Survey - Road, Track Or Both.

Nowadays just road but have been both in the past. I found track riding and racing massively affected my road riding: the style is entirely different ime. And I had to fundamentally change in order to be an ok track rider as road riding style doesn’t work on track once you get up to an ok pace.

 

Exclusively road I haven’t been to a track day in 2 years and have no desire to have another go. 5-6 hours is enough for my fix once a week.
I did commute for a year but that was exclusively M6/A14 which only got interesting at high speed.

 

im starting to not really enjoy road riding as much, cops out to get you, dickheads trying to kill you.

Much safer on track

 

I have really slowed down on the roads since I have been back out on track.
Not saying I’m an angel but I’m certainly a lot more careful than I have ever been.
Knowing how far you can push modem machines on track just highlights how seldom you can push them on the road - regardless if you ride like a twat or a vicar. You just cannot get close to track riding. So why bother trying?
I’ve not had my knee down on the road since the 90’s.

 

I got my knee down on Sunday ….. swiftly followed by my hip, elbow and shoulder Andy

 

I’m road only now but did 2-3 track days a week at one point (yes I had an addiction) and being on track improved my road riding no end. I have no desire to go on track again though as it all looks to much hassle nowadays.

 

Road is for a calm ride, get out of the house/away from kids ETC. All the talk of WOT and knee down stuff doesnt go out on the road with me anymore, too many idiots and I have nothing to prove to people in traffic queues.

The track is where can let loose a bit and actually use a sports bike for what its designed for.

Doing track days makes me a calmer/safer road rider basically. The group I used to go out with go hell for leather everywhere. Saw a few of them last weekend, the tales of crashing, near misses and getting pulled over just dont interest me.

 

Racing is in some ways the same as road riding ie you ride within your abilities and in time you improve. The one advantage these days is you can go and get tuition and the ACU licence process covers some basic safety.
Back in the early '80s I just filled out an application form which I then sent off with a medical certificate, photo and cheque. 10 days later I could enter my choice of club races and mix it with some very quick people on track. It was not uncommon to be out with people who held home international licences, my mate had a full FIM licence which allowed him to enter GP races if he wanted to although he never did although he did ride in the LeMans 24hr an I believe came home in 11th place but I digress.
You go out there and learn, and just like when you first got on the road it's scary but you just go at your own pace and if you get too lairy too soon then you may pay for it.

 

You may wish to consider adding “track” to your poll.

 

I still love to do the occasional trackday but find that life gets in the way more frequently than in the past. Even though these days I can only seem to get to Brands, despite going there many many times I still find a spin around there so much more satisfying than riding on the road.
I do ride on the road, occasional commute and Sunday spin around the block.

 

Got an 1199 for track and tuono for the road. If the 1199 wasn't being used on the track I wouldn't bother with it as I imagine it's horrible at legal speeds.
Having different types of bike means I get pleasure out of both types of riding. I do find I'm going slower on the road than I used to, 10 track days or so a year are enough for high speed fun.
And the tuono wheelies well enough at legalish speeds

 

Rode on the road for about 2 years of my riding career early on.

I came from car racing and quickly found myself frustrated on the road and generally horrified by the state of the roads, traffic and peoples driving. I moved to racing and have never once missed riding on the road.

I raced for a bit, then went to trackdays. Although personally trackdays are now also frustrating and pretty dangerous in the U.K.

I’m in a bit of a conundrum over it all at the moment, as road riding in the U.K. doesn’t interest me in the slightest, and neither do trackdays now. Euros carry the same stresses as race weekends for me, and I don’t really have the time for them.
But I also don’t want to go back racing as the admin of it all stresses me out

so basically, I’m on the sofa

 

Passed my test purely to commute to a new job 12 and a half years ago and never been on track in that time, although ive been been through a Yamaha Diversion, four Daytona 675's, two 899s and a 959 and racked up close to 100k miles (at a rough guess) in that time.

Plenty of lovely roads out there but usually having to travel some distance to enjoy them at the weekend from east herts/north essex. All part of the fun though

 

Interesting, was talking to someone else about this the other day. I've done less days this year due to thinking things have changed a bit in terms of attitudes. I already wont use one of the two main TD organisers due to lack of any policing of standing up/tipping in and people being in the wrong group (Racers in Novice as the only group they could get is just not on)

 

Oh and you dont get to visit so many cake shops track riding.

The whole point of road riding is getting out there and seeing new places and enjoying new roads (for me anyway), at whatever pace takes your fancy

I would never have been introduced to unbridled joy like the thame road and general witshire/oxfordshire area for example if i hadnt met the people i did when i owned my 675(s). Even if you get thrown out of the seat onto your undercrackers a few times getting there its all part of riding bikes and what makes you feel like youve gone 25 rounds with Tyson when you get back indoors grinning from ear to ear.

 

Almost 100% track, unless I am riding to the airport….. to go on a Euro track

I just adore the highly focussed effort of overcoming my brain’s desire to preserve my life.

The elation of making it round turn one after a long straight at any track, a second quicker than the previous attempt is just a drug I cannot do without.

My wife always says, “why do you look so happy in those track day photos?”.

Nuff said

 

Silverstone last week, fella tries to book in with his acu licence. They turned him away, gave him a refund and no row but never gave him chance to argue.