Track skills vs. street skills

[taranis]

Hi All,

On my solo ride yesterday I was thinking about how much my recent track day had improved my confidence and general bike handling skills on the street. I also thought about how some of the attitudes and skills practiced could be detrimental to safe riding (at least without the proper attitude and mental framework). I want to know what you all think about this and whether you have developed track habits that were detrimental to safe street riding.

So for me, in the positive camp.

• I learned the limits of myself and the motorcycle - I no longer have to search for those on the street. Hey I got slower after my trackday! :ride
• In combo with proper suspension setup - I am much more planted in a corner
• Much more confident in my ability to make safe mid corner inputs and trail break if absolutely necessary (this rarely happens to me on the street)

In the negative camp:
Mostly it's a matter of reflex training and habits that are not good to carry over to the street (this is, as always, just my opinion not a statement of fact, so feel free to disagree)

• Knowing the track well enough to throw the bike into a blind decreasing radius corners at speed
  -As opposed to reading the vanishing point
  -As opposed to never out riding sight lines
• Trusting, hot sticky track rubber that does not usually get to that temp on the street
  -I know; learning to read traction is critical and is learned best on the track
• Incrementally moving breaking markers closer and closer to the corner and trail braking
  -This was the hardest thing for me to do at the track because of 15 years of always getting my breaking done way ahead of a turn with the old slow in/fast out philosophy

 

[Spec-ECU]

For me, after doing enough trackdays, I've found that my track skills are definitely exclusive of my street skills, and vice versa.

After awhile, it became even more evident how much different the two disciplines are. Simultaneously, it made me realize what is truly the appropriate type of riding in the street in order to fully enjoy it without the heightened consequences.

More important than being glad at track riding for teaching me proper riding techniques, I'm more grateful to track riding for teaching me to be one of the most humble, cognizant, and disciplined rider on the streets, especially in the twisties.

 

[Aluisious]

I think the biggest impact of track riding on my street riding was just taking the wind out of my street sails so I'm free to mope around like a slow poke. Time was I wanted to see what the bike could do...well now I know what it can do, and I'm not psycho enough to try to do that somewhere I can't see and soccer moms and critters are running around.

The skills may not overlap as much as you'd think...there are plenty of A pace track guys who die on the street doing something basically stupid, and plenty of guys with a million miles on the street who would get passed by some kid at the track.

 

[larry kahn]

When I got back on the street after my first day on a track (1981, no "track days" yet) I was astounded by the number of hard objects there were to hit that I hadn't seemingly noticed before. Trees, curbs, signs, cars, buildings, guardrails, etc. I slowed down too.

 

[calreef18]

I think going to the track has helped me to process information faster (debris, curvature of corners, etc) and made me a safer rider overall. I still ride the same pace on the streets as I did before running on the track, many times slower. I definitely feel safer overall on the street, feeling like I know more of the capabilities on my bike and how to react to surprise situations.

 

[Spec-ECU]

I think going to the track has helped me to process information faster

I think, just like the rest of us, that you've merely slowed down in the street, hence you process information faster. :laughing :thumbup

 

[budman]

I spent my teens riding the street after doing dirt bikes for 6 years and really did not see all the potential havoc, even after broadsiding a horse trailer in the mountains.. my awareness increased, but it was not a huge increase.

After college I went straight back to the dirt and raced MX and then to the Road Racing so I was off the streets for basically 10 years. When life forced me to quit racing I put the Gixxer back to street trim and on my first ride I was so tense seeing all the havoc possible that I did not enjoy the ride.

I could not get close to the thrills of the track and felt quite freaked out by so much clutter. Decided right that day to sell the Gixxer and smell the roses.. bought a Hog and said to myself I will go slow and enjoy the ride.

Now I had a big heavy bike with shitty brakes.. Damn! So immediatly put on a PM 4 piston front and found myself enjoying the ride.. all be it a very different sort of ride.

After about 6 years I could hold out no more.. and had recovered somewhat from the financial pains that had ended my racing. Bought a crotchety type of rocket and returned to the streets and to the race track (for trackdays). Things came back pretty quick and I felt very secure on the track and also found the right pace for the streets that was comfortable. Certainly a different pace than the track, but still a pace that I could get some enjoyment beyond just smelling the flowers.

With a more surgical bike and a more mature attitude about the ride along with the knowledge that ya ya's were just a race track away I have enjoyed being back on the roads again.. now two decades later I still find spots to have some nice paced fun and find that City streets and the clutter are best handled by a common sense approach.

Going to the race track certainly is a great tool to realize that there is NO WAY to have the focus and safety factors to go fast on the public roads and I think most feel the same. Yes the track can give you some insight into bike control and braking limits and other bits of handling your bike, but what it really gives you is the insight on where and when it is safe to have a sporting pace.

