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TrackDays2012

Page history last edited by jerry 11 years, 8 months ago

TrackDays2012

 


 

Introduction/Definition/etc

 

Track Days, for me, are motorcycle

(and presumably car/cage)

rentals of the Racing Track.

(And also Velodrome/bicycling, but we don't have

one around here/ DC yet, they are working on it)

But it's so low level, beginner,

that it's not really racing, just

as playing tag football is not the NFL.

 

But the normal rules don't apply,

no police with speed cameras/ radar guns,

but also, you are on the track

with people like yourself, motorcyclists

who think they know what they are doing,

perhaps testosterone or estrogen poisoned,

and well, also instructors that do know what

they are doing...

 

And for those who are interested, there is

a free lunch time run around the track,

in 20 minute session, as appetizer/

pre-sales.,,

 

Body

 

Motorcyclists "take it to the track".

You know motorcycling is fun,

the bugs in the teeth type stuff,

standard joke, how you tell a happy biker/

motorcyclist, by the bugs in their teeth,

well, in reality, the face shield is for that too,

but breathing in the heat is nice too,

I've been saying, my A/C breaks

every time I stop  [ so I don't really want to stop ].

And it's been warm/ hot recently.

Some people think Summer is for

Motorcycling, it's really spring and fall, IMO.  

Summer is HOT.  I sweat more

on a Motorcycle than a Bike, as have more

protective gear on, and on the track

it's apparently Leathers, as in race suit,

kind of a team jersey, if you will,

expensive, but not really re-useable.

 

For me, motorcycling is an antidepressant,

and according to one person, remaining

anonymous, it is for a lot of people.

 

I don't have a death wish while on them,

they are the reason to keep going.

So Atypical Depression.

 

I tried explaining it to a relative/wife of a guy

who just got a bike/motorcycle, and she was scared.

It seems to me, that the system is adaptive

You get more obnoxious/ reflective,

safety conscious/ maybe even polite,

as you go along...

 

Flip side is the police don't really enforce

fairly with bikers, bicycles in particular, and one

meeting of the ArlBAC (see ArlBAC20120507 ),

they talked with police about it... 

IMO police are motorized,

very few are on bicycles, so don't really

know the bikers perspective, like people who do it

commuting for 20-30 years.  Likewise with

Motorcycle Cops, AFAICT, I haven't talked

with Motorcycle Cops, I tried waving the

other day, and they didn't wave back,

you may have seen the signal we give

each other, maybe it's a private thing,

kind of a high five, down low,

two fingers down, as in rubber to the road,

keep the rubber side down (I'll add,

It's More Fun That Way (tm) )

Don't tell anyone, it's the secret handshake...

 

I also did it on a bicycle to motorcycles,

and it was awkward, but if you own one,

maybe you qualify?  Sometimes as a joke too...

 

I'm a bit dorky looking, I'm not really

into leathers, but would like to have some

extra skin for sliding along pavement,

and am usually safety conscious,

wearing hot stuff, instead of the

shorts and sneakers, full face helmet

instead of without, even in PA where

there is no helmet law, they called it

weeding out the herd...

 

But the view from the Bike is different

from not on a bike.  Cultures clash,

people don't see bikes, and

bikers get pissed off. 

 

Maybe part of why there is the

loud rumbling, the adding the lights,

the other cool and/or scary stuff...

 

Perhaps popularized by the Easy Rider

Movie of the 1960's, IDK, I probably

saw it, but don't remember, might have

to see it and write something,

not that I have many readers, but well,

for myself, too...

 

So tried going to Track,

Take It To The Track, they say,

but I was a spectator,

trying camping, lashing a tent

and bedroll to the bike,

and going to free camping,

the test drive version really.

 

I arrived really early and learned

some things, tape the mirrors,

most probably take them off,

don't look back, you are responsible

for the people in front of you,

don't distract yourself with the

usual road looking for oncoming/

incoming, they are passing you,

so they are responsible.

 

Also, if there is a problem,

no glass all over the track.

to clean up.  Lights Lenses taped,

anything shiny that blinds people basically.

 

Pay the money, get the card,

get it through tech, which is inspected

to ride.  You need Leathers,

a race suit. Rentals are available,

when the truck shows up on time,

first time riders show up early,

very early... 

