May 30th, 2017, 07:04 AM | #1 |
Cat herder
Name: Gort
Location: A secret lair which, being secret, has an undisclosed location
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): Aprilia RS660 Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 6
MOTM - Jul '18, Nov '16, Aug '14, May '13
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Don't be that guy
Just got back from two days up at Palmer Motorsports Park. In the middle of the night, a rig pulls up and I hear stuff being set up. Morning comes, and it turns out to be a young guy with a pregen and his girlfriend. I've reached the age where all young people look the same to me, so I really don't know how old. Early 20s, I'm guessing.
I give them coffee and we start chatting. Really sweet couple, very nice. It's his first time and he's really excited. So I start talking about the day, what to expect, how to get the most out of it, encouraging him (and his girlfriend) to go to the classroom sessions, all that stuff. "Think of it like the best road ride you've ever had," etc. Then I ask him an important question: "You're a young man, and young men are often impetuous. Tell me the truth: Do you like riding for the speed? For the rush? Do you see the red mist from time to time?" He laughed a bit and said "yeah... I like wheelies...." So I drop a few words about squids and why the track is not about that. Short anecdotes about people who get out there the first day and bin the bike right off the bat trying to be heroes. "Don't be that guy," I said. "This is about learning to be a better rider, not going out there and riding as fast or hard as you can. Ride at 70%. That way you'll have a blast and learn a lot more." So he goes out, does the first follow-the-leader session, comes back and his eyes are as wide as saucers. "That was BADASS!" he says to his girlfriend. Super-enthusiastic. Fun to watch. Next session, ten minutes in the flatbed pulls up with his bike on it. Seems he rode off the edge of the track. He was okay, thankfully. Clearly he listened but did not internalize. I hope to see him at the track again, but I have a feeling I won't. Don't be that guy! Take it easy, and live to ride another day. PS: Another guy did something I've never seen before... high sided his Ninja 300 AT TECH. Hard to do that.
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I am NOT an adrenaline junkie, I'm a skill junkie. - csmith12 Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est. Heri historia. Cras mysterium. Hodie donum est. Carpe diem. |
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May 30th, 2017, 11:16 AM | #2 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: AKA JacRyann
Location: Mesa, AZ
Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): CB125T CBR250R-MC19 CBR250RR-MC22 NSR350R-MC21 VF500F CBR600RR SFV650 VFR750F R1M ST1300PA Valkyrie-F6C Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2018, MOTM - Nov '17
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Heh, heh... I've crashed on 1st lap of 1st session before! Mostly because I was still asleep, didn't even grab the brakes, just went straight off into the grass and tipped over (like a cow). If it wasn't for the corner-workers, I might have just laid there and caught a nap!
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May 30th, 2017, 11:52 AM | #3 |
Cat herder
Name: Gort
Location: A secret lair which, being secret, has an undisclosed location
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): Aprilia RS660 Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 6
MOTM - Jul '18, Nov '16, Aug '14, May '13
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I am NOT an adrenaline junkie, I'm a skill junkie. - csmith12 Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est. Heri historia. Cras mysterium. Hodie donum est. Carpe diem. |
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May 30th, 2017, 11:56 AM | #4 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13
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Andrew, your call and approach is spot on. First timers do not realize their perception of what fast really is will be completely, 100%, flat out obliterated and I explain to them they are about to be reeducated in ways they never thought possible. Street fast has absolutely nothing to do with track fast, night and day different skillsets and protocols. When you ride in a street style fast on the track... you are going to find yourself in the grass.
Thanks for giving it the good ole college try though. Tech crashes and drops are the best... Embarrassing yes, but really nobody cares in the end. This I know, having been one myself.
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Goal: Shake A Million Hands | Look through the corners | Track Day Prep | Closest track? | The Mid-Ohio School |
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May 30th, 2017, 12:03 PM | #5 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13
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I recently was tasked with helping train another coach/cr.
His first day coaching... he had a rider go down and came in blaming himself for the entire day. To some coaches, it bothers them more than others, this is FACT. In the end, much like Mr. Fist's paddock mate, you can't save everyone from themselves no matter how hard you try. And yes, I have strongly considered ending someone's day early due to safety concerns (for them and others). In the end, you have to let riders ride their own ride and not take it personally. Good coaches/mentors try to find the positive in everything. At least that rider in the coach's group choose to ride at the track to learn vs the street and crash with support 20-30 mins away. Despite his down, his choice was the right one, intent doesn't even need apply.
