Advanced Riding Course with Turn 2

[HorizonXP]

You don't have to be pushing hard to be crashing. I crashed at slow speed, taking the Turn 9 hairpin at Cayuga. I slid for maybe a metre or 2 on my bum. It was a really minor crash, but it twisted the forks and broke one of the windscreen ears on the front fairing. This was with Racer5 on their CBR125s, and it cost me something like $100 for the fairing, and $25 in labour for untwisting the forks. I would imagine the costs would be higher on a 600cc bike.

So I would rent the bike. Your insurance will definitely not cover your bike at the track.

[nfq]

Rent a bike and you'll focus on riding.
Bring your own bike, and you'll be distracted trying not to bin your bike in a turn.

[Mr.Azim]

Rent a bike, get the insurance and have fun.

And under no circumstances will your insurance cover you if you crash at the track with your street bike.

[E. Honda]

The rental is $240 and with insurance it comes to $365. Thats with a $1000 deductable. So if I crash their bike, I could pay up to $1365. It seems like it would take more than a low speed drop to get to over $1300 dollars worth of damage (although I guess everything on these bikes are pretty damn expensive).

It says ARC1 is more of an intro to the track and you're not actually racing around the track on your own at any time. I can't imagine there is a huge risk in that unless I do something really dumb...which is probably more likely to happen on the street than with an instructor there in a controlled environment.

[redridernl]

The rental is $240 and with insurance it comes to $365. Thats with a $1000 deductable. So if I crash their bike, I could pay up to $1365. It seems like it would take more than a low speed drop to get to over $1300 dollars worth of damage (although I guess everything on these bikes are pretty damn expensive).

It says ARC1 is more of an intro to the track and you're not actually racing around the track on your own at any time. I can't imagine there is a huge risk in that unless I do something really dumb...which is probably more likely to happen on the street than with an instructor there in a controlled environment.

ARC1 is tame. It definitely is an intro to the track but that didn't stop several people from crashing and it doesn't mean you won't be going fast.

[stormcat]

ARC1 is tame. It definitely is an intro to the track but that didn't stop several people from crashing and it doesn't mean you won't be going fast.

+1

Or you get stuck in a group with a guy you almost rear-end twice in T2...

Are you doing the CRG1 the next day? What track are you going to? That's what we did: ARC1 and then a CRG1. They really break up the groups according to years riding, how you perform, etc. E.g., The first group they placed me in was too fast and I did a little off-roading. The second was just right, the third was just stupidly slow. It got better in the afternoon, but I was 'finished' by that point, if you know what I mean. If you're placed in a group you feel is too fast or too slow, TALK TO SOMEONE and find out why. Don't make the mistake I did, which was be angry all day and have a crappy time.

The ARC1 day is exhausting, btw. Very structured and go, go, go. The day is a lot of fun, though. You'll enjoy how they break it up, then take you back out on the track to practice what you've just learned.

As for renting or use your own, use your own bike. You know your own bike already. No, State Farm will not cover any damages you do to it if you do crash. I asked something similar when I was planning out my ARC1-CRG1.

[E. Honda]

+1

Or you get stuck in a group with a guy you almost rear-end twice in T2...

Are you doing the CRG1 the next day? What track are you going to? That's what we did: ARC1 and then a CRG1. They really break up the groups according to years riding, how you perform, etc. E.g., The first group they placed me in was too fast and I did a little off-roading. The second was just right, the third was just stupidly slow. It got better in the afternoon, but I was 'finished' by that point, if you know what I mean. If you're placed in a group you feel is too fast or too slow, TALK TO SOMEONE and find out why. Don't make the mistake I did, which was be angry all day and have a crappy time.

The ARC1 day is exhausting, btw. Very structured and go, go, go. The day is a lot of fun, though. You'll enjoy how they break it up, then take you back out on the track to practice what you've just learned.

As for renting or use your own, use your own bike. You know your own bike already. No, State Farm will not cover any damages you do to it if you do crash. I asked something similar when I was planning out my ARC1-CRG1.

