I knew I should have explained that in the video. The reason why is because I was being lazy and didn't want to rip apart the fairings to unplug the mirrors and run the wire out. If I had to do it again I would 100% remove the mirrors. I agree with you completely, they were definitely obstructing the view.
Remember my first TD 2011 scary fun, and after 4 more it became comfortable. Remember after session 3 after lunch many start to crash, inexperience overconfident. Dont follow close to anyone who is not smooth and consistent. Novices blow by you, blow the braking zones and generally cause havoc. Be safe and smart. If you find a safe fast rider ask if you can follow and if he can follow you after showing you the lines for some pointers.
Doesn't matter. He's a beginner, the rider is what needs to improve not little things on the bike. The fact he isn't worried bout it is a good thing, the bike doesn't make the rider.
I went to my first track day just two months after getting my bike and did unnaturally well. I've always been fast at picking up technical hobbies, but the bike really speaks to me; I love it. My coach asked a few times after a couple of the sessions if I was lying about it being my first track day. At the end of the day, he told me I ride some of the cleanest laps he's seen, and when I told him I started riding only two months prior, he couldn't believe it. He told me I have some serious natural talent and to keep training. I then let it all go to my head and crashed on the street a month later. I hit a curb going around 50mph in a tiny roundabout. I almost made it, but I panicked, froze up, and didn't lean enough. After getting flung into the air, my bike landed tank first on my left hand. I had racing gauntlets on that thankfully stopped my hand from becoming a mangled stump, even so it surprisingly only broke one bone. Other than that, I was doing great with just some scrapes, but I currently have three pins in my left hand that are to be removed three weeks from now, and I'm still going through the insurance process to get my bike fixed. Moral of the story, confidence is great but don't let yourself have to much of it. And screw roundabouts. lol
I have an '07 track bike and it felt nostalgic watching this. While I still get excited about track days there's something especially exciting and nerve racking about your first time. I remember I felt both sick to my stomach and excited lol. Regarding braking... once you're comfortable to the point where you're chasing faster lap times, there's a LOT of time to be found in braking zones.
11:29 you might have the concept of "trail braking" a little bit confused. Trail braking is staying on the brakes into the corner and holding pressure until you see the corner exit and can hammer the throttle. Not just braking with the rear.
I think he didn't explain well. What I'm getting is that he is trailbraking with the rear only. Trailbraking while using the front is a whole new animal, but he'll figure it out I'm sure if he stays at it. I'm always timid with that front tucking on me.
I had the front on my dyna wash last summer, stab reaction my fault, but I came immediately off and it corrected itself, random braking story that vaguely related... 🍻
i never got the impression of him saying you just use the rear brake. he said you use the rear brake when trail braking not that you only use rear brake
@Thomas B kind of hard to get wrong unless you really aggressive. thing is that trail breaking is something you don't attempt until you are at least comfortable with the bike and att that point you are experienced enough to not just grab a fist full of brake. i would say trial breaking is probably the safest when you first start doing it as you are not trying to push your limits while ones you get comfortable that's when you might go to far
Love this video! No ego riding or talking smack, just straightforward and shows the learning experience of the first track day, makes me wanna do one now. Subbed
I tell you what! You've done great. You went there, you had a nice experience, you did not hurt yourself, you did not damage your bike. I think your experience is a huge success. It seems like you are underestimating your performances. Do it again. If you don't mind about the 500 dollars, it is worth it doing it again. the same truck. It is your cure. You inspired me thanks a lot.
That's not a great track to start doing trackdays , with all the height differences and very poor quality asphalt.. I think a better track next time will give you more confidence and fun.
You are correct it is a bumpy track with a few blind corners and several elevation changes. This is the only track I have ever ridden. Despite its physical challenges, which I concede, from talking to more experienced riders, who have done several tracks, if you can master the NHMS infield course, you can ride any track.
As you start to go quicker into the brake zones just be mindful the 600RR doesnt have a slipper clutch. Check out a channel called Master Yoshi, his stuff could help you out I think.
Thank you for sharing your experience. It’s great to hear what you have learnt as it will make you a better and safer rider on the road. As an ex Australian Superbike racer (who started racing in the Australian 250cc production class on a Suzuki RGV-250 v-twin two stroke, road going race replica). Phillip Island was my home track and I’ve possibly done 1000 laps. I’ve actually, even to this day, never done a track day. What you did was a track day experience. They can’t compete, nor teach you as much as you learn from racing. My first race was on a short course in the dry. I thought I was going really fast. 6 weeks later after two other weekend’s racing at different tracks (including PI) I returned to where I started. This time it was cold and wet, same brand of street legal tyres as in the warm dry conditions. When I came back in after my first session my mentor (who ended up being my manager) asked how I went. For me it was a simple answer. Slow. He just smiled and showed me my lap times, which were quicker than when I thought I was going fast in perfect conditions. It’s all about learning the art. When racing you can learn by watching and following better racers. 👍😎🇦🇺
Once you get your own suit that you feel comfortable in especially your boots it gets a lot better and you will feel more comfortable and confident in yourself. Love your videos btw
Eight years? Took me five months. What a blast. Been twelve times now one year on. Get your own suit , wear it often and it will feel like a second skin. I can not begin to describe the leaps and bounds my skill level took with each successive track day. I recently took a race course and aim to try one by end season in addition to getting my new Gixxer 750 out there in lieu of my learner Ninja400. I don't get owning a sport bike and not taking it to the track. Good on you 👏 and your friend. BTW I am 63 and just completed five track days in one week. New Dunlop Q3+ rubber helped immeasurably. Get yourself a beater Ninja400, R3, KTM 390 or similar and thrash it hard....great learner bike IMHO . Money spent on quality training and mentoring is money well spent. Hope you go again...soon as possible.
Just watched your video. I just want to say that you are a breath of fresh air. Your humble personality and honest outlook is fantastic. I too wish to do a track day in the not too distant future. Thanks for being you.
I think I'm in the same camp as you. Ripping ass is really fun, but I don't want to wreck my bike trying to be like Rossi on a track. It seems like there's no middle ground. If you go to the track you should be trying to push yourself and your bike to the limit. I love my bike too much to risk taking a corner at the highest speed I can muster.
I'd never take the one nice bike I own to the track for my first time - or maybe ever - unless I was well off enough to replace it without blinking. I'd buy something cheap, that if I don't wreck it, I could resell eventually and get most of the money back. A smaller cheap bike won't hinder anyone assuming it's not falling apart. The 600 he's on is way more bike than anyone can harness in their early track days, imo.
@@dddon513 I started on a GSXR600, have only done about 10-12 days total and now I’m on a Panigale 959 in A group with four different organizations. It just depends on how well you learn and apply yourself. Always seek further education through all our available outlets these days
ripping on the streets has much more risk than on the track. If you can do it on the street, then it should be doable and safer on the track. Also, a track day is not a race.. we're out there to practice and learn skills most of the time.. you can about the track on whatever 'reasonable' speed you want.. no need to push you or the bike to the limit.
Kudos to you for trying it out! I tell absolutely everyone, even a single day at the track is going to help you learn MUCH more then on the street... I absolutely fell in love with my first track day, and have been hooked ever since... Yeah I still street ride from time to time, but I find that my enjoyment come more from track days and learning from every corner I go through rather than being able to be free and travel the roads. I do still plan on street riding, but not on a sportbike, moreso a cruiser or something that a lot more comfortable. As far as the braking, you know you're at full brake when the rear wheel starts to lift up off the ground and you have to then start finding other ways to scrub off speed... leg dangle trail braking, etc. Once that tire is hot it takes a LOT to break traction with the ground. As far as body positioning - You should be able to fully lean off of the bike, have no hands on the bars and be able to hold yourself up with your outer leg on the tank, and your inner foot on the rearset... It also feel like you're WAY further off than you think lol. I can promise you're not nearly as leaned over as you believe... Body positioning takes time to master, and practice makes perfect! As far as the speed, I also tell everyone that is a track day beginner that you WILL get fast, but you first need to get comfortable. Get comfortable leaning, get comfortable braking, get comfortable with the g-forces felt under hard acceleration... Speed comes with comfort and pushing yourself just a hair. No need to blast into a corner, but try going just a bit faster while maintaining 80% of your effort. Leave room for mistakes, cause they will happen. The other few things I try and tell people bringing their street bikes to the track: - If you can avoid it... DO NOT BRING YOUR OEM/NICE FAIRINGS!... It's gonna be on your mind the entire time "what if I go down, I'll ruin my fairings". The last thing you need on the track is a distraction... - Don't look at... no... don't even THINK about the rear brake (unless you're off track in the grass). I've been tracking my 08 600rr for two years... my rear pad is still at like 95% life left... YES YOU CAN TRAIL BRAKE WITHOUT THE REAR BRAKE, I do it all the time... - Stop looking at your tach and speedo... it's not relevant on the track. Go off of feel... Are you freaking out cause you feel like you're going too fast? You're pushing past the 80% effort zone... Stop doing that. It's also another distraction you don't need on the track. Throw tape over it and go off of feel. - HAVE FUN... track days are about learning and having fun. You're surrounded by a group of people who are more than willing to assist you to get better and faster... As a whole the goal is to be safe, and have fun... getting fast comes with time, and everyone learns at their own pace... (FYI, if you ever try out another track day, I'd like to get back out to a north eastern track and show you some stuff! HMU!)
