Northeastern Racetrack Drought is Officially Over! Tony with the Thompson Speedway pace car. New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been the only game in town for motorcycle track day riders and racers for many years. We New Englanders had to drive 6 or more hours to the New Jersey Motorsports Park in southern Jersey to ride another racetrack. But, that’s is changing. Last year, New York Safety Track (NYST) opened its doors, making motorcycle track days a reasonable drive for most of us Northeasterners. Now, we have Thompson Speedway building a road course within 2 hours of Boston, 3 hours from NYC, and an hour from Providence! If that isn’t enough, Palmer Motorsports Park is well underway in Palmer, MA. Tony and I have been talking with the owners about running track days there in 2015.
View Larger Map Tony and I went to Thompson this past week to review the progress of construction. We met with Josh about the Tony’s Track Days 2014 schedule and with Louis about certain changes we wanted to have happen to ensure that motorcycles will be accommodated. Our list included barrier protection where a lot of runoff isn’t possible, redirecting path of travel to minimize risk when going under the bridge, as well as discussions about curbing, and runoff material. Louis and Josh listened carefully to our concerns, so we are confident that they will do the very best they can to make Thompson a safe as possible.
The track
The track itself is 1.7 miles long and combines very fast, sweeping sections, a loooong strait, and some very tight corners, some off camber. Tony and I have decided that we will run it in both the counter clockwise and clockwise directions, to expand the “number” of tracks we have available to us in New England. We also run NYST in both directions, so that alone can be thought of as 4 different tracks to ride! Take a look at the drive around we did last week.
Thompson Speedway clockwise
Thompson Speedway counterclockwise
Facilities
A beautiful new garage is being built next to a scoring/observation tower that will have a classroom and a pro shop. There is a golf country club connected tot he facility that will be serving lunches and dinners for track day customers. Camping will also be allowed.
Trying to figure out the Street Triple. Turn 9 Loudon www.owenstrackdayphotos.com My trusty and familiar ZX6R. Monticello, NY. www.owenstrackdayphotos.com I recently sold my trusty ZX6R for a more upright Triumph Street Triple R as my track day bike. I needed the more upright position as a way to help a chronic neck problem. The Street triple allows me to sit up when I’m working with track day customers at a slower pace. But, the upright and exposed ergonomics means I have to hunker down to get out of the wind blast when I’m going flat out. I’ve ridden all types of bikes on various racetracks and usually acclimate myself pretty quickly to them. While some adjustment was not entirely unexpected, it did take a couple of sessions for me to start to get along with the ST-R. The first track session on the Triumph was my first time riding the bike (I picked it up on my way to the track). The track was cold and a bit damp, so I took it easy. I came in at the end of that session not knowing whether or not I made a mistake buying the Triple. The night before, fellow TTD instructor, Joel Allen helped me adjust the suspension to accommodate the bumpy Loudon circuit and then Peter Kates from Computrack Boston rechecked Joel’s work (spot on) the next day. Thankfully, I knew that suspension that is set up for going fast simply does not feel right when you’re not going fast. Riding at 60% made the bike seem like it wouldn’t hold a line. I kept hope and went out for another session. The track was warmer and so I got up to speed. Ah, that’s better. A smile was on my face at the end of that faster session. The increased pace helped make the handling make sense, I then had to adjust to the upright riding position, which is not nearly as intuitive as a sportbike posture when riding fast. Sitting on top of a bike instead of low behind a fairing makes 120 mph a tiring experience. Transitioning my body from left to right at turn 7 and 8 at Loudon required me to use too much handlebar support while accelerating up the hill. More rearward footpegs would be needed (I traded the stock rearsets for Daytona rearsets, which should help). Midway into the second track day of the 2-day event, I mounted Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa race tires so I could see what the bike was capable of. I was pleasantly surprised how well I got along with the Striple, with my lap times edging very close to my typical times on the ZX6R. Next stop, Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama in a couple of weeks. I can’t wait.
