Learning to Ride (Track vs Street)

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by Mudpuppy

Track is an awesome place to learn how to ride better on the street and if you think it doesn't prepare you for deer then go ride summit in WV.. plenty of deer there..

I have heard plenty of deer stories down there, closest thing I came to hitting was a woodcuck chilling between turns 9 and 10.

[Mudpuppy]

Here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAUdYMaFauw

[DLIT]

Different for everybody. Before doing any track day I was reading up on form, body postioning and all that. Then I would go out on a twisty road (the one in my sig) and practice it. I first dragged knee on the street. Granted, I was hanging so far off the bike to do it, obviously not practicing my form, I just wanted to drag a knee for the first time.

I'd say you can learn a lot of basics and fundamentals for the track on the street. Even holding lines. As long as you're between the white and yellow, hold the line. There's a shitload of variables when on the street though. Road surface, other riders/drivers, stuff you can hit if you ever come off the bike, etc. But you can apply a lot of the stuff they teach you in certain books and track day schools on the street. You just gotta keep your head on and don't push it like you would on the track. But to perfect most things, you can only do it on the track.

The more you learn on the streets (for free), the more familiar you will be with the class discussions and while you're out on the track. I think street riding can benefit track riding and vice versa.

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by DLIT

Different for everybody. Before doing any track day I was reading up on form, body postioning and all that. Then I would go out on a twisty road (the one in my sig) and practice it. I first dragged knee on the street. Granted, I was hanging so far off the bike to do it, obviously not practicing my form, I just wanted to drag a knee for the first time.

I'd say you can learn a lot of basics and fundamentals for the track on the street. Even holding lines. As long as you're between the white and yellow, hold the line. There's a shitload of variables when on the street though. Road surface, other riders/drivers, stuff you can hit if you ever come off the bike, etc. But you can apply a lot of the stuff they teach you in certain books and track day schools on the street. You just gotta keep your head on and don't push it like you would on the track. But to perfect most things, you can only do it on the track.

The more you learn on the streets (for free), the more familiar you will be with the class discussions and while you're out on the track. I think street riding can benefit track riding and vice versa.

Gotta be careful with some of that though, you can also develop a lot of bad habbits by riding on the street on your own too.

[DLIT]

Originally Posted by tommymac

Gotta be careful with some of that though, you can also develop a lot of bad habbits by riding on the street on your own too.

Same goes for the track.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by DLIT

Different for everybody. Before doing any track day I was reading up on form, body postioning and all that. Then I would go out on a twisty road (the one in my sig) and practice it. I first dragged knee on the street. Granted, I was hanging so far off the bike to do it, obviously not practicing my form, I just wanted to drag a knee for the first time.

I'd say you can learn a lot of basics and fundamentals for the track on the street. Even holding lines. As long as you're between the white and yellow, hold the line. There's a shitload of variables when on the street though. Road surface, other riders/drivers, stuff you can hit if you ever come off the bike, etc. But you can apply a lot of the stuff they teach you in certain books and track day schools on the street. You just gotta keep your head on and don't push it like you would on the track. But to perfect most things, you can only do it on the track.

The more you learn on the streets (for free), the more familiar you will be with the class discussions and while you're out on the track. I think street riding can benefit track riding and vice versa.

Is that really street riding though? I would say no, just an extension of track riding. I would also say a higher percentage of harley riders are better street riders than sport bikers. Why? Because they obey the rules of the road and are generally safer riders, where we are hooligans.

[DLIT]

Originally Posted by Trip

Is that really street riding though? I would say no, just an extension of track riding. I would also say a higher percentage of harley riders are better street riders than sport bikers. Why? Because they obey the rules of the road and are generally safer riders, where we are hooligans.

So you're talking about street riding, as in, riding at a respectable pace and barely leaning through corners and such? Street riding for Harleys and street riding for sportbikes are two different things.


I'm gearing all my posts towards people that are interested in track riding/going fast.

[CrazyKell]

Originally Posted by Trip

Is that really street riding though? I would say no, just an extension of track riding. I would also say a higher percentage of harley riders are better street riders than sport bikers. Why? Because they obey the rules of the road and are generally safer riders, where we are hooligans.

I'd have to strongly disagree with you there.

After talking to 2 mechanic friends and watching my father do a "cruiser school" on the track, I think cruiser riders are far less skilled than sportbike riders.

Sportbike riders understand braking power, lean angle, and other fundamental concepts of what their machine can do.

A lot of cruiser riders ride their bike like it's a car and don't understand a lot of concepts that are second nature to sportbike riders (because they have to be).

[Trip]

Originally Posted by DLIT

So you're talking about street riding, as in, riding at a respectable pace and barely leaning through corners and such? Street riding for Harleys and street riding for sportbikes are two different things.

I'm gearing all my posts towards people that are interested in track riding/going fast.

Yes, street riding isn't necessiarly aggressive riding. It isn't race line. It's a different technique. If you want to go 100%, the track is the place to learn, no doubt.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by CrazyKell

I'd have to strongly disagree with you there.

After talking to 2 mechanic friends and watching my father do a "cruiser school" on the track, I think cruiser riders are far less skilled than sportbike riders.

Sportbike riders understand braking power, lean angle, and other fundamental concepts of what their machine can do.

A lot of cruiser riders ride their bike like it's a car and don't understand a lot of concepts that are second nature to sportbike riders (because they have to be).

You don't need to be able to run a fast gap time to be a good street rider. There are a lot of people who can't ride aggressively that are far better street riders than someone who can put up a good time at the track.