O
Ozfazer6
LOL,I get that from my wife just riding Marion Rd every day :thumbup:
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Wolfman's off to Racing School! Now with photo's!
- Thread starter Wolfman
- Start date
LOL,I get that from my wife just riding Marion Rd every day :thumbup:
- Thread starter
- #22
Wolfman
New Member
yes, even after 25 years of riding, I still ring my mum after every long ride to let her know I am safe...and she still tells me she wishes i would get rid of my bike(s) every time I make that call...bless her heart.
- Thread starter
- #23
Wolfman
New Member
Woohoo, got my 1 piece leathers & back protector today....
http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/australia/13610-new-1-piece-leathers-back-protector.html
Now i will look like a complete "noob" at Race School, with brand spanking new leathers...might have to get out the grinder, and, or roll around in the dirt before i go...:justkidding:
:rockon:
http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/australia/13610-new-1-piece-leathers-back-protector.html
Now i will look like a complete "noob" at Race School, with brand spanking new leathers...might have to get out the grinder, and, or roll around in the dirt before i go...:justkidding:
:rockon:
Hellgate
New Member
So before you go to school put your leathers on, tie a rope to the bumper of your car, have one of your mates (< first time I've ever used that term) drive the car at 75 mph while you hold onto the rope. And of course you are outside of the car while you are holding the rope. 
I guarantee this will solve the new leather look.
Seriously though, if you want to break your leathers in before your track day put them on, soak them with a hose, totally soaked, and wear them around for an hour or two. Mow the lawn, trim a hedge or three, do some deep knee bends, etc. You'll smell like horses ass but your leather will fit more comfortably. I learned that trick 20 years ago in Basic Training. The drill sergeant lined us up with our brand new boots on. He also have huge buckets of water and a hose. We stood in the water until the boot were full and then he PT'd (Physical Training) our asses off for about two hours. Once he was done with us, the boots were broken in perfectly. I still have those boots and to this day they are the best fitting foot wear I have.
Or you could just have a beer and laugh your ass off at me! :Flip:
I guarantee this will solve the new leather look. Seriously though, if you want to break your leathers in before your track day put them on, soak them with a hose, totally soaked, and wear them around for an hour or two. Mow the lawn, trim a hedge or three, do some deep knee bends, etc. You'll smell like horses ass but your leather will fit more comfortably. I learned that trick 20 years ago in Basic Training. The drill sergeant lined us up with our brand new boots on. He also have huge buckets of water and a hose. We stood in the water until the boot were full and then he PT'd (Physical Training) our asses off for about two hours. Once he was done with us, the boots were broken in perfectly. I still have those boots and to this day they are the best fitting foot wear I have.
Or you could just have a beer and laugh your ass off at me! :Flip:
- Thread starter
- #25
Wolfman
New Member
So before you go to school put your leathers on, tie a rope to the bumper of your car, have one of your mates (< first time I've ever used that term) drive the car at 75 mph while you hold onto the rope. And of course you are outside of the car while you are holding the rope.
Seriously though, if you want to break your leathers in before your track day put them on, soak them with a hose, totally soaked, and wear them around for an hour or two. Mow the lawn, trim a hedge or three, do some deep knee bends, etc. You'll smell like horses ass but your leather will fit more comfortably. I learned that trick 20 years ago in Basic Training. The drill sergeant lined us up with our brand new boots on. He also have huge buckets of water and a hose. We stood in the water until the boot were full and then he PT'd (Physical Training) our asses off for about two hours. Once he was done with us, the boots were broken in perfectly. I still have those boots and to this day they are the best fitting foot wear I have.
Or you could just have a beer and laugh your ass off at me! :Flip:
That's sorta what i am going to do tomorrow...riding off to see MP in the Country...270km trip to get there...gonna get into the leathers wet and then get on the bike for the 2.5 hour trip...luckily, it's forecast to be quite warm here tomorrow.
the old wet the leather trick always works best...
:thumbup:
- Thread starter
- #26
Wolfman
New Member
Well folks, the time has come....Pinky is packed up on the trailer, as is my tool box, extra fuel, etc, etc....the leathers, etc, are in the boot of the car...and i am all set to make the 70km journey to the track at 5.45am in the morning....Cant wait, have a mixture of nerves, excitement, and expectation...
This is going to be the first time i have ridden pinky on the track, and it's in the best possible circumstances. The weather forecast is is for a fine and mild day with a 26c maximum....
