). Also, pic taken after I sold mine.

On a lighter note, I ran the Dragon today, and in the spirit of this thread, tried NOT to drag a peg. I failed. Maybe next time.

 

[HaulinAshe]

Everybody stop trying to determine who was in the pic of this thread, and hop over to the Blonde Chik search on the other thread. It's way more fun.

 

[Scab]

Everybody stop trying to determine who was in the pic of this thread, and hop over to the Blonde Chik search on the other thread. It's way more fun.

Found her yet?

 

[thompsonian]

Found her yet?

Nothing yet sir!

How bout you guys?

Nothing yet sir!

And you guys?

WE AIN'T FOUND SH*T!!!!

Sorry...couldn't help myself....and now here's something you're really gonna like!!!

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

Some of the criticism from some on this site is why a lot of us don't post up. Some of us are just happy to ride while others will criticize what gear, what tires etc. Hell I know some guys who can out run most of you on their Goldwing. So there!!!! Now I am going out tomorrow and ride and I don't give a rats arse what you guys are going to criticize while I am out.

 

[Allnight]

Some of the criticism from some on this site is why a lot of us don't post up. Some of us are just happy to ride while others will criticize what gear, what tires etc. Hell I know some guys who can out run most of you on their Goldwing. So there!!!! Now I am going out tomorrow and ride and I don't give a rats arse what you guys are going to criticize while I am out.

Yep, it's Friday.

 

[RayW]

I would LOVE to try a track day. but haven't had the opportunity. Honestly, I haven't MADE the opprotunity. It seems like a lot of money to spend for a couple of hours of fun.

My neighbor does track days every once in a while over at Little Talladega. I'll let you know next time he's planning on going to one.

He's invited me a couple times and I'd love to go but I don't really have the gear for that and I don't think their rental leathers would come in my size. Short fat guys don't ride fast bikes or do track days I guess. :angry2:

Ray