The Street Triple is serving duty as both a track bike and a street bike. It’s great on gas. The Street Triple R has been getting the track day treatment with protection, top shelf suspension, and race tires. You can read about the track makeover HERE. But, since I’ll be riding the Striple both on the track and the street, I’m also adding some street goodies to help make it a bit more street-able. It’s a great street bike to begin with, but a few select accessories make the Street Triple R a nice road companion.
R&G Tail Tidy keeps the turn signals out of the way and save a ton of weight.
R&G Tail Tidy Fender Eliminator
The R&G Tail Tidy allows my bike to be ready for both track or street. The fender eliminator save a lot of weight and keeps the turn signals tucked in in case of a fall. Click the link below to view the Twisted Throttle product page for the Tail Tidy.
Seattime
Here she is with all her track protection and street goodies. The Triple R came with a Sargent seat as well as the stock seat. The Sargent is very firm, like I know Corbins to be. The shape is much flatter than the stock two-toned seat, which unlike the stocker, keeps my gentlemen from getting “tanked” when braking. The Sargent isn’t perfect. The forward edges are a bit sharp and it kinda keeps me on a single position. The Sargent makes most sense on the highway where I am angled forward into the wind, which scoots my butt back into the “pocket”of the seat’s shape. On the track, I found the Sargent to be too restrictive when hanging off the bike all the way. This is where the stock seat is superior with a crowned shape that allows for easy side-to-side movements. It’s really easy to change the seats, so I’ll use both for their respective purposes.
Lord of the Tankring
I’ve used the SW-MOTECH/Bags-Connection Quick-lock tankbags for a while now. The bags are very nice, but the real advantage of these bags is the tankring mounting system. The bag clicks on and off the tank so easily that I will never go back to straps or magnet tankbags. The heart of the system is the tankring that mounts tot he gas filler ring around the gas cap and the mating ring screwed on the bottom of the tankbag. With this tankring, I can switch my Bags-Connection Sport tankbag on both of my bikes; the Sprint RS and the Striple within only a few seconds.
Lord of the Flyscreen
Naked bikes are, well, naked. As as such, expose the rider to a wall of wind. This isn’t bad for most street riding situation, but once it gets chilly and you hit the highway, that wind blast becomes a bit much. I knew the Triumph OEM flyscreen would not give a heck of a lot of protection, and it doesn’t. But, I hope that it will give me a place to tuck when I’m flying down the racetrack at over 100 mph. We shall see when I head to Barber at the end of November. Update: I added the Sport version of the MRA X-creen from my street bike (Sprint RS) just before leaving for Barberrrrr…it worked great. From twistedthrottle.com
Phone Mount
I’m installed a RAM ball to the Triple’s handlebar mount so I can have my phone within sight distance for those times I use my iPhone’s GPS function. The phone itself will be attached using the spring-loaded RAM X-Grip device. It’s proven to be a secure mount during off road adventures with the guys and gals at Twisted Throttle. I mounted the RAM ball on the forward right handlebar mount so that the phone would not block the more pertinent information on the LCD screen (speedo, time, etc.) As it sits, it is tucked close to the master cylinder and only blocks the tach past 14,000 rpm. Not a problem on the street. The RAM GoPro ball makes mounting the camera a breeze. No need for sticking mounts on the bodywork. Just be sure to tether the camera housing to the handlebars in case things get loose. I can listen to the GPS navigation through my Interphone Bluetooth Intercom. I also listen to music when I feel like it. This is the system I use when I do one-on-one instruction on the track and on the street when I travel with my family.
