So, Monday and Tuesday I took my zx6r to a intermediate/novice school.
I have over 20 days there, car and bike. It's my favorite track by far.
I didn't take the blade b/c of the sound restrictions, 90dB between turn 5 and 6. I have a custom baffle for the slip on for my kawi, but next time I will try it in the blade. There were a lot of liter bikes out there.
The structure is 45 minute track sessions, two groups, if you aren't on, you should be in the classroom. Lots of folks just go, to ride, and skip the classroom.
At the end of day 1, you ride out in trucks and park in corners, watch the instructors (most are AFM racers) demo the correct line thru the corners.
It was turn 2 (double apex), the corkscrew (turn 8) and turn 11 (the sharp left hander before the front straight away).
For those of you who haven't been or don't know the weather pattern, it's usually foggy (aka drizzly) till at least 10am. This means it's pretty wet over the corkscrew and usually you have some spills out that way.
Monday it was clear and sunny (but cool 65) by 10am. Tuesday the sun didn't peak out till 3pm, track closes at 4:30pm. by noon the track was dry.
For those of you who might remember I've been working on threshold braking and body position - getting my butt cheek off the seat and my upper body - shoulders over as well. and if I have time, late apexing appropriate corners (I don't b/c I do car lines). My kawi has -2/+2 and I really haven't had the chance at any track to whack it, and get used to the throttle. I routinely pinned it down the front straight in 4th, and had no issue opening it up in appropriate corners, coming out of the apex.
I've never kept lap times before this year. pulled 2:04 on monday. 2 flat and under is B+ pace, 1:50 and under is A pace. Tuesday is was hard for me to ride hard because it was cold, wet and overcast. So I rode for fun, worked on body position and passing.
monday when the instructors were demo'ing lines. we started in turn 2. We are all standing on the inside, the apex of turn 2. first instructor, got the first apex, had too much speed and the rear slid, you see him let off the throttle and the tire start to come back under him... it gripped again, and flick! high side and off he went. broke his collar bone. the 3rd instructor thru the second lap (all the others had to slow down b/c of the crash), almost high sided coming out of the second apex but he stayed on his bike.
turn 8, the corkscrew, first instructor, superleggera, too fast into the corner, low sided. ouch. there goes a $80k bike. he was ok, and ran back into the paddock and got his second superleggera, yup, no shit.
Turn 11, had a false neutral.
I haven't been to a race in person, and to be honest I am traumatized from seeing racers crash at such low speeds. all the other instructors (not riding) mumbled, 'cold tires'. shouldn't they know that? the owner said in 42 schools, they never had instructors crash during the corner demos. till now.
Anyway, that's what I did with my summer vacation.
I have two days (first time) at sonoma raceway sept/oct, cannot wait!
I have over 20 days there, car and bike. It's my favorite track by far.
I didn't take the blade b/c of the sound restrictions, 90dB between turn 5 and 6. I have a custom baffle for the slip on for my kawi, but next time I will try it in the blade. There were a lot of liter bikes out there.
The structure is 45 minute track sessions, two groups, if you aren't on, you should be in the classroom. Lots of folks just go, to ride, and skip the classroom.
At the end of day 1, you ride out in trucks and park in corners, watch the instructors (most are AFM racers) demo the correct line thru the corners.
It was turn 2 (double apex), the corkscrew (turn 8) and turn 11 (the sharp left hander before the front straight away).
For those of you who haven't been or don't know the weather pattern, it's usually foggy (aka drizzly) till at least 10am. This means it's pretty wet over the corkscrew and usually you have some spills out that way.
Monday it was clear and sunny (but cool 65) by 10am. Tuesday the sun didn't peak out till 3pm, track closes at 4:30pm. by noon the track was dry.
For those of you who might remember I've been working on threshold braking and body position - getting my butt cheek off the seat and my upper body - shoulders over as well. and if I have time, late apexing appropriate corners (I don't b/c I do car lines). My kawi has -2/+2 and I really haven't had the chance at any track to whack it, and get used to the throttle. I routinely pinned it down the front straight in 4th, and had no issue opening it up in appropriate corners, coming out of the apex.
I've never kept lap times before this year. pulled 2:04 on monday. 2 flat and under is B+ pace, 1:50 and under is A pace. Tuesday is was hard for me to ride hard because it was cold, wet and overcast. So I rode for fun, worked on body position and passing.
monday when the instructors were demo'ing lines. we started in turn 2. We are all standing on the inside, the apex of turn 2. first instructor, got the first apex, had too much speed and the rear slid, you see him let off the throttle and the tire start to come back under him... it gripped again, and flick! high side and off he went. broke his collar bone. the 3rd instructor thru the second lap (all the others had to slow down b/c of the crash), almost high sided coming out of the second apex but he stayed on his bike.
turn 8, the corkscrew, first instructor, superleggera, too fast into the corner, low sided. ouch. there goes a $80k bike. he was ok, and ran back into the paddock and got his second superleggera, yup, no shit.
Turn 11, had a false neutral.
I haven't been to a race in person, and to be honest I am traumatized from seeing racers crash at such low speeds. all the other instructors (not riding) mumbled, 'cold tires'. shouldn't they know that? the owner said in 42 schools, they never had instructors crash during the corner demos. till now.
Anyway, that's what I did with my summer vacation.
I have two days (first time) at sonoma raceway sept/oct, cannot wait!