Track virgin needs guidance

[GregP]

And, regardless of what has been said previously, there ARE winners at track days.

Those are the people who's bikes and bodies still look and function the same at the end of the day as they do at the start of the day.  Riding your own pace within your own ability is key to that

I've done a ton of track days. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about crashing or not crashing while I'm there but it does feel good to load up a bike at the end of the day that hasn't hit the deck.  Plus, you don't want to be the douche that costs your group track time because you binned it on the second turn of the first session.  Get out there, ride your own pace and enjoy it. 

[red baron]

I've never ridden a track. And I just began riding on pavement altogether. I've had a 2015 M821 for a few weeks. Should I expect this bike to perform well on the track (potentially)? Should I even bother showing my face at a track until I get more general riding experience? Or might that be a good place to hone street applicable skills?

Is the bike new, or are you both new?

Likely the bike is far beyond your capabilities (I know mine is for me), get your suspension set before entering the track.

As long as you're having fun, just ride in your comfort zone. Likely they will group you with other riders with the same skill set.

[IZ]

What track in TX?   Not COTA I hope?!
I received a free track day at Firebird in Phoenix with the purchase of my Monster back in '03. 
All day, Free instruction, lunch and leathers.  It was well worth it!  As previously mentioned, if you haven't taken a skills class yet..you should definitely look into it. 

[Grampa]

I'm to lazy to go back and check if anyone else mentioned it, but if you bin a bike at a trackday, insurance may not cover damages, but if it happens at a skills training event, that may be a ok in the eyes of your carrier. I would check beforehand in such a way that is does not tip off the carrier that you are using for a track event. A good friend had his bike totaled at Laguna Seca, and was covered only because he could prove it was a skills class, and not a teackday.

[duccarlos]

Foremost used to cover for track days incidents.

[Monsterlover]

Or you can have an accident "on the street"

But that's up to the ethics of the individual

[Triple J]

I don't know...someone knocked it over while I was in the grocery store. 

[stopintime]

I don't know...someone knocked it over while I was in the grocery store. 

Those damn SUVs!

[Monsterlover]

Nice

[MotoZen]

What track in TX?   Not COTA I hope?!


No, the one nearest to me, which is the likeliest one I'll try first, is called MSR Houston.

[MotoZen]

Is the bike new, or are you both new?

Likely the bike is far beyond your capabilities (I know mine is for me), get your suspension set before entering the track.

The bike is new. And I'm new. The bike and I have the same # of miles on the street. About 800 now.

How should my suspension setup differ between street and track riding? Or should they? I tend to ride about as aggressively on the street as the conditions and my current comfort level allow. I know some will frown on that fact. But that's a subject for another post, eh?

So what sort of adjustments should be made to suspension? And is it something thing I might be able to do myself?

[stopintime]

There are many many details you need to adjust, modify or replace if you want to win...

Since that's not your goal yet - I'd say leave everything as is.

Diving into details at this point will confuse you and might take focus away from the basics.

Also, getting to know and master the bike is easier if it's the same on the street and track.

[MotoZen]

I have A LOT OF TIME to kill! I'd like to learn more about the adjustments and such your referring to. Not to say I'd immediately begin implementing all of them. But, I definitely wanna race someday. Shouldn't I begin getting accustomed to my future track setup now?

[Triple J]

With only 800 miles of experience on a motorcycle, and 0 on the track...leave as-is and just go enjoy yourself. Have your local suspension guy adjust things at the track for you ....typically costs about $40 or so. That's a good idea for track AND street honestly.

In the meantime, buy the book Sportbike Suspension Tuning by Andrew Trevitt. Great book on suspension tuning so you can start learning how everything works.

Personally, I just let my suspension guy mess with it. Suspension is a bit of an art and science.

If you want to race ( ), then CMRA is your club assuming your in TX. Poke around their website and research how, and when to enter the Novice program. Volunteer to corner work for them, which is pretty fun. It's a good way to get involved if you're too late to start this season...and they'll appreciate it if their club is like ours (we always need corner workers). It's a good way to see the fast guys up close and personal.

You'll also want a dedicated race bike...poke around their classified section, as you can usually get race-prepped bikes for cheap...especially at the end of a season.

http://www.cmraracing.com/content.php

[MotoZen]

Nice tips.