After admiring with much envy some of the photos of forum members here riding there bikes at the track, do you have to change your foot pegs or anything else? I've touched my foot once on my ole '92 F2 and no way am I close to the lean they are at going I don't know how fast. I only cruise up to the lake so I know the road and I tend to curl my toes up thinking I'm about to touch. Please enlighten me. Thanks, one old guy.

 

Your F2 is not know for its vast amount of footpeg clearance, but it could be sufficent enough for a first timer at the track...and you can use it as a guage of how far you are leaning...the first time it drags it will probally scare you, but then as you learn where it will touch you can anticipate it and bury that thing!!

 

Do you have to change foot pegs? No. But the CBRs are notorious for poor ground clearance that most avid CBR track riders get aftermarket rearsets.

For the beginner track rider, you can almost take your bike stock right to the track. Most tracks/trackday organizers require you to swap out your coolant with water and Water Wetter, remove (or tape) mirrors, and tape up your lights.

Once your track skills get better, you'll start wanting to change your parts for more track-oriented parts. At the very least, you'll be putting on some race compound tires. The other stuff will vary from rider to rider.

When I set up my bike for the track, I just put my race rubber on, remove mirrors, and disconnect/tape my lights. Eventually, I'll get race fairings (when I get the money) so I'll be swapping that out too. Everything else in all other regards is the same as street.

If you're interested in my last track excursion (30Sep05), go here:
http://forums.cbrworld.net/forums/196035/ShowPost.aspx

As you can see, my bike doesn't look very different on the track than it does on the street.

 

I did not know you got a 600RR, I like the paint job, that is cool..and that is a great write up!! A F2 will be a great beginning trackbike, but man; you spend some dough on the RR's components..
I am sure it feels even more purpose built than it already was!!

 

Yeah, i spent some bucks. But it was a necessary evil

I had to invest in some rearsets becuase my inseam challenged. I only one-foot when I stop. So the higher I can get my right foot, the more of my left foot I can get down.

Most of my money went towards suspension. As well designed as the RR is, its suspension was not built for me. The fork work was a must because the springs were so soft I couldn't even set the sag properly. I probably could've gotten by with the stock rear shock but I was on a compulsive spending spree anyway

The good news for me is that I've gotten most of the major expenses out of the way. I won't be doing the PCIII and exhaust thing (unless I really got some cash to burn) until I can smoothly handle the current hp output at the track. The only other major expense that I'll consider is a slipper clutch (for now).

 

I gotta agree with the guy, the best thing is to take your bike and see what you`d like to change. Other than rubber i`d ride it and work from there.

 

Right! Like I'm going to ride with the young, big boys. I would consider myself a below average rider. Since the average sport bike rider is pretty good if you ask me. Just wondering if you had to do anything to your bikes. I got to go on a couple short trips with my late friend who loved track days on the track north of Sacramento, south of Marysville. He passed away over a year ago at the age of 70 something during angioplasty(sp). His ride was a Yamaha 1000. I got to ride it once. Where mine has to be shifted down to get going, his bike you just gave a little more gas. He had a son-in-law who worked in a shop somewhere down there. His daughter liked track days also. Thanks.

 

hikerduane, how young do you think one needs to be to ride track???? I don't know how old you are but I'm sure you can ride the track. If that's something you really want to do (if only for the experience of doing it), you should do it!

Two years ago, I had one of the most awe-inspiring experiences at the track. Not because of my own riding but of some of the other riders I saw at Thunderhill (just north of Sacto off I-5).

There was an old guy who looked like he was in his 70's. He was riding a Ducati Monster around the track. He was as slow as a turtle. He probably rode no faster than 50 mph. Now on the track, you'd probably say to yourself that this guy is a hazard and shouldn't be out there. But in the paddock you're amazed how he gets off the bike and manages to maneuver himself into his wheelchair. He is a parapalegic.

That same day, there were 2 guys next to me in the paddock. One guy was in his late 50's or early 60's. He was riding an Rc-51. His buddy was riding a CBR 900RR. He was 82. Again, neither of these guys were fast. But they were doing something they loved.

You still think you're too old??

 

I guess I'm not too old compared to those guys. I just turned 52 late Sept. I would think that I would get in the way and if my ability to stay with the turns are like my snowmobile turning skills I would not make guys happy who try to pass in the turns. I tend to go a little wide sometimes. It would be fun to take in a track day to watch and see what riders do to there bikes and listen to the chatter. Thanks for the encouragement. Oh, one more thing, the plastic is hard to replace or is that where sliders come in? Thunder Hill must be where my friend went. He had old leathers. Skinny old guy, did front end alignments on vehicles. He was not pokey on his bike. He would tell me how fast he could take the curves on his way to work. I had to back off some where he said he could do 60.

 

Not to cause any grief but... one of the reasons we require that people tape up their speedos is because looking at your speedo in the middle of a corner IS NOT SAFE. [:@] Get a lap timer that tells you split times and you'll know exactly how fast you are in each section. PLUS you'll survive to ride another day