Anyone else been to a Track yet???

[CharlieR]

Went on a spur of the moment trip to an 1/8th mile track tonite. Started leaving @ 4500 made 4 runs(better each run) ended leaving @ 6000( still tooooooo low:surrender bogged on launch. Ran (best 6000 leave) 2.226 60ft. , 8.41 et@ 86mph. :rant:Once I get the launch RPM correct I would guess it would run 8.1's-7.9's, with a 2.0-1.9 60ft. Need more practice but it was Fun, Fun, Fun. :steve::steve:

Went with a friend with a 139 rwhp FZ1. He ran a best of 2.06 (60 ft) 7.51@ 100+

 

[99vengeur]

I haven't thought about going to a drag strip, but I am trying to plan a trip to one of the many road courses around my area to do a trackday. I hope I can make it to one before the end of the year.

 

[Verranth]

Since this is my first bike and its only been a little over a month, I'm staying away from tracks and tricks. Once I get enough practice and money, I plan to get an FZ1 and then hit the slabs!

 

[[email protected]]

Track day on FZ6R

last week I went to Virginial International Raceway for a track day. The bike did great on the track, but in my opinion it is in a different class compared to track bikes. The FZ6R is NOT a supersport, even though it is classified that way on Yamaha's web site. Probably the biggest problem I experienced was the lack of power on the straight aways. Coming out of the corners I had the throttle full open but I was being passed by guys going 50mph faster. I thought the handling was great and I had a lot of confidence in the bike, but I just couldn't keep up on the straight aways. I was also told that the suspension was not great for the track. I have a fender eliminator and with the suspension set at 3 (middle) I was compressing in the turns so much that I scraped my plate holder several times. I am usually pretty passive riding, keeping my RPM at about 7,000 or so, but at the track, you ride it at red line constantly. If you are interested in pushing your bike closer to its limits, I highly recommend doing a track day. I will definitely do it again.

 

[Ooter]

You want the suspension to be set very stiff for the track. I dial mine up to 4 for the street, but I'd set it to 6 for the track.

 

[btastarsky]

I actually ride my suspection at 5 for the street. Gives me more feedback when attacking the twisties near my house (some really good twisties). Maybe changing the tires would help track days too. Our tires are meant for touring, meaning long mileage. A set of Pirellis would probably shave some seconds off the lap time.

 

[arodhr13]

Track Day

i had mine at the drag strip last night and it was 7.8 in the 1/8th of a mile and 12.2 sec for the quarter mile pretty quick. that is with a stock exhaust.
i will be getting the two bros soon enough and will test again.
has anyone with two bros exhaust ran?
is it worth the money to get the exhaust?

 

[mbridge51]

last week I went to Virginial International Raceway for a track day. The bike did great on the track, but in my opinion it is in a different class compared to track bikes. The FZ6R is NOT a supersport, even though it is classified that way on Yamaha's web site. Probably the biggest problem I experienced was the lack of power on the straight aways. Coming out of the corners I had the throttle full open but I was being passed by guys going 50mph faster. I thought the handling was great and I had a lot of confidence in the bike, but I just couldn't keep up on the straight aways. I was also told that the suspension was not great for the track. I have a fender eliminator and with the suspension set at 3 (middle) I was compressing in the turns so much that I scraped my plate holder several times. I am usually pretty passive riding, keeping my RPM at about 7,000 or so, but at the track, you ride it at red line constantly. If you are interested in pushing your bike closer to its limits, I highly recommend doing a track day. I will definitely do it again.

Bill - was this your first track day? I just found out about the free track day for purchasers of Yamaha sportbikes and I got my coupon from NESBA today via e-mail. Could you provide a few tips on how to prep for going to a track day? Thanks.

 

[[email protected]]

Bill - was this your first track day? I just found out about the free track day for purchasers of Yamaha sportbikes and I got my coupon from NESBA today via e-mail. Could you provide a few tips on how to prep for going to a track day? Thanks.

Hey,
Yeah...this was my first track day. I heard about the coupon too but no where near me. I have been looking around at all the tracks and they all seem to have similar prep rules. You will need to bring painters masking tape...the blue kind works well because the adhesive peels back off easily. You will have to tape your headlight, front/rear blinkers, mirrors, and reflectors. If you are able to pull the plug on your headlight and tail light that will be great. I didn't have time to figure that out so just taped over them. Be prepared to rent full leathers unless you have your own. you will also need gloves that go above your wrist and boots that go over your ankles..preferably motorcycle boots. If the track doesn't have a fuel (87-93 octane) for your bike, make sure you bring your own. During a full day you will probably need to fuel up.

For the riding part....first get real comfortable with the race line...which is the position that you are supposed to be in at every point on the track. By riding the race line you become predictable to other riders which makes it a lot safer for everyone. Don't start out trying to go too fast...I did that and it took half the day before I felt like I was getting the technique.

