First Supermoto Trackday...

Kestrel

Kestrel

Well-known member
Headed down to Kershaw, SC last weekend to attend a supermoto track day at Carolina Motorsports Park. I've run on the main track before (though it has certainly been a few years), but never on the kart track. Not to mention this was also only my second time riding this bike at any semblance of speed since getting the GS500 front wheel mounted.... Bridgestone S20 EVO 110/70R17 up front with a 110/90R18 BT45 rear. Tokico 4 pot caliper from a GSXR600 was beyond stellar when combined with that wheel's floating 310mm rotor.

I had an amazing time, and as usual, learned so much in the span of just a single day. Threw together a video of some of the day's footage, in somewhat of a chronological order. First session or two was pretty ugly, as I was still figuring out the preferred line. Things dramatically improved later in the day, and the little air cooled DR350 was able to hang with some much higher performing bikes.

Can't wait for the next one.. Please enjoy!


youtu.be/ZbTyoC7auK8
 
Map8

Map8

I want nothing
Staff member
That track looks like fun. Glad you're having a such a good time with supermoto. Add dirt and the fun factor goes up dramatically.
 
RightCoastBias

RightCoastBias

F8TRED
Good stuff! There's only 2 types of racing that I would consider doing, supermoto and flat tracking. Once I get a truck, one of them is happening!
 
ctrvl

ctrvl

Well-known member
Rad video! I could see you improving so quickly as it progressed. Love track days and small kart tracks are probably my favorite.

Also thanks for the tip on The Cheatahs; I'm a huge fan of shoegaze/nu-gaze and have been since I was a young'un in the 80s listening to MBV and Ride, and the new bands have really nailed the sound as well and even improved on it. Really awesome to find new music, so cheers!
 
Kestrel

Kestrel

Well-known member
ctrvl said:
Rad video! I could see you improving so quickly as it progressed. Love track days and small kart tracks are probably my favorite.

Also thanks for the tip on The Cheatahs; I'm a huge fan of shoegaze/nu-gaze and have been since I was a young'un in the 80s listening to MBV and Ride, and the new bands have really nailed the sound as well and even improved on it. Really awesome to find new music, so cheers!
Click to expand...

Fellow rider friend introduced me to the Cheatahs in one of his videos. I've been digging them ever since!

Yea, the video is somewhat in chronological order as the track day proceeded. While I filmed a bunch of my own personal hot laps in the later parts of the day, only one of those got stuck in the video right around the 8 minute mark, after the guy on the Husqvarna let me by. I didn't want to fill the whole video with stuff like that - gets a little lonely and boring after a while. Video was made for other riders that day, too, and it's just nice to be in a video and see yourself riding from the third person perspective, ya know? So some of the lines I took during those shots were a little funky - not necessarily fast, but done just for the sake of taking some decent footage of the other riders.

For a little back story... It was my first time on a kart track, so I struggled a little bit at first trying to come to terms with what was faster.. Knee down, or leg out. I opted for leg out for most of the day, and only ran around dragging knee toward the end of the day. It doesn't really clarify it in the video, but after dragging things silly for a few laps, I got a little too greedy trying to drag a little too hard in that last corner, and voila. ;) Overall, with respect to lap times - and given the tight corners - I found leg out to be much faster. Fastest lap probably would contain elements of both.

Interestingly, one of the coolest things happened that day after the long start/finish straight. I turned into the chicane, then flipped it back the other direction with such ferocity that the front wheel popped off the ground. I've seen this before, but never experienced it until then. It was awesome!
 
ctrvl

ctrvl

Well-known member
Kestrel said:
For a little back story... It was my first time on a kart track, so I struggled a little bit at first trying to come to terms with what was faster.. Knee down, or leg out. I opted for leg out for most of the day, and only ran around dragging knee toward the end of the day. It doesn't really clarify it in the video, but after dragging things silly for a few laps, I got a little too greedy trying to drag a little too hard in that last corner, and voila. ;) Overall, with respect to lap times - and given the tight corners - I found leg out to be much faster. Fastest lap probably would contain elements of both.
Click to expand...

I think I've only ever knee down-ed once in my life so I'm no good there. Foot out is my go to, but I'd love to have the flexibility to do either. In time! I'm a super noob :)

Kestrel said:
Interestingly, one of the coolest things happened that day after the long start/finish straight. I turned into the chicane, then flipped it back the other direction with such ferocity that the front wheel popped off the ground. I've seen this before, but never experienced it until then. It was awesome!
Click to expand...

Haha yes, I've only ever done this once or twice and it feels awesome :thumbup
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top