by "Nonster" (noahnic)
Published 02/21/2017 at 16:51
by "Nonster" (noahnic)
Published 02/21/2017 at 16:51
Tags: Two Wheels Good
; Motorcycle
; track day
STARS: 4
The date is set! May 14-15 I’m taking the two-day Performance Riding Class at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course! Now I just need to get the last few pieces of gear together! WOOOO!!!!
I’ve done track days in my MR2, but I’ve been itching to take a bike to the track ever since I got my first motorcycle about 2 years ago! Now that I’ve had my SV650 for a year and put about 11,000 miles on it I’ve gotten pretty comfortable with it so I’m looking forward to really improving my riding!
I’d like to upgrade the suspension on the SV, but I’m not sure if that will happen before the track day. I usually take the approach of getting my skills to surpass the limits of my vehicle before making upgrades. That said, I think I may be well past that point considering the woefully underdamped fork and shock. We’ll see, Stay tuned!
"nermal" (nermal)
02/21/2017 at 18:23, STARS: 3
Awesome! The suspension on your bike is probably fine for now. Frequently there will be a guy at the track doing tires and / or suspension that will charge you $40 or so to adjust it. Pay the guy and do what he says.
Top ten other tips that I’ve picked up along the way:
1) Don’t ride Mid Ohio in the rain. Other tracks are ok to ride if it is wet, this one is not. The pavement is borked somehow. Also, be extra careful in the morning when the pavement is cold.
2) Take and drink lots of fluids. I prefer a mix of Water, Gatorade, and Red Bull.
3) Pay attention at the rider’s meeting.
4) When choosing a pit location, try to be near an older guy with a nicer truck and trailer but kinda plain looking bike with track fairings in ok condition. Those guys are usually fast as shit but still friendly.
5) Avoid pitting near anybody that has a generator that isn’t a little enclosed Honda or Yamaha. Definitely avoid people that have the generators that have the frame on the outside.
6) Don’t forget a chair and a canopy. Or earplugs.
7) Wear Under Armour or equivalent under your leathers. You’ll get stuck in them otherwise.
8) Hit the gym now. Work on squats, deadlifts, abs, cardio, pushups and pullups. Riding a motorcycle at speed on a track in the heat with full gear is strenuous. You’ll have a better time if you’re in better shape and don’t get worn out.
9) Stop if you start to get a headache, dizzy, or otherwise feel exhausted. That means you are dehydrated.
10) Relax while riding, and don’t try to set any lap records your first day out. Tense = bad.
"Captain Brotatohead" (brotatobrotato)
02/22/2017 at 12:32, STARS: 0
As someone who’s raced bicycles, the pedally kind, at mid-Ohio in the rain, I can confirm that you should not ride this course in the rain. There was plenty of oppo at 25-30 mph descending and cornering through madness. We had a very small A field and we decided to take it easy because it felt so sketchy. The C field was on the course at the same time as us, but left the start line a minute or so back. After the first lap we all looked to each other and “they’re all gonna die”. At the finish of lap two, half of the C field was on the sideline having crashed out or quit because of the conditions.
"Nonster" (noahnic)
02/22/2017 at 13:26, STARS: 0
Thanks a ton for all the great pointers! I’ll be sure to keep them in mind!