As far as application of the track skills you find some that make you a better street rider. The better abilities of braking, countersteering and the knowledge you can ride thru a tense moment here and there are valuable tools for any rider and all help you get home safe.

Cool subject :thumbup

:smoking

 

[Grease_Monkey]

I absolutely slowed down after my first track day. I look at is as I now have a place to push my bike to the limit safely. So there is no reason to try and haul ass on the street.

Plus there is no way i can capture the same thrill of track on the street, so i dont even try.

 

[DataDan]

I think going to the track has helped me to process information faster (debris, curvature of corners, etc) and made me a safer rider overall.

I think, just like the rest of us, that you've merely slowed down in the street, hence you process information faster.

One habit I developed in my early track experiences was looking farther ahead, which has the effect of slowing things down. Getting your head up and your visual field centered farther down the road is almost like having slo-mo vision.

 

[hiccup]

Interesting to read these comments as I approach my first trackday on Tuesday.
I'm really looking forward to learning what a bike can do with a+ traction and no street obstacles/distractions.

 

[rapidrobbie]

One habit I developed in my early track experiences was looking farther ahead, which has the effect of slowing things down. Getting your head up and your visual field centered farther down the road is almost like having slo-mo vision.

This :thumbup
And being able to snap the bike into a turn quickly to allow for a very late apex and better sight line through the corner.

 

[GP George]

I just want to say riding track is way more funner then riding the street you can go faster on the track and you always know exactly what is going to be there on the street Theirs cars dirt rocks bicyclist ect.... Ride Safe

 

[MrBeckman]

Riding the track hopefully makes you ride slower on the street

 

[sicknick530]

When I got back on the street after my first day on a track (1981, no "track days" yet) I was astounded by the number of hard objects there were to hit that I hadn't seemingly noticed before. Trees, curbs, signs, cars, buildings, guardrails, etc. I slowed down too.

and this is exactly wht Im now a slow poke on the street... the track ruind my street speed ignorance, Thank God

 

[EastBayDave]

Riding the track hopefully makes you ride slower on the street

Yep. After a few trackdays or races you suddenly know street riding @ speed is so foolish. Too many variables, cages, lamp-posts, brick, people walking dogs, trucks, police, gravel/oil, etc.

Street riding somehow seems less important now. You remember riding up to your limits at the track, & you can't even approach that on the street. That's why many have trackbikes, & many don't even ride their streetbikes anymore.

Ah the track is so nice...:cool

-ebd

 

[taranis]

Thanks for all the reply's. I'm with you on the aggressive street riding seeming so ineffectual after taking trackdays, but I could never swear off riding in the street completely.
I'm just riding for different reasons and I tend to spend more time enjoying the moment especially when riding in breathtaking scenery.

 

[Aluisious]

I'm just riding for different reasons and I tend to spend more time enjoying the moment especially when riding in breathtaking scenery.

+1

 

[runamok27]

Riding on the track develops skills that can be used on the street, braking, visual skills, cornering, line changes etc. but there are plenty of things you need to know to ride on the streets that you wouldn't think of on the track, bad drivers, traffic, police etc.

Overall I think that riding on the track helps your street riding quite a bit whereas riding on the street helps very little for your track riding.

I just have two very distinct riding styles, one for the track and one for the streets.

On another note, for you all that say that you have slowed down when riding on the streets. Did you actually slow down or did your perception of what fast is, change?

 

[bradcycles]

after riding the track this year, i've decided i don't want to ride street anymore. i'd rather be out on my bicycle getting in a good workout than sitting on my motorcycle bored and wishing i was at the track. riding street for me just isn't fun anymore at the slow paces, and even at the slow paces, the risks seem so much higher to me than the risks on the track. in the end, it just isn't worth it for me to ride street anymore.

 

[dammyneckhurts]

I dont have a street bike, never have....I just ride on the track.

One downside to this is that my sense of speed is not very good for the road, meaning that at 60 mph I kinda feel like I am "parked"...I am too comfortable. This is not good with other traffic, curbs, guard rails and other nasty stuff that can kill you on the street.

A few weeks ago I borrowed buddies bike and we were out for a ride in the twisties...I mounted a GPS on the bike so we wouldnt get lost and dam near killed myself. Problem was that I had my head so far up my ass I failed to see the car infront of me that had stopped for a traffic light. I was looking at the dam GPS.

Major wakeup call let me tell you. I beat myself up over that one for days. It was very very very close. There was not anywhere near enough space to come to a stop before I hit the car, I just went around it on the shoulder. My track skills enabled me to not fixate on the back of the car and look for another way out. I knew immediatly that braking was not an option.

So my track skills probably saved me from hitting the car. But at the same time if I was a little less comfortable on the bike and a little more capable with street skills I probably wouldnt have done such a stupid thing in the first place.