So, in the last week, I have had more car drivers pull over to let me by than I have ever remembered in my 30+ years of street riding. I’m not tailgating or acting any different. I don’t ride with my high beams on, either. So, what is happening? I can’t know for sure, but I can’t help but think it is because of the publicity that the NYC fiasco has generated. Are drivers more afraid of motorcycle riders, because they saw what happened to the guy in the Land Rover? Before you think that I’m being paranoid, consider the bad PR that motorcycling has had to endure over the last several decades. Now add to that a well-documented display of lawlessness and vigilantly-ism seen on the national news and all over the internet and you can imagine how Mr. and Mrs. Public may respond. They may figure that having a motorcycle rider behind them could actually be a potentially threatening situation. Hard to believe, but crazier things go through the minds of human beings, especially when they are behind the wheel. This is not a commentary about the events that occurred in NYC, rather a musing about how the bad publicity will reverberate for months or years to come because of the actions of a relatively small number of motorcycle riders. Not that I’m complaining. I love having people consider that perhaps I’d like to travel a bit faster than them through a twisty part of road. But, it sure makes me wonder what has changed all of a sudden. Have any of you experienced the same phenomenon of drivers pulling over more than usual?
Last September I had the opportunity to ride a friend’s Kawasaki Ninja 250 on the Thunderbolt road course at New Jersey Motorsports Park. You may wonder why I would choose to ride a bike with around 32 horsepower on a circuit that is made for high horsepower bikes. The answer is that a well-ridden bike is fun no matter its power output. The video shows the Intermediate (Yellow group) session with Tony’s Track Days. Before anyone asks; the suspension and every other component on the 250R is stock. Thanks Younia, for the ride!
Harley-Davidson sold these Aermacchi models in the 1970s Harley history is rich in tradition, but there were times when the brand suffered from some serious PR problems. The AMF years embody many of those problems. This bike was seen at my town’s annual tag sale. It’s a H-D Aermacchi SX350, I believe. Not sure of the year. Maybe one of you can tell us? I don’t know much about value of vintage motorcycles like this, but it seems like this model would be a logical addition to a collector’s garage, as a representation of the dark days of Harley history.
The lucky new owner of the ZX6R. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Why is it so hard to let go? Yesterday was a sad day. I delivered my 2005 Kawasaki ZX6R track bike to its new owner. The transaction went really smoothly; the new owner is a track day friend who I like and who I know will take good care of the ZX, and I got the price I needed for the bike and all the spares. So why is it so difficult to part with this conglomeration of aluminum, steel, rubber and plastic? I know I’m not alone. Many people I talk with have the same experience as I when it comes to saying goodbye to a motorcycle they’ve owned for a period of time. I’ve been sad every time I watched the taillight of all my previous bikes roll away in the back of some stranger’s truck or trailer. The Honda CB900F, the RD400 race bike, the Ninja 750, the VFR800, the MZ Scorpion racer, and now the ZX6R. It makes me wonder what exactly causes this attachment to a machine. Here are a few of my thoughts:
Motorcycling is more than transportation. When we ride, we become immersed in an experience and the motorcycle plays an intimate part in that experience. I equate it to having a dance partner whose subtle moves become familiar over time.
Bikes are riding “partners”. You can become more or less involved and attached with a particular bike depending on the experiences you had “together”. For instance, the motorcycles I have had the most epic experiences on tend to find their way deeply into my heart.
Motorcycles become part of a rider’s identity. Deciding to sell a bike that you were proud to own can require you to rethink your identity and sense of individuality. The act of letting one bike go to make room for a new motorcycle requires a certain amount of personal reflection as we transition our identity to the new machine.
We invest in our motorcycles, both emotionally and financially. Many of us care for our motorcycles as if they were a human, putting the “good” oil in her, lubing all the necessary parts, and keeping her clean. We spend money on personalizing our machines so they fit our identity and needs. Whether this is crash protection, chrome or carbon fiber bits, or luggage or navigational farkles that we bought with the idea of finally conquering those epic adventures.
