Track progression, how did you do yours? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Track progression, how did you do yours?

油井緋色

油井緋色

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I'm curious as to how some of the faster riders here (red group riders) started their track progression and how many years you've been racing or doing track days.

I have no interest in racing yet as I'm still in the learning stage but am very hesitant on taking my 750 to the track, especially after riding the 125 last year and realizing how ****** my body position was.

So, what did you start on, did you take any courses, and how long has it been?

Thanks!

[Random gamer bits that gamers will understand]

Because I've grown up playing video games, I'm more inclined to "level up" gradually over bikes. For example -> 125, 250, 400/500, 600SS, 750SS, 1000SS but I'm wondering if others have just thrown a 600 on the track and became really good at it.
 
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油井緋色;2320280 said:
I'm curious as to how some of the faster riders here (red group riders) started their track progression and how many years you've been racing or doing track days.

I have no interest in racing yet as I'm still in the learning stage but am very hesitant on taking my 750 to the track, especially after riding the 125 last year and realizing how ****** my body position was.

So, what did you start on, did you take any courses, and how long has it been?

Thanks!

[Random gamer bits that gamers will understand]

Because I've grown up playing video games, I'm more inclined to "level up" gradually over bikes. For example -> 125, 250, 400/500, 600SS, 750SS, 1000SS but I'm wondering if others have just thrown a 600 on the track and became really good at it.
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I took RACE school on a monday on a rz500, returned on the friday on a rg500, went out in practice noticed I was passing half the people so registered to race sat and sun. No trackdays in 1987.
 
I started with FAST Riding School phase 1&2 in 2002. I did a few track days in 2003 plus FAST phase 2 again, then phase 1 again (a big group of friends did it). In 2004 I did several private track days, open track, at SMP Nelson and Fabi. I only ever did 2 track days in the intermediate group. Started on a CBR600F4 until 2006, took a few years off, then spent 4 years on an SV650, and now I'm on a ZX-6R.
 
gsxr guy said:
I took RACE school on a monday on a rz500, returned on the friday on a rg500, went out in practice noticed I was passing half the people so registered to race sat and sun. No trackdays in 1987.
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Wow, that's a real sink or swim scenario! :)
 
I started late on a friend's R6 doing track days.

A better transition would be my kids who started on a CBR125. They moved to a CBR250 for 2 years before a 1st Gen SV650. The older one is now transitioning to a I4 after 1.5 years on a SV650.

My riding improved when I had to ride 125s, 250s and SVs against my kids.

I started racing only since I said I wouldn't let them do something that I didn't do.

The progression I think is key.

Edit: I did my my first track day when I was 46 and my first race at 47. the kids both started when they turned 13.
 
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bakaboy said:
I started late on a friend's R6 doing track days.

A better transition would be my kids who started on a CBR125. They moved to a CBR250 for 2 years before a 1st Gen SV650. The older one is now transitioning to a I4 after 1.5 years on a SV650.

My riding improved when I had to ride 125s, 250s and SVs against my kids.

I started racing only since I said I wouldn't let them do something that I didn't do.

The progression I think is key.
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This is the thing I was wondering about.

Many motorsport video games operate in the same manner (Gran Turismo comes to mind). They usually start you out with a slow piece of **** front wheel drive car on 7-10 corer tracks where you can yolo dive bomb and not worry about spinning out. By the end of the game you're using F1 cars on Nurburgring and dive bombing is no longer an option. Everyone new to these type of games equate faster = better and spend most of the time off track mowing the lawn.

I feel that the latter would happen if I took my 750 to the track but riding street has become incredibly boring...and a ticket time bomb.
 
Did 6-7 track days on an 08 Gsxr 600 (end of 2010-2011) sold it and bought my 08 Gsxr 1000 (sept 2011), did 6-7 track days on it and entered my first race (August 2012 finished 3rd in AM, no 1000 in novice:)), raced an 08 Gsxr 600 in 2013, bought and built my zx10 end of 2013 to current. Last year I did FAST phase 2 and I took the RACE school in 2012 to get my liscence, other than that it's been a watch and learn process for me following faster riders and asking questions.
 
doozerdave said:
Wow, that's a real sink or swim scenario! :)
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Did my first track day at TMP, took the Racer5 friday school and went racing the next day, so my second 'track day' started with 23 bikes going through turn 1.

