My possible first Trackday.

[fzar]

Tomorrow I will know if I will be attending my first track day this weekend at Hallett, Oklahoma.  It's going to be determined by the track owner's opinion on whether mother nature wants to play ball and be nice. 

Hallett Motor Racing Circuit

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Hallett Motor Racing Circuit is a 1.8 mile, 10 turn road racing course located 35 miles west of Tulsa, in Jennings, Oklahoma.

I've been chipping away at the parts list as much as I can, this is what I have so far:

Galfer SS brake line F/R.

Ohlins STX-46 rear shock. @cornerslider

520 DID with superlite steel 16/43.

Woodcraft rear-sets.

Akrapovic Ti. (@whatafiasco)

2WDW flash. @2wheeldynoworks

Stock Filter.

ASV adjustable levers. @pgeldz

What can't be seen is the woodcraft riser 1" in the down position, and R6 throttle tube.

Dunlop Q3+ F/R

This is a little unexpected, as it has already dropped to feel like -1F  this morning but the weekend is looking a toasty 58/38 F, H/L on saturday @ Hallett. I know I have to take the rear pegs off, so that's a bracket I'm going to make for the rear reservoir, tape headlight and blinkers, rear brake, mirrors have to go.

Should I pull the fuse's for the headlight and indicators to make life easier as the headlight will definitely melt any tape I put on there, or can I remove all these pieces without much difficulty and without wires all over the place when done?

I was hoping to have at least a front end refresh done as its not been done in the time I own it, and cartridges dropped in, (haven't ordered) but I don't have time to get all of that done and I think I just want to feel out the trackday and see what I can learn.

Any advice  is greatly appreciated as I have a short time to get this in motion if its a go. Never been on track before, just a canyon carver with no intention of trying to prove anything, with and understanding of, I probably know way less than I think I do, so ears and eyes wide wide open. With an ability to take constructive guidance and advice.

Please chime in if you have anything at all to say.

                                                                                          Dave.

[Evill_Ed]

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

[fzar]

Apologies for the photos I went to the garage and just snapped a few. I photographed everything else as I installed it except the TI. Plus it cold as F*** and its on the battery tender.

[mossrider]

Dont let the weather dictate your fun, unless it's freezing rain go. Your bike is ready. Tape over the lights with blue painters tape 2 layers if need be, it won't melt is cheap and comes of easily. You have a good, positive, open minded approach with reasonable objectives. This is a recipe for an orgasmic day.

Ask the trackday provider to set up a tow with a control rider (kind of an individual or small group guided tour at a very controlled pace) to show you a couple laps of the course before you set out on your own for a couple of reasons. This will make it less stressful on you and make it easier to avoid the lure of getting over excited, wrapped up in the moment and following someone else's bad decisions off course. Once you have the lay of the land, so to speak, you can putter around at your own pace until you are ready for some more instruction. Stalk an instructor or a control rider you think matches your personality and ask them for another tow/follow eval. They will be glad to follow you for a couple laps and offer some constructive input on your riding, lines, body position, braking and whatnot. 

You will quickly figure out the typical rotational pattern of a track day and whom to follow or steer clear of. You're in for a real treat, I envy you.

Have fun!

[cornerslider]

You and I have nearly the same bike!!! I've been running the Q3+ for three seasons now. Dunlop recommends the track tire pressures for the Q3+ to be: 32 front & 30 rear. As cold is it sounds like it's gonna be, I'd maybe drop a pound or two on each. Obviously, take it easy for 2-3 laps to get some heat into the tires. I love my Q3+!!! It took me three seasons to overheat them (obviously not the same set ), and they started to slide a bit.....  Even when sliding, the did it slowly, and VERY predictably. I just picked up a new 2019 R3 (for street use), and put ZERO miles on the OEM tires. I pulled them off when I got it home, and put Q3+ on it as well!!!! Good luck this weekend-

 

 

Edited November 13, 2019 by cornerslider

[fzar]

31 minutes ago, mossrider said:

Dont let the weather dictate your fun, unless it's freezing rain go.

Ohh I’m going if they open the track. I’m sure they want to as the weather is looking good, but they need a minimum of 30 riders per day. Saturday I’d imagine they can meet that expected number, Sunday might be so so, if I get the email it’s a go for Saturday but not Sunday I’ll gladly sign up for Sunday too if it makes a difference. I’ll have the added cost of another day and expense of a hotel, but maybe I should give myself a Christmas present this year. It looks like it’s going to be a cold winter. 

[pgeldz]

You're gonna have a blast!

[fzar]

On 11/13/2019 at 9:52 AM, pgeldz said:

You're gonna have a blast!

It certainly was, what a day I can't explain how much fun I had at Hallett. I didn't think you could have that much fun and learn so much in 20 minute sessions. I actually learned more at the de-briefing after sessions talking to the instructors.

 

On 11/12/2019 at 8:24 PM, mossrider said:

Ask the trackday provider to set up a tow with a control rider (kind of an individual or small group guided tour at a very controlled pace) to show you a couple laps of the course before you set out on your own for a couple of reasons. This will make it less stressful on you and make it easier to avoid the lure of getting over excited, wrapped up in the moment and following someone else's bad decisions off course.

This was done in the first session, progressively upping the pace each lap, nothing fast as it was coldish.

 

On 11/12/2019 at 8:24 PM, mossrider said:

Stalk an instructor or a control rider you think matches your personality and ask them for another tow/follow eval. They will be glad to follow you for a couple laps and offer some constructive input on your riding, lines, body position, braking and whatnot. 

Didn't have to, the senior head instructor chose me, and my word was he giving it some, at least for my level of experience.