Glad you did it man. I've been planning to make a video on this but I'll break it down real quick - I have a '10 600RR and after two years of riding went to my first track day last year. Like you, I signed up for the school, but reached a similar conclusion - sometimes the schools feel too limiting or discouraging. In my case I got an instructor who sucked, and another novice rider left early because he was so de-motivated. Since then, I've done three more trackdays, none with formal instruction, but each time I've met good people, had fun, learned things, and have since moved up to B group. I was pretty turned off by my experience with the instructor that first time, but really glad I stuck with it and went back on my own. Sounds like you're on the right track (pun intended lol) to do something similar - I think it will be worth it. A single trackday out here goes for $200, so look for something in that vicinity and it won't feel like such a financial lift. Also, since you're such a good mechanic, consider getting a beater bike (consider a 300 or 400) that you can whip into riding condition so you're not worried about crashing. You'll have more fun :-)
I’m sure that is a great way to improve quickly, but he is used to faster bikes. Personally I feel like being good enough to have fun and being on a bike you will enjoy are most important. Not everyone wants to hurry up and jump into racing.
Lol i just did a track school 2 days ago and one thing I noticed is some of the instructors were definetly fast but they are obviously not good at teaching. I thought I got lucky because I was assigned to an instructor that have won intermediate club championships .Cool,I got a private instructor. He was nice dude but oh man he was not good at conveying information that a beginner could easily understand. Turns out he is new at teaching and I guess I got used as a practice student 😂. It was actually not too bad, the key is I keep asking questions because if you don't then he won't know what your struggling to understand.
Just a note for people hauling their bikes... this is after years upon years of doing so. You absolutely DO NOT need to strap from the handlebars (so many issues can occur with this method). A more effective way is to simply anchor from the front wheel axle (between the fork ends and the wheel). This way, you are not playing with suspension compression since anchorage point is below it, making the actual bike suspension work naturally when you hit bumps, and also the fact that it is anchored lower makes it more stable. Try it out, it's so effective that you could even not tie up the back, although, I still do it just in case.
My first track day was pretty similar. I bought a RS660 as my first bike and took it to the sandia speedway (in ABQ, NM).it is a similarly old track. I only had 10 or 11 months of riding experience when i did it, and i was absolutely the slowest or second slowest person out there. I had actuallybought my leathers the day i bought the bike, so i was pretty familiar with them and how they felt. I was certainly very intimidated. I tend to think thats pretty normal. We only had 2 people go down but i really didnt want to be one of them so i was really careful. I was super proud to have faced my fears and accomplished my goal. Id love to go back to another track. Congrats on doing something most people are to scared to do.
Nice video man. Refreshingly free of ego. I have done two trackdays on so called Junior tracks. You have to push it to go over 60, because it's mainly corners. Due to other engagements, i had no choice but to go with the faster group, the first time. I had to fight and push to keep up and that sort of hindered my learning, but i liked it non the less. The second time i was in the intermediate group and we started quite slow so i really got to grips and was becomming more and more smooth and controlled as we progressed through the day and got faster. So, to go faster but getting more relaxed and smooth at the same time, was one of the best feelings i've had, riding a motorcycle. To almost become one with your machine is awesome. There is so much to deal with and so much to learn, which will take many miles.
Could I recommend California super bike school. Highly recommend…. You will learn a lot at your own pace with people that are at you same riding level. They are world renowned! Best of luck to you my friend 👍🇦🇺
Penguin is a really great racing school, but it is a school more designed for racing, doing your first day with them can be a bit rough because a lot of the other riders have practiced with other groups(such as TTD or Evolve). It also goes to show you, you have been riding 10s of thousands of miles not even knowing the limits of your brakes, road riding really does not prepare us to handle even a 600cc sportbike, let alone allow us to really experience how amazing these bikes can be. I would SERIOUSLY go to a Tonys Track Day event(especially since they are closer to you in mass), they are very organized and a lot of the coaches race at a pro level, and they have a much more structured curriculum as well as body position seminars and 1 on 1 coaching sessions. Tonys also rides mostly at Palmer Motorsports park, THompson and NYST where are MUCH smoother tracks(and larger). Tonys has 4 classes, 1st class for 1st time track riders, 2nd class is for intermediate semi-experienced riders, 3rd classof riders is advanced, 4th class is pro. They also do NOT allow block passing or inside passing, inside passing is strictly forbidden in all TRACKDAY organizations, but you went to a RACEDAY organization. Penguin is a REALLY great school, but for upper advanced riders, it can be really intimidating for beginners or first timers, where as Tonys is MUCH more organized for first time track riders and their classes are tailored to each class of rider. Tonys non-member days are also MUCH cheaper than Penguin, TTD(Tonys) is about 200-300 a day instead of 500, and a LOT of the coaches pro race at Loudon just like Penguin.
@@Propaganda66 Penguin is a great value for people looking to get their race license after already getting used to track riding with a more tame/safe trackday organizer such as Tonys or Evolve. They are arguably one of the best race schools in the usa and are well known. But as a first trackday spot, I could see how the riders going to penguin could be really anxiety inducing for brand new riders that have never been to a trackday.
@@bit0fun ehhh, better than a race school, still a bit more rowdy than an organizer. Nyst i a great vibe tho, never can go wrong with any group at nyst.
Yeah man love it that more people are doing track days. Quick tip is not necessary but i would advice you getting cheap body fairings so you can change them and ride with more confidence. at least you have in mind that your nice fairings wont get damage if something were to happen. Or you can get a cheap dedicated track bike is what i did. I have a K5 600 for street and my 99 sv650 as dedicated track bike. Yes you are correct most novice guys been stuck their for a long time some do it for fun others cause they want to improve. Had a guy tell me he could not catch me my 2nd day and he has been in novice for quit some time now. Love your vid bro keep improving👍
The video was awesome!! I taped some rides on my 600rr and there is no way to portray the feelings you get while riding on film. Looks so much fun!! I would give my left nut to experience a track day. Wish I was still in Oz so I could do a track day at Phillip Island. That particular track doesn't look in good shape, but it's still a race track and you got to do it, so respect. Great info!!
I’m glad you get to try the track day. But you should try to find riding school instead of racing school. Keep it up. And I love your attitude about first track day. Keep it up. You are doing great
I just did my 1st track day on my 21 MT07. And while wearing all the gear and boots, you really do feel like it's your 1st time on a bike. Everything feels out of place and even shifting was tricky at some points. Meaning the boots didn't give off any feel, unlike my riding shoes. But still learned a lot and had a blast.
This has nothing to do with track riding, but honestly that 600rr is IMO the best looking sportbike I have ever seen, regardless of power or year. I fell in love with this year and model and colorway from using it in the excellent racing game Ride 4 years before I had seen your channel. When I watched your vid about all the mods you did to it, I had the thought that Merriam Webster should have a pic of this bike under the "supersport" or "sportbike" entry. That is to say, to me, it is exactly what a sportbike should look like, and all the modding is tasteful. Thanks for the video and please keep treating that beautiful motorcycle well.
@@professorvoluck9311 Its true what you say. I think its similar for all the big 4 supersports. The 2009 GSXR600 is another example, and so are the 2004 R1 and the 2008 ZX6r. Obviously I am a bit biased toward late 90s and 2000s sportbike aesthetics because of my age, but I dont think that explains it 100%. If any of those 3 were first released for sale next week, even really young riders would think they are appealing. In my eyes the current crop of supersports are sort of "futuristic" in that they look like their designers were aiming to create something that will reach peak appeal in 10 or 15 years. Its a trend that you can see all the way back to the late 80s in stuff like the RC45 and ZXR750
HeroRR the main thing you enjoyed yourself and you learned a lot from it, you're a braver man than me! Loved the video great to see it from a beginners point of view ✌️
Track: You get to do the same thing over and over again w/o concern(mostly) of unexpected things...cars, animals, gravel, etc. Good experience. Code's school with the locked triple-tree training bike provided a good education for those that think 'leaning' causes a bike to turn. it does not. Counter steering does. I never went to the Penguin but wanted to.
Hey man I actually just picked up a 2007 Cbr600rr a month ago after watching all your videos. I actually watched one where you said your located in Massachusetts, I am too! If you ever wanna meet up man and cruise I’d love to get some tips from you. Your an awesome UA-camr and seem like a cool guy. Cheers ! Ride safe. Definitely let me know !
Hero My Guy, have you never watched Twist Of The Wrist 2? I have watched it probably 100x and listened to the entire video playing in my pocket at least 50x! Everything you are talking about is in it. I have contoured my riding to that and Canyon Chaser’s video’s and YCRS vid’s. I have not been to a track yet but all I have done for the last 15k miles is trail braking and body positioning. I ride the street like I am on a track. But I stay in one lane. Once at the track I will have the entire way to pick my lines! Stay safe Bruddah and thanks for sharing.
twist of the wrist is a great start, and Keith Codes school is also a great place to learn, his son does a great job, but its a START, nothing beats having a coach on track showing you how to apply it.