I'm planning to take the course at Calabogie. I was planning to do the CRG course the next day, but I'm not sure my schedule/the weather is going to allow it. So my plan was to take the CRG the next time they offer it which is in 2 weeks. For that I'm thinking renting may be a better idea.

So given that I will probably use my own bike for at least the ARC1, how should I prep it for the track and how long does that acutally take? I read the stuff on the site, and got the inspection check list...but I was planning to ride the bike to the track since I'm only about 30min away at the moment.
Would it be possible to get it ready at the track? I don't have any tools with me here, and haven't ever really done any mechanical work on a bike before. Would the tech people or anyone else lend me a hand or do they just tell you your bike isn't track ready?

[Fiery254]

The rental is $240 and with insurance it comes to $365. Thats with a $1000 deductable. So if I crash their bike, I could pay up to $1365. It seems like it would take more than a low speed drop to get to over $1300 dollars worth of damage (although I guess everything on these bikes are pretty damn expensive).

It says ARC1 is more of an intro to the track and you're not actually racing around the track on your own at any time. I can't imagine there is a huge risk in that unless I do something really dumb...which is probably more likely to happen on the street than with an instructor there in a controlled environment.

Price up new stock left side fairings from Honda. Oh, and a new clip on, a new clutch lever, a new mirror, possible headlight, engine casing, tail section, rearset and see if you can buy the lot for less than $1365. If you can then away you go to the track with your own bikeand lowside with confidence.

ARC1 is 'tame' compared with ARC2 or 3 but you're still moving fast enough to do a world of hurt to a street bike. And there's always the chance that someone else hits you or forces you off the track, whatever level you're riding.

[sircastic]

It's your call on renting of using your own bike. Crashing is less expensive on a rental than a street trim bike. Your street bike will also have to be prepped (i.e. lights taped, coolant replaced with water ...)

The groups are set up based on what the understood skill and comfort level is. Riders are sometimes moved between groups so that those with like skill levels ride together. If there is a problem with the pace, let your instructor know so that they can fix the problem.

The pace is set by the skill level of the group. If the group is comfortable at a slower pace that's what you'll run. If the group is comfortable with a quicker pace then it will run at that. Last Turn 2 event, I had a group that started at a quick level 1 pace and we moved the group into level 2 before lunch.

If you have specific questions check out the Turn2 website or PM me.

[smergy]

It depends on what your priority is. If you like parking your bike outside the local starbucks and everything to be really pretty on it, don't take it to the track, your mind won't be on riding, it will be on not crashing, which may cause you to crash.

On the flip side $1300 is a lot to potentially spend on someone elses bike and have nothing to show for it. For the speed you will be going, chances are a crash will only be cosmetic. Personally I ride my street bike all out on the track. Will I crash? sure, already have. You just get good at fibreglass and buying used parts. But then again I don't consider scuffs and plastic cracks body damage, I call them lessons learned.

If my ride gets damage doing what its meant to do, thats ok. Its when i see a sport bike with nubs on the edge of the tires still that makes me sad.

[Fiery254]

Price up new stock left side fairings from Honda. Oh, and a new clip on, a new clutch lever, a new mirror, possible headlight, engine casing, tail section, rearset and see if you can buy the lot for less than $1365. If you can then away you go to the track with your own bikeand lowside with confidence.

ARC1 is 'tame' compared with ARC2 or 3 but you're still moving fast enough to do a world of hurt to a street bike. And there's always the chance that someone else hits you or forces you off the track, whatever level you're riding.

Some poor guy rode his gixxer to Calabogie over the weekend. His first lap out, in green group, he overcooked it into Temptation and wrote his bike off. They had to use a front end loader to recover his bike. I wasn't there, but I've seen a rather graphic picture my mate took. Way more than $1365 worth of damage. You could probably add a '0' to it.

[redridernl]

Some poor guy rode his gixxer to Calabogie over the weekend. His first lap out, in green group, he overcooked it into Temptation and wrote his bike off. They had to use a front end loader to recover his bike. I wasn't there, but I've seen a rather graphic picture my mate took. Way more than $1365 worth of damage. You could probably add a '0' to it.

Cracked in half, I believe.