Any long time rider Matti, would have gone through what you have explained at some point in their riding career. We're all mortal and every now and then that fact really hits home and we look to take fewer risks.

Great advice above, get back on the bike - when dry - and just ride. Any saddle time is good time Start slow and build up to a point where you feel comfortable and keep it there for a while.

And also Matti, respect to you for posting this on the forum.

Enjoy your riding no matter what the speed.

Cheers, SB

 

I'm going to say the opposite to most Matty old boy, and, I have reasons.
Firstly you share the same type of roads as I do. Forestry, lakes, bends etc. as I've told you before it's like you've taken pictures from in NZ yet their you are half way round the globe. So I am thinking you also have some nice curvy country roads at your door step. Use them to your advantage. Stay on the bike for a good 3 hours and swing that bi+ch around like it was made to. Sounds more a lack of faith in your machine and every other bugger on the road not on another bike.
I had the same deal few months back with the passing of my grandfather, I had to get to Auckland ASAP and the bike was the answer. It was just pre winter and pooring with rain, cold as crap and near stuffed tyres on the bike. Heading over a range I caught myself, as you said, with locked elbows clenched jaw stiff legs etc basically all locked up and nerves as he'll. At first I thought it was the cold then I realised I was warm in my gear, it was the fact I didn't have enough faith in the ol F2 not the cold at all. I spent the next half hourish thinking any second I would be going down. I forced myself to relax, set myself down on the tank and pretended I was on a 14 600 and gave it snot and I mean serious snot. I was genuinely surprised at how well she handled and when she slid a bit how quick she recovered. Buy the end of my trip north I covered a normal 3hr trip in just over 2hrs and was sad to get off the bike. I have all the faith in the bike now so it's just a matter of those other nods on the road I need to watch so I just sit on the speed limit with the head light a blazing on high. Rather be seen than injured or worse. You can only take the same precautions around traffic as all other riders but something my old man told me when I was about 14 may help ease you some. He said never buy a bike under 400cc, not even your first because only 20% of the time will your brakes get you out of trouble while 80% of the time your throttle will get you out. It's got me out of a few potential misshaps and I'm sure a few other members of the forum would agree on that bit at least, You got enough power their so I figure you'll be ok. Just keep your eyes peeled.
In short....
Get on that damn bike Matty, find ya self a nice place to ride to ride there. Your in the motoGp now Matty so ride like you stole it because something stole your faith in your machine and your ability to conquer it. Go steel it back mate. It their for the taking.

I know a lot will disagree with me but then it don't care. Advice comes free and freely I give it.
KB

 

KB I get your point and to some extent agree. I've been going over this in my head and got to the conclusion that when I went to the track I got a bit spooked of how hard track riding actually is, at least on that track, and lost my faith on the machine, well put there. Somehow I took the nervousness with me from the track as I now feel unsure on the horns. Guess I just have to reassure myself, I do have some very cool curves just a few km:s from my doorstep and I'm planning to go as soon as a dry day comes by, yesterday when I got home a hailstorm came and deatroyed that intent. Hoping for a dry afternoon today.

Truth be told guys this is the only forum I would have written this, I go to at least two forums where the answers would have been like "boohoo buy a dress nancy" and so forth but here the general user tends to be somewhat more mature than that...

 

I've been to only 4 track days myself Matty. I don't mind being showed up at all so I can really enjoy the day. It's the open spaces with no tress to hit and one way traffic and cambered corners that make tracks so sweet. Like I said I'm no track rider but after that 1st day out you know what to expect so it's all good fun from their.
You don't have to impress just take pride in the fact the f2 you sit on can keep up with the newest and best of them as shown and proven in one of my favourite you tube vids..

Enjoy

 

FINALLY a dry-ish day. And I gotta tell you this schid is getting just weirder and weirder

So, last night I decided that IF it`s not pissing outside in the morning I`m taking the bike cause if I don`t ride it I might as well sell it. The morning came, cold and very foggy so therefore wet. I ALMOST took the car after walking the dog but looked at the clock and found out I was already late so I didn`t have time to change clothes and unpack the tank bag again so I shut the door, dug the bike from the garage, backed it out to the street and pressed the start button. Now this is where it starts to get weird cause when I heard the familiar bark the twin mufflers make I started smiling in my helmet. When I got to the main road and got the engine warm enough to disengage the choke I looked at my right and saw an opening before a long queue of cars, not that big so I took off like a bat out of hell to get to speed. I twisted the throttle in the wrong moment whilst I got the revs high which resulted in a back wheel spin during a hard lean on the fog damped asphalt. Did I get spooked? No! I smiled even more and wound the tube up all the way! while riding to work I even redlined the engine once while making a high speed pass on a trailer truck, which I NEVER do normally! I actually and I kid you not, accidentally topped 200km/h momentarily on my way to work cause I was having so much fun! When I got to my truck my exhaust manifold was making that *dink, dink, dink* -sound that cooling metal makes and I`ll tell you that exhaust is NOT easy to get that hot.