You seem like a super wholesome dude, right on. No insecure squid tendencies and rocking the CBR. I wish I could get the new 2024 version but I'm afraid I'll be too tall and awkward on it.
HeroRR, cool video. I did my first track day in 2007. Even though I have been riding for quite a long time, my first endeavor, with a track day, was with a "Beginners" class. I did that to learn things I did not know at the time and, as a matter of fact, I did learn something from the instructors (although the pace was painfully slow for my experience but followed the Control rider's direction). But, like I said it was my first track day, so I wanted to start at a level where I did not over-exceed my abilities at the "Intermediate Class" or above. For me, I found that participating in track days, somehow lessened my daily enjoyment of road riding as on a track, one does not have to worry about other on-coming traffic, wildlife, road debris or "5-0". I even did a track day where it rained all day and since the day was paid for, our track time was done in the rain (it really helps teach one to learn throttle and brake controls in wet conditions). I have not participated in a track day for a couple of years; but if you are willing I would give it another GO if you were ever to consider coming to Wisconsin to enjoy the 4.2 mile, high-speed circuit called, "Road America". (Proud owner of a CBR 600 F4i).
Awesome! I love watching people’s first time at the track. You’ll easily be addicted. Also, lol at the poor guy that showed up to the track walk in his leathers.
Whaaat!? All this time watching you and I now realize you’re literally the state over from me. I was there that weekend racing. NHMS is a super bumpy and technical track. I highly recommend trying out other tracks as well, and even other organizations, Tony’s Track Days, Fishtail Riding School. I was in your same shoes back in 2020, I was getting blown out of the water on my RSV4, but after a couple track days you’ll get much more confident. I got hooked, and ended up getting my race license. I’m doing NYST this upcoming weekend with Penguin. I have a couple videos on my channel at NHMS if you wanna see the racing line and faster paced lap. Tony’s and Fishtail has the “level up” kinda of pace that you’re talking about.
The courses are awesome but a lot of non-track riders who are very skilled in anything like the California canyons are going to find that some of the skills transfer over well and will be faster than they think.... should be obvious but a lot of people don't realize it. Guys that competently tear it up in the canyons are pretty good riders! Also you get these "don't ride fast in the twisty's, save it for the track"... the first thing I want to say is the people who say this very likely have limited riding skill and the 2nd thing is "fast" is subjective. What is within someone's comfort zone and skill level to ride safely for one rider is not the case for the next and I've known people who've been seriously injured at the track as well despite it being a controlled environment. Riding within your own limits, no matter what the pace is --- that's the key to minimizing risk.
I've watched a lot of your vids and have been encouraging you to go to the track for years. I would say don't get discouraged because you're significantly slower than those other guys. Your riding pedigree is just different and you will gain confidence and get faster with more experience.
Idk about not using the rear brake on track. MotoGP riders use it all the time to stabilize the bike when going into a turn after maximum braking has been done, then they drag it while transitioning into acceleration.
The rear tire is almost overstrained while downshifting. Sometimes it locks up if you have no slipper clutch. With rear break you have even more struggle to keep your bike straight.
Cheers for the insite on Track days, it’s also on my todo list! But I’ve first gotta get a new bike 😅 Always enjoy ya videos! Keep up the good work!! 💪
That’s John Donald (NEMRR 42). Great guy at Penguin. There are a ton of NEMRR vets out there that you should network with and they can really provide you some pointers as well to progress as a Rider.
Dude, everything you said sounds just fine and you have the correct attitude and respect for the sport ! I think everyone has all those feelings their first track time You went to a race school so they were prepared for you and beginner racers. You may have been more comfortable with a track day in beginner but without a coach or experienced friends it would have felt the same or even more sketchy. Most track days have plenty of coaches that will spend time to tuck in behind and progress at your pace ! That's how they get free track time, by coaching and safety monitoring . You never stop learning no matter how long you do it ( that's the best part of the sport ) your approach and attitude makes you a perfect student for this. Nothing but up from here ! Just remove the mirrors next time maybe a small obstruction but much better IMO. Maybe run water wetter instead of coolant. Just in case . Great video !!!!!!
I really liked my 4 days I've done so far at Hallett in Oklahoma. I know you aren't local to there but the course is so small it encourages you to work on everything you wanted to work on. Most of my time when I was working on something I would actually cap my speed and just focus on good entry and exit. Some sessions it would be braking, some sessions it would be smooth throttle and body position. I don't know your area but I would look for smaller courses if there are any, that may scare off the people who just want to go fast and not follow passing rules.
I’m in Advance group, but I enjoy watching new riders on the track. You’re doing good bro! Keep it up. You’ll be fast asf in no time. Track days will definitely humble you. Since it’s “beginner” group, you’ll have different level of beginners and some do stupid shit like passing on the inside or whatever. Some are fast B and some are really slow… like really slow. My first track day, I thought was going to be a fast beginner and I got shitted on my so many people lmao leave your ego at home and ride your ride.
It expensive, takes a lot of planning, it’s a long exhausting day & yes it’s so worth it as you learn how to properly ride a supersport or any bike you bring, worth every penny, in fact it’s addictive!
Been riding for 50 years... and the one point for track selection I can offer for beginners is to avoid a track with blind corners. For me, seeing the entire corner from braking point to tip in to apex to exit point are key... Leave rollercoaster full of blind corners Grattan raceway (Michigan) till later. I've visited Gingerman raceway in Michigan a few times, that's pretty flat. Also Autobahn International raceway in Illinois was great. I've ridden all 3 tracks. Grattan has corners you just cannot see, i like that today... Not so much my 1st track day. I got a youtubie of Grattan and the other tracks too so you can see what I mean Enjoy!
yeah good to get more confident and comfortable by having a track that let's you have beter sight and a better ability to plan ahead. everything is about muscle memory and experiance. the easier to get around a track the more confident you get and the more learning you can do before stepping it upp
Here in New England, finding “open” style Tracks like in the South, Midwest, and West are very few and far between. Thompson, CT and Canaan, NH are close to being flat and open as it can. But others here (i.e. Palmer, Club Motorsports) are all mountainside, so blind corners, uphill and sloping sections are inevitable.
Really cool seeing the guy who inspired me to buy a 600RR do his first track day through the same organization and at the same place I did. I did a “track experience” with Penguin at NHMS in May and that being said, you are right it’s definitely more of a race school than a track school. Personally I enjoyed the environment (my group had only one or two people who had previously done a track day), and I plan on going back. For you I would recommend TTD or Fishtail since it sounds like you’re looking for more of a “track school” and a nicer track. Loudon definitely has some character LOL.
Glad to hear ya had fun and found it helpful! Body position is so so important even on easy road cruises. Racecraft is a hard thing to learn as well. I enjoy the kind of riding I get to do on the road. 55's and a cheek off, I'm happy👍
Try the Yamaha Champ school if it comes your way. They have classes that are designed for street folks. Good riding gear required. They also run classes if you are more into gaining racing technique. Full race gear required. Worth a look my friend. Their online courses are excellent as well.
Good job man! Nothing boring about your track video, at least you go to the track, unlike many people out there that gets 1000cc as their FIRST bike and doesn't go to the track. I'm also a new rider and going on my second track day this month. I do it to learn and to use my Ninja400 to it's full potential.
Well done dude, don't worry about levels and who's doing what at this point, just do your own thing and put the time in, and have fun. It will come. Similarly, I rode street only for over 10 years before getting on track, and like it or not you'll have some bad habits, but also some good carry over like probably pretty good throttle control. The thing with the groups is you can get all kinds of crazy stuff, like I've seen advanced riders go out in the beginner group because they don't wanna push that day, then of course they're ripping around full lean. You have to do your own thing and be patient, aim for full throttle on the straights, pick conservative braking markers and slowly work them forward, don't get overloaded with information.
I did a 1 day advanced rider training course a few years ago. The training was fantastic, yes body position and lines was the major take away. When it comes to the other riders, well they all have their own personalities, the quickest guy in our group was riding a 250, but I think he had the red mist when he was on the track, going fast, but not really applying what the lessons were about. The slowest was on a H2, I think the bike scared him, quick on the the straights, but nearly stopping for the corners, what a pain, he get in front of me on the straights, and hold me up on the corners, I did a few runs through the pits to get away from him.
It’s exactly a track day, you learn how to race. Your first time is always sketchy. Don’t do different tracks until you learn a specific track. You can’t learn switching tracks. Build confidence on one than move
First rule of track days is no matter how fast you may honestly think you are, sign up for the Slow Group. Street "Fast" and track "Fast" are entirely different. Congrats on getting your first day out of the way. I remember my first day, and having my frame of reference for "fast" completely destroyed. After 6 or 12 more days you will look back and laugh about your first couple of track days. I have been track riding for about 5 seasons, and the main mistake I made was staying in the Slow Group too long, and then staying in the Intermediate Group too long. Once I tried the Fast Group where all the riders were highly skilled, I first of all felt a lot safer (most of the ding bats seem to be found in the Intermediate Group), and second of all I had the open track I needed a head of me to work on my skills for higher speeds as I wasn't constantly coming up on gaggles of riders parking it in the corners.
