I have been delinquent long enough, I am tired, but will give you my best shot at Loudon Track Day impressions on June 21st with video and narrative.
First, the track is so much smaller than it appears on video, my Contour HD video gives a realistic view of what I believe you actually see.
Second, I was pretty intimidated after the morning intro session and follow the leader for newbies like myself. I doubted I could do it before suiting up for our twenty minute sessions. I was tense, knew the basics,, keep on balls of your feet and hands light on the bars when cornering, no death grip on throttle or bars, don't target fixate, ride at your own pace, yada... yada... yada... Time to put up or shut up. Remember, I have been riding bikes since I was 16. However, nothing compares to this, nothing.
I am over 50 now and am pragmatic in my approach in testing my limits. I had only 1300 street miles with this bike before track day, and none to redline in 2nd gear (30 - 120 mph) on the street. As I mentioned a long while ago, speed for speed sake is not what excites me, it is acceleration/hard braking in the first three gears while cornering or coming off corners. There is no better place to practice that than the ratty road course at Loudon, with on 3 small straights to rest (and pass or be passed on) in between, It is all work on every other part of the track.
After the second session, (in rain mode, only 150 hp at the rear wheel) I started to relax a bit, and after the third session, I put it in sport mode (full power 180 hp to the rear wheel). As you will see in the video,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRak39cJu08", I document a few laps at 2X actual speed, to music and captions (my thoughts as I was editing the raw video). If I was tired before the end of the session, felt my concentration was a bit off, I just pulled off the track. I promised myself I wasn't going to crash (and didn't thank God). Some of the experienced track guys and racers reminded me, "the thing has a monster motor, be careful applying the throttle, and you can never be smooth enough (I did and listened). At the end of the video, I shot two short segments using second gear to accelerate 90% hard to reline in 2nd gear and hard braking from a bit faster, about 130. The video does not do the experience justice. Under acceleration, it is like being shot out of a cannon. Under hard braking (knees gripping the tank) you experience the same feeling but your arms feel the g-load and your eye's feel like they are being pushing into their sockets.
By the end of the day, my upper thighs, near hip sockets were really sore, watch this supplemental
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RESSBpkoR38&feature=related" (not great rider technique, but you get the idea from the hip movements used in the corners, and how it can wear you out quickly). One thing our instructor's did was paint little white X's at all the Apex markers on the track, this is known as "the line" and is the fastest way to ride the course. If you watch carefully in the first link I provided you will see these little X's and my attempt at staying on "the line".
Finally, to give you perspective to a local racer, Robbie Nigl, with ten year's race experience on the track, you get a real good idea from the
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYE2xWATC4c" (split screen) of what the rider feels as he zips around the track. If you watch his hand movements, he is shifting his Ducati multiple times up and down the gearbox because he lacks the motor that the BMW has. I am no racer, but to me, it was easier to modulate 2nd gear than worry about matching braking to a lower gear or slipping/sliding when up-shifting, although it takes a finer touch to do so. You will notice Robbie rides right over the rumble strip when coming out of the bowl in turn four. It allows him to get more speed and a straighter shot at setting up the next two corners. I have given you a taste of what it was like from three different perspective.
On to what I got from the experience. One, I have never been so tired after a day at any other activity, this includes climbing Mt Washington (6200+ feet) in New Hampshire. I was completely mentally, physically and emotionally drained. A benefit of this experience was that for a few days after, I was free from worry (I tend to worry a fair amount) and I was surprised and overjoyed at that. Third, I have been told that about 40% of people who experience a track day get hooked. I am part of that minority I am afraid. I am going to buy a used suit/trailer and sell my other touring bike for a 600cc ripper that I will modify for the track. The thought of dumping that expensive (almost a work of art monster bike really bothers me). Apparently two other guys, one young, one older (both with powerful Ducati's) are going to do the same thing. Great minds thinks alike, eh ?
Lastly, I can't say with 100% certainty that my posit science, insight visual training kept me safe, but I feel that it definitely helped with my focus for each 20 minute session. I will continue to use it and add the audio part of the training to my regimen soon.
Hope you enjoyed this rather winded (I tried to keep it short, but there were a number of points I simply could not ignore). If you want to experience something truly challenging, guaranteed to release massive amounts of adrenaline, in a group setting on a track with experienced instructors and other riders of similar ability, then a track day may be for you.
There was a wide range of people who attended, a husband and wife team (late thirties, no kids), older guys, like me, and some twenty year old's who had a great time. Nobody in our group crashed, woo.. hoo... to that. We are planning another track day this fall. Hopefully, by then I will have a 600cc track prepped sport bike and will be a bit more aggressive (but safe) with it.
Rhody...
P.S. I don't think the video came out half bad considering I never used the HD camera or windows movie maker software before. I will try and improve, especially the sound, next time. Check out the little surprise I left in the second to last caption (first video). I think you will get a kick out of it. Oh, yeah, Happy Fourth of July everyone...
