Track Day Preparations

My progression as a rider seemed to plateau recently, so I started researching my next step in becoming a better motorcyclist. I believe one of the best ways to learn is a structured path set forth by a qualified instructor. True, learning from the 'School of Hard Knocks' is free, but you can also learn bad habits. I'd rather put myself in the hands of an expert. Notice I said expert... not professional. Too many people claim to be a professional, but don't possess the skills necessary to perform or teach. I'm looking for someone who can do a bit of both.

Unfortunately, I did not have Expert level cash available to offer. Given my budget, and the fact that Lee Parks wrote everyone should do a track day, I signed up for a track day with my local sportbike forum, Louisville-Sportbikes. We rented Putnam Park in Indiana, a track within a few hours from here; it is the home track for many of the forum members. One of the members, Michael Railing, talked me through the decision on the phone. Suddenly I found myself signed up for another weekend, an earlier one which Railing would also be attending. I now had a guide.

Next came leathers. Spartan Leathers are on of the best values on the market right now. Custom leathers for the price of off the rack stuff. I didn't even have the money for off the rack stuff... maybe "off the back of a truck" stuff. When I asked around for cheap used leathers, I had someone on my local forum contact me. He said he purchased some Spartan leathers, and only wore them twice because he gained some mass. I grabbed some $550 leathers for 250 bucks. ***CHA CHING!***


Finally, I had to prep the bike.

- Headlight is gone, taillights, and turn signals are taped up.
- The drain plug, fill plug, oil filter, and miscellaneous brackets have been RTV'd.
- Passenger peg removed, tool kit removed.
- Old School front number plate made. :)
- Water Wetter installed.
- Bar-end mirrors removed. I did not replace them with bar-end weights.
- Tires are 70%
- Brakes are 90%
- Chain cleaned and lubed.
- License Plate removed.
- Wheel weights were duct taped over.



I convinced a co-worker to head up with me, which resulted in a ride, and a trailer.

Here she sits. I'm heading up this Saturday. :)

I Suck at Blogging.

Just a heads up. I suck at blogging. I haven't written anything in here in a long time. I think I'm going to start it up again. I've decided that this is going to be a weekly blog- one where I hope to provide an entertaining and informative insight on my progression as a motorcyclist.

Coming up:

My first Track day.

Gear Upgrade

One of the most overlooked pieces of motorcycle gear is the back protector.

There are many out there, they all look cool, but some ARE better than others. I have recently acquired what I consider to be the best back protector on the market. After all sorts of research* I KNEW I was going to get a Forcefield back protector.










Construction:
The back protector is made of a foam pad covered by hard rubber triangles. Rumor has it that the immense strength of the triangles was discovered during the making of the Epcot Center Dome. See the resemblance?

This back protector is very heavy compared to most back protectors. On the other hand, it is does not limit mobility as much as it's competitors, and molds well to your body when it gets warm. Speaking of warm, this back protector seems to hold in less heat than the Icon Field Armor. This works wonders for longer rides.

Twins Separated at Birth?


Forcefield actually makes the Joe Rocket Speedmaster. Why Joe Rocket does not scream this from the rooftops, I don't know. Especially since the MSRP is about $25 less for the Joe Rocket labeled piece. So if you are pinching pennies, there is an immediate bit of cash to be saved by purchasing the JR piece. Personally, I think the Forcefield piece looks more exclusive.

Availability:
The Forcefield pieces are available at SuperBikeStore.net His prices are the same as the only other dealer, the Johnson Leather Company in San Francisco. The Joe Rocket version is available pretty much everywhere, including the online store I spend most of my money.



I'm glad I stepped up from my old Icon...






*Extra Research Material:
WebBikeWorld Review:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/back-protector/tpro-bohn/

RiDE Original Test 2006:
http://www.proaccessories.com.au/documents/forcefield/Ride_back_protecto_reviewr.pdf

Motorcyclist 2007 Article:
http://www.proaccessories.com.au/documents/forcefield/Motorcyclist_back_protector_2007.pdf

RiDE 2008 Article:
http://www.proaccessories.com.au/documents/forcefield/Ride_June_2008_Best_Buy_Back_Protector.pdf

Crash Tested:
http://www.livestrong.com/health-article/tpro-forcefield-body-armor-reviews_53cf12be-c83a-5145-ff93-dcd9c95f822b/

Two up

I've been wanting to ride two up for a while now. At first, I wasn't comfortable enough on the bike. I spent all my time getting more comfortable, and wanted to wait before I took a chance on putting Tristen in danger. It's one thing to put yourself at risk, another to risk the life of someone you love.