I will be getting expert coaching from Alex Gobert and his team, and i am determined to go at a safe and sensible pace....will post photo's, write up, etc, when i get home.
:thumbup:
This is going to be the first time i have ridden pinky on the track, and it's in the best possible circumstances. The weather forecast is is for a fine and mild day with a 26c maximum....
I will be getting expert coaching from Alex Gobert and his team, and i am determined to go at a safe and sensible pace....will post photo's, write up, etc, when i get home.
:thumbup:
- Thread starter
- #27
Wolfman
New Member
Ok, well the big day at the track has come and gone! My first real ride on pinky, my first day at the track, and my first proper track riding training, was everything I wanted it to be.
I said before I went that I intended to take it easy, and that's exactly what I did...I concentrated very hard on making sure I listened to what was being taught in the "class room" and then going out on the track and practising each facer of what was being taught in each class room session.
Rather than trying to be super fast, I was more interested in learning about eachof the things that will help me to go fast as safely as possible...
I also had to deal with learning the track, it lines, etc, as well as getting used to riding a "new" bike...so the first 2 track sessions were very much a case of going about getting up some race speed with as much care as possible.
It seemed to work, as my lap times came down each session I was out on the track, without me ever going at more than 70-80% of my personal limits.
Anyway, I learnt heaps, and ended up lapping at a reasonably fast pace, that was consistent Lap after lap by the end of the day.
By the fifth 15 minute track session, I was lapping bout 4 seconds slower than the last rider if this particular bikes best lap time at this track...and without scaring the crap out of myself while doing it.
So by the end if the day, I had only run off the track once...false neutral at the end of a straight at about 200km/h...ran off rather than, get all out of shape trying to pull the bike off, ran about 10 metres off track, before turning and returning to the track. Managed to run quite a but faster than a few other 600's being punted about the track.
Bike ran beautifully, but was a little softly sprung for me... I do have a heavier rear spring to put in before my next day at the track, and the tires were very good, brakes also great, even though I never really threw too much at them.
Can't wait to get back out to the track again, and practise things such as body positioning, counter steering, etc, and get a bit quicker again.
:thumbup:
I said before I went that I intended to take it easy, and that's exactly what I did...I concentrated very hard on making sure I listened to what was being taught in the "class room" and then going out on the track and practising each facer of what was being taught in each class room session.
Rather than trying to be super fast, I was more interested in learning about eachof the things that will help me to go fast as safely as possible...
I also had to deal with learning the track, it lines, etc, as well as getting used to riding a "new" bike...so the first 2 track sessions were very much a case of going about getting up some race speed with as much care as possible.
It seemed to work, as my lap times came down each session I was out on the track, without me ever going at more than 70-80% of my personal limits.
Anyway, I learnt heaps, and ended up lapping at a reasonably fast pace, that was consistent Lap after lap by the end of the day.
By the fifth 15 minute track session, I was lapping bout 4 seconds slower than the last rider if this particular bikes best lap time at this track...and without scaring the crap out of myself while doing it.
So by the end if the day, I had only run off the track once...false neutral at the end of a straight at about 200km/h...ran off rather than, get all out of shape trying to pull the bike off, ran about 10 metres off track, before turning and returning to the track. Managed to run quite a but faster than a few other 600's being punted about the track.
Bike ran beautifully, but was a little softly sprung for me... I do have a heavier rear spring to put in before my next day at the track, and the tires were very good, brakes also great, even though I never really threw too much at them.
Can't wait to get back out to the track again, and practise things such as body positioning, counter steering, etc, and get a bit quicker again.
:thumbup:
Hellgate
New Member
Cool Jamie, I glad you have a fun and productive day, those are always the best! Sounds like once you get her a bit more dialed you be in the mix. :thumbup:
grommit
New Member
What do you think most surprised you or what most did you get from the day?
Sorry...:needpics:...
Sorry...:needpics:...
- Thread starter
- #30
Wolfman
New Member
What do you think most surprised you or what most did you get from the day?
Sorry...:needpics:...
1st thing that surprised me, was how much better my track bike handles than my street bike...better rear shock, steering damper, stickier rubber, clip-ons, better set up...even without any adjustments made for me, and without the heavier rear spring I have, that is more for my weight, bring put on the bike.
2nd thing was, just how much easier and safer it is to go fast on the track...billiard table smooth, compared to nearly all roads, better designed corners, correct camber, lots of run off, no cars!
3rd thing was, how fast a 14 year old kid was on a 125 two stroke GP bike...he was awesome!