No such thing as slow on the street or the track your just putting your skills in check and being humble about it which is why u didn't crash and many others did. It's all about progression and honing your skills. I'd probably look the same out there my first time around.
I know I'm late, no strips yet? Keep looking. Still can't believe I watched reviews from a guy who didn't know how to ride for so long. 8 years though? The community loves you btw. Progress at your pace!!!
Well done. It takes courage to do what you did. I was exactly the same 4 years ago and now absolutely live for track riding and club racing. Onwards and upwards friend.
Hero, don't worry about being slow or seeing yourself as 'bad' your first time out on track. Track riding is a progression that takes years to fully master. Granted, I always love it when I get to see a person start their track riding experience, and, well... I'm proud of you for taking the first step and trying it out. But if you do ever decide to get serious about more track time, please feel free to contact me. I've a plethora of knowledge, bikes to spare, and am more than willing to be your sponsor for a trackday or two (albeit with the limitation of me not being able to drive that far from southeast Georgia). Trackdays are something that I can finally afford on a regular basis, and I'd be more than happy to help you get more experience under your belt, on bikes that you don't have to worry about crashing. So please, if you're at all interested, let a brother know.
Wow that’s quite an offer. Thank you! I’m gonna try a few more on my own but I’ll definitely keep you in mind. I don’t need anything from you but it would be nice if you in the future could go to a track day with me and just give me advice. Feel free to email me theherorr@gmail.com. I am all the way up in mass tho.
Just a quick tip for tying down your bike to trailer. you wanna avoid strapping the handle bars, best place is bottom of forks. Do a loop around the fork and strap it down. This way it prevents putting pressure on the bars and shocks. Check out srkcycles, on UA-cam for a quick vid on it. Hope that helps.
I just did my race license certification at Loudon earlier this year. Nothing like going to the track. I used to be a street rider up until a few years ago. About 10 track days later I decided to start racing. Loudon is a old school tight and technical track. I highly suggest going to as many trackdays as you can at other tracks as well. Loudon does have some sketchy parts too it. I’ve done 7 different tracks and Loudon is as tough of a track to get right. I would suggest if you’re a New England area rider to go to Palmer, NYST, NJMP, Poconos.
A tip about braking: It's helpful to imagine wringing out a sponge. First a little, then more and more. Of course, the time for changing the wheel load distribution should be as short as possible. In order to gain confidence and a feeling for the front wheel and the brakes, you can make very short full stops, which very briefly lead to the front wheel locking. But only VERY BRIEFLY, less than a second. Concentrate more on releasing the brake than on pressing the brake. This is how you find out where the limit area begins with your front wheel.
@@HeroRR It's not as bad as you might think. The front wheel doesn't really slip away. A very short impulse, it squeaks briefly and before you lose the front wheel, you release the front brake.
Try and always street ride with your boots. Make that the new normal. Aside from the obvious safety thing, it's a big variable you can totally remove on the feel and control part. Trainers are dumb riding gear period, break that habit dude! Well played on your first track experience... great attitude and zero ego. Learned loads and brought it home undamaged. You'll have a new respect for true fast safe riders and a hunger to get more like that. Takes time and hard work and a lot of cash to develop the right skills. Stick with tuition days all the way. Get pictures to help evaluate your body position and lean and also suspension travel. Get the suspension serviced and set up by a good qualified tech. Stick at it man! It's as addictive as crack! I bet you convert the 600 to a dedicated track bike... you totally should.
Agreed on the boots but wish it hadn’t taken him a trackday to get some. I’ve heard horror stories about people who crashed in trainers and had horrific injuries. Right gear all the time.
You should look into Tony’s Track Days (TTD). They’re based in Central MA and they have the best Class Time, as well as overall Organization. The Staff are fantastic (with a few who also take part in Loudon’s NEMRR Race Program). And many of the Customers there are more than willing to provide a helping hand to those in need.
Last year I took part in the so called "tourist-rides" at the Nürburgring (Granprix track, not Nordschleife) with my CBR600RR. Unfortunately, on the last lap of the stint, I accelerated too much out of the corner in second gear (without tc) and did a highside. Rebuilding was very expensive because of the stock fairings. My tips are therefore: In first and second gear you should accelerate careful out of the curve even with a 600cc bike and you should use racing fairings. 😁
The "Green Hell" of the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring doesn't forgive mistakes. No run-off zones, no gravel bed. But three rows of hard crash barriers. I wouldn't want to learn how to ride a motorcycle fast there. Especially since the Nordschleife is over 20 km long. Knowing the course of the Nordschleife well is the most important thing in order to drive fast there.
@@giostisskylas Yes you are right. You should know every corner and shouldnt push it to the limits. But thats not where my crash happend. I rode at the grand prix curse and there are big run off zones and gravel beds. :-) The Nürburgring is divided in two circuits. The Nordschleife aka. Green hell and the grand prix curse. Most of the time only the nordschleife is opened for tourist rides but on some days also the grand prix curse is opended for tourist rides.
Congrats don’t let this first experience put you off. The more you do it the better it gets. Keep at it and maybe try the California Superbike School if you get the chance
The first time I did that on that very same track was with Keith Code's Cali superbike school. It was pouring rain and we rode anyway. Learned a lot riding in the wet. Awesome school. I rode their bike. I had an '06 CBR600RR to continue the fun. Then the economy went sour and had to sell all my bikes 'cept for my '06 R1. I still have that. Now, I'm too old to be doing that. I do have an unused custom Vanson racing suit to match the red CBR. Anyone interested in buying it? I was 5'11" and 185# at the time. Cost me $1800 and never even used it. NH here.
my understanding is penguin is more race focused than a traditional track day organization. i would suggest tony's track days, especially if you want to do Palmer / Thompson. the community and support is great, and it's about being safe and learning, not so focused on racing.
Tracks with multiple layouts and bank turns (overalls) where they use the in field are hard to learn and work your way around… inshore just focusing on the ribbon of tarmac, kerbs and etc which are easy to see and follow, using cones to mark the layout is difficult especially when tyre rubbber on the track suggests one direction for a previous layout then you find the cones direct you totally different. Also concrete is the best either. These tracks are typically made for car racing and have little run off and high concrete and metal barriers right next to the track.
I am feeling that it's time for me to do a track day. I haven't been on the stretch much the last few years simply because the roads around me have not been taken care of. And I'm not a cruise around town type rider. I'm currently talking with some friends to see of they are interested. Mostly cause until ya meet new folks having a buddy there is a nice crutch to start with, and share travel expenses also. I think it'll be next year and not sure Maybe Evo or N2 or stt Pitt raceway is 6 hours but have a free place to stay and Pocono is just at 2 hours but would need to camp or hotel it.
Why didnt you take those mirrors off ? Obstructs your view, looks dorky, and slows you down a wee bit.
I knew I should have explained that in the video. The reason why is because I was being lazy and didn't want to rip apart the fairings to unplug the mirrors and run the wire out. If I had to do it again I would 100% remove the mirrors. I agree with you completely, they were definitely obstructing the view.
Remember my first TD 2011 scary fun, and after 4 more it became comfortable. Remember after session 3 after lunch many start to crash, inexperience overconfident. Dont follow close to anyone who is not smooth and consistent. Novices blow by you, blow the braking zones and generally cause havoc. Be safe and smart. If you find a safe fast rider ask if you can follow and if he can follow you after showing you the lines for some pointers.
And less stuff to replace if you go down.
@@dancarlos1216 - Really? Your concern is looks dorky and being a bit slower? It was only his first track day. Not as if his there racing.
Doesn't matter. He's a beginner, the rider is what needs to improve not little things on the bike.
The fact he isn't worried bout it is a good thing, the bike doesn't make the rider.
I went to my first track day just two months after getting my bike and did unnaturally well. I've always been fast at picking up technical hobbies, but the bike really speaks to me; I love it.
My coach asked a few times after a couple of the sessions if I was lying about it being my first track day. At the end of the day, he told me I ride some of the cleanest laps he's seen, and when I told him I started riding only two months prior, he couldn't believe it. He told me I have some serious natural talent and to keep training.
I then let it all go to my head and crashed on the street a month later.
I hit a curb going around 50mph in a tiny roundabout. I almost made it, but I panicked, froze up, and didn't lean enough. After getting flung into the air, my bike landed tank first on my left hand.
I had racing gauntlets on that thankfully stopped my hand from becoming a mangled stump, even so it surprisingly only broke one bone. Other than that, I was doing great with just some scrapes, but I currently have three pins in my left hand that are to be removed three weeks from now, and I'm still going through the insurance process to get my bike fixed.
Moral of the story, confidence is great but don't let yourself have to much of it.
