EA6BMECH

My apologies to Keith and the board. I jumped the gun on this one.

I've edited this post because in this case I should have kept my opinions to myself.

Well put Rifleman(Chuck Connors.. )! I don't think your ever too old, just gotta be willing to take the spill if it happens. Haven't had my spill YET, but I'm sure it's gonna be a highside... just to let me know what happens when your fubar out on the track. I guess we're getting a little off topic here aren't we. That's ok, the board needs some humor to it...

Well if ya wanna feel better and worse at the same time, I was 44 last year before I got a knee and my son last Nov. at the age of 13 with about no riding experience at all and 2nd track day was getting a knee all day on his EX250..... Like all the other guys have said, it isn't that important anymore. I just need to learn how to power slide that "ho" now!!!!

I think for allot of us newbie people to sportbike riding, we just have to get the "knee drag" out of our system to keep going. I can't afford to do schools but can hit the track a few times a year. After I got my knee down, it helped me learn where the bike was and my riding position. I do it allot less now but I keep the knee just below the peg scraping level. That's my "curb feeler" and for now I'll stick with it.

If money is no object, go with the GPa's. I've run Gp's on the ZRX and they were great, even on the street to finish them up after a trackday. I now use the 207RR mostly because they hold about as good as the GP and cost allot less. The 207 seems to need a little heat in them to hold good. If any of you are running the Pilot or M-1 on the track, don't discount the 012SS. The M-1's and 012SS' can be bought for about $220 or less delivered, the 207RR for about $255 and the Diablo Corsa's for about $265. Allot depends on how fast you are. Personally I'd feel a little uncomfortable with a set of M-1's on the track. I have the extra weight to haul around and that's where the RR seems to take up the slack. One guy I know rides an R6 in an advanced group and runs the 012SS and it does well for him. I ran the 012Ss at Road Atlanta and it did well but slid a few times in turn 1 and 10b. Try them a set at a time and see what you like. Your the one that's riding the bike and only you can tell for sure.

I do track days to and this isn't what most of ya wanna hear, but I look at my speedo at certain times on the track. If I didn't, I start to loose my sense of perception of how fast I'm going. Only about 2 times will I look at it. Turn 1 and turn 9 for me. 2 important turns. I'll glance out of turn 3. If I didn't and not having a timer, it's the only way I can tell if my speed is up or I'm holding back....because of fear. I see no harm in glancing down from time to time but only when I can. I know a millisecond of the eyes shifting off can be very hazardous!!! I just use it as a gauge to see if I'm getting more speed. I could do a school, but that then would knock me out of about 4 track days for the year. And that's about all I can do. So what did I learn??? Good technique and no more time to practice it. Sorry, but us broke guys gotta do what we can and if that means cheating a little, well then that's the way it is.

Do you guys flip your tires? I have a set of 207RR's on right now and did 1 track day, flipped them and did another. Track direction on both tracks were clockwise. Nope, don't run them til I see white walls, although on the 208GP's I almost made it. After 2 track days, they become my riding tire til they're history.

I did Road Atlanta, nice fast track!! Keeps the heart beats up, especially in turn 12 after the hill... Didn't like CMP the 2 times I've been there, you go too fast and have to slow down too hard in several of the corners. Ya, with a 500lb+ bike, I don' like it. I've done Roebling Road 3 times and I like it pretty much. Fast with some good corners and nice straightaway. But RA I guess is the best.

Do tell....... By the way, Jim, if you do own a 250. I have one too. Stock. Have to drive it with my body in the turns. Shutters too bad if I use my hands to steer. At 200lb, I'm really too heavy for it with no mods to the suspension(sons bike), but digging the knee in and turning the bike helps allot. The hands are on the handlebars for aiming.....

I don't believe your hanging off the bike quite enough. I never thought I'd get it, because I swore my leg didn't bend that way Once your get it, you'll sort of figure it out. Just like the other guys, or girls said, seems the more speed, the more your tucked in. You'll be able to tell, it starts to not feel right getting into a fast sweeper at maybe 90 and up and keeping the knee down. If you look at my pics a couple posts above, the Sportsbike.net pic was a poser shot as I came around a corner up here where I live. I knew Killboy was out there. The other at Track-dayz is at Roebling Road in turn 7 I believe. Look at how much lower I am or for that matter both of us. I don't have any of turn 9 which can carry a speed for me of about 110. The knee is up but my upper body is much lower and I hang off more to give me more clearance. I feel like a freak'n sidecar!! Man that ZRX is heavy!! but I love it!!!

Well it seems most of you guys race, so it's hard to put in my 2 cents. I have 2 bikes, ZRX1200 and Ninja 250. Biiiggg! difference. But if I was to make it short and sweet, I come in hot, brake heavy straight up. About the time I have my body position setup for the turn and flick the bike, I start easing off the front brake but will carry my braking well into mid corner and more if it's a decreasing radius. The hard part is the transition back into the throttle. Gotta be smooth to keep the suspension flowing. I think fear is my worst enemy coming into the turns, I mis judge how fast I can really make some turns. My suspension sometimes puts that fear in me although I am improving it and front a rear and brakes should be complete this winter. I need to get braver and get on the gas sooner. I'm not totally sure of the limits on the tires (207RR&208GP) and how much they're gonna stick. I can deal with a controled slide, but I fear a low side. Anywho..........

It is also true what Rootsman said. The faster I go sometimes the less the knee goes down. I keep it tucked in for more of a streamline profile in a turn, mostly the sweeper type. One thing I will say though is, when I got my knee, then I started to know how hard I could push the bike in the turns. I guess that was my "curb feeler"......... Maybe I went too far saying the tires did all the work, but tires can really make a difference even if it's a goofing around in the mountians day. Bikes handle differently when they're worn and or have "chicken strips". The leans are rufffer to make cuz the bike doesn't want to lean as well. Just read the board replies and take out what you feel might be helpful to ya. We all have opinions. I'm no pro, so allot of what I say is coming from my screwups, practice.............and "my opinion".

That gets to be my problem at the track. I can go alone, but I also like to follow the faster guys because I do believe that if they can do it....so can I. Try to put what I have learned into practice out on the track, but they are only a few during the year. Mostly do street riding. Blue Ridge, Cherohala and Deals Gap are my proving grounds, but gotta be a fool to go WFO out there with all the traffic. I love track days and am getting better on focusing on what the bike is doing and just making it happen. Maybe the ZRX is holding me back because of it's weight and style, but I'm gonna keep it. http://www.sportbikes.net/forums/attachmen...&postid=1484518

Gotta get the speed up!!! It's scary at first, but ya gotta get over. You can spend all the money you want on schools, but your the one that has to get the knee down... Have to trust your tires. Don't think the pros keep their bikes up just on skill alone. The tires are doing all the work, they just need to know when to say when and work them. Can't trust the tires or bike, you'll never get it. Everytime I go riding or to the track, I figure I'm gonna bust my ass, so I get use to it. Have I?? No, not yet and with 6 track days and about 30k of twistie riding, I did a light spill at Deals Gap. Got up and started knee dragging the next corner. Go for it!!! I'm 45 and having a blast!! http://www.sportbikes.net/forums/attachmen...&postid=1551565 http://www.track-dayz.com/Pictures/Eddy/11...903/1591-17.jpg And I do it with a ZRX......of course it's the fastest bike out there.........