bmart
Control Rider
Working with a whole group of newish riders this past weekend at CMP got me thinking about when I was in their shoes. The fundamental questions that they asked. That they asked questions at all. There were like smiling sponges...and I soaked all of that in. As Jean Luc Picard famously said, "Recently, I've become aware that there are fewer days ahead than there are behind." It was a nice reminder for me of so many lovely memories, memories that I hope that they make as they move forward from last weekend to make new friends and add life saving skills to their toolbox.
Then it hit me that folks might enjoy if others posted about their own first track day. I hope that you share your own story with us.
Here's mine:
It was the summer of 1998. I had been riding on the street for 11 years prior and on 11 wildly varying bikes, all on the sporty side of things. I led most rides from just one friend to 150+ riders on multi-day rides. People rode a lot more then. They presented as motorcyclists. This seems to have morphed over time to people who own motorcycles. Not a criticism, but an observation (I miss those old days!). Maybe I was just lucky to have so many people who wanted to share a day on two wheels on any given day, rain or shine...and even some snow. I lived in New England then. For years now, I've met most of my future riding buddies at track days...and ride with them on the track and a little on the street...so it isn't all bad!
Back to 1998. A few unpleasant life situations arose and I wasn't a very happy camper. A few friends on my rides mentioned that I should consider racing. I don't have any competitive bones, so it didn't really appeal to me. And those people who ride on the track are nuts. Right? After mulling it around, I signed up for a single day with Jason Pridmore in his CLASS school. I was a little nervous, but confident in my abilities. The bike I had at the time was a 1990 CB-1 (I'm on CB-7 now...so yes, I love them). 400cc, ~50RWHP modified, 403# wet...so not what you would call fast, but it handled great.
The whole track day scene was nothing like it is today. There were no women riding and almost no women there. No kids. No pets. Some amount of swearing and spitting. All of that has improved with the inclusion of women, especially with them riding and coaching. It is much more family friendly. Most people didn't have RVs...or campers...or trailers...or special track day anything. I rode up to New Hampshire International Raceway on my little 400, in my leather suit, with a backpack with tools and tape to prep it for the days, something I would have to undo at the end of the day to ride the 90 minutes back home. So yeah...different times.
Staff was awesome. Jason and his dad are a class act. They were patient, kind, open, and clear in how they communicated. Like most first day sponges, some info got in, but so much of it was missed. There's just so much to learn, even if you think you're a rockin' rider. It was quite obvious that day that years and miles of riding mean virtually nothing when knowing how much skill a rider actually has to rely on when they need it. I would have put myself at 4/5 stars, but quickly realized that I had no stars. I wasn't a star. Truly, I knew zero, ziltch, nada about motorcycling. I really had no business riding at all. Eye opening to see the risk I had been putting myself and my friends in. And then realizing that most folks on the roads on two wheels were probably in the same category.
My clearest memory from that day is still crystal clear all of these years later. It was going into turn one feeling like I had "mastered" it, and being passed by a guy who was the spitting image of Santa. On a gold flecked BMW, jugs proudly nearly dragging the track, with hard bags attached...going by me like I was stopped. Frackin' Santa. Really. It was that moment that hooked me. I loved riding, but it was clear that this wasn't a sport that I wanted to do poorly (something I so often say to other riders regarding not only their skills but their rider and bike prep). It was time to rider-up, get engaged, and start putting tools in my toobox.
So...I did. I dragged my nearest and dearest friends to the track and I've never looked back. I think that I've had ~baker's dozen of my own bikes out for laps and many of my friends' bikes as well as demos. If you get a chance to ride the demo bikes, do it. Enjoy the experience. If you get a chance to do a two up ride with an expert, do it. You will be amazed at how clunky what you may be doing is compared to how glass smooth they are. Pridmore showed me that...on a VFR. Take advantage fo what you can and add to your knowledge base. If a voice in your head is saying" I'm only going on a bike I'm controlling" then you're really missing out.
For years, it was just a few tracks per season for me. Cost is a factor for most of us, in money and time. Still, they helped me get "better" at this sport that we love. Once I moved south and discovered NESBA, things really ramped up. I met some local folks I could travel with (cut costs in 1/2!) and started enjoying track days instead of taking disappointing vacations. I was doing ~15/year starting in 2007, so it took me nine years to really be able to ramp up.
I do hope that folks share their stories. Writing this makes me so appreciative of what motorcycling, and track days have given me over the years. I hope the same for you.
A few old memories that I dug out!
Bolt upright in '99...but not crossed up! 90s colors were awesome!
