By Jim Gilbert
At Blue Water Health Living, finding ways to showcase real enjoyment in life is who we’re all about. A life filled with vigor can be found in many places and Jim Gilbert’s passion takes him to the track. We asked Jim to share with us his take one of his favorite past times, sportbike riding.
Do you ride a sportbike? Have you ever wished you could take it out and really ride it to the limits without getting in trouble with the law? Maybe you have watched Valentine Rossi lay down a killer lap and though “I can do that.” So what are you waiting for? You’re not getting any younger.
Have you ever considered attending a track day? Track days are a great way for the everyday rider to experience riding their sportbike in the manner for which is was designed. You get to ride as fast as you want, you don’t have to worry about speeding tickets, or someone pulling out in front of you, and, if you crash, there are safety professionals already there. Although it may seem counter-intuitive, riding on a track can be safer than riding on the street since everyone is traveling the same direction at similar speeds, and everyone is entering or exiting the track from the same point.
Encouraged by some of the guys I rode with, I went to my first track day in 2003. I was more than a little apprehensive. The guys had done track days for at least a year or two before I decided to give it a try. The last thing I wanted to do was to crash or do something stupid in front of all my friends. Fortunately, the event organizer had been doing it for years and really had their act together. Everyone was put into one of three groups based on experience. Each group gets twenty minutes out of each hour to get as many laps in as possible. The advanced group got the first twenty minutes, the intermediate group got the second twenty minutes, and the school group got the third twenty minute session.
Turns out the school group was what made this track day organizer special. They realized there were lots of new riders interested in track riding but not aware of where to start. They actually take the time to show the school group how to ride on a track. Each time you go out for another session, they have a new set of drills to work on or skills to develop. As the day goes on and you begin putting the pieces together from each lesson, your skill and confidence grows exponentially. By the end of the day you are a much better rider.
Over the years, I have done track days with a number of organizers. Some of them are really good, others could have used some improvement. Regardless who is organizing the track day, I highly encourage you give it a try. Just be warned, it can be very addictive. Now the part I was really unprepared for,was that riding on the track actually slowed me down on the street. I’ve collected my fair share of velocity verification certificates, and when you know you’re doing a track day next weekend, the temptation to go faster than posted speeds on the street tends to fade away. Mind blown. I never expected that to happen. Ride Safe.
