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MOTORCYCLES
- ROADRACING
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There is something extremely sexy and invigorating about straddling
horsepower. I love feeling the raw power, the deep, throaty
acceleration, the maneuverability. You become one with the bike it is more
like piloting a two-wheeled jet than a motorcycle. Obviously, I reeeally
enjoy riding my bike on the track. Above any sport that I do, riding
and racing are my
favorites. I bought my first bike, a '94 black and purple Suzuki Katana. Why ever did I buy a "Kantuna" is beyond
me, but I did. And it was stolen 3 times with an additional unsuccessful
attempt, which further puzzles me. Why someone would choose to steal a Katana
(with purple neon under the fairings, and a Knight Rider type alarm light, mind
you!) is beyond me. |
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I had a pretty bad accident on it about
100 miles after buying it. I got rear-ended at a red-light. Later I had
ridden various bikes, settling on a Honda at one point and then switching my
misguided love of a ZX-11 which was entirely too big and too fast for me. I
got hit by a Geo Metro and 1 1/2 years in physical therapy later I was
thinking about getting another bike. I never got around to it for two
reasons however... A. I sort of lost my license
because of a couple tickets over two counties on a CBR 900RR which required
two attorneys and a few thousand dollars, oh and a promise to never drive in
North Carolina again. Give me a break, I was 22 years old! And B. I started getting
a little nervous on turns, especially if I saw sand, gravel, leaves, an ant.
I know it was all psychological but fear will mess with your performance. So
I didn't ride for a couple of years after that. |
Three years later, I had access to a CBR 900RR and I started getting slowly back into
and then forgot about it for a while again (finances). But my confidence
returned, and eventually I bought a CBR 600RR. Since then I have been on
or ownd a lot of
different types of bikes (including a Buell 1125R, an RC51, a GSXR 750, a
KawasakiNinja 636) and I still prefer my CBR. I am pretty partial to Honda,
II used to
ride about 3 times a week on the street, but ever since I started on the track the street
was a waste of time. Plus the risk versus reward was very unbalanced. It's too hot, I worry about the road surface, other drivers, you
can't go very fast, there aren't enough turns, the dislike of how heavy a
street-prepped bike is, etc.
Fastrack Riders
I work for Fastrack
Riders, the best Trackday organizer on the planet! And I am not biased
either ;) Riding on the track is far better than on the street for many
reasons. Track riding promotes safer riding via learning through repetition in
a controlled environment. On the track, you don't have to worry about the
police, grandma Methuselah on a Sunday drive not paying attention to where she's
going, and the road surface conditions are pretty much consistent. Trackdays
improved my riding immensely. It was the smartest thing I have ever done to
advance my skills as a rider.
Whether you are a once a month rider, an avid trackday
rider, a future racer, or you just want to learn to drag a knee---trackdays will
truly help you become a better rider. There are always instructors on hand to
help you out and give you pointers. The staff is very friendly and
professional. The venues are always fantastic and the pricing for what you
get? So worth it.. Plus Fastrack Riders adheres to the AMA Pro Racing flag
system so there is no confusion should you ever wish to compete.
If you've never been to the track, don't worry! Fastrack
Riders has a Novice Riders school to teach you skills, track etiquette, the
rules of engagement and gets you where you need to be: On the track, and
safely! You can't go truly faster when you're dodging cars and traffic
lights. Don't be a squid, no one is impressed that you can hit 150+ MPH in a
straight line. Anyone can do that.
I promise you won't regret it. Just one thing though.
It's addictive. It starts with a little painter's tape to cover your lights to
get through tech and the next thing you know you're ripping off nonessential
parts to reduce weight. All of which eventually collect dust in the corner
of your garage. Next you find yourself taking race schools and
entering races against people way above your riding paygrade. Once you go track,
you never go back!
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If you haven't figured it out already, riding is my absolute
favorite sport but an epic day involves riding, streetluging and jumping if
I can pull it off. However, now that I only trackride, that's pretty
uncommon as I usually spend from sun up to sun down at the track when I do
go.
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