At VIR, they worked a lot on body position, getting you to hang off the bike through corners. You keep the balls of your feet on your foot pegs and use your legs to shift your weight from side to side....be prepared for your legs to be sore at the end of the day.

There were instructors everywhere...I think they get free track time so they are just riding around...they were very willing to help one on one. Everyone was very willing to help.

I probably went a little beyone what you were looking for, but I get a bit pumped up thinking about it.

Good Luck!

 

[mbridge51]

Hey,
Yeah...this was my first track day. I heard about the coupon too but no where near me. I have been looking around at all the tracks and they all seem to have similar prep rules. You will need to bring painters masking tape...the blue kind works well because the adhesive peels back off easily. You will have to tape your headlight, front/rear blinkers, mirrors, and reflectors. If you are able to pull the plug on your headlight and tail light that will be great. I didn't have time to figure that out so just taped over them. Be prepared to rent full leathers unless you have your own. you will also need gloves that go above your wrist and boots that go over your ankles..preferably motorcycle boots. If the track doesn't have a fuel (87-93 octane) for your bike, make sure you bring your own. During a full day you will probably need to fuel up.

For the riding part....first get real comfortable with the race line...which is the position that you are supposed to be in at every point on the track. By riding the race line you become predictable to other riders which makes it a lot safer for everyone. Don't start out trying to go too fast...I did that and it took half the day before I felt like I was getting the technique.

At VIR, they worked a lot on body position, getting you to hang off the bike through corners. You keep the balls of your feet on your foot pegs and use your legs to shift your weight from side to side....be prepared for your legs to be sore at the end of the day.

There were instructors everywhere...I think they get free track time so they are just riding around...they were very willing to help one on one. Everyone was very willing to help.

I probably went a little beyone what you were looking for, but I get a bit pumped up thinking about it.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the info. Here are a few more questions:

1. Did you do the track day through the NESBA organization-Northeast Sport Bike Assc?
2. Did you have to remove the mirrors completely?
3. How well did the tires grip?
4. Do you feel you can apply what you learned to street riding?
5. Did doing the track day make you want a true supersport?

 

[FZ1inNH]

I checked on the coupon as we didn't get anything from the dealer when we got both bikes. After inquiring, I got the one for her FZ6R but when I put in for mine, it returned a copy of hers!?! So, I contacted them and showed them proof that we bought the FZ6r and FZ1 on the same day. They then issued me a coupon too! Sweet!

Bad news: Closest track to us is in Monticello, NY so this means a road trip, trailering them because I will strip them first (No plastics!) and it will be nice to have the trailer in the event one of us dumps a bike on the track and cannot ride it home.

Question for you all: How long is the coupon good for and once signed up to NESBA, how long do you have to book a track day before it expires? Anyone have the definitive answer? Thanks in advance!

 

[99vengeur]

I checked on the coupon as we didn't get anything from the dealer when we got both bikes. After inquiring, I got the one for her FZ6R but when I put in for mine, it returned a copy of hers!?! So, I contacted them and showed them proof that we bought the FZ6r and FZ1 on the same day. They then issued me a coupon too! Sweet!

Bad news: Closest track to us is in Monticello, NY so this means a road trip, trailering them because I will strip them first (No plastics!) and it will be nice to have the trailer in the event one of us dumps a bike on the track and cannot ride it home.

Question for you all: How long is the coupon good for and once signed up to NESBA, how long do you have to book a track day before it expires? Anyone have the definitive answer? Thanks in advance!

You have one year from the date of activation to use the trackday credits.

 

[Senaca]

I find that I am noteably quicker when accelerating full-out from a stop if I dont use the clutch between gears, but rather give the throttle a quick snap to about 3/4 throttle while shifting, then immediately back on full. It takes some getting used to and finding the right point to let the gears mesh nicely, otherwise it's a little rough on the transmission.

Anyone else go clutchless every now and again? I only do it on rare special occaisions.. when I do, it probably saves 0.2 - 0.5 seconds off my 1/4 mile.

 

[mbridge51]

I checked on the coupon as we didn't get anything from the dealer when we got both bikes. After inquiring, I got the one for her FZ6R but when I put in for mine, it returned a copy of hers!?! So, I contacted them and showed them proof that we bought the FZ6r and FZ1 on the same day. They then issued me a coupon too! Sweet!

Bad news: Closest track to us is in Monticello, NY so this means a road trip, trailering them because I will strip them first (No plastics!) and it will be nice to have the trailer in the event one of us dumps a bike on the track and cannot ride it home.

Question for you all: How long is the coupon good for and once signed up to NESBA, how long do you have to book a track day before it expires? Anyone have the definitive answer? Thanks in advance!

I emailed this exact question to [email protected] and was told the following:

Once you receive your coupon code, you have until 12/31/09 to redeem the coupon through NESBA's website.

Once your coupon is redeemed, you have one year to use the credits.

