TOPIC:

This was my first track experience. I thought I’d write about it because I didn’t really know what to expect, maybe this will be of use to someone.

My buddy Ted and I took our bikes (my ‘74 Z1 and 2010 Triumph Thruxton) to the track this past Friday for Reg Pridmore's CLASS riding school at Willow Springs Raceway. I had been talking about taking the Z to the track for years and for Ted this was his 40th bday present from his
wife... how cool is that?

I had been looking at different track day organizations and schools and chose CLASS. I considered a regular track day but was worried about pulling up with my old hack and feeling completely out of my depth between all the modern sportbikes. I ride in the mountains at a decent click every weekend, but the idea of taking the Z to the track was intimidating to me. In short, I was looking for instruction and I don't think we could have done any better.

Reg Pridmore is of course a three-time AMA Superbike champion - he won the championship on a BMW R90S in ‘76 then in ‘77 and ‘78 on the Vetter Kawasaki. So he knows a thing or two about riding motorcycles really, really fast. He’s also been teaching riding classes since the seventies. I was hoping he would understand my weird urge to bring my 37-year old classic to the track. But all I got was a phone call after registering to make sure the machine was in track worthy condition and not in dry storage, which I confirmed, adding "...it gets up and goes!" to which he dead panned "I know, I used to race one of those". And that was that.

The Pridmore school is a street riding school not a racing school. Their goal is to teach you riding skills in a safe, controlled environment (the track) that will make you a better rider, which can save your bacon on the street. That being said you are on the track so if you want to ride really, really fast, this is the place to do it but it's by no means a requirement. Safety is extremely important to these guys so this was emphasized throughout the day. That helped calm the nerves a bit because boy, the sheer size of the track, which was cheerfully advertised as "The fastest track in the West" intimidated the crap out of us when we arrived.





The other bikes in our group ranged from Ducati 1198, BMW S1000RR, SV650 and R6 track bikes, to a V-strom and a BMW GS. That left Ted and I to take care of the vintage/retro department. We did raise a few eyebrows when we unloaded our rides but people stopped by to chat and check out the bikes. Once on the track none of it matters anyway, it's just you and your motorcycle...



Reg runs the school with his wife Gigi and the help of a group of veteran instructors, most of them ex-racers and all of them very knowledgeable, very fast and most importantly, very down to earth and easy to talk to. This is a bunch of guys who genuinely love motorcycling and teaching people how to ride better, smoother and thus safer, not to mention you can go much faster once you get the hang of it. They were having fun doing it and it showed.



There were two groups (fast/experienced and slow/new to track) and throughout the day we alternated classroom sessions (while the fast guys were on the track) and track sessions. The morning started with a safety brief, track entering and exiting procedures and was mostly spent learning our way around the track, using our rpm’s (rpm’s are your friend!), mental focus and a braking drill. As the day progressed throttle, clutch, shifting technique and body positioning were all covered and revisited. The idea is that the skills learned on the track will help keep you safe on the road when you are not riding at a 10/10 pace.

After each classroom session we'd go out onto the track and practice the techniques we had just discussed. An instructor would pull in front of you on the track and tap his tail telling you to follow him to work on some lines or pull behind you and give you feedback after the session. You could also come into pit lane at any time and ask for help if you wanted to work on a specific corner or line and an instructor would go out with you for a few laps. Back in the classroom we would ask questions and discuss improvements we made using the techniques taught before moving on to the next subject.

The way the class is set up there is a gradual progression throughout the day, starting with large adjustments, new concepts and techniques and gradually fine tuning these. The difference at the end of the day was very noticeable: I was able to get around the track much faster, smoother and more confidently. I was also amazed at what my bike was capable of as long as I stayed smooth and gave the bike the right input, it did exactly what it was told. It didn't miss a beat all day and I only over-revved it once (to about 11K – sorry bike). Even the bouncy bits worked pretty well after cranking in a bit more preload on the rear shocks. It was nice to see all the go fast goodies actually worked on the track and were just held back by the pilot





I was hoping to come away with some new skills and left very, very impressed. I feel like I've learned a few things that can give me an edge in a dangerous situation on the street. And I've ridden my old motorbike as fast as I dared on a race track which is about as much fun as you can have with your pants on.

The next school (in California) is in September, Streets of Willow this time, and Ted and I are already talking about going back. You can check out www.classrides.com if you're interested.

dutchz wrote:

Attachment willow2_1024.jpg not found

I think I'm going to make this my desktop background!

Looks like a blast, and the bike has never looked better!

Nice! Looks like you got your money's worth, and some really cool pics of you on the bike to boot. How's the knee feeling these days? Judging from your pictures, I'd guess a lot better.

Excellent post! Thanks!

Thanks guys! Yeah testa the knee is getting there, I have full range of motion again it's just a bit creaky. Doesn't bother me much when riding it's the day after that sometimes hurts. It's like eating jalopenos, I know what I'm in for

oh wow!


super cool dutchz,thanks for writing it up and showing the pics.

leon

Very cool. Did they provide the leathers or is that your own set? Looks like they could get a bit hot in the summer...

You're welcome Leon, I had promised to post some pics.

Dub those are my 2-piece street leathers. They do rent leathers I believe. If I'm going to do more of this I will have to get a some 1-piece race leathers. It wasn't that hot luckily, but it's a work out so when I get leathers I will make sure they have perforation as needed.

Hey Dutchz, now that you've spent some street AND track time on your bike, how do you like your forks? Am I correct in remembering they're from a police bike and you had them revalved/resprung? Do they compare to modern USD Showa/Ohlins/etc. forks?

I love 'em. That being said, I would not compare them to modern inverted forks, those are going to be stiffer and have better damping with easier adjustment than these old standard forks even with the upgrades.

Mine are 38mm (early) police forks. The springs in them were much stiffer than my stock springs (probably because those bikes were heavy pigs with all the extra junk on them). I installed Racetech emulators, shortened up the springs an inch to stiffen them further and installed the forks with 15W oil. Compression damping is adjustable by preloading the spring on the emulators. BIG difference with spongy stock forks and worked very well on the track too, I can report.

If you want a better non-inverted fork the 43mm GSXR1100 forks are a really good choice, they are also about the same length which is a big plus. I am trying to stick to the old school look and hop it up with as much period (looking) stuff as possible. That doesn't mean I don't like modern suspenders on a vintage bike, there are a bunch of guys here that have proven you can build a very balanced and well handling bike doing just that, it's just not what I wanted to do with this one. Either way, there is something really satisfying about building something exactly how you want it and then riding it way harder than sensible

please allow me to hump your leg for a moment before swatting me away sander !





if there is a more well thought out or executed period looking bike built,
i don't believe i have seen it.

you have built a kicka$$ machine and use it like it was meant to be.
i am sure that is very satisyiing,thanks for showing the pics.

leon

It's nice to see these old bikes get taken around the track. We've a customer in France who races in vintage endurance events at storied tracks in Europe.