How much seat time ?

Raceless man

Raceless man

Member
Greetings everyone, long story short. There is a young man i work with, he is 22 today actually, and he is very interested in motorcycles. He is new here at work and in the process of getting to know him we started talking about bikes and track days etc etc.
I explained to him the benefits of learning to ride on a smaller displacement machine rather than a 600 or 750. I believe he see's the light and is in the process of getting his permit and most likely will buy a cbr 300. I told him to get a few thousand miles under his belt to get acquainted with how motorcycles work before considering a track day. I also suggested that he take a riding course from an accredited organization which he said his parents demand anyway. So my question to all of you is, when should he make the jump to track riding ? The variables are many i know but i suggested at least a season or maybe a few thousand miles on the bike. What say you ? If this was a Shaolin temple it would be easy...when he can snatch the pebble from my hand. But it isnt.
Thank you for your time.
 
HondaGalToo

HondaGalToo

Control Rider
I agree with your thoughts. We don't teach folks to ride at a trackday. He should be comfortable with highway speed, and the operation of all controls should be second nature. Everyone learns at a different pace, so it's hard to determine a number of miles or seasons riding. But I think your ideas are definitely in the ballpark. Also, he can come and watch to get an idea of what it's all about, and I don't see why he couldn't just sit in at the Novice classroom session.

Good for you for encouraging him to get a formal course, MSF, under his belt!
And encouraging a smaller displacement bike!
 
Otto Man

Otto Man

John
Control Rider
Personally, I think the track is where you go to really start learning how to truly ride a motorcycle. Not operate. It obviously varies a bit from person to person, but once you have the fundamentals of operating a motorcycle down and feel confident with the characteristics of the bike and how it handles at speed, it's track day time.
 
adotjdot

adotjdot

Control Rider
ATP/3C
This is awesome! So glad to hear you were able to convince him to take a sensible path to learning and riding. He actually has the perfect opportunity to get started off the right way. I would SERIOUSLY recommend having him attend a YCRS event first. Get him learning the right way to do things before he develops any bad habits.

Last fall at one of the NJMP schools, we had a young lady there who had never ridden before, didn't even know how to shift a motorcycle! They started her out in the parking lot just getting her used to the controls and how the bike functions. They gradually coached her on the fundamentals of bike control and by the end of the second day she was out on track, shifting and trail-braking with the rest of the group! Also, one of the YCRS guest instructors, Phil Horwitz, started out the same way. Bought an R6, had to have it delivered to his house because he didn't know how to ride it! Immediately attended a YCRS school and started learning proper technique from day 1.

If his goal is street riding then an MSF class will be necessary for getting his license, but either way let's get him to a YCRS event as soon as possible! There is actually more potential for him to get hurt or do something wrong on the street without any proper instruction first. And if his parents are requiring him to get instruction from an accredited organization anyway, YCRS will be a perfect fit.

So to come back to your original question, I wouldn't put him into a track day event right away. I would say YCRS first, then have the instructors there evaluate his riding and make suggestions on the next steps for him.
 
HondaGalToo

HondaGalToo

Control Rider
Good suggestion, A. J.

Also note that YCRS has 1 day schools now, to, if he can't swing the money for the 2 day program.
 
Raceless man

Raceless man

Member
Good idea AJ...would be most fortunate for him if Yamaha had some sort of promotional deal when buying a new bike...a wise man might excersize some patience and just wait and see what springtime sales might offer...but we are talking about a 22 year old...they have about as much patience as a rabbit on viagra.
Ty again everyone
 
Kruizen

Kruizen

Control Rider
My daughter(17years old) started riding last summer. She's on a 250.

She had done 2 weekends with me on a brc range. Probably a total of 65miles.

She then went to road Atlanta for her first track day in the rain(1st couple of sessions) and had an absolute blast, the CR's were worried about her lack of experience. since then she's done 4 more track days and doesn't plan on riding on the street.