Goodbye ZX6R My ZX6 spent last night in its new owner’s garage. I can’t help but feel sad, even though it’s new chapter will be as bright as the old. But, does the green ZX mourn for our severed companionship. I hope not. I would hate to think that it felt abandoned like a child left on a doorstep. If there is any consciousness the ZX has, I hope it understands how much I appreciate its friendship and that it will always have a special place in my heart. *sniff Tell me about your experiences with selling bikes. What bikes were the hardest for you to let go and why? A thought on selling race bikes I’ve sold three race/track bikes. The thing about parting with a bike that you’ve relied on to not only perform well enough to allow you to beat the competition, but also to be solid enough to keep you safe when flirting with the hairy edge of control can be extra difficult. Race bikes require an extra level of personalization so that the suspension, controls, and engine/fueling performance is suited to your individual preferences. A lot of time and money is spent getting a motorcycle right so it can perform on a racetrack at an expert level. That said, many racers look at their race bikes as journeyman tools that have one purpose; to get the job done. Once it becomes uncompetitive, it is cast aside for a sharper instrument. I don’t mean to sound cold, but the mindset of a serious racer is different than a street rider who takes pride in being a motorcyclist and chooses a particular bike not only for how it performs, but also for the pride the bike gives its owner. My ZX6 was unique in that it was a track weapon, but not to win trophies, rather to do my job as a track day instructor, and to provide me with fun when I got to run hot laps on my own. As such, I have shared countless miles with it revving over 12k rpm and at sometimes crazy lean angles. It was a companion that made me feel (and look) good. I will miss it dearly.
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The tribe My family is full of motorcycle riders, including my wife, Caroline and daughter, Jeannine. Enter another member of the family in the form of Matt, Jeannine’s boyfriend, who rides a 2008 Yamaha R6s and you’ve got a rolling tribe. My family didn’t start out as motorcyclists. I believe it was my almost crazy obsession with the two-wheeled sport of motorcycling that caused my otherwise sensible wife, Caroline, to take the MSF course in 1995 and trust me to provide her with the constant flow of knowledge necessary to survive riding a machine that seems to conspire at every moment to toss you to the ground. A few years later she became a MSF instructor. (I have been an instructor since 1995).
Caroline with her previous ride: a Yamaha YZF600
Along came our lovely daughter, Jeannine, who probably assumed every kid’s mom and dad rode motorcycles. After all, there have been stacks of magazines covering every flat surface in the house since she was a baby.
A very young Jeannine rides shotgun on Caroline’s first bike.
Caroline and Jeannine staying dry at Americade 2010
Well, Jeannine is no longer a baby (but she’s still my little girl), and she is an accomplished rider in her own right. She works for Twisted Throttle, has just returned from a week long dual-sort trip through Alaska, and has become accomplished enough of a racetrack rider that I hired her as a control rider for Tony’s Track Days. Proud, this father is.
Daughter and Father
Dad follows Jeannine
Now, she brings a new member to the family. Matt and Jeannine’s first date was a ride, he on his R6 and her on her ZX6R. Love at first sight. I discovered that Matt is a good guy (once I put the shotgun down and gave him a chance). I shouldn’t have worried; Jeannine makes good choices.
Caroline has let riding fade a bit more into the background since her many hobbies take her time and energy. However, there is always energy for our annual family motorcycle ride.
This year we went back to one of our favorite places on earth: The Blue Ridge Parkway of Virginia and North Carolina. We love the scenery, winding roads, the people and Will Beers, the owner of Willville Motorcycle Camp. Will is one of us…a guy who decided that he wanted to surround himself with mountain beauty and motorcycle riders who share his passion for the sport.
Enjoy the gallery of photos from our 2013 trip to the BRP and stay tuned for more posts about my motorcycling family.
Lover’s Leap, Virginia
Matt does a product endorsement of Clear Shot
Nice Shoei, J!
Matt and Jeannine heading toward home.
Caroline at the blue Ridge Parkway, 2013
Souvenir Sticker
One more sightseeing stop
Panoramas are fun.
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