I will admit that the thing that made me faster was racing a 250 for a full summer while recuperating from a broken thumb, so I think starting small and moving up is ideal but not always necessary
 
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doozerdave said:
Wow, that's a real sink or swim scenario! :)
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That's how it was back then (1987). There wasn't such a thing as a "track day" open to the public.

My first exposure to motorcycle roadracing of any form was World Superbike at Mosport in 1989. That winter, I signed up to be a corner worker (track marshal) with CRCA at Shannonville.

I know I did a track day organized by Kelly's Motorcycles in Brampton (one of the first) but I don't recall if that was before or after taking FAST level 1 - it was probably the same year (1990). That was also the first year being a corner worker. Did that again for 1991. Bought an EX500 as a track bike over that winter and had Rocket Motorcycle go through it (RIP Robbie, you got a lot of us started). Rode that at RACE for a couple of years, along with a couple trips elsewhere, then took a couple years off, bought my FZR400 as a street bike in 1996 and converted it to a race bike and still have it.
 
bakaboy said:
The progression I think is key.
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Yes, I would agree with that 100%. Going to the SV after having the 600 was really good for my riding skills. I learned a lot about lines, corner speed and braking.
 
I did Fast Phase I in 2005, a whole bunch of track days after, then Phase II in 2009. Used the detuned 600s that Fast provided for both courses. My own track bike has always been a 1000.

I'm glad I waited between Phase I and Phase II. Maybe I could have taken Phase II a lot sooner than 4 years, but there were some guys in our Phase II class that took Phase I the day before, I don't think they really understood and got the concept of trail-braking because they were still digesting track basics from Phase I. I'd suggest get at least one season of track days between Phase I and Phase II.

As for video games, they're not going to help you any. Unless Shannonville, Mosport and Calabogie are tracks in your game, because video games are only useful for learning layouts and what corners come next.

Also, if you can afford it, buy photos of yourself at the track while leaned over. Then you can study your body positioning between track days so you can improve on your next time out. Also nice to see a history of your progression and then shake your head over how bad you were in the beginning! :)
 
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Lightcycle said:
As for video games, they're not going to help you any. Unless Shannonville, Mosport and Calabogie are tracks in your game, because video games are only useful for learning layouts and what corners come next.

Also, if you can afford it, buy photos of yourself at the track while leaned over. Then you can study your body positioning between track days so you can improve on your next time out. Also nice to see a history of your progression and then shake your head over how bad you were in the beginning! :)
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Of course video games won't help unless I ever visit Nurburging or Laguna Seca lol but the mentality of incremental progression is something I've applied to nearly everything. I suppose I was looking for justification of bringing my 750 to the track this year but my gut is telling me it's a really bad idea.

I have videos of my Racer5 course 1-3 and one photo of my trackday at mosport's RDT last year; wish I took the camera with me at the session so I could replay the crash.

I guess based on this thread I'll just throw more money at Racer5 for now until I'm comfortable with their 600s enough to take my 750 out; it's certainly cheaper taking the 750 and just pussy footing it the whole way though.
 
I did two track days at Shannonville in 1989 and 1990 on a 1980 Suzuki GS1100. Then I took a 24 year break. In 2014 I bought a 2002 Honda 954 and did a two day event at Calabogie "Novice" then a two day event at Grattan "Intermediate" and this spring I did a two day event at Barber "Advanced" This July I will be returning to Calabogie for another two day event in Advanced.
 
1st TD in 2007 on my 04 ZX10R. Bumped to the red group on my 3rd TD. Felt ready to race after 14 TDs and had my first race in 2009.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
caboose56 said:
1st TD in 2007 on my 04 ZX10R. Bumped to the red group on my 3rd TD. Felt ready to race after 14 TDs and had my first race in 2009.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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He wanted to hear from fast guys and aren't you retired :)
 
rode lots of built rz350 on street and rz500's, crashed a bunch. tried a track day at st.eustache. on a 1989 gsxr'r 7/11. 1995. crashed twice in the back bowl. same exact spot. signed up to race in 1996 am superbike on same 7/11. finished third got turned pro that year.
 
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