Another Track Day...

[Gilly]

From this past weekend... NPR Ducati and Melillimoto Ducati hosted the trackday at JenningsGP in Jennings Florida. Weather was hit or miss leading into it, but we were spared and given some really nice clouds with a warm surface.

The Good: I was able to practice flip flopping here more than at Savannah. At JenningsGP, turns 5 thru 8 really let you focus on turning the bike. For me this is good practice as I try to go from one side to the other and not look like a stooge! HAaa! I have no idea how I look anyhoo!

This was my first endeavor in the Intermediate Group. And after the first couple of times I got passed (I got passed plenty!), it was all good.

The Bad: Nothing really bad to speak of. I was worried that a day earlier I had ridden the Hyper back and forth to Florida and the 6.5 hour trip each way might have my wrist hurting with only a day between the track day.

I still didn't use DTC. I felt the tires slip maybe a few times, but nothing really crazy. I'm using 2CT tires @ 30psi and they warmed up nicely. I would have to be faster to realize if DTC should be used. I'm not there yet.

The Ugly: The Solo lap timer was a Fail. I couldn't get it set up right. My fault for not testing it at home. I didn't worry about it once I realized it was not working right.

Overall, got to meet some more good folks. No problems with the bike. Even had one guy who lurks here come up and talk to me who recognized my bike from the forum. Nice meeting him too. This is one session.

[puredrive]

very nice.

[Sputniks]

I was on a track last Sunday too! I thought I wouldn't go (too much turkey was eaten a day before). But at very last minute of the proceeding evening I've set up an alarm to ring at 5 am.... And a few hours later I am already at the track riding my ass off!
I've signed for a level 2 which is an intermediate level as well. There is a requirement for each participant to finish the lap within a specified time (2 minutes or less per lap for a level 2). Each rider is given a GPS trancoder. So the lap timing of each participant is tracked by those who host the track event. As soon as they see that someone is underperforming they move the rider to a slower group.
I have finished my first two sessions with 2:02 as a best time. That was 2 seconds slower to remain in a level 2. Just before a third session I was approach by the "supervisor" who told me that they would move me to a slower level which is full of those who are on a track for a first time. Their timing is 30-45 seconds longer than in a level 2. Just riding among those in a level 3 would add another 10 seconds to the lap time.
Fearing that I would be moved to a slower group I rode that session with an early throttle application/ a late braking "style". The result was I have finished the session with lap times under 2 minutes with a best being 1:58. That was a 4 second faster than I have ever rode on that track. Needless to say that made me feel like an accomplisher if not a champ!
An ability to see your timing after each session is great! It is motivational and it gives you an idea if you are improving your skills or not.
I am thinking on getting that Solo device as well to use it at the tracks that don't have their own GPS functionality. I think a lap timer is a must for those who go to track periodically. I wish I would have the same camera/GPS electronics Gilly has... I am sure there is so much fun of studying your own riding after the track when you get home and play back it on a tv screen.




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[ltsnipe]

Originally Posted by Sputniks

I was on a track last Sunday too! I thought I wouldn't go (too much turkey was eaten a day before). But at very last minute of the proceeding evening I've set up an alarm to ring at 5 am.... And a few hours later I am already at the track riding my ass off!
I've signed for a level 2 which is an intermediate level as well. There is a requirement for each participant to finish the lap within a specified time (2 minutes or less per lap for a level 2). Each rider is given a GPS trancoder. So the lap timing of each participant is tracked by those who host the track event. As soon as they see that someone is underperforming they move the rider to a slower group.
I have finished my first two sessions with 2:02 as a best time. That was 2 seconds slower to remain in a level 2. Just before a third session I was approach by the "supervisor" who told me that they would move me to a slower level which is full of those who are on a track for a first time. Their timing is 30-45 seconds longer than in a level 2. Just riding among those in a level 3 would add another 10 seconds to the lap time.
Fearing that I would be moved to a slower group I rode that session with an early throttle application/ a late braking "style". The result was I have finished the session with lap times under 2 minutes with a best being 1:58. That was a 4 second faster than I have ever rode on that track. Needless to say that made me feel like an accomplisher if not a champ!
An ability to see your timing after each session is great! It is motivational and it gives you an idea if you are improving your skills or not.
I am thinking on getting that Solo device as well to use it at the tracks that don't have their own GPS functionality. I think a lap timer is a must for those who go to track periodically. I wish I would have the same camera/GPS electronics Gilly has... I am sure there is so much fun of studying your own riding after the track when you get home and play back it on a tv screen.

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Nice shots sputs, and some good riding there! Just a suggestion, why don't you use the lap timer that comes factory on the bike, you can record up to 20 laps at a time, more than enough for one session? Just a thought?

Or buy a GoProHD2, they were on sale on Motowheels website. And just use the video time as your lap record, not the most accurate, but if you're trying to improve in 10th's of a second you should be riding MotoGP lol.

I was using the GoPro this year and found it worked good enough.

