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Mad Mel · 11-26-2010, 04:54 PM

I gotta split the difference with the pylon / 4x4 issue.

I spent one track day at Race City on my bike. This makes me a professional. Ok, it doesn't. But I did learn one important lesson: After 30 years of motorcycling, I didn't have a freakin' clue how to operate one at speed. I thought I did... I had gone plenty fast down some pretty twisty roads, but in reality, when a professional showed me how to do it, I had a lot to learn about doing it in a way that was controlled and safe. Real, technical riding skills.

The thing about driving is that those technical skills are only part of it, and let's be honest: most modern vehicles are designed so that someone who can operate a blender can drive one... ABS is a good example, we used to rely on driving skill to stop a vehicle quickly. The other part is simple awareness, which is much different on a track than on the road. A track is a controlled environment, there's no intersections, no opposing traffic, no pedestrians, hell there isn't even anything to run into (although Race City used to be known for it's poor design that way). Obviously a racer has to be aware of what's around them, but it's a completely different and less random environment than the streets.

I'm glad I spent a day on the track, the instructor taught me some technical skills that have helped me get out of a few jams on the road - even at normal city and highway speeds. But at the same time, oblivious driver is oblivious, and all the skills in the world won't help that.

11-26-2010, 04:54 PM	#153
Mad Mel First Line Centre Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Exp:	I gotta split the difference with the pylon / 4x4 issue. I spent one track day at Race City on my bike. This makes me a professional. Ok, it doesn't. But I did learn one important lesson: After 30 years of motorcycling, I didn't have a freakin' clue how to operate one at speed. I thought I did... I had gone plenty fast down some pretty twisty roads, but in reality, when a professional showed me how to do it, I had a lot to learn about doing it in a way that was controlled and safe. Real, technical riding skills. The thing about driving is that those technical skills are only part of it, and let's be honest: most modern vehicles are designed so that someone who can operate a blender can drive one... ABS is a good example, we used to rely on driving skill to stop a vehicle quickly. The other part is simple awareness, which is much different on a track than on the road. A track is a controlled environment, there's no intersections, no opposing traffic, no pedestrians, hell there isn't even anything to run into (although Race City used to be known for it's poor design that way). Obviously a racer has to be aware of what's around them, but it's a completely different and less random environment than the streets. I'm glad I spent a day on the track, the instructor taught me some technical skills that have helped me get out of a few jams on the road - even at normal city and highway speeds. But at the same time, oblivious driver is oblivious, and all the skills in the world won't help that.