And screw roundabouts. lol
I have an '07 track bike and it felt nostalgic watching this. While I still get excited about track days there's something especially exciting and nerve racking about your first time. I remember I felt both sick to my stomach and excited lol.
Regarding braking... once you're comfortable to the point where you're chasing faster lap times, there's a LOT of time to be found in braking zones.
Absolutely love your honesty, I think this is what’s stopping me doing one , can’t thank you enough for telling it like it is . Excellent vid .
11:29 you might have the concept of "trail braking" a little bit confused. Trail braking is staying on the brakes into the corner and holding pressure until you see the corner exit and can hammer the throttle. Not just braking with the rear.
I think he didn't explain well.
What I'm getting is that he is trailbraking with the rear only.
Trailbraking while using the front is a whole new animal, but he'll figure it out I'm sure if he stays at it. I'm always timid with that front tucking on me.
I had the front on my dyna wash last summer, stab reaction my fault, but I came immediately off and it corrected itself, random braking story that vaguely related... 🍻
i never got the impression of him saying you just use the rear brake. he said you use the rear brake when trail braking not that you only use rear brake
@Thomas B kind of hard to get wrong unless you really aggressive. thing is that trail breaking is something you don't attempt until you are at least comfortable with the bike and att that point you are experienced enough to not just grab a fist full of brake. i would say trial breaking is probably the safest when you first start doing it as you are not trying to push your limits while ones you get comfortable that's when you might go to far
If you are trailing your brakes into a corner then "hammer the throttle" you will fall off.
Love this video! No ego riding or talking smack, just straightforward and shows the learning experience of the first track day, makes me wanna do one now. Subbed
Great video as always! Thank you.
I tell you what! You've done great. You went there, you had a nice experience, you did not hurt yourself, you did not damage your bike. I think your experience is a huge success. It seems like you are underestimating your performances. Do it again. If you don't mind about the 500 dollars, it is worth it doing it again. the same truck. It is your cure. You inspired me thanks a lot.
That's not a great track to start doing trackdays , with all the height differences and very poor quality asphalt.. I think a better track next time will give you more confidence and fun.
Agreed. It looked terrible.
You are correct it is a bumpy track with a few blind corners and several elevation changes. This is the only track I have ever ridden. Despite its physical challenges, which I concede, from talking to more experienced riders, who have done several tracks, if you can master the NHMS infield course, you can ride any track.
As you start to go quicker into the brake zones just be mindful the 600RR doesnt have a slipper clutch. Check out a channel called Master Yoshi, his stuff could help you out I think.
Thank you for sharing your experience. It’s great to hear what you have learnt as it will make you a better and safer rider on the road. As an ex Australian Superbike racer (who started racing in the Australian 250cc production class on a Suzuki RGV-250 v-twin two stroke, road going race replica). Phillip Island was my home track and I’ve possibly done 1000 laps. I’ve actually, even to this day, never done a track day. What you did was a track day experience. They can’t compete, nor teach you as much as you learn from racing. My first race was on a short course in the dry. I thought I was going really fast. 6 weeks later after two other weekend’s racing at different tracks (including PI) I returned to where I started. This time it was cold and wet, same brand of street legal tyres as in the warm dry conditions. When I came back in after my first session my mentor (who ended up being my manager) asked how I went. For me it was a simple answer. Slow. He just smiled and showed me my lap times, which were quicker than when I thought I was going fast in perfect conditions. It’s all about learning the art. When racing you can learn by watching and following better racers. 👍😎🇦🇺
I appreciate your enthusiasm.
I've never done a track day. Footage wouldn't have bored me at all lol. Sounds like a great experience overall!
Once you get your own suit that you feel comfortable in especially your boots it gets a lot better and you will feel more comfortable and confident in yourself. Love your videos btw
I had to buy a older beater bike for me to get more comfortable on track. I had the same worries about someone crashing into me or lowsiding my bike.
I think your approach was spot on . Look at the bright side . You're learning . Great job and stay focused
Eight years? Took me five months. What a blast. Been twelve times now one year on. Get your own suit , wear it often and it will feel like a second skin. I can not begin to describe the leaps and bounds my skill level took with each successive track day. I recently took a race course and aim to try one by end season in addition to getting my new Gixxer 750 out there in lieu of my learner Ninja400. I don't get owning a sport bike and not taking it to the track. Good on you 👏 and your friend. BTW I am 63 and just completed five track days in one week. New Dunlop Q3+ rubber helped immeasurably. Get yourself a beater Ninja400, R3, KTM 390 or similar and thrash it hard....great learner bike IMHO . Money spent on quality training and mentoring is money well spent. Hope you go again...soon as possible.
Just watched your video. I just want to say that you are a breath of fresh air. Your humble personality and honest outlook is fantastic. I too wish to do a track day in the not too distant future. Thanks for being you.
I think I'm in the same camp as you. Ripping ass is really fun, but I don't want to wreck my bike trying to be like Rossi on a track. It seems like there's no middle ground. If you go to the track you should be trying to push yourself and your bike to the limit. I love my bike too much to risk taking a corner at the highest speed I can muster.
A normal track day is better, they move people around and everyone finds where they fit.
I'd never take the one nice bike I own to the track for my first time - or maybe ever - unless I was well off enough to replace it without blinking. I'd buy something cheap, that if I don't wreck it, I could resell eventually and get most of the money back. A smaller cheap bike won't hinder anyone assuming it's not falling apart. The 600 he's on is way more bike than anyone can harness in their early track days, imo.
@@dddon513 I started on a GSXR600, have only done about 10-12 days total and now I’m on a Panigale 959 in A group with four different organizations. It just depends on how well you learn and apply yourself. Always seek further education through all our available outlets these days
@@dddon513 Understood. You can rent bikes from Penguin. They are Ninja 650's with clip-ons and rear sets, if you don't want to risk your own.
ripping on the streets has much more risk than on the track. If you can do it on the street, then it should be doable and safer on the track. Also, a track day is not a race.. we're out there to practice and learn skills most of the time.. you can about the track on whatever 'reasonable' speed you want.. no need to push you or the bike to the limit.
Hi, I am following you a couple of years now and I really appreciate your honesty man, just keep doing it, thank for the videos.
Kudos to you for trying it out! I tell absolutely everyone, even a single day at the track is going to help you learn MUCH more then on the street... I absolutely fell in love with my first track day, and have been hooked ever since... Yeah I still street ride from time to time, but I find that my enjoyment come more from track days and learning from every corner I go through rather than being able to be free and travel the roads. I do still plan on street riding, but not on a sportbike, moreso a cruiser or something that a lot more comfortable.
As far as the braking, you know you're at full brake when the rear wheel starts to lift up off the ground and you have to then start finding other ways to scrub off speed... leg dangle trail braking, etc. Once that tire is hot it takes a LOT to break traction with the ground.
As far as body positioning - You should be able to fully lean off of the bike, have no hands on the bars and be able to hold yourself up with your outer leg on the tank, and your inner foot on the rearset... It also feel like you're WAY further off than you think lol. I can promise you're not nearly as leaned over as you believe... Body positioning takes time to master, and practice makes perfect!
As far as the speed, I also tell everyone that is a track day beginner that you WILL get fast, but you first need to get comfortable. Get comfortable leaning, get comfortable braking, get comfortable with the g-forces felt under hard acceleration... Speed comes with comfort and pushing yourself just a hair. No need to blast into a corner, but try going just a bit faster while maintaining 80% of your effort. Leave room for mistakes, cause they will happen.
The other few things I try and tell people bringing their street bikes to the track:
- If you can avoid it... DO NOT BRING YOUR OEM/NICE FAIRINGS!... It's gonna be on your mind the entire time "what if I go down, I'll ruin my fairings". The last thing you need on the track is a distraction...
- Don't look at... no... don't even THINK about the rear brake (unless you're off track in the grass). I've been tracking my 08 600rr for two years... my rear pad is still at like 95% life left... YES YOU CAN TRAIL BRAKE WITHOUT THE REAR BRAKE, I do it all the time...
- Stop looking at your tach and speedo... it's not relevant on the track. Go off of feel... Are you freaking out cause you feel like you're going too fast? You're pushing past the 80% effort zone... Stop doing that. It's also another distraction you don't need on the track. Throw tape over it and go off of feel.
- HAVE FUN... track days are about learning and having fun. You're surrounded by a group of people who are more than willing to assist you to get better and faster... As a whole the goal is to be safe, and have fun... getting fast comes with time, and everyone learns at their own pace...
(FYI, if you ever try out another track day, I'd like to get back out to a north eastern track and show you some stuff! HMU!)
