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I don't think that I posted this before. My first track day came about when I was the "fastest" guy on our street rides. I led a lot of rides and felt I was pretty excellent at riding. I signed up for my first track day expecting to be pumped to advanced pretty quickly. During my first day, I realized how little I knew...particularly when I was passed by a guy who looked like Santa, on his BMW R-bike, complete with saddlebags...like I was stopped. The hook was set!

I had a similar moment that still makes me laugh. I was Ricky racer on my 1200 (150rwhp ish) going into a sweeping right hander, giving it the beans (I thought), and an unnamed forum member here on a 40hp kawasaki versys on DOT knobbies passed me on the outside while waving at me. Thats the day I really started asking questions. Hahaha

https://youtu.be/mYOh5IOyawA And the ducks (or are they geese?) crossing the road with the young 'uns.

I've never done a track day but still hope to. I ride better now at 63 than I ever have. I give all the credit to my riding friends that I've met here. I have several that are nice enough to set a pace that I can handle and then pull me up without me knowing it. Now, I find myself laughing at things that used to make me cringe. When I ride alone, I slow down and work on being where I want to be through a turn rather than my speed. Faster every time and more relaxed. It is interesting to feel my age slowing me down at the same time that I'm improving my skills. That track day needs to happen soon!😀

I appreciate the comment in the OP about being humbled by being passed by a coach or other rider that's two up, or on a small bike, etc. That happened to me - I had some time at a local track and thought I was cutting a pretty good line until one of the coaches blew past me on another G6 VFR, disappearing through the next turn before I could get there . . . I felt like the slack-jawed Coyote watching the Roadrunner disappear. It was a lot to process in the moment as my stupid ego deflated - I had to process that I'm not even close to as good as I think I am and that I have a lot of development that needs to be done. (I recall thinking "how is that even possible??") I couldn't rationalize that he was on a better / lighter / more powerful (pick the adjective) bike than mine - it was the SAME!! - it was NOT at all about the bike, but WAS about my lack of skill. I haven't done any track time since, but have not forgotten that experience and often think of it prior to departing on a ride to remind myself to stay within my abilities. Riding on the road is not a race - the only prize is to pull the bike back in the garage with it as nice as it was when I left. If only we all had the time / money / facilities available to get to that next level. One other thing I took from that was that good ride leaders don't tell everyone to "keep up" - they rather tell them that "we'll wait for you at such and such a junction / landmark - whatever. Ride your own ride and be safe." Great write up - thanks for sharing.

Little buggers, how dare they cross double lines! Go for it!

Similar: Perfect day on a perfect smooth Swiss engineered road on a K100, getting adventurous with shaving the footpegs and sliding the front tyre a little. Then blown away by several Jappos - a Honda 750 four K1!!, GS750 etc. Talk about ego deflation....till I caught up with them at a cafe, took a closer look and slowly began to understand. All of them shared a common theme - Fritz Egli frames.

Thoughts? Specific questions? I took a bunch of classes, and had some coaching and it helped a lot. I was still getting frustrated, and could not get much faster. Rode (for fun, not commuting) almost everyday for two years during that same time period. Had incremental improvements, but eventually "gave up" not giving a shit how fast I was. Once I did that, everything I learned clicked, and I was relaxed enough to put it all together without thinking about it. When I look back I realized my fixation with being good kept me too stressed to improve. I was always trying to evaluate my riding position, throttle position, apex, riding lines, braking, hands positions on the bars, and where I was looking. Too much to process. Once I let go, I was able to do all those things without thinking about them. Be loose on the bike, and relaxed - my best days were when I wasn't trying, and next thing I know I was keeping up with the fast guys in the turns. If you're tense then you are going too fast. When I'm riding around the track, not thinking but just "doing" - from muscle memory, I many times have an out of body experience, like Bmart said when I come back in my eyes are as big as saucers, and I'm laughing and smiling halfway until the next session. Very surreal and cleansing experience!

One of my old track buddies was really fast and capable, but he went though a few pair of $300+ gloves a season. There's a message in that! Loose on the bars and hold like a screwdriver, not straight on. For me, the best I've found is loose on the bars, medium pressure on the pegs, and nearly all of my pressure on the bike against the outside of the tank. Leave enough room between you and the tank to easily transition from side to side naturally and without weighting and unweighting when you do it. Sliiiiide. A big challenge for me is going from bike to bike and gear to gear. The bars are in different places. The grips are different material and different lengths. The seats grip more or less. My gear grips more or less. Some bikes have tank grip while others don't. And none of that touches on the differnet size tires, different compounds and shapes, braking components, fuel load...you get the idea! One of Rossi's greatest strengths, and one of Lorenzo's weakest points, was the ability to adapt. This skill can't be overstated. You guys are getting me excited for track days this season. I don't start until April, but I do have three options for my favorite track! (Two tracks that can teach the most are rarely attended: VIR South and Patriot-no rest for the wicked here.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-0p_EGuIUw A no charge favorite!