After work I decided to go grab a few challenge pics on a few different forums and plotted a route through a few of my favourite twisties. I didn`t clock as I don`t time attack on public roads which none of you should, but I`m certain I broke all my previous records on those roads and it was raining part of the way. I lean way deeper than before, take the corners much faster than before, I noticed I constantly ride on one smaller gear than before to get the power band ready when I need it, basically rode like we say here, fire under my butt

I ended up riding 200km, and wouldn`t have wanted to come home yet but I promised my wife I`ll take care of the dog that is home alone as she is visiting her family with the kid. Gone is the elbow lock, no white knuckle tube gripping, I`m not scared of the cars but I`m sure I spooked a few Seemed to be a some kind of a temporary glitch caused by stress, sleep deprivation and the events past. Can`t really say "situation normal" cause I`d have to say situation improved. I guess I did take something with me from the track as I corner much more self confidently than before. Wonder what happens next summer when I take that track riding course that comes with the membership of the Motorg-organisation!

 

I've been where you are..........I went out with a bunch of guys a while ago, all riding 996 or 999 Ducati's or 1000RR BMW's. NO CHANCE I could stay with them, even on my best day.
Track days do make you a better road rider though, this I know
The advice given by our fellow members is solid - it's all a matter of time and timing.

As far as keeping up with an R6 and a ZR7 - I'd say both bikes have had a good bit of track time and have been set up for it. Your bike (and mine) are ROAD BIKES - the setup needs a LOT of work before you can hope to keep up, and R6's and the Kawi are wickedly quick on the track. Perhaps you're expecting too much from the bike and yourself ? I know I couldn't stay with them on the track - they are lighter, newer technology, better brakes etc etc AND they have almost the same level of Horsepower that we do. The 70 Kilo weight difference makes a HUGE difference too !
Don't put yourself down, Matti. You'll be back to your best very soon, just ride within your limits and it'll come................
I just planted new chili trees as it's spring here now......................
Tell Missynet I hope she's feeling better..............

 

Well quite obviously yes... That and being at the same time exited and a bit scared on the track. Was so tense I was no way at my fastest there as I rode much faster on the twisties Friday when I was relaxed and could concentrate on what I was doing. The next time I`ll have a some sort of memory of the track in my head and know what to expect.

Pretty much already did. Guess it`s all about finding the limits and gradually trying to push them further little by little.


Ha! I just harvested my whole crop yesterday, all four of them Jalapeños that is. Everyone`s season gone to schite cause of the unusually cold June, only the fastest varieties had time to bloom. Got only a few flowers in the Rocotos and even they died and dropped off... Got two Habanero Sudden Deaths full with buds and tiny pod beginnigs as well as an Aji Cristal and an Aji Verde which I`m planning to save to the boiler room under the HPS lamp and toss the rest to the compost... BTW a little tip for you. slice the heads off from some Jalapenos, carve them empty, stuff with cheddar, wrap in bacon, stick some toothpicks trough to keep them together and slow roast in a bbq or an oven. Enjoy with your favourite Lager. Guarantee goes straight to top 10 best things gone down yer yapper.

In regards with the crash Missynet`s pretty fine, she doesn`t come here on the forum that often but we are in frequent comms by phone, she spent a night here last weekend on her way back home from buying a car that needed a lil luv so I fabbed and fitted a new rear muffler for her, gotta love that Mig welder, paid itself back many times over already But anyway I`ll relay your wishes to her!

Promised a very wet week so I`m probly forced to commute by car... but I`m not complaining, the Alfa is a hoot to drive and in the event that the rain would subside I can always put the top down

Although I don`t want to admit it autumn is slowly making it`s way here so gotta keep one ear to the wind for those "stolen days" and try to pick them out the best I can. Thanks to everyone contrbuting to the thread, ride safe, have fun on your bikes and ATGATT!!!

Hopefully I`ll be getting the Triumph ready by spring so I`ll have a whole lotta learning to do riding that beast! Probly not a good idea to take that to the track cause if the crash cage hits the track on lean all that hard work goes down the drain, not to mention possible injuries so when money permits gonna get myself some used slicks on the cbr and probly some leathers too.

Yikes, just hit midnight, gotta go sideways for a couple of hours...

 

Glad to see you found your stride again Matty

 

Just read through the whole thread and am glad that I made it at the time. Still remember every moment vivivdly. The track day, the Missynet crash, I even remember the foggy morning wheelspin and the smiling thrill afterwards. Glad you guys helped me to get back on the black top and get over the fear. As a prize I present to you a video I suddenlly found from my computer while cleaning up the picture folders. This is, if I recall right, the heat 2/3 of our track day at Ahvenisto race track, the fastest one that I did. While looking at the video it looks like I`m doing it on a scooter putting around but I can assure you I`m going as fast as I dared the whole time.