Glad you did it man. I've been planning to make a video on this but I'll break it down real quick - I have a '10 600RR and after two years of riding went to my first track day last year. Like you, I signed up for the school, but reached a similar conclusion - sometimes the schools feel too limiting or discouraging. In my case I got an instructor who sucked, and another novice rider left early because he was so de-motivated. Since then, I've done three more trackdays, none with formal instruction, but each time I've met good people, had fun, learned things, and have since moved up to B group. I was pretty turned off by my experience with the instructor that first time, but really glad I stuck with it and went back on my own. Sounds like you're on the right track (pun intended lol) to do something similar - I think it will be worth it. A single trackday out here goes for $200, so look for something in that vicinity and it won't feel like such a financial lift. Also, since you're such a good mechanic, consider getting a beater bike (consider a 300 or 400) that you can whip into riding condition so you're not worried about crashing. You'll have more fun :-)
You know it. Great suggest.
yeah i can see a dedicated bike and even a smaller cc bike to improve technique and not rely on power
I’m sure that is a great way to improve quickly, but he is used to faster bikes. Personally I feel like being good enough to have fun and being on a bike you will enjoy are most important. Not everyone wants to hurry up and jump into racing.
Lol i just did a track school 2 days ago and one thing I noticed is some of the instructors were definetly fast but they are obviously not good at teaching. I thought I got lucky because I was assigned to an instructor that have won intermediate club championships .Cool,I got a private instructor. He was nice dude but oh man he was not good at conveying information that a beginner could easily understand. Turns out he is new at teaching and I guess I got used as a practice student 😂. It was actually not too bad, the key is I keep asking questions because if you don't then he won't know what your struggling to understand.
Subscribed! Great honest, humble recount with very useful comments. Keep it up and thank you.
Just a note for people hauling their bikes... this is after years upon years of doing so.
You absolutely DO NOT need to strap from the handlebars (so many issues can occur with this method). A more effective way is to simply anchor from the front wheel axle (between the fork ends and the wheel). This way, you are not playing with suspension compression since anchorage point is below it, making the actual bike suspension work naturally when you hit bumps, and also the fact that it is anchored lower makes it more stable.
Try it out, it's so effective that you could even not tie up the back, although, I still do it just in case.
My first track day was pretty similar. I bought a RS660 as my first bike and took it to the sandia speedway (in ABQ, NM).it is a similarly old track. I only had 10 or 11 months of riding experience when i did it, and i was absolutely the slowest or second slowest person out there. I had actuallybought my leathers the day i bought the bike, so i was pretty familiar with them and how they felt. I was certainly very intimidated. I tend to think thats pretty normal. We only had 2 people go down but i really didnt want to be one of them so i was really careful. I was super proud to have faced my fears and accomplished my goal. Id love to go back to another track. Congrats on doing something most people are to scared to do.
Nice video man. Refreshingly free of ego. I have done two trackdays on so called Junior tracks. You have to push it to go over 60, because it's mainly corners. Due to other engagements, i had no choice but to go with the faster group, the first time. I had to fight and push to keep up and that sort of hindered my learning, but i liked it non the less. The second time i was in the intermediate group and we started quite slow so i really got to grips and was becomming more and more smooth and controlled as we progressed through the day and got faster. So, to go faster but getting more relaxed and smooth at the same time, was one of the best feelings i've had, riding a motorcycle. To almost become one with your machine is awesome. There is so much to deal with and so much to learn, which will take many miles.
Got the same bike as you. Been to som track ridning. Love it! Makes Road ridning som much safer. Going again soon. Really looking forward to it!
Could I recommend California super bike school. Highly recommend…. You will learn a lot at your own pace with people that are at you same riding level. They are world renowned! Best of luck to you my friend 👍🇦🇺
Penguin is a really great racing school, but it is a school more designed for racing, doing your first day with them can be a bit rough because a lot of the other riders have practiced with other groups(such as TTD or Evolve). It also goes to show you, you have been riding 10s of thousands of miles not even knowing the limits of your brakes, road riding really does not prepare us to handle even a 600cc sportbike, let alone allow us to really experience how amazing these bikes can be.
I would SERIOUSLY go to a Tonys Track Day event(especially since they are closer to you in mass), they are very organized and a lot of the coaches race at a pro level, and they have a much more structured curriculum as well as body position seminars and 1 on 1 coaching sessions. Tonys also rides mostly at Palmer Motorsports park, THompson and NYST where are MUCH smoother tracks(and larger). Tonys has 4 classes, 1st class for 1st time track riders, 2nd class is for intermediate semi-experienced riders, 3rd classof riders is advanced, 4th class is pro. They also do NOT allow block passing or inside passing, inside passing is strictly forbidden in all TRACKDAY organizations, but you went to a RACEDAY organization. Penguin is a REALLY great school, but for upper advanced riders, it can be really intimidating for beginners or first timers, where as Tonys is MUCH more organized for first time track riders and their classes are tailored to each class of rider.
Tonys non-member days are also MUCH cheaper than Penguin, TTD(Tonys) is about 200-300 a day instead of 500, and a LOT of the coaches pro race at Loudon just like Penguin.
I will say that Penguin is only 250/day, he did 2 days. It’s on par with TTD/Fishtail.
NYST does have rookie days, with tickets only at $125! Signed up for the one in a few weeks myself; should be fun
@@Propaganda66 Penguin is a great value for people looking to get their race license after already getting used to track riding with a more tame/safe trackday organizer such as Tonys or Evolve. They are arguably one of the best race schools in the usa and are well known. But as a first trackday spot, I could see how the riders going to penguin could be really anxiety inducing for brand new riders that have never been to a trackday.
@@bit0fun ehhh, better than a race school, still a bit more rowdy than an organizer. Nyst i a great vibe tho, never can go wrong with any group at nyst.
Loved the video. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. Ride safe!
Yeah man love it that more people are doing track days. Quick tip is not necessary but i would advice you getting cheap body fairings so you can change them and ride with more confidence. at least you have in mind that your nice fairings wont get damage if something were to happen. Or you can get a cheap dedicated track bike is what i did. I have a K5 600 for street and my 99 sv650 as dedicated track bike. Yes you are correct most novice guys been stuck their for a long time some do it for fun others cause they want to improve. Had a guy tell me he could not catch me my 2nd day and he has been in novice for quit some time now. Love your vid bro keep improving👍
The video was awesome!! I taped some rides on my 600rr and there is no way to portray the feelings you get while riding on film. Looks so much fun!! I would give my left nut to experience a track day. Wish I was still in Oz so I could do a track day at Phillip Island. That particular track doesn't look in good shape, but it's still a race track and you got to do it, so respect. Great info!!
I'm happy to see you did it exactly in the right way!
I’m glad you get to try the track day. But you should try to find riding school instead of racing school. Keep it up. And I love your attitude about first track day. Keep it up. You are doing great
Gr8 vid, hero. Sounds fun and safe. Ride safe, god bless u.
I just did my 1st track day on my 21 MT07. And while wearing all the gear and boots, you really do feel like it's your 1st time on a bike. Everything feels out of place and even shifting was tricky at some points. Meaning the boots didn't give off any feel, unlike my riding shoes. But still learned a lot and had a blast.
This has nothing to do with track riding, but honestly that 600rr is IMO the best looking sportbike I have ever seen, regardless of power or year. I fell in love with this year and model and colorway from using it in the excellent racing game Ride 4 years before I had seen your channel. When I watched your vid about all the mods you did to it, I had the thought that Merriam Webster should have a pic of this bike under the "supersport" or "sportbike" entry. That is to say, to me, it is exactly what a sportbike should look like, and all the modding is tasteful. Thanks for the video and please keep treating that beautiful motorcycle well.
It’s definitely the best looking CBR they built. Looks damn modern for 15 years old.
@@professorvoluck9311 Its true what you say. I think its similar for all the big 4 supersports. The 2009 GSXR600 is another example, and so are the 2004 R1 and the 2008 ZX6r. Obviously I am a bit biased toward late 90s and 2000s sportbike aesthetics because of my age, but I dont think that explains it 100%. If any of those 3 were first released for sale next week, even really young riders would think they are appealing. In my eyes the current crop of supersports are sort of "futuristic" in that they look like their designers were aiming to create something that will reach peak appeal in 10 or 15 years. Its a trend that you can see all the way back to the late 80s in stuff like the RC45 and ZXR750
HeroRR the main thing you enjoyed yourself and you learned a lot from it, you're a braver man than me! Loved the video great to see it from a beginners point of view ✌️
Track: You get to do the same thing over and over again w/o concern(mostly) of unexpected things...cars, animals, gravel, etc. Good experience. Code's school with the locked triple-tree training bike provided a good education for those that think 'leaning' causes a bike to turn. it does not. Counter steering does. I never went to the Penguin but wanted to.
Hey man I actually just picked up a 2007 Cbr600rr a month ago after watching all your videos. I actually watched one where you said your located in Massachusetts, I am too! If you ever wanna meet up man and cruise I’d love to get some tips from you. Your an awesome UA-camr and seem like a cool guy. Cheers ! Ride safe. Definitely let me know !
Hero My Guy, have you never watched Twist Of The Wrist 2? I have watched it probably 100x and listened to the entire video playing in my pocket at least 50x! Everything you are talking about is in it. I have contoured my riding to that and Canyon Chaser’s video’s and YCRS vid’s. I have not been to a track yet but all I have done for the last 15k miles is trail braking and body positioning. I ride the street like I am on a track. But I stay in one lane. Once at the track I will have the entire way to pick my lines! Stay safe Bruddah and thanks for sharing.
twist of the wrist is a great start, and Keith Codes school is also a great place to learn, his son does a great job, but its a START, nothing beats having a coach on track showing you how to apply it.