 

[[email protected]]

Thanks for the info. Here are a few more questions:

1. Did you do the track day through the NESBA organization-Northeast Sport Bike Assc?
2. Did you have to remove the mirrors completely?
3. How well did the tires grip?
4. Do you feel you can apply what you learned to street riding?
5. Did doing the track day make you want a true supersport?

Not throught Nesba...my brother directed me to Team Promotions who do track days at Virginia International Raceway.

Just had to tape over the glass part of the mirrors.

To me the tires were great....I never felt any slipping. My bike only had about 2000 miles on it when doing the track day and they are sport-touring tires, but I had no complaints at all.

Definitely improved my street riding. After VIR I went to Deals Gap/Tail of the Dragon as well as about another 1500 miles of mostly twisties and just the confidence alone was a huge boost. Now when I go out riding I feel that I am a lot more competent. Cornering was probably my biggest improvement, next was performance breaking. I had locked up my back tire twice on the track during heavy breaking before a turn...I thought I knew how to break pretty well...but after the track I learned a few things...I will never lock up my back tire again .

A true supersport? I would love to get a track bike, but I can't justify a track bike since the closest track is pretty far away and I know I will only be able to track ride probably two times/year. As far as a replacement for my FZ6R--NO WAY! I love my bike. Saturday I went for a 4 hour ride through the mountains and desert of San Diego County...you can't do that on a true supersport. I did just order my Two Brothers Carbon exhaust, and a Two Brothers Juice Box. I am also planning to have my suspension adjusted to take corners better. So I am trying to squeeze a little more power out of my bike.

When I did the track I felt that the bike had a weakness in the straight a ways. I would be redlining all the way to 6th and still being passed easily by the super sports. They are freakin crazy fast.

If I had unlimited money, time, and lived near a track I would probably get a CBR or GSXR for the track...but I would keep my FZ6R for street riding.

Do you have any specific plans yet for a track day?

 

[mbridge51]

I'm going down to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama on 11/7 for my first track day. I live in Charlotte, which is only about 2 hours from VIR, but a friend of mine has an enclosed trailer and we are going to take our bikes down to Barber and make a weekend trip out of it. I hear Barber is very nice and it also has a motorcycle museum.

NESBA's handbook for track day's requires the removal of mirrors and taping of lights. I am going to rent a leather suit at the track for $50 rather spending a lot of money to buy one at this stage. I just bought a Go Pro Camera and will try to take some video at Barber.

I'll be interested to hear about your Two Bros Exaust and Juice Box after you get it installed.

Thanks for all the info.

 

[bmw675]

i never heard about this being available for new purchases.

should i automatically get a coupon code from them, if so, how long would you wait before contacting.
might be fun and informative.

 

[mbridge51]

i never heard about this being available for new purchases.

should i automatically get a coupon code from them, if so, how long would you wait before contacting.
might be fun and informative.

You have until 12/31/09 to get your coupon code. All I did was email [email protected] and within the hour they emailed me back my coupon code. You then go to NESBA : Northeast Sports Bike Association and create an account, i.e. user i.d & password. Type in your coupon code and your 1-year free membership will be created. Your account will also automatically reflect a credit for $205. You then can register for a track day at one of many tracks to choose from.

I found out about the partnership that NESBA has with Yamaha when I went to the AMA Superbike race at the Virginia International Raceway a couple of weeks ago. The info is difficult to locate in Yamaha's website. I tried to cut and past the link to Yamaha's website for info: 2009 Yamaha & NESBA Promotional Offers & Sportbike Demo Program

For beginners the track day incorporates a little bit of class instruction, but based on what I've read there is still a lot of actual track time involved.

...hope all this helps. Its free so why not do it. Leather suits can be rented for around $50 at the track. You can download NESBA's rider handbook from their website and it will give you all the details on what is involved.

One key point: the program is retro-active back to 1/1/09 for purchases of Yamaha "sport bikes" Just tell them your name and where you bought your bike. I suppose they have the data from Yamaha so they can validate before they issue the coupon code.

 

[99vengeur]

I'm going down to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama on 11/7 for my first track day. I live in Charlotte, which is only about 2 hours from VIR, but a friend of mine has an enclosed trailer and we are going to take our bikes down to Barber and make a weekend trip out of it. I hear Barber is very nice and it also has a motorcycle museum.

NESBA's handbook for track day's requires the removal of mirrors and taping of lights. I am going to rent a leather suit at the track for $50 rather spending a lot of money to buy one at this stage. I just bought a Go Pro Camera and will try to take some video at Barber.

I'll be interested to hear about your Two Bros Exaust and Juice Box after you get it installed.

Thanks for all the info.

Barber is such a nice track, but be aware that it is a VERY technical track. It has quite a few blind corners! Also, I believe it is $50 to rent leathers, but there is also a $500 security deposit that goes with renting the leathers. Granted, you get the $500 back afterward, as long as you don't crash, but that is still $500 dollars that you have to front when you register.