rtbain
Expert Class
old, fat and slow
Posts: 244
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posted October 25, 2009 05:24 AM
Risk management
I am an expert wuss. But I am an old expert wuss. The shut down area at the Texas mile is more than sufficient, but it has issues that could bite a newbie hard. For what is worth here’s my .02.
Having been off over the ton, buried a few friends and scraped more bikes and riders off the pavement than I can remember due diligence has become my standard operating procedure. I ride aggressively on the street and like to go fast on the track, but I well understand the risks involved.
I understand well how an experienced rider can use that experience in a new situation to their advantage. Relying on their talent and experience to go just a bit harder than what some may consider prudent. But this attitude can bite you; I know I have had some close calls.
This is not a call for more rule making. All the rules in the world will not stop accidents; hell even if you do everything right you can still die. But it is an admonition to not ride over your head. We all want to go fast.
The Texas Mile is a good example. Plenty of shutdown room, once you know how to use it. Once you cross the mile marker several hazards present themselves. A bump in the pavement, large painted areas on the track and pavement separation in the approach to the last turn off.
If someone new to the track blows in and is not familiar with these issues they can get in trouble. Factor in brain fart of even experienced riders and you are left with a less than ideal but manageable risk.
A slow learner I spent a day learning the shut down area. New to mile racing I learned to slowly roll the throttle off, ride over the bump, begin braking, ease braking while crossing the crack and finish braking heading into the turn off.
I drilled this as much as I could to develop muscle memory. This is important because I will have a brain fart and will need these preprogrammed responses to help keep a dumb mistake from turning into a tragic one.
I would strongly encourage riders new to a venue, be it a new road or track to take the time to carefully examine the hazards before going all out. Of course this is impossible on the street, but one can dial it back to allow experience and skill enough room to cover for brain farts or the unexpected.
Mile racing might be one of the safest forms of motorsports I know of. It’s not terribly difficult. But I am reminded of a lesson from my skydiving days. ‘What you have to do is easy, it’s the environment in which you have to do it which makes it difficult and deadly’.
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Randy
   
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entropy
Moderator
Posts: 8671
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posted October 25, 2009 06:50 AM
Randy, great post.
Thanks for taking the time to write it.
One o' these days we need to compare notes on skydiving.
I broke my femur, 6 ribs, and a nut at 2500' from doing something over my head...
Wish I had yr advice in 1974 
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Dane
Expert Class
Posts: 235
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posted October 25, 2009 08:13 AM
 Edited By: Dane on 25 Oct 2009 16:24
Randy, great write-up. What is standard procedure for rookies or newbies at a track like the tex mile? I personally would like to make a couple of lets say 125-140mph passes and work my way to Wot. I figure in 2 days one could make at least 8-10 passes. Maybe brendasue could chime in @ her first ride conditions or track feel Wait.....Karl skydiving, Damn.......I'm sorry to laugh....But what do they do to fix a nut?
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shiphteey
Needs a job
Posts: 2529
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posted October 25, 2009 10:41 AM
No offense whatsoever, but at 169 mph, a 1/2 mile shutdown is PLENTY!
At 200 mph I found it was fine....however one time I wasn't paying attention to the last mile marker and by the time I looked up and realized I had passed it and got on the brakes I went into the grass at 10 mph or so, no big deal, but COULD HAVE BEEN!
At 250+ mph .... talk to those guys....thats all I'm saying. They get the job done but none of them WOULDN'T want a little extra real estate.
Food for thought buddy.
A.
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Gemini Motorcycles
Topping out everything from Ninja 250s to nitrous ZX-14s.
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rtbain
Expert Class
old, fat and slow
Posts: 244
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posted October 25, 2009 02:26 PM
Shoot man I could not agree more. My point was for newbies to approach with caution. I prefer to start slow and end up fast rather than go for it and get in over my head. Different people have different approaches to racing and I do not pretend to have any answers, just things that work for me.
Even at a modest 169mph you are traveling about 247 feet per second. Intimate knowledge of the shut down area and enough practice to establish muscle memory are good things to have when things go wrong.
In my first mile my speeds were not impressive. But that was not my goal. I wanted to establish a routine and get used to the track and higher velocities than I have ever ridden. By weekend’s end I came to the start line relaxed and ready to go and finished the pass without stress.
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Randy
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California Kid
Parking Attendant
Posts: 22
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posted October 26, 2009 02:25 PM
risk management
Randy ,
We meet at texas . I don't know if you remember me . We talked about the DL-32 Data Logger . I am installing one on my 08 busa . You said If I had any questions to contact you . Here is my cell number 949-547-4526 if you could call me .