Hawk Racing School in 2002. I still remember Dominic, my instructor.
Following a friend I still keep in touch with. He raced his CB-1.
Being chased by a dear friend at the Beaver in PA waaaay back in 2004.
So many memories. Go get yours.
Then it hit me that folks might enjoy if others posted about their own first track day. I hope that you share your own story with us.
Here's mine:
It was the summer of 1998. I had been riding on the street for 11 years prior and on 11 wildly varying bikes, all on the sporty side of things. I led most rides from just one friend to 150+ riders on multi-day rides. People rode a lot more then. They presented as motorcyclists. This seems to have morphed over time to people who own motorcycles. Not a criticism, but an observation (I miss those old days!). Maybe I was just lucky to have so many people who wanted to share a day on two wheels on any given day, rain or shine...and even some snow. I lived in New England then. For years now, I've met most of my future riding buddies at track days...and ride with them on the track and a little on the street...so it isn't all bad!
Back to 1998. A few unpleasant life situations arose and I wasn't a very happy camper. A few friends on my rides mentioned that I should consider racing. I don't have any competitive bones, so it didn't really appeal to me. And those people who ride on the track are nuts. Right? After mulling it around, I signed up for a single day with Jason Pridmore in his CLASS school. I was a little nervous, but confident in my abilities. The bike I had at the time was a 1990 CB-1 (I'm on CB-7 now...so yes, I love them). 400cc, ~50RWHP modified, 403# wet...so not what you would call fast, but it handled great.
The whole track day scene was nothing like it is today. There were no women riding and almost no women there. No kids. No pets. Some amount of swearing and spitting. All of that has improved with the inclusion of women, especially with them riding and coaching. It is much more family friendly. Most people didn't have RVs...or campers...or trailers...or special track day anything. I rode up to New Hampshire International Raceway on my little 400, in my leather suit, with a backpack with tools and tape to prep it for the days, something I would have to undo at the end of the day to ride the 90 minutes back home. So yeah...different times.
Staff was awesome. Jason and his dad are a class act. They were patient, kind, open, and clear in how they communicated. Like most first day sponges, some info got in, but so much of it was missed. There's just so much to learn, even if you think you're a rockin' rider. It was quite obvious that day that years and miles of riding mean virtually nothing when knowing how much skill a rider actually has to rely on when they need it. I would have put myself at 4/5 stars, but quickly realized that I had no stars. I wasn't a star. Truly, I knew zero, ziltch, nada about motorcycling. I really had no business riding at all. Eye opening to see the risk I had been putting myself and my friends in. And then realizing that most folks on the roads on two wheels were probably in the same category.
My clearest memory from that day is still crystal clear all of these years later. It was going into turn one feeling like I had "mastered" it, and being passed by a guy who was the spitting image of Santa. On a gold flecked BMW, jugs proudly nearly dragging the track, with hard bags attached...going by me like I was stopped. Frackin' Santa. Really. It was that moment that hooked me. I loved riding, but it was clear that this wasn't a sport that I wanted to do poorly (something I so often say to other riders regarding not only their skills but their rider and bike prep). It was time to rider-up, get engaged, and start putting tools in my toobox.
So...I did. I dragged my nearest and dearest friends to the track and I've never looked back. I think that I've had ~baker's dozen of my own bikes out for laps and many of my friends' bikes as well as demos. If you get a chance to ride the demo bikes, do it. Enjoy the experience. If you get a chance to do a two up ride with an expert, do it. You will be amazed at how clunky what you may be doing is compared to how glass smooth they are. Pridmore showed me that...on a VFR. Take advantage fo what you can and add to your knowledge base. If a voice in your head is saying" I'm only going on a bike I'm controlling" then you're really missing out.
For years, it was just a few tracks per season for me. Cost is a factor for most of us, in money and time. Still, they helped me get "better" at this sport that we love. Once I moved south and discovered NESBA, things really ramped up. I met some local folks I could travel with (cut costs in 1/2!) and started enjoying track days instead of taking disappointing vacations. I was doing ~15/year starting in 2007, so it took me nine years to really be able to ramp up.
I do hope that folks share their stories. Writing this makes me so appreciative of what motorcycling, and track days have given me over the years. I hope the same for you.
A few old memories that I dug out!
Bolt upright in '99...but not crossed up! 90s colors were awesome!
Hawk Racing School in 2002. I still remember Dominic, my instructor.
Following a friend I still keep in touch with. He raced his CB-1.
Being chased by a dear friend at the Beaver in PA waaaay back in 2004.
So many memories. Go get yours.