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Goal: Shake A Million Hands | Look through the corners | Track Day Prep | Closest track? | The Mid-Ohio School |
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May 30th, 2017, 12:20 PM | #6 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: AKA JacRyann
Location: Mesa, AZ
Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): CB125T CBR250R-MC19 CBR250RR-MC22 NSR350R-MC21 VF500F CBR600RR SFV650 VFR750F R1M ST1300PA Valkyrie-F6C Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2018, MOTM - Nov '17
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There's some saying about a horse...
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May 30th, 2017, 01:00 PM | #7 |
Guy Who Enjoys Riding
Name: Jim
Location: North Carolina
Join Date: Jul 2016 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Oct '18, Aug '17, Aug '16
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May 30th, 2017, 10:38 PM | #8 |
ninjette.org member
Name: gibby
Location: San Diego
Join Date: May 2017 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 Posts: 10
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I have helped quite a few folks at their first trackdays and I get as excited as they do. That "holy crap that was awesome" I hear is just priceless.
The single most important thing I have done with 2 wheels is basically offer an everything included trackday (except the bike) to someone who had never been, I took nominations with strict requirements: 1. Someone who has helped a fellow rider out 2. Someone who NEEDS a trackday (in the hopes they would chill-out on the street) Couple people nominated this Marine that bought an R1 that rode like a total squid. Nice guy but S Q U I D....So I buy him his ticket, I find him leathers to borrow, I pick him and his bike up and we get to the track (Chuckwalla) the night before and have some adult beverages. I give him the low-down on a trackday and even bring my control rider buddies over to talk jedi to him and we decide to walk the ENTIRE track at 12:10am (this is now a tradition) Long story short, although he was dragging random body parts BEFORE lunch, he finished the day without incident. After the first few sessions he just kept saying "this is awesome, THANK YOU!", smiling ear to ear. Fast forward a few years and that squid on his R1 is now a Total Control Advanced Riding Instructor, a licensed racer who podiumed in novice middleweight his first time out, a control rider for 2WTD, he started a business designed to help get new riders to the track (not for profit), and he is one of my best friends on this planet. To this day he tells me that I might have just saved his life by introducing him to the track and lecturing him to chill the **** out on the street. I doubt that is true but man does it feel good either way. Now I ask HIM for help, he calls me his track-dad, but regardless we still do our trackwalk all 2.7 something miles of it at Chuckwalla at 12:10am, every time. Biggest difference? HE buys the whiskey! LOL Help somebody get to the track and you might get paid back ten-fold. |
3 out of 3 members found this post helpful. |
May 31st, 2017, 05:06 AM | #9 | |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Hansveer
Location: Bombay, India
Join Date: Jan 2012 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250r - Track whore, Ninja 300 - SOLD, KTM RC390 - Orange Hulk, Ducati 899 Panigale - Red Devil. Posts: A lot.
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May 31st, 2017, 06:32 AM | #10 | |
ninjette.org member
Name: Topaz
Location: South Florida
Join Date: Mar 2017 Motorcycle(s): 2013 Ninja 300 / Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM Posts: 214
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Sometimes I feel surprised how I survived my younger years. |
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May 31st, 2017, 08:05 AM | #11 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: John
Location: Appleton, WI
Join Date: Apr 2015 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300 (race), Ninja 1000 (road) Posts: 504
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I haven't really seen too many squidly new riders at the track.
The way I help newbies at the track is usually with tire pressures. They come back from a session and their tires are smooth and cool. (sound the alarms) Honestly, I think the number one cause of 1st day crashes in novice group is due to people coming in with street pressures, which, coming off the track ends up being 40 psi or so.
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Ninja 300 - CCS Ultralight Thunderbike Racing I want to "like" your post but I can't due to forum rules. Sorry. |
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May 31st, 2017, 08:26 AM | #12 | |
Private Joker
Name: Ben
Location: Towson, MD
Join Date: Nov 2012 Motorcycle(s): '99/'01 Ninja 250 "sketchy", '13 Ninja 300 "yoshi", '03 GSXR 600 "merlin" Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Mar '14
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Quote:
but yup, I always see these guys at their first track days. Part of the fun of coaching a first time track rider is to keep them calm and collected so they can maintain focus and keep the whole day as a high note
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