What did I get the most out of...a couple of things, number 1- how important body position, and being smooth through the transitions is, and how important it is to get every corner right, so that you are set up for the next corner, or straight, for maximum drive, or to maintain the correct line...get it right and you can make up a full second or more through each corner...this also applies to coming out if corners, in terms of drive out of the corner.
I am now completely fascinated by the science of it all, and can't wait to further persue my goals.
Once I am happy that I am able to lap consistency fast safely, my next challenge will be to get into a race situation and see how I go holding it all together when I am fighting for corner position with other riders who are wanting the same piece if track as me.
Then I suppose it's a matter of honing race craft, and posting some reasonable results.
As for the photo's...got none, was there most of the day by myself, and when matty (silverback) did turn up and take the camera...it was not working properly! There was a professional photographer there who did get some photos of me on the track, and I got his e-mail address, and have sent him an e-mail re obtaining some of these photos...so when I do manage to get my hands on those I will post them.
:rockon:
- Thread starter
- #31
Wolfman
New Member
Ok, i now have a few photo's from the day, a few i took, and 2 that a pro photographer took....
As i said before, my camera was on the blink, so got stuff all photo's, so these are all i have....slim picking's, but i do at least like the one shot that is a close up....was sorta "on it" that lap!
Will have full size versions of the race shots, once they arrive....have ordered both for me to use...
View attachment 14712
View attachment 14713
View attachment 14714
View attachment 14715
:Sport:
As i said before, my camera was on the blink, so got stuff all photo's, so these are all i have....slim picking's, but i do at least like the one shot that is a close up....was sorta "on it" that lap!
Will have full size versions of the race shots, once they arrive....have ordered both for me to use...
View attachment 14712
View attachment 14713
View attachment 14714
View attachment 14715
:Sport:
Attachments
M
MarinaFazer
looks like fun!!!
O
ozzieboy
Man, I've so got to get my bike sorted out for the track...lol...I'm not jealous, I'm not jealous....Waaaaah! I'm jealous....lol.:thumbup:
Cheers
Mike
Cheers
Mike
Hellgate
New Member
Is that a kickstand I see sticking out!!!! 
Get that thing off the bike, unless of course you want to go down. 
Looks great!
Get that thing off the bike, unless of course you want to go down. Looks great!
- Thread starter
- #35
Wolfman
New Member
Is that a kickstand I see sticking out!!!!
Looks great!
Lol....i had to put it back on, as i was at the track by myself...very hard to get off the bike, get the stand out of my car, and put it on the bike!!!! It drove me nuts, everytime i went through turn 2, 3, 5 , and 8, it would ground out....will be off by the next time i hit the track!
It actually stopped me from getting over as far as i would of liked in left handers!!!!!
Them's the breaks when you go to a ride day, when everyone else it at work on a Friday!
Hellgate
New Member
You need one of these> I use it in the shop, in the bed of my truck and at the track. I ride the bike in, it grabs and holds the wheel, I hop off. Too easy! :rockon:
View attachment 14744
http://www.baxleycompanies.com/Sportchock.html
View attachment 14744
http://www.baxleycompanies.com/Sportchock.html
- Thread starter
- #37
Wolfman
New Member
Have got a front stand on order....but it's a lug stand....dont worry Pete, will be much more organised at upcoming ride days....have been getting stuff sorted quite rapidly lately!
:thumbup:
Hellgate
New Member
It does take time and it isn't cheap, that is for sure. I'm off to buy a shade tent today.
My next track day is this coming Monday, the 6th. I think I've got my duckies in a row.
I do need some new pucks however.
- Thread starter
- #39
Wolfman
New Member
Oh lordy, your not wrong there buddy....i thought that the black bike was a drain...this racing / track day thing is in a whole new stratosphere of spending....trailers, or vans, stands, tools, parts, tyres, gear, far out....and if i enter the FZ6 Cup later this year, travelling, time off work.....Bike racers are truly a dedicated bunch of nutters!
Hellgate
New Member
Oh lordy, your not wrong there buddy....i thought that the black bike was a drain...this racing / track day thing is in a whole new stratosphere of spending....trailers, or vans, stands, tools, parts, tyres, gear, far out....and if i enter the FZ6 Cup later this year, travelling, time off work.....Bike racers are truly a dedicated bunch of nutters!
When I was racing BICYCLES, not motorcycles, I spent about $5,500 over a three and a half month season. Most of the cost was travel (food, gas, lodging, etc).
View attachment 14746