[Gilly]

Originally Posted by Sputniks

I was on a track last Sunday too! I thought I wouldn't go (too much turkey was eaten a day before). But at very last minute of the proceeding evening I've set up an alarm to ring at 5 am.... And a few hours later I am already at the track riding my ass off!
I've signed for a level 2 which is an intermediate level as well. There is a requirement for each participant to finish the lap within a specified time (2 minutes or less per lap for a level 2). Each rider is given a GPS trancoder. So the lap timing of each participant is tracked by those who host the track event. As soon as they see that someone is underperforming they move the rider to a slower group.
I have finished my first two sessions with 2:02 as a best time. That was 2 seconds slower to remain in a level 2. Just before a third session I was approach by the "supervisor" who told me that they would move me to a slower level which is full of those who are on a track for a first time. Their timing is 30-45 seconds longer than in a level 2. Just riding among those in a level 3 would add another 10 seconds to the lap time.
Fearing that I would be moved to a slower group I rode that session with an early throttle application/ a late braking "style". The result was I have finished the session with lap times under 2 minutes with a best being 1:58. That was a 4 second faster than I have ever rode on that track. Needless to say that made me feel like an accomplisher if not a champ!
An ability to see your timing after each session is great! It is motivational and it gives you an idea if you are improving your skills or not.
I am thinking on getting that Solo device as well to use it at the tracks that don't have their own GPS functionality. I think a lap timer is a must for those who go to track periodically. I wish I would have the same camera/GPS electronics Gilly has... I am sure there is so much fun of studying your own riding after the track when you get home and play back it on a tv screen.

The plain Solo (not the DL) is affordable. I only bought the DL version since I already had the SmartyCam and wanted to maintain the tie into the ECU data. It was supposed to give me predictive lap times (are you slower or faster than a 5th grader) while you are riding. Hopefully get this straight in some testing. Sputz, you can download the RAceStudio2 software from AIM's website and look at example test data. Take a look at what it will show you even using the standard Solo. This is especially advantageous at tracks you revisit. You have data telling you where you exactly what you did lap for lap, meter for meter. The benefit of using the SmartyCam is that (in my case) you see where you are rolling on, where you are pussing out. I looked at my times and lowered them a few seconds compared to the first visit.

Even without the video, in RaceStudio2, you would see exactly how much corner speed you have for every lap, every session. I know I should have held the gas on thru 2 and 3, as well as 12. I lost lots of time there pussing out. BUT, and this is a good but... I was working on going from side to side and not worried about the straights. I wanted to be better in turns and made that my focus. So I will look at that in the software to see if my corner speeds are up and ignore the overall lap times. This is where practicing on just parts and not worrying about the whole lap can be dissected into progressing without having to worry about overall lap times.

Glad you got out there!

[Sputniks]

Gilly, your camera/Solo combo is simply amazing! Just a few years ago that was beyond any imagination or any technology. Thanks for sharing your experience!


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[FlyingQ]

Looking good. Gilly, any thoughts of adding a dedicated track bike to your stable?

[Gilly]

Originally Posted by FlyingQ

Looking good. Gilly, any thoughts of adding a dedicated track bike to your stable?

Yeah, been thinking on that recently... I ride the Hyper all the time for commuting... The S2R1k gets ridden once a month... Already talked to the dealer on possibly trading in the S2R1k as a down payment on a base Panigale.

If I don't do the Panigale, then an F3. I'd like to stay on a twin and I don't want more than 3 bikes. I've actually dealt with not riding the SF since it was set up for the track. It's not the same bike on the streets, or rather I can't enjoy it on the streets as much as the Hyper. The other thought is to get a dedicated super moto. Cheap to keep and a good learning bike... I'm not in any "gotta have it now" situation. The SF is a good bike to track. Even if I do nothing, I think a next step is some instruction so I can learn good things and unlearn bad things.

I've got some thinkin to do on it all. Come Spring, the Hyper will have more protection, so I would like to take it to the track next year. Both the Hyper and SF turn in with similar fashion. The S2R falls into turns and takes some adjustment to backing off the steering input. Good question asked, not sure I answered it worth a shit though!

[FlyingQ]

Originally Posted by Gilly

Good question asked, not sure I answered it worth a shit though!

Ha, yeah I can see the wheels turning. I kind'a went full circle with the idea of a track-only bike. I've totally enjoyed tracking the SF...more power, stronger brakes and better handling than I can make the most of, that's for sure. However, having balled it up once, I've come back to the idea of having a maybe less-than-pristine dedicated track bike that won't break the bank or my heart when I go down (notice I didn't say "if"). The biggest mistake I ever made with a motorcycle was selling my 749s track bike. In retrospect, it was a perfect track toy...I should have kept it. Just something to consider, eh?

[Gilly]

Point well made.

Here's an earlier session... should have posted it first as it actually has some drama! Or at least it had slightly faster people "pulling me" to go faster... which is probably what makes the track riding so much fun!