Now the issue is money. I won't let her ride with me without a jacket, gloves, helmet, and pants or chaps. Call me paranoid, but I call it prepared. Once I get some money aside, I'll buy her some gear. We'll start with the "lesser" brands, and if she loves it as much as I think she will, we'll get her some new gear.

And then we'll travel. :)

Finally did the Name Justice!l

Scraping Pegs.

I lived up to the name. Now I need to re-evaluate my ability.

One great thing about riding a motorcycle is that it is an intellectual pursuit as much as a physical one. Many people just hop on and ride and think it is good enough. In reality, to advance your skills, you have to learn from available resources. You have to be aware of what you are doing wrong, what is "right", and what works for you. You can find this out from trial and error, but first you have to get pointed in the right direction.

Sometimes this comes in the form of a coach, sometimes it's a book. The best people got help somewhere along the way.

I picked up Lee Parks' Total Control a few months ago.
I LOVE IT.

I've been battling some mental roadblocks on looking through the turn, and decided one of his drills would take care of it. It's 40' circle with a cone in the middle. After sloppily circling the cone, my line slowly smoothed out, and I approached a zen-like state. Although my world was spinning, the cone suddenly slowed down as a forced myself to concentrate on it. It was as if it was the only thing in the parking lot, slowing rotating to my left, then *****SCRAAAAAAPEEEEE**** felt my shoes vibrate through the toe.

I immediately straightened the bike, and tried to figured out what the heck just happened. Upon closer inspection, I actually dragged my toe. Interesting...

My right turns were horrible. It felt sloppy, and took me a while to actually do a circle, instead of an oval, or any other number of organic shapes. Eventually, while leaned over to the right, I heard the sound again. I checked the bike again, and the peg feeler was ground slightly at the tip.

Now that I'm figuring out the maximum lean angles on the bike, as well as conquering some of my vision issues, it may be time to make some changes in body positioning. One step forward and three steps back.

I'm going to have to learn to hang off...

Cult of the Single Track

Honda used to have a series of motorcycle advertisements that stated “You meet the nicest people on Honda.”

I call BS.

You see, Honda marketed their motorcycles in such a way to get away from the “bad guy” image that Harley riders had in the US. It was all a clever ploy, probably one created by somebody that didn't ride. Because any motorcyclist knows that "you meet the nicest people when you ride." Does the guy pictured here look nice? Nope, but don't judge a book by it's cover. True, he looks like a Japanese Al Capone, but that's actually a picture of Honda Soichiro as a young man. That would be the founder of Honda Motor Company, if you didn't know. He's a nice old guy now...

Since I started riding I've always had someone offer me a helping hand.

I’ve pulled over to the side of the road for a water break, and had motorcyclists stop to make sure I didn’t need anything. Not just sportbike riders, but Harley riders too. (they break down more, so I can see why they thought I was stranded. Just kidding... )

I’ve been invited to stay at people’s houses as a starting point for rides and track days. These are people that know me from a few posts on a forum and a phone conversation. Why? Riders of single track vehicles are passionate, and want to introduce more riders to the sport. Or Cult.

I’ll meet you right here, once you join our ranks. The Cult of the Single Track.


You meet the nicest people in our cult...


Just don't drink the Kool-Aid. ;)

On Scooters, Passengers, and Coffee

A common saying among guys here in the US regarding scooters is

"Scooters are like fat chicks, they're a lot of fun to ride, but you don't want anyone to see you on them."

Why do we have this negative stigma regarding scooters in the US? Probably because we take these wide open spaces for granted. And our world-view is as small as the nearest state. You see, here in America, we don't have the rich history of Europe. Don't get me wrong... I'm as Patriotic as the next person, but who do you know with an apartment older that the Declaration of Independence?

Before you look up the date and start comparing it... no one.



If you lived in Italy, chances are, you know a lot of people. While our culture constantly tore down it's history for "improvements", Europe preserved it's history while still making technological advancements. That means cities still have TONS of old buildings. And old, narrow cobblestone streets. They are cool, but cars really have no place there. So scooters thrive.

My girlfriend wants a scooter. I think she would have a blast. She's getting excited about the concept of two wheels, even though she hasn't been on a ride with me yet. I wanted to make sure my skills are beyond adequate to ensure she isn't in any unnecessary danger. I think she'd look great on a scooter.




An vintage Italian scooter comes to mind...


It would be cool if there was a place in town where people could ride in, and just have great conversation over a cup of coffee. Call it a resurgence... of two wheels, of face to face conversation, and of good coffee.

Turn off your cell phone, ride in, and enjoy the time you spend with other people. I'll be there with a double Macchiato, ready to talk...