I've found parking-lot exercises really helped me improve on track. Such as being able to go from upright to full-lean quickly. And speedy transitions from side to side. Relaxed is key! Helps your brain work faster analysing data. I wear HRM while on track. If I get too tense, my HR goes up. Signal to take it easy. My fastest laps don't even feel like I'm pushing it, everything's smooth and in sync, almost boring. I only started racing 5-yrs ago, but have improved more in that time than all previous 40-yrs combined! Wish now I had started sooner! And I've actually learned most from kids! We were lucky to have couple of MotoAm Junior Cup racers in our club every year. Speedy little suckers! 🙂

I'll keep thinking on this, but here are a few big things I see from folks. A comfortable rider will tire long after someone who is tense (grip on bars, tight arms/shoulders) and twisting joints (causing inflamation making it all worse), etc. This is bigger than you might think. Comfortable means different things to different people. I am light on muscle mass and have more than my share of medical stuff. Still, working on this. I can ride 2-3 day track weekends, double sessions all day and go home not sore. We always get folks who give up after 2-3 session exhausted. THAT is expensive track time. Being loose on controls is huge. The bike has to be able to move around a bit, and in a way that you shouldn't be fighting it. This goes along with trajectory. And body position is critical. Every group, including mine, will teach a right position. Again, modify to what works for you. Also worth noting, controls aren't switches, but rheostats. Modulate, modulate, modulate. I ride on the track using more street skills than most. I look at the exit I want in any given corner, and in any given circumstance (am I alone, trying to pass someone, etc.), and work backward for how I want to enter, from where I want to enter, what entry speed, etc. You will find that dirt guys dive to the inside WAY early. Inexperienced street guys do the same. As you gain experience, you realize that you can balance the time and line on the way in, with the same on the way out. VIR South last turn to first turn is a great example. I am on an ancient 600 and spend all day going past people on the way into turn 1, despite the looooong straight and 1/2 the HP. (And I'm not Rossi-skilled...I'm just a regular guy trying to lean on the bike's strengths and push my personal skill level.) Back to body position. There is a rockin' thrill about getting a knee down. That thrill fades some with time and as you get faster, you're actually pulling your knee in out of the way. That's a big step in your skill set. Half butt cheek off in every corner is a great place to start. Remember you're already loose on the bars. As those becoming muscle memory, add moving your torso with it. That is where your weight is. By having your head off to the inside before turn in (if you can see your dash...you're not over far enough), the rest of your body will follow, and the bike will feel the best. A few safety things, never, ever follow someone on their line exactly, always have an escape path. I've followed fokls who have dropped oil, blown engines, lost chains, and so much more. If you have to ask "can I make it past", wait. You'll have all day to learn. For higher skilled in the turns folks you can pass easily in the straights, don't. Hang behind them and then learn in the corners. 300 vs. 600, 600 vs. 1000. I learn so much from the "kids" on the 300s. Back to work! Thoughts? Specific questions? This is not me showing off, but you can see the variances in riding skills and decision making in this video. Sadly the guy crashes in the end. I'm on the blue bike, black helmet, not coaching.

Man, I'd love to pick your brain. I've been looking in to doing some stuff with N2, and I don't even know where to start. I just want to get my skills sharpened up, and I really think a good weekend of focused training/coaching would be a huge step. Cheers for the writeup.

Extremely well presented and written. Thank You.

The weather here in NE Ohio is starting to really turn. I rode to Cleveland and back the last couple nights, and Monday the temp as I got home dipped down to 40. We'll still have a few decent days in the 50s where I can get a good ride in, if I'm free one of those days. I'm hoping to get at least one more long day in, but if I don't it's still been a good riding season!

Dearest Martina, Like you, I only began this sport about 3 years ago. And while I love it ... I understand, all too well, how accidents and losses of people we care about can turn that love into trepidation and fear. Having said that, I'm so glad to see you coming back to the fold. ~Shannon p.s. does this mean we can get our female endurance race team together now??? :P