 

It's now 3 am, going on 4 am

and I'm considering going out

(out of sequence from the posting,

catching up with camping by motorcycle,

before the Autreat trip, more writing

likely later).

 

 

Talked with a guy doing his first one/

beginners class. I helped him with what I knew

from being there early, he got

there a little late, nervous.

Big bike, red, mine opposite.

I joke with bikes the red ones

get stolen.  Or yours says stop,

mine says go ahead and hit me.

Gallows humor amongst bikers,

really ,they are very positive,

I'm told and don't do the negativity,

which may be why I may not

have been allowed to stay,

or hadn't paid, or I mentioned Autism,

or I just don't listen when people

are mad at me.  My dad,

for all his good qualities, drank sometimes,

and well, when he did, he yelled

sometimes, and I just stopped listening,

so if there is that emotional component,

I usually tune it out, I know something

was said, but just don't hear it.

Maybe it's like boot camp and military,

not sure, I didn't join, as would have

talked back, been discharged, kicked

out, so didn't even try, a little quitting/

wimpy, but I knew myself well enough

even then.  And it was the 1960's

generation, born around when

Kennedy was shot, Vietnam

and some were for and some against,

we had both in my family,

dad had some some military, he served,

but not academy, mom more flower child

like, in some ways, army boots in others

(sorry mom)...

 

Anyway,s bikes can be fun,

the guy I was following, there

was a busy track day when I went,

and one accident, I wondered if

it was the guy, I went out to get some

cash to eat, the ATM was down,

both empty, finding my way into

town, took a while, came back to

track stopped and ambulance,

two are on station at all times.

Worry, check around, not him.

 

It was later, he went off on grass,

and the bike was towed back,

some set (peg, levers, etc),

grass in the fairing,

and it was down.

 

After assessment, and talking with

towing, I tried finding help for

getting him and his bike back.

He's on the mend, and I just

tried figuring how to be useful,

also gave me something to do,

kinda boring just watching...

 

He wanted to quit, I told him

get back on the horse, don't leave

it like that, if you later decide to quit,

then it's a rational thing.

I tried doing a support group thing,

linking the guy who went off

in an ambulance earlier

with the guy off on the grass,

and there were others...

 

People talking about not losing

their main transportation, so not pushing

it too hard...  It seems like sailing,

a rich man/women's sport

(there were about 3 women riding, IIRC),

it takes a pickup truck

and trailer or tour bus to really do it,

and mechanical skills and money,

near as I can tell.  I don't have all that,

but still, spent a day learning,

and maybe sometime will learn some more,

as soon as I get gas and food figured out,

somewhat, I have one other thing planned this

month, and spent too much doing

my only real "treatment" all year,

the local stuff has failed me,

for one reason or another

so I went National, so to speak.

 

And tent camping was possible,

but it will be learning to leave minimally,

not taking too much stuff, on a bicycle,

I have a trailer for tent and gear,

some can do it with just panniers,

I'm both panniers and trailer

on bicycle, and need to find a way

to do that with a motorcycle,

even though this bike doesn't

take a trailer nor sidecar,

something specific to the odd frame...

 

And I caught the guy at the local

motorcycle store, he was how I had

heard of the track days, I guess I had

heard before, but it all sort of came

together, I'd go out and try camping

and see track days and decide later...

 

But running around during lunch was

addicting, and I wanted more...

 

Various levels using the track at once,

Beginner, so painfully slow they say to start,

it's a get used to the track and signals,

RED slow and single file, no passing,

for beginners, especially not in turns,

and in blocks of starts, 20 minutes,

3-4 times around the track,

the free one, and I knew a little

more about what people were talking

about, you can't see like in a TV program

what all is going on, no instant replay,

some cameras on bikes, but no skycam

to see it all, this is minor leagues in some

ways, majors and prep in another.

 

But who just wants to be a spectator

anyways.  <grin>

 

 

Conclusion

 

Summary of experience or similar

 

Will see.

Camping wasn't so bad,

got there and wanted more.

 

 

Discussion

 

A place for feedback on the page presented

 

What are your views of Bicycling and Motorcycling?

 

Have you done both?

 

So is your view well rounded, or talking

from no experience, or just second hand?

 

Is it fear based, or reality?

 

Can you tell the difference?

 

Seriously

 

Page History

 

20120714 Jerry

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