Great video, Hero. Would love to see you upload a video with just track footage and I'm sure others would too
Much better if you have a bike you're not afraid to wreck and have gear you're comfortable and confident in. Maybe get some race fairings?
Hey man I look forward to my first track day, love your honesty
You seem like a super wholesome dude, right on. No insecure squid tendencies and rocking the CBR. I wish I could get the new 2024 version but I'm afraid I'll be too tall and awkward on it.
Thanks man!
Awesome video. I appreciate your honesty.
Awesome video. Thank you for your honesty!
I love your honesty. Great vid. I’m also a first timer.
HeroRR, cool video. I did my first track day in 2007. Even though I have been riding for quite a long time, my first endeavor, with a track day, was with a "Beginners" class. I did that to learn things I did not know at the time and, as a matter of fact, I did learn something from the instructors (although the pace was painfully slow for my experience but followed the Control rider's direction). But, like I said it was my first track day, so I wanted to start at a level where I did not over-exceed my abilities at the "Intermediate Class" or above.
For me, I found that participating in track days, somehow lessened my daily enjoyment of road riding as on a track, one does not have to worry about other on-coming traffic, wildlife, road debris or "5-0". I even did a track day where it rained all day and since the day was paid for, our track time was done in the rain (it really helps teach one to learn throttle and brake controls in wet conditions).
I have not participated in a track day for a couple of years; but if you are willing I would give it another GO if you were ever to consider coming to Wisconsin to enjoy the 4.2 mile, high-speed circuit called, "Road America". (Proud owner of a CBR 600 F4i).
Awesome! I love watching people’s first time at the track. You’ll easily be addicted. Also, lol at the poor guy that showed up to the track walk in his leathers.
Whaaat!? All this time watching you and I now realize you’re literally the state over from me. I was there that weekend racing. NHMS is a super bumpy and technical track. I highly recommend trying out other tracks as well, and even other organizations, Tony’s Track Days, Fishtail Riding School. I was in your same shoes back in 2020, I was getting blown out of the water on my RSV4, but after a couple track days you’ll get much more confident. I got hooked, and ended up getting my race license. I’m doing NYST this upcoming weekend with Penguin. I have a couple videos on my channel at NHMS if you wanna see the racing line and faster paced lap. Tony’s and Fishtail has the “level up” kinda of pace that you’re talking about.
The courses are awesome but a lot of non-track riders who are very skilled in anything like the California canyons are going to find that some of the skills transfer over well and will be faster than they think.... should be obvious but a lot of people don't realize it. Guys that competently tear it up in the canyons are pretty good riders!
Also you get these "don't ride fast in the twisty's, save it for the track"... the first thing I want to say is the people who say this very likely have limited riding skill and the 2nd thing is "fast" is subjective. What is within someone's comfort zone and skill level to ride safely for one rider is not the case for the next and I've known people who've been seriously injured at the track as well despite it being a controlled environment.
Riding within your own limits, no matter what the pace is --- that's the key to minimizing risk.
I've watched a lot of your vids and have been encouraging you to go to the track for years. I would say don't get discouraged because you're significantly slower than those other guys. Your riding pedigree is just different and you will gain confidence and get faster with more experience.
I raced CCS there years ago. Thanks for sharing.
The Keith Code books have a lot of technical skills you may be interested in. 🏍️...
Idk about not using the rear brake on track. MotoGP riders use it all the time to stabilize the bike when going into a turn after maximum braking has been done, then they drag it while transitioning into acceleration.
Thats super advanced territory, much more things to worry about and master first.
The rear tire is almost overstrained while downshifting. Sometimes it locks up if you have no slipper clutch.
With rear break you have even more struggle to keep your bike straight.
I have been riding for 4 years and finally feel ready to hit the track ! Great video bro thanks for putting this up
Cheers for the insite on Track days, it’s also on my todo list! But I’ve first gotta get a new bike 😅
Always enjoy ya videos! Keep up the good work!! 💪
Welcome to NH. You got a good coach at the beginning. I know him from work, really good people.
I forget his name but he was excellent. Very nice guy with lots of knowledge and patience.
That’s John Donald (NEMRR 42). Great guy at Penguin. There are a ton of NEMRR vets out there that you should network with and they can really provide you some pointers as well to progress as a Rider.
Dude, everything you said sounds just fine and you have the correct attitude and respect for the sport ! I think everyone has all those feelings their first track time You went to a race school so they were prepared for you and beginner racers. You may have been more comfortable with a track day in beginner but without a coach or experienced friends it would have felt the same or even more sketchy. Most track days have plenty of coaches that will spend time to tuck in behind and progress at your pace ! That's how they get free track time, by coaching and safety monitoring . You never stop learning no matter how long you do it ( that's the best part of the sport ) your approach and attitude makes you a perfect student for this. Nothing but up from here ! Just remove the mirrors next time maybe a small obstruction but much better IMO. Maybe run water wetter instead of coolant. Just in case . Great video !!!!!!
Great video! Track days definitely run very different at different tracks and courses and countries!
I really liked my 4 days I've done so far at Hallett in Oklahoma. I know you aren't local to there but the course is so small it encourages you to work on everything you wanted to work on. Most of my time when I was working on something I would actually cap my speed and just focus on good entry and exit. Some sessions it would be braking, some sessions it would be smooth throttle and body position.
I don't know your area but I would look for smaller courses if there are any, that may scare off the people who just want to go fast and not follow passing rules.
I’m in Advance group, but I enjoy watching new riders on the track. You’re doing good bro! Keep it up. You’ll be fast asf in no time. Track days will definitely humble you. Since it’s “beginner” group, you’ll have different level of beginners and some do stupid shit like passing on the inside or whatever. Some are fast B and some are really slow… like really slow. My first track day, I thought was going to be a fast beginner and I got shitted on my so many people lmao leave your ego at home and ride your ride.
It expensive, takes a lot of planning, it’s a long exhausting day & yes it’s so worth it as you learn how to properly ride a supersport or any bike you bring, worth every penny, in fact it’s addictive!
Love your honestly dude, keep it up and thanks for sharing your thoughts, really inspiring !!
Been riding for 50 years...
and the one point for track selection I can offer for beginners is to avoid a track with blind corners. For me, seeing the entire corner from braking point to tip in to apex to exit point are key... Leave rollercoaster full of blind corners Grattan raceway (Michigan) till later.
I've visited Gingerman raceway in Michigan a few times, that's pretty flat.
Also Autobahn International raceway in Illinois was great. I've ridden all 3 tracks.
Grattan has corners you just cannot see, i like that today... Not so much my 1st track day.
I got a youtubie of Grattan and the other tracks too so you can see what I mean
Enjoy!
yeah good to get more confident and comfortable by having a track that let's you have beter sight and a better ability to plan ahead. everything is about muscle memory and experiance. the easier to get around a track the more confident you get and the more learning you can do before stepping it upp
@@rampage3337 👍
Here in New England, finding “open” style Tracks like in the South, Midwest, and West are very few and far between. Thompson, CT and Canaan, NH are close to being flat and open as it can. But others here (i.e. Palmer, Club Motorsports) are all mountainside, so blind corners, uphill and sloping sections are inevitable.
@@rcayabyab8994 I gotta say, blind corners now are like a smile before you get there...
Once you know.🤣
Really cool seeing the guy who inspired me to buy a 600RR do his first track day through the same organization and at the same place I did. I did a “track experience” with Penguin at NHMS in May and that being said, you are right it’s definitely more of a race school than a track school. Personally I enjoyed the environment (my group had only one or two people who had previously done a track day), and I plan on going back. For you I would recommend TTD or Fishtail since it sounds like you’re looking for more of a “track school” and a nicer track. Loudon definitely has some character LOL.
Glad to hear ya had fun and found it helpful! Body position is so so important even on easy road cruises. Racecraft is a hard thing to learn as well. I enjoy the kind of riding I get to do on the road. 55's and a cheek off, I'm happy👍
There is nothing like your first track day - very exciting time. Good video and good job on the track.
Try the Yamaha Champ school if it comes your way. They have classes that are designed for street folks. Good riding gear required. They also run classes if you are more into gaining racing technique. Full race gear required. Worth a look my friend. Their online courses are excellent as well.
Good job man! Nothing boring about your track video, at least you go to the track, unlike many people out there that gets 1000cc as their FIRST bike and doesn't go to the track. I'm also a new rider and going on my second track day this month. I do it to learn and to use my Ninja400 to it's full potential.
Well done dude, don't worry about levels and who's doing what at this point, just do your own thing and put the time in, and have fun. It will come. Similarly, I rode street only for over 10 years before getting on track, and like it or not you'll have some bad habits, but also some good carry over like probably pretty good throttle control. The thing with the groups is you can get all kinds of crazy stuff, like I've seen advanced riders go out in the beginner group because they don't wanna push that day, then of course they're ripping around full lean. You have to do your own thing and be patient, aim for full throttle on the straights, pick conservative braking markers and slowly work them forward, don't get overloaded with information.
