Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Trackdays and Trackday training, like the CSS. Do they make us too fast for the road?

[VanDaMauler]

Do they make you too fast for the road?

Lets face it, most motorists have never done any training since their original test, years ago.

Here we are (motorcyclists) we love our sportsbikes, our racing and want to constantly improve our skills and technique.

So we book Trackdays, training etc, our reactions get better, our awarness and alertness is hightend and skill level goes up, as we learn to control our machines at a higher level.

Then we take our skills to a place where we are surrounded by people , who have no skill.
People who`s skill`s have dropped since their original test (all those years ago) who have never done any advanced training and yet, we a judged and measured with them.

Personally, I think the roads are getting more and more dangerous and it has nothing to do with excessive speed.

So the question is, are we just to fast for the roads? as the average standards of road users skills are so low?

[Edited on 13-6-2005 by Bubbles]

[bradders]

not done any training, other than following guys in rideouts and a bit of experential stuff, but agree with your sentiment.

Its not just the drivers, its the state of the roads too - out yesterday with some peeps and I was bouncing all over the place it was so bumpy and then theres the potholes, worn edges of roads, gravel and muck.....

Not sure if training leads to less or more danger, ie do you go faster coz you can or slow and steady coz you can read the signs??

Personally, I think I would go faster, so no training for me!! I will carry on waddling around the roads being a danger with everyone else....

[domski]

Not done any schools or anything, but having raced, I find that when I ride on the road now - I don't really enjoy it.

I jump when stuff comes around the corner at me and can't believe I used to ride so fast on the road.

The road is scary place - Give me a track any day!!

i couldn't get any faster, i am already a legend .. but I go anyway just to challenge Andy Ibbots abilities .....

[domski]

[Rob B]

Opposite I think. As Dom says, go racing or any track based activity and you go as fast as you can, in a controlled environment, you try doing that on the roads: Beep, beep - game over.

As soon as I started competing, I realised I had nothing to prove at the traffic lights any more. Now I keep all (well most - honest officer) the agression for the track.

Good, advanced rider taing makes it a lot safer on the road though.....

Lights blue touch paper and runs for coat

[skidlids]

Originally posted by Bubbles
So the question is, are we just to fast for the roads? as the average standards of road users skills are so low?
[Edited on 13-6-2005 by Bubbles]

Sounds like a logical statement
As for the CSS (not that I have done one of there schools) but do they not concentrate on things like throttle control and observation. Very useful tools no matter where you ride your bike.
Personally I still love road riding, although watching some other riders and numerous car drivers does give me the shivers.

[Ray]

There is just one thing that makes a bike "too fast for the road" twisting the throttle too far round!

CSS training or call it what you will has an element of observation, looking ahead, where you are going that is just as usefull on the road as it is on track IMHO.

The vast majority of non two wheeled road users don't have to worry too much about their Skills or lack of them. The vehicle they are travelling in is festooned with safety features that bail 'em out when it all goes wrong. A motorcyle doeen't enjoy such a safety net.

The most valuable skill for a road motorcyclist is to avoid puitting yourself in situations where other road users can do you some damage. Some might say that means not riding on the road at all!. It's always a judgement call and anticipation is the name of the game. Advance riding seems to put a big emphasis on this?

Speed only makes the consequences of a mistake more severe.

Ray

[bradders]

Originally posted by Ray
There is just one thing that makes a bike "too fast for the road" twisting the throttle too far round!Ray

Is it? I find I twist the throttle of my 600 monster far further than my sps but I ride faster on the sps??

I think the time for power limits is coming - we have to be protected from ourselves....

[NBs996]

Since taking up track riding at the beginning of last year, I now find myself riding so slow on the road you'd thing I was taking my test!

I've considered giving up road riding and using the 996 purely for the track, but whilst I'm doing DD the road is almost the only chance I get to ride the real bike. When I stop racing (probably for financial reasons!) I foresee the 996 going on a sorn and spending all it's miles at trackdays.

All this because the road now holds much less fun than it used to when I rode like a nob!