The (short) flight of #56

[G.Irish]

I meant to get around to this way beforehand but I guess I kept procrastinating so I figured I'd post before I left for Japan.

So I decided to do a motorcycle track day at Beaverun last month with NESBA. I'd been to the Beaver a couple of times in the GS-R days and it was a track I liked, in spite of its spartan facilities (the control tower is a trailer sitting on top of a shipping container).

Still not having quite learned my lesson about packing for the track way early, I waited until early Friday afternoon to put on my frame sliders and finish bleeding the air from my radiator. I could've done it earlier but I was still fussing with the Tundra's timing belt until Thursday when I rounded off a key bolt. So I just took RJ's truck.

Anyway I left Arlington at 2:30 am so I could get to the track at 7. Got there with plenty o' time, unloaded the truck, did the rider's meeting.

First session, suit up. Track was damp from rain so I spent my first session feeling it out and not really getting my complete lean on. It felt okay but I was really pussing out on the brake zones...

So... second session comes up and I turn up the wick. I started biting off chunks of speed here and there and putting together some laps. Well...coming out of the hairpin I decided to go full throttle all the way down the front straight and was doing about 135 when I started braking...OH SHIT TOO LATE!

Running out of track
Way too much velocity
Where's my parachute

I was braking really hard but then I felt the rear tire start to skip and I thought I couldn't brake anymore. In retrospect it was just enginebraking that I was feeling, not the rear wheel coming off the ground.

So I had two options. Try to bend it in, trail brake and hope for the best, or ride straight off and hope I could slow down enough. Chose option #2.

As I rode straight off the track onto the wet grass. I got maybe 15-25 feet and a bump bucked me sideways and I highsided. As I slid on my back I saw the bike dig on the frame slider and do a barrel roll. Shit.

Still, the crash didn't hurt at all, I wasn't even sore. I got up and tried to get her refired but for some reason the bike wouldn't start so I had to leave on a flat bed.

The End.

After two decent crashes one has to step back and reevaluate his approach (or keep on crashing), lest I turn into a Stoner or Xaus-like rider. The first lap crash at SP was a result of me not paying attention to cold tires. Fair enough.

This crash though was the result of me approaching things the way I would with a car. Over the years I've learned to get up to speed quickly at a new track in cars or karts by biting off chunks of speed here and there and calibrating myself quickly. However, I definitely can't do that with motorcycles at my current skill level.

For one I need to get used to braking distance and speed with the bike. I've never driven a car that is so fast that I really need to brake as early as I do with bike so I'm going to have to get used to that.

Secondly, I don't have the vehicle control skills to catch the bike if it gets too out of shape. With a car I can slide it or whatever and catch it most of the time. In all of my track days I've only had 2 spins total (if you count out the race school weekend...).

Third maybe sleep had something to do with it. It very well could be that I just misestimated my break marker due to brain fade.

Am I discouraged? Not at all. Doing Supercamp at the end of the month, and will be back to ride fast again next spring.

[Mike]

supercamp at the end of the month? you renting something?

[JohnC]

supercamp at the end of the month? you renting something?

Supercamp is a dirt school. They provide Honda XR100s or something like that.

[Mike]

woooord

[Evan]

supercamp at the end of the month? you renting something?

Supercamp is a dirt school. They provide Honda XR100s or something like that.

oooh....bikes on dirt, now that stirs my loins a bit.
too bad I dont know how to ride

[Dragon]

And your carpal tunel syndrom excuse.

[Apoc]

And your carpal tunel syndrom excuse.

Hey, don't knock it. CTS and my clutch is the reason why I get crushing pain in my wrist by the time long ride is over. Combine that with a car accident and my right wrist is pretty much toast. Then again, I don't use that as an excuse so carry on.

~insert mandatory masturbation joke here~

[.RJ]

~insert mandatory masturbation joke here~

With as much as you look at 16 y/o girls on that model website, I'm not sure if its helping you or hurting you

[Evan]

~insert mandatory masturbation joke here~

With as much as you look at 16 y/o girls on that model website,

link?

[Apoc]

Well they say strength training can help so either my form is off or I'm not doing enough of it.

That and beating off to pictures is so 1993.

[Evan]

my carpal tunnel results in reduced mobility and pain in my wrist. In the same axis to twist the throttle. I just dont have the range of motion in the wrist to be able to fully modulate the throttle without cocking my wrist which sounds like a bad idea.
Twisting the throttle like it were a screwdriver would help im sure, but i doubt thats really a possibility on dirt.

[Dragon]

Guess we just need to get you a bike and slap a 1/4 turn throttle on it so you don't have to turn as much. :fire:

[Apoc]

FWIW, my commute to work is 4 miles and my throttle wrist starts to hurt before I get here. I manage to make it through a 300 mile without any serious problems.

[stevegula]

I was braking really hard but then I felt the rear tire start to skip and I thought I couldn't brake anymore. In retrospect it was just enginebraking that I was feeling, not the rear wheel coming off the ground.

That's not so much engine braking as you trying to brake your engine by not rev matching. If your rear wheel is hopping, you're doing something wrong.

Glad you're ok nonetheless.

[Eclipsor]

That's not so much engine braking as you trying to brake your engine by not rev matching. If your rear wheel is hopping, you're doing something wrong.

Wheel chirp from a mismatched downshift is still caused by engine braking. Also, I'm pretty sure he knows he did something wrong.

[Mike]

gerald, you're not supposed to crash... just in case you didn't know that

[Feersty]

G why aren't you 54 anymore?

[Ginger]

I know you mentioned this, Gerald, but I don't think you're giving it as much credit as it needs: sleep.

You're a fast rider.... I know you're not lacking in the skills or brains departments. This mistake, like at Jefferson, is the result of underthinking/acting your environment. Not getting enough rest (or, at Beaver, any sleep) is like putting all of your mental reserves on the cross for crucifixtion. I don't want to sound too abraisive, it just feels to me like you're setting yourself up for failure.

As an athlete I learned to listen to my body really well. I know that when we were at Jefferson together I couldn't teach myself anything during the second session because I just didn't have the capacity to operate a bike that quickly AND learn a new track. My brain could only handle one thing at a time, so to speak... get enough rest, though, and it's night and day. RJ got my in the habit of getting prepared several days in advance - checklist and all - and I feel like that's really helped me. All i have to do when I get to the track is concentrate on learning. I know I'll have whatever I need in case things go wrong, and I'm well rested enough to really get good time in. If you get on the bike and you're not 100% then twisting your wrist isn't going to make anything better.. it's going t make them worse.

/preaching

How much damage was there to the bike? Got it all back the way it should be now?

[Maengelito]

RJ got my in the habit of getting prepared several days in advance - checklist and all - and I feel like that's really helped me.

good luck getting gerald to do that.

[Feersty]

I know you mentioned this, Gerald, but I don't think you're giving it as much credit as it needs: sleep.

He's got Red bulls.