Learning to Ride (Track vs Street)

Captain Morgan · 07-07-2010, 12:40 PM

I don't have time to read through the whole thread. I think the track is good for teaching you the limits of your bike and how to handle things when you think you're coming in too hot for a turn. I can say with absolute certainty that if I had not had track time, I would have gone down on the way from your house to the rally. I came in way too hot for a couple turns, but because I've ridden on the track (even without the strom) I knew that I could hold the turn if I just looked through and trusted the tires. I only knew that because of track experience, even though that experience was on an R6 and not the strom.

Knowing how to ride and how to operate a motorcycle is one thing, but the track gave me the confidence to handle turns I wouldn't have handled well at all. Was I riding over my head on that trip? Yeah, because I hadn't been riding for 5 years, except for the past couple months. But, I was still able to handle my mistake without going down, solely because of track experience.

07-07-2010, 12:40 PM	#34
Captain Morgan Let's do another U-turn Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Indiana Moto: 2009 V-Strom Posts: 3,816	I don't have time to read through the whole thread. I think the track is good for teaching you the limits of your bike and how to handle things when you think you're coming in too hot for a turn. I can say with absolute certainty that if I had not had track time, I would have gone down on the way from your house to the rally. I came in way too hot for a couple turns, but because I've ridden on the track (even without the strom) I knew that I could hold the turn if I just looked through and trusted the tires. I only knew that because of track experience, even though that experience was on an R6 and not the strom. Knowing how to ride and how to operate a motorcycle is one thing, but the track gave me the confidence to handle turns I wouldn't have handled well at all. Was I riding over my head on that trip? Yeah, because I hadn't been riding for 5 years, except for the past couple months. But, I was still able to handle my mistake without going down, solely because of track experience.