If your buddy wants to jump right into track days, make sure he has a conversation with the novice CR's about his experience on the bike.
 
adotjdot

adotjdot

Control Rider
ATP/3C
Raceless man said:
Good idea AJ...would be most fortunate for him if Yamaha had some sort of promotional deal when buying a new bike...a wise man might excersize some patience and just wait and see what springtime sales might offer...but we are talking about a 22 year old...they have about as much patience as a rabbit on viagra.
Ty again everyone
Click to expand...
Haha!! No doubt! I remember being 22. It was a LONG time ago ;-)
 
HavocCat

HavocCat

Chris
As already said here, an MSF course is a great place to start for his license. They are geared more for people who have pretty much never ridden a bike before, they teach you the basics of controls and shifting etc...

HondaGal mentioned that operation of controls should be second nature, which I completely agree with.

I believe it all comes down to comfort level of the individual rider, if he has ridden quads, dirtbikes, etc. before, then shifting and such won't be a huge issue for him.

As an aside, I still occasionally ride the street, I can not tell you the number of times the stuff I have learned on the track has saved me on the street. Mainly- confidence, and the ability and knowledge of just how hard you can actually get on that front brake.

So getting him interested in the track is awesome, it will help him in becoming a better street rider too! Unless he catches the disease, the disease that makes us tear brand new bikes down to nothing... :D
 
Luggageboy

Luggageboy

New Member
So I touched a motorcycle for the first time at age 22 as well. I'm now 25 and my progression looked like this:

1.) I started in a parking lot and learned control and simple mechanics. Got comfortable enough with control of the bike
2.) Took the MSF course for the license
3.) Rode on the street 3 times for total of ~100 miles
4.) went to first track day in 2012, and have never touched the street again after.

My feeling is that you should get to the track as soon as you feel comfortable with the mechanics and controls of the motorcycle. The street scares the hell out of me to this day. I see and encounter so many stupid people/ situations in my vehicle that may have put me in the hospital or in the pinebox on the motorcycle.
 
Mike:p

Mike:p

Don’t be a Hero, be consistent.
Luggageboy said:
So I touched a motorcycle for the first time at age 22 as well. I'm now 25 and my progression looked like this:

1.) I started in a parking lot and learned control and simple mechanics. Got comfortable enough with control of the bike
2.) Took the MSF course for the license
3.) Rode on the street 3 times for total of ~100 miles
4.) went to first track day in 2012, and have never touched the street again after.

My feeling is that you should get to the track as soon as you feel comfortable with the mechanics and controls of the motorcycle. The street scares the hell out of me to this day. I see and encounter so many stupid people/ situations in my vehicle that may have put me in the hospital or in the pinebox on the motorcycle.
Click to expand...
Totally agree with your timeline. If someone is comfortable with the controls and can handle the bike at highway speeds they can handle a track day.
 
Motofun352

Motofun352

Control Rider
I agree with everything that's said above.....except the street part. If what you mean is riding in the city or crowded suburbs, then yes. Riding out in the country though is another story, it's the best way to see this great land of ours. Wear all the gear all the time, keep your head on a swivel, use your mad track skills and enjoy the wide open spaces! :like:
 
CBRtist

CBRtist

Well-Known Member
Raceless man said:
Good idea AJ...would be most fortunate for him if Yamaha had some sort of promotional deal when buying a new bike...
Click to expand...

They DO have a deal. A FREE track day when you purchase select Yamaha models at a participating dealership. Now I am not certain of the expiration regarding this offer from the time the bike is purchased, but if nobody on here chimes in, I'm sure I can find out the terms & conditions. If it is a long or no expiration, could be a win/win for your amigo!
 
CBRtist

CBRtist

Well-Known Member
Luggageboy said:
4.) went to first track day in 2012, and have never touched the street again after.
Click to expand...

Patrick you left out how you and your brother blew past me in full leathers on a local road, then posted on the forum the next day and I put 2+2 together. Which led to my exclusive tour at the track.... and with that twinkle in your eye, a star was born :cool:

I'll keep trying to hold it down in N while all my friends get bumped away :p
 
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