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
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20120714 Jerry
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