Track Day / Race Bikes.... What's yours?

Discussion in 'Racing & Track Days' started by Honda RS125, Sep 6, 2019.

  1. Cyberob

    Cyberob New Member

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    Using my 2001 VFR as track bike for the 2nd year in a row. When I am able to do a proper knee down, than maybe I will look for something else. For me it still has enough to offer![​IMG]
     
  2. ceptorman

    ceptorman New Member

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    As we all know it's the rider, not the bike. Freddy Spencer used to makes laps at his racing school on a 5th gen VFR, while his students were all on CBR600s, nobody came close to keeping up with him on the track.
     
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  3. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    I followed Freddie at speed on his VFR reach over with his left hand to maintain throttle while he used his right to reach down and point at the apex.

    I also got to do hot laps at the end of the day with Nicky Hayden. He visited the School for some laps before his season. One of my proudest moments on a track is when I got a double take from Nicky when he checked over his shoulder and someone was still in sight. Gave me a little nod and thumbs up. I ran the bike out of gas on the track, I didn't want to stop I was having so much fun.
     
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  4. ceptorman

    ceptorman New Member

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    That's a treasured day for sure, great story. Both of those guys are Honda guys down to their core.
     
  5. Colddevil

    Colddevil Member

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    I picked up a 2001 SV650S in August and got myself to two track days this year since I was sick of living with the regret of having not done it yet. Blackhawk Farms and Road America separated by 8 days. Honestly, the whole thing was pretty overwhelming doing it entirely solo; however, it's pretty much all I can think about now. I cannot wait to get out there again next year. I was having a lot of anxiety in my riding skills recently that was taking away some of the joy of actually riding. These two track days obliterated my fears of right hand turns and rain (my first two sessions ever on track were in a downpour, lol).

    I've got it in my head now that I want to take my VF500F to Blackhawk at some point. I've got a fair amount of work to do before I'd feel comfortable doing that though. For now, it'll be me on the SV650 getting passed by everyone else. It won't be hard to see that I've got a lot of work to do on body position.

    IMG_9702.JPG
     
  6. Gator

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    SB 650’s are great track bike set up proper. And so inexpensive to track. Great bang for the dollar.
     
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  7. Thumbs

    Thumbs Member

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    8FA4864C-439E-477B-869D-AAF869368662.jpeg
     
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  8. Gator

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    Nice photo! Who is that?
     
  9. Thumbs

    Thumbs Member

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    No idea, it was on a Christmas card I was sent

    Snaefell on the IOM this morning

    D3FCB698-0110-4325-B390-28976ED37E83.jpeg
     
  10. ceptorman

    ceptorman New Member

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    Nice pic. I always wanted to go to Rd America. It sounds like you have hit the "track pipe"....be prepared to sell your organs to go to the track! JK....glad you had fun. Do you have a lap timer, you should keep track of your times, and see how you improve. I used to race a 1st gen SV650 Superbike, they are great track/race bikes, especially set up. Have you ever considered racing? It's the next step up in that "buzz" search.
     
  11. Gator

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    Be prepared to sell more organs for that "next step up".
    Oh and divorces are expensive. lol
     
  12. Colddevil

    Colddevil Member

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    Hah, I like "track pipe"--It was absolutely a blast. I've been going up there as a spectator for about 20 years now, but I've never actually been on the track. I've made it as far as pit lane where I gave the command to start engines for a Pirelli World Challenge race and they needed to use a tape delayed version of my practice run since I screwed up the sponsor plug in the live version.. but never onto the racing surface, lol. So it was pretty awesome pulling into there at 5am, pitch dark and dead silence, knowing I would be able to going around later that day. If I'm honest though, I preferred Blackhawk Farms a bit more because the 15 minute period of on-track time doesn't give a lot of time to find a rhythm on a 4-mile course. The parts that most surprised me were the elevation change from 1-to-3, and also just how blind turn 6 is as you're coming up to the Corvette Bridge. Turn 6 was also the first turn I ever clipped my toe on the ground, and I had myself a little scared moment and a lesson in working on my foot position.

    tapeDelay.JPG

    No lap timers or anything yet--my pace, confidence, and experience level doesn't warrant it. I just want to get more seat time and take it all in. Learn how to setup a suspension, and learn to be comfortable riding near other people. I'm also trying to figure out what I've actually got in this bike. The past week I've been in discovery mode on it trying to determine how it was setup, and I've been thrown through a bit of a loop on some of the modifications, but it ran well--just quite a lot of deviation from stock on air/fuel delivery. I've got a single exhaust valve that is out of tolerance by 0.001" (grrrr...), so I'll be doing my first shim under bucket valve adjustment in the coming weeks. Going to put everything back together first to make sure it all still runs correctly after cleaning the carburetor.

    I (think) I'd love to get into racing at some point. Hopefully over the next year or two I'll figure out if that's something I really want to pursue. I'd actually purchased a 100cc 2-stroke kart a few years ago and absolutely loved the race experience; however, I had no ambition to wrench on the thing afterward and wasn't a big fan of the... idk... feel(?) of the atmosphere. So I got rid of the kart. I prefer two wheels much more. We shall see.

    Any developing relationship I've had in the last few years has pretty much ended as soon as they see I've got more motorcycles in the garage than I do plates in the kitchen, so I feel like I have the divorce expense nipped in the bud. But you aren't kidding about the need to sell more organs... I can see how it could get out of control quick.
     
  13. ceptorman

    ceptorman New Member

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    Awesome story. Yea it's just something about riding on a track, it's so addictive. Be careful tapping your toe on the track. Do you belong to a trackway org? That's a good place to get some help, their control riders will evaluate you while you ride and give you some pointers. There are quite a few tools to improve your skills. Sometimes they will give you a very simple task like foot position, and it will make a difference. Usually slowing down will make you faster.

    There was a Chicago based company called Moto-Vid....they will video you while on track, then break down the video with you. The reason divorces are so expensive is because they are worth it.
     
  14. Gator

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    To avoid costly divorce find a woman that rides. Oh wait..... that is even more expensive. Lol
    A friend, LDH on here, runs Kyle Racing our in California. I think he has about 7 bikes he keeps in the house. His wife is a very good track rider. She has a beautifully setup Honda CBR 1000 and A new R6 also decked out with Ohlin’s suspension, Brembo brakes etc. Mike built himself a new track weapon from a Kawi 1k that he said was the nicest bike he has ever built. And he has built 100’s for racers. Kyle Racing track bike is also a built R6 that is insane. Not sure how much money went into it but it’s a work of art with incredible electronics and telemetry. WSBK level.
     
  15. ceptorman

    ceptorman New Member

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    Mike built my forks on a Honda SP-2 years ago.
     
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  16. Gator

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    Mike is a good guy. Followed him at Homestead International on a track day. Showed me how to get through a few turns faster. But 1 turn up high off the wall dropping down he would take a low line and fly through the next turn. I almost mowed the lawn on that one. Could not figure that one out.
    I have bought parts from him visited him out in California and send him all of my Ohlin bits for service. Rebuilt the forks a few years ago.
     
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