I did a 1 day advanced rider training course a few years ago. The training was fantastic, yes body position and lines was the major take away.
When it comes to the other riders, well they all have their own personalities, the quickest guy in our group was riding a 250, but I think he had the red mist when he was on the track, going fast, but not really applying what the lessons were about.
The slowest was on a H2, I think the bike scared him, quick on the the straights, but nearly stopping for the corners, what a pain, he get in front of me on the straights, and hold me up on the corners, I did a few runs through the pits to get away from him.
It’s exactly a track day, you learn how to race. Your first time is always sketchy. Don’t do different tracks until you learn a specific track. You can’t learn switching tracks. Build confidence on one than move
Amazing experience congrats bro 🙌
First rule of track days is no matter how fast you may honestly think you are, sign up for the Slow Group. Street "Fast" and track "Fast" are entirely different. Congrats on getting your first day out of the way. I remember my first day, and having my frame of reference for "fast" completely destroyed. After 6 or 12 more days you will look back and laugh about your first couple of track days. I have been track riding for about 5 seasons, and the main mistake I made was staying in the Slow Group too long, and then staying in the Intermediate Group too long. Once I tried the Fast Group where all the riders were highly skilled, I first of all felt a lot safer (most of the ding bats seem to be found in the Intermediate Group), and second of all I had the open track I needed a head of me to work on my skills for higher speeds as I wasn't constantly coming up on gaggles of riders parking it in the corners.
No such thing as slow on the street or the track your just putting your skills in check and being humble about it which is why u didn't crash and many others did. It's all about progression and honing your skills. I'd probably look the same out there my first time around.
I know I'm late, no strips yet? Keep looking. Still can't believe I watched reviews from a guy who didn't know how to ride for so long. 8 years though? The community loves you btw. Progress at your pace!!!
Gonna push my 600RR to limit even gonna do knee slides if I ever go to one. Thanks for sharing.
Well done. It takes courage to do what you did. I was exactly the same 4 years ago and now absolutely live for track riding and club racing. Onwards and upwards friend.
Hero, don't worry about being slow or seeing yourself as 'bad' your first time out on track. Track riding is a progression that takes years to fully master.
Granted, I always love it when I get to see a person start their track riding experience, and, well... I'm proud of you for taking the first step and trying it out. But if you do ever decide to get serious about more track time, please feel free to contact me. I've a plethora of knowledge, bikes to spare, and am more than willing to be your sponsor for a trackday or two (albeit with the limitation of me not being able to drive that far from southeast Georgia). Trackdays are something that I can finally afford on a regular basis, and I'd be more than happy to help you get more experience under your belt, on bikes that you don't have to worry about crashing. So please, if you're at all interested, let a brother know.
Wow that’s quite an offer. Thank you! I’m gonna try a few more on my own but I’ll definitely keep you in mind. I don’t need anything from you but it would be nice if you in the future could go to a track day with me and just give me advice. Feel free to email me theherorr@gmail.com. I am all the way up in mass tho.
@@HeroRR sent you an email. Love your content; keep it up.
moral of the story: 2 days of track lesson teaches you way more than 8 years of riding on the street. Have fun and stay safe!
Good job. Thanks for passing on this information.
Just a quick tip for tying down your bike to trailer. you wanna avoid strapping the handle bars, best place is bottom of forks. Do a loop around the fork and strap it down. This way it prevents putting pressure on the bars and shocks. Check out srkcycles, on UA-cam for a quick vid on it. Hope that helps.
That track needs some love
I just did my race license certification at Loudon earlier this year. Nothing like going to the track. I used to be a street rider up until a few years ago. About 10 track days later I decided to start racing. Loudon is a old school tight and technical track. I highly suggest going to as many trackdays as you can at other tracks as well. Loudon does have some sketchy parts too it. I’ve done 7 different tracks and Loudon is as tough of a track to get right. I would suggest if you’re a New England area rider to go to Palmer, NYST, NJMP, Poconos.
You are riding for over 8 years and know nothing about body positions and trail braking? Glad you are still alive.
Most riders suck soon bad.....
Even more sportbike riders have absolutely no use for a supersport
A tip about braking: It's helpful to imagine wringing out a sponge. First a little, then more and more. Of course, the time for changing the wheel load distribution should be as short as possible. In order to gain confidence and a feeling for the front wheel and the brakes, you can make very short full stops, which very briefly lead to the front wheel locking. But only VERY BRIEFLY, less than a second. Concentrate more on releasing the brake than on pressing the brake. This is how you find out where the limit area begins with your front wheel.
Dang that is a scary thing to practice haha, thanks for the advice!
@@HeroRR It's not as bad as you might think. The front wheel doesn't really slip away. A very short impulse, it squeaks briefly and before you lose the front wheel, you release the front brake.
Try and always street ride with your boots. Make that the new normal. Aside from the obvious safety thing, it's a big variable you can totally remove on the feel and control part. Trainers are dumb riding gear period, break that habit dude! Well played on your first track experience... great attitude and zero ego. Learned loads and brought it home undamaged. You'll have a new respect for true fast safe riders and a hunger to get more like that. Takes time and hard work and a lot of cash to develop the right skills. Stick with tuition days all the way. Get pictures to help evaluate your body position and lean and also suspension travel. Get the suspension serviced and set up by a good qualified tech. Stick at it man! It's as addictive as crack! I bet you convert the 600 to a dedicated track bike... you totally should.
Agreed on the boots but wish it hadn’t taken him a trackday to get some. I’ve heard horror stories about people who crashed in trainers and had horrific injuries. Right gear all the time.
rear brake it basically engine braking until you are basically a pro racer, bang down gear right away, it will slow you down alot and settle the bike
You should look into Tony’s Track Days (TTD). They’re based in Central MA and they have the best Class Time, as well as overall Organization. The Staff are fantastic (with a few who also take part in Loudon’s NEMRR Race Program). And many of the Customers there are more than willing to provide a helping hand to those in need.
Last year I took part in the so called "tourist-rides" at the Nürburgring (Granprix track, not Nordschleife) with my CBR600RR. Unfortunately, on the last lap of the stint, I accelerated too much out of the corner in second gear (without tc) and did a highside. Rebuilding was very expensive because of the stock fairings. My tips are therefore: In first and second gear you should accelerate careful out of the curve even with a 600cc bike and you should use racing fairings. 😁
The "Green Hell" of the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring doesn't forgive mistakes. No run-off zones, no gravel bed. But three rows of hard crash barriers. I wouldn't want to learn how to ride a motorcycle fast there. Especially since the Nordschleife is over 20 km long. Knowing the course of the Nordschleife well is the most important thing in order to drive fast there.
@@giostisskylas Yes you are right. You should know every corner and shouldnt push it to the limits. But thats not where my crash happend. I rode at the grand prix curse and there are big run off zones and gravel beds. :-)
The Nürburgring is divided in two circuits. The Nordschleife aka. Green hell and the grand prix curse. Most of the time only the nordschleife is opened for tourist rides but on some days also the grand prix curse is opended for tourist rides.
Congrats don’t let this first experience put you off. The more you do it the better it gets. Keep at it and maybe try the California Superbike School if you get the chance
The first time I did that on that very same track was with Keith Code's Cali superbike school. It was pouring rain and we rode anyway. Learned a lot riding in the wet. Awesome school. I rode their bike. I had an '06 CBR600RR to continue the fun. Then the economy went sour and had to sell all my bikes 'cept for my '06 R1. I still have that. Now, I'm too old to be doing that. I do have an unused custom Vanson racing suit to match the red CBR. Anyone interested in buying it? I was 5'11" and 185# at the time. Cost me $1800 and never even used it. NH here.
Im just surprised you didnt know about braking, which for me is something i learned when i very first started riding
Track bike reveal incoming.
Cool. It's a lot of fun.
my understanding is penguin is more race focused than a traditional track day organization. i would suggest tony's track days, especially if you want to do Palmer / Thompson. the community and support is great, and it's about being safe and learning, not so focused on racing.
Tracks with multiple layouts and bank turns (overalls) where they use the in field are hard to learn and work your way around… inshore just focusing on the ribbon of tarmac, kerbs and etc which are easy to see and follow, using cones to mark the layout is difficult especially when tyre rubbber on the track suggests one direction for a previous layout then you find the cones direct you totally different. Also concrete is the best either. These tracks are typically made for car racing and have little run off and high concrete and metal barriers right next to the track.
I am feeling that it's time for me to do a track day. I haven't been on the stretch much the last few years simply because the roads around me have not been taken care of. And I'm not a cruise around town type rider. I'm currently talking with some friends to see of they are interested. Mostly cause until ya meet new folks having a buddy there is a nice crutch to start with, and share travel expenses also. I think it'll be next year and not sure Maybe Evo or N2 or stt Pitt raceway is 6 hours but have a free place to stay and Pocono is just at 2 hours but would need to camp or hotel it.
Like the progressive break talk too. You will go through brakes like crazy too