On 11/12/2019 at 8:24 PM, mossrider said:

You will quickly figure out the typical rotational pattern of a track day and whom to follow or steer clear of. You're in for a real treat, I envy you.

I did, jeez some people must be deaf, stupid, or just cant ride at all. There were some dangerous guys making the same mistakes over and over again that were completely way off what we had been instructed to do for safety.

On 11/12/2019 at 8:24 PM, mossrider said:

This is a recipe for an orgasmic day.

It was orgasmic, it really was.

[blackout]

Track riding ruined street riding for me!  lol

[Evill_Ed]

4 hours ago, blackout said:

Track riding ruined street riding for me!  lol

Me Too!

[fzar]

7 hours ago, blackout said:

Track riding ruined street riding for me!  lol

I'll be back out there in march if its a go, with the AP rear link I have, installed. Got it in a sweet package I bought from @pgeldz I might have conflicting arrangements depending on my overachieving kids schedule, but I'll try my best. 

After maybe 2-3 more weekends I can see how that would diminish street riding. I swear I was high as a kite for 2 days afterwards, pure adrenaline and a great feeling of satisfaction. 

 

[DewMan]

13 minutes ago, fzar said:

I'll be back out there in march if its a go, with the AP rear link I have, installed. Got it in a sweet package I bought from @pgeldz I might have conflicting arrangements depending on my overachieving kids schedule, but I'll try my best. 

After maybe 2-3 more weekends I can see how that would diminish street riding. I swear I was high as a kite for 2 days afterwards, pure adrenaline and a great feeling of satisfaction. 

 

I'm jealous. I'd have to go to a state other than the one I live in  just to find a track day.  

[paxx]

1 minute ago, DewMan said:

I'm jealous. I'd have to go to a state other than the one I live in  just to find a track day.  

You got to be shitting me... No tracks in FL? I thought FL was only second to CA for sport bikes.....

[fzar]

Here's an idea of how the day went:

Session 1:  Follow the instructor your assigned to.

Session 2: I got picked to tail the head instructor, fastest I've ever been through turns. He wave me passed and I was doing what I could without chucking it down the road or being dangerous.

Session 3: Same as 2, but I got passed by a guy on a FJ-09, so the instructor upped the pace, I was hanging with them by using their lines and braking references. Way faster than session2, so I again went faster than I thought I could go.

Session4: The 3 instructor's had found people that needed more guidance with what they should've been up to scratch for safety purposes at this stage so I just did my thing and got behind the FJ-09, passed him coming off turn 3 on the outside ( they don't allow inside passing for novice) only to be passed on the straight into 4, dropped in behind  and had a blast. I saw some people taking pit lane and was confused, apparently the instructors had to chat with some guys, they were going to go back out but i found out later that they didn't even chat and went a put their bikes on the trailer and left!!! Okay,!!! the instructor from session 2&3 rejoined and  passed me and FJ guy and took us on a let's put some rubber down 4 laps, it was just the 3 of us on the track at this stage. I also found out that the instructor I had would only ask you to follow if he thinks you can smoothly & safley follow him.   Faster than session 3 again, by a lot. The temps were hitting 60 at this point.

Session 5: We get called to the start but I noticed as the riders dwindled they called us the same time as the intermediate riders. We, the 2 novice riders got to ride in the intermediate group, all I'll say on this is. Here's where it got interesting, for the best. All i can say is I was giving "Hammer and Thongs" in a safe way to keep with the 2 leading riders and I was sweating hard after, but man was I happy.

Session 6: Instructors left, free for all, all classes. I went out and realized I was getting the fuel flash, i did 3 laps and brought her in.

 Outstanding, I'm still not over it.

[fzar]

58 minutes ago, DewMan said:

I'm jealous. I'd have to go to a state other than the one I live in  just to find a track day.  

I did have to go to another state Oklahoma, I live in Arkansas. Granted it's a 2.5 Hour drive. I had to rent a van, stay at a hotel, buy ramps, almost get divorced. Here https://floridatrackdays.com/schedule/ and here http://jenningsgp.com/index.html @DewMan

[DewMan]

1 hour ago, paxx said:

You got to be shitting me... No tracks in FL? I thought FL was only second to CA for sport bikes.....

Once a year they do races at Daytona International Speedway. If there is a track anywhere in FL that does track days, I'm unable to find it. 

EDit just read FZAR's response. Thanks Buddy!

[fzar]

5 minutes ago, DewMan said:

Once a year they do races at Daytona International Speedway. If there is a track anywhere in FL that does track days, I'm unable to find it. 

I sent you links to trackdays in Florida, @DewMan and I've been to the Daytona 200 in 2017 awesome. Headed up to Gainsville for the NHRA grand nationals the next day. Great weekend, it was St. Patricks Day that weekend also. My friend lived in Orlando for a spell while he was at MMI.

[mossrider]

Just now, DewMan said:

I'm jealous. I'd have to go to a state other than the one I live in  just to find a track day.  

For reference,

[DewMan]

3 minutes ago, fzar said:

I did have to go to another state Oklahoma, I live in Arkansas. Granted it's a 2.5 Hour drive. I had to rent a van, stay at a hotel, buy ramps, almost get divorced. Here https://floridatrackdays.com/schedule/ and here http://jenningsgp.com/index.html @DewMan

Homestead and Palm Beach are 4 hrs in one direction and Jennings is almost 4 hrs in the other direction... but still closer than I expected. 

[fzar]

9 minutes ago, DewMan said:

Once a year they do races at Daytona International Speedway. If there is a track anywhere in FL that does track days, I'm unable to find it. 

EDit just read FZAR's response. Thanks Buddy!

No sweat