Thanks
Bill (California Kid)
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Texas in March- 199.166 MPH
Texas in Oct - 199.780
TexasMarch 2010 202.3
Loring in Aug- 207.837
Mojave march 2010 186.8
Sponsors : PMR Components , Tiger Racing ,NX Nitrous Express . Tuning by Johnnycheese Performance
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TRNorBRN6001
Needs a job
Posts: 2021
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posted October 26, 2009 03:46 PM
How about a pick of yourself and the bike Randy.
Dang Karl, didn't know you busted a nut as well!!!!!!!!ouch!!!!!!!!!!
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TFA 200MPH CLUB MEMBER!
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lar300mag
Parking Attendant
Posts: 17
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posted October 29, 2009 05:56 AM
Good Right up Randy!!! I will be the noob at the Mile come March. and BTW, Thanks again for helping me get the Busa ready. I'm already getting excited about being there.
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rtbain
Expert Class
old, fat and slow
Posts: 244
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posted October 29, 2009 02:53 PM
Larry, don't look back, I think your Busa is buring oil. 
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Randy
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texanzone
Novice Class
Posts: 73
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posted October 29, 2009 04:17 PM
To tell the truth i have not found the bump at the shutdown area,thanks for talking about it Randy Iwill look for it now.I am no expert but what I have tryed to do is talk to new people at the mile about the shut downand the things I know to look for and above all not to get to hard on the brakes .And oh yea have fun and go home in one peace.
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rtbain
Expert Class
old, fat and slow
Posts: 244
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posted October 30, 2009 01:59 AM
Edited By: rtbain on 30 Oct 2009 10:01
My avatar is me, the one driviing the hack. Its not a real cow. I'll see if I can find one with the ZX14.
It may be because I head to the right to avoid the paint. Not a serious bump at all, just something to be aware of when breaking from speed. Kind of like the pavement separation, not a big deal once you know it’s there.
I had the great good fortune to pit between two veteran milers. Karl was kind enough to take time from his efforts to help me on more than one occasion. My hero. (My standards are quite low). I even have a TFA t-shirt (now washed) proudly in my closet waiting for the next event.
From a wuss clueless newbie perspective the only suggestion I have would be to form a mentor group; volunteer riders willing to take a new to the venue rider under their wing and coach them as needed.
Larry, my sometimes neighbor, is in that category. Very nice guy for a Busa rider. I will do my best to help him get set up and started safely at the mile. I am going to be a bit pissed when he out runs me on his first event, but I’ll get over it.
I love this sport, especially the people in it.
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Randy
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texanzone
Novice Class
Posts: 73
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posted October 30, 2009 04:39 AM
Randy what is the hack looks like a old r60 do you have a larger picture you can post,and do you still have it
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lar300mag
Parking Attendant
Posts: 17
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posted October 30, 2009 07:28 AM
The smoke isn't oil Randy, I just misjudged the clutch just a little bit and a fraction of the Busa power was unleashed and the back tire slightly lost traction. LOL. I'll be home in 6 weeks, get the lift ready...time to get a Busa ready...
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entropy
Moderator
Posts: 8671
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posted October 30, 2009 07:34 AM
what paint?
what bump?
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entropy
Moderator
Posts: 8671
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posted October 30, 2009 07:39 AM
Larry,
welcome to a cool site, and a buncha fun people
see you in March, if not sooner.
BTW: Both you and Randy must sign up for the NA Shootout.
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rtbain
Expert Class
old, fat and slow
Posts: 244
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posted October 30, 2009 02:57 PM
Don't do it! Karl or Bob take the money every time!
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Randy
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rtbain
Expert Class
old, fat and slow
Posts: 244
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posted October 30, 2009 03:06 PM
quote:
Randy what is the hack looks like a old r60 do you have a larger picture you can post, and do you still have it
My dear sir,
The bike is a 1975 Honda 550K1. My first street bike and roadracer. It went from getting lapped by the entire field in my first race to second place novice in formula II. About 100 years ago.
It is my favorite picture, the essence of serious motorcycling. I lost the original photo to my dismay. The hack is a Russian Sputnik. Sold in a preassembled ‘kit’. You get it, take it apart, clean everything up and put it back together with real bolts and bearings. You are not a real mechanic until you have worked on something Russian. Then you are a real stressed mechanic.
IMHO everyone should have a sidecar. Driving one is good for the soul.
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Randy
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