zx1kr
Pro
Posts: 1301
|
posted December 25, 2005 07:44 PM
Track Day for X-mas!!
Just received a 1 day track pass for poconos Raceway. Very happy, I have not had the pleasure of a full day of racing (sans local law enforcement) Should be quite a Pisser.
Hoping there are some guys on the board that might be interested in getting together for some jamming at the poconos.(East Coast- Pennsylvania). The track day is being set-up through www.NYSportBikeClub.com. My plan is to take the 05/24/06 date that isavailable,
I'm hoping there are more of you guys locally that whould be interested. If so I would be willing to bring along a Tire Mount Machine & Balancer. a variety of tires to choose from & possibly some room in a trailer for an extra bike.
____________
  
|
Hells Dark Lord
Needs a life
living life, and loving it.
Posts: 7981
|
posted December 26, 2005 05:22 AM
good for you, but be warned riding the track is like crack, very addictive.....I have been doing trackdays on a number of bikes for the past few years....a couple of things you might look into, some of these will be common sense so dont get offended, they are just a friendly reminder...
1. change the oil in the bike
2. put freash rubber on the bike, and a good quality tire, I prefer the Pilot Powers, or a DOT race tire like the Pirelli Supercorsa. The worst tire I ever rode on was the OEM Bridgestones that came on my 03 ZX6RR.....they slid everywhere
3. Make sure you have good fresh brake fluid in the bike, that really only needs to be done once a year, so if its been more than a year, its a good excuse to do it.
4. Follow the track organizations rules on bike prep. Some require you to take out the anti freeze others do not.....but get a good copy of the tech list so you dont have issues at the track and lose track time
5. where the best possible gear you can afford...not the most expensive, but the best....I crashed a ZX7R on Roebling Road going into turn1 at about 165 MPH, and got up and walked away, but my Joe Rocket Speedmaster suit and Arai Helmet were toast....it happens.....I cant emphasize the importance of the gear....some places will let you wear a 2 piece suit, I would suggest staying away from them, JMO though. I prefer the 1 piece. And gloves are a very important thing, a good gaunlet style glove is a MUST.....Good riding boots are important as well. Though I woudl say that the full out race boots are prolly a bit much for us average joes....it never hurts to have the extra protection
Some prep and planning will make your trip to the track alot more fun....get there early and find a good spot in the pits, talk to some of the other guys that are there, and walk the track if you can ahead of time. Take tools....you never know when you will need them, same is true of a set of stands.....and something to give you shade. Also a cooler with drinks and sodas. Just incase you cant get away from the track for lunch......
____________
When in doubt, lean farther and go faster....
|
CrotchRocket
Moderator
Bracket Racing with Betsy
Posts: 8038
|
posted December 26, 2005 08:01 AM
HDL, the only thing you forgot was bring gas 
____________
Jason Miller StreetBike Seminars
*****DragRacers do it better, because they dont cut Corners*****
|
zx1kr
Pro
Posts: 1301
|
posted December 26, 2005 10:21 AM
I appreciate all the advice, I have P.P.'s on the bike now & I checked the requirements for the bike, they seem pretty straight forward. I have to get a good set of leathers, I have a 2 piece set now that I use for the street but , it's more of a cool weather set-up. I'am going to invest in a good set of leathers, problem is I haven't got the means to try any of these leathers on, most seem to be sized in european sizes. I'll figure something out I've got 5 months. I will be mounting a set of medium/soft Pilot Races for the day, if they perform on the track the way the P.P.'s have performed on the street so far I will be quite happy. Thanks again for your input.
|
Hells Dark Lord
Needs a life
living life, and loving it.
Posts: 7981
|
posted December 26, 2005 12:09 PM
I would suggest that you stay away from Pilot Race tires for your first trackday. Those tires heat up better than the old H2's did, but they still take 5 or 6 good laps to get good and hot...The Pilot Powers are a much better choice in my opinion. You will appreciate the Powers as well, espicially if the day is crappy and rainy.
Once you get into the trackdays and get faster, then you might step up to the race tires. But until then, use the Power, they will give more mileage and almost as good of traction, and are MUCH cheaper.....
Dam how did I forget gas....I always take 2 5 gallon cans with a full tank....that has always been PLENTY......lol
____________
When in doubt, lean farther and go faster....
|
zx1kr
Pro
Posts: 1301
|
posted December 26, 2005 02:33 PM
Will Do! I have the P.P.'s on the 10 now & have loved the way they performed since day one.
|
Hells Dark Lord
Needs a life
living life, and loving it.
Posts: 7981
|
posted December 26, 2005 02:39 PM
I have run Pirelli SuperCorsas, Pilot Race, H2's, Rensports, and numerous street based tires on the track....The Powers will let you go out from the 2nd lap and have fun, you will waste a number of laps and minutes heating up the race based tires....and unless you are very fast or ham fisted, the powers will do anything you want them too....The powers are the only tire I have ever had enough confidence in to drag a knee in the rain......I got 3 trackdays out of a Power front and 2 out of a rear......with race tires I get one day on the track.....for the extra second or 2 I am faster on race tires just isnt worth the extra money to me.....your opinions may differ.......
____________
When in doubt, lean farther and go faster....
|
|
|
|
|
HOME
NEW TOPIC