Dumb shit you've accidentally done at the track.

Can't remember the exact year it came in but you're not allowed to ride a bike in the paddock without a crash helmet in the UK.

 

I was in first gear and only had to ride about 100 ft with an S turn at the halfway point
Tucked the front when I touched the brake lever
Cold slicks, massive brakes and probably two fingers instead of one
As I mentioned I had just gotten off of my FZR400 that two or three fingers still require a good squeeze
The Bimota will lift the rear wheel using one finger at the end of the front straight at Summit
Not fast is the answer to your question
Just not paying fucking attention to the difference in brakes which I am very aware of
Basically just a stupid brain fart that should have killed me
But didn’t.....

 

#1 BeaverRun 08’ (Pitt Race).

Rear is all over the place through the kink on my GSXR 600. Changed the rear wheel after beating out the axle. Same thing next race. Beat out axle again.

Borrow someone else’s wheel and remember to put the spacer in the Cush drive so the bearings don’t get smashed and seize to the axle and disintegrate bearings.


#2 Thinking there is way more run off at turn 2 at NJMP and introducing my liver to the Armco. Luckily your liver is the only organ that rebuilds itself so mines only 7 years old now!

#3 Being friends with Ryan Manotti. On and off the track.

 

We’ll chalk this up to, ah, “Crew Resource Management” error.

Again, Day 2 of a multi-day trackday event at The Ridge (my typical M.O., to optimize “Laps : Travel” ratio). Great weather both days. First session after lunch…yep, the one session they always warn you about.

We’d been getting’ after it all morning. It’s hot, and I’m feeling kinda tired, maybe a bit behind on hydration. I eat a little, then basically zone-out in the shade. A few pit buddies swing by & check if I’m OK. “Yeah, I’m fine…”

Gear up & head out. Session is off to a bad start immediately – on the out lap!
Cloud of dust & bike down on the outside of T4-T5, then another at the tip-in to T6 Carousel. WTF!

Crest the T10 hill, at the little kink I see ANOTHER dust cloud outside T11 (a very tight decreasing-radius left). I instinctively check up hard on the brakes, then start setting up.
Kicking down into first, getting ready for tip-in…False Neutral!…Shit!

In my less-than-fully-alert state, I’m overloaded. I try to complete the downshift (rather than kicking up), and over-squeeze the lever on the blip. Nice hot pads overpower the cold-ish tire.
Next thing I know, I’m shouting “What The FACK!” as my chin goes over the washed-out front.
Two bikes down within 30 feet and 5-10 seconds. Written-off Arai Profile, shredded stretch panel on suit sleeve, and a sprained thumb.

When I pull off my suit back in my pit, I noticed my cargo shorts were still on.
Immediately knew I hadn’t been taking care of business well enough.
Lesson learned the hard way; very glad I didn’t ruin anyone else’s day.

.

 

A ton of these mishaps seems to occur when loading/unloading & reminded me of a tattoo I got in the pits @ Jennings GP:

Helping a buddy load his GSX-R750 onto the bed of his truck using the folding ladders—we screw up the alignment and I decide instead of pulling it back off I’ll just lift it facing away and scoot it over. I’m a big strong boy, right? As I come to lock out on my race bike deadlift the Yoshimura Japanese lettering on the exhaust can that’s eleventeen thousand degrees brands the back/side of my calf and I wince and finish the stupid move. Took about 3 years before you could no longer make out the symbols...started wearing jeans instead of shorts from then on to cover up what looked like a purposeful Chinese lettering brand/tattoo.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I lost it at "eleventeen thousand"

 

Stood in a puddle of water hooking up someones electric at RA. Hurt like fuck. My right forearm was numb for 4 days.

 

Mine from last Sunday. Came into the pits on my supermoto put the bike on the stand. And my dad starts helping put the warmers on, I see him go to put it in neutral so I take my helmet off etc
Well I go to leave for the next session and hit the starter to warm the bike up before pulling the warmers and it wasn't in neutral.... Drug my woodcraft warmer cord into the chain
It was totally my fault and I normally check plus hold the clutch but oh well...

 

The go-to guy.

 

I hooked up five peoples power that day. I was rewarded in beer. Not a great idea.

 

Nobody puts a plug into a socket like Ritchie.

 

If you remember force vector arrows from Physics class all the arrows point nearly straight down at slow speed. None of the impact gets to be dispersed horizontally like if you are moving faster
I fucked my knees up riding Trials events years ago way more than MX, Hare Scrambles and Road Racing combined
That said I have also managed to leave Summit in a helicopter and an ambulance from accidents at speed wearing all the right gear so maybe Physics is laughing at me

oh FWIW I’m 68 years old so the bones may be out of warranty and thus break on contact easier

 

You are only 68??? Wow, I would have never guessed you were that young.

 

If the shield is frayed and the ground is wet, hell yes!

 

Y

yes young man....
Old
High mileage
Ridden hard put away wet
No maintenance schedule whatsoever
Oh did I mention bent frame?
My bikes are in much better condition as you know

 

Damn............so Im doomed going by all this

 

I will add my "dumb shit" key story. My 1st time racing NJMP I get all tech'd and setup to go out for practice. Was certain I had the key for the locking stock FZR cap. Went to fill er' up and the key is nowhere to be found. I remembered specifically looking at the bikes fuel cap key next to my wallet before leaving home,and made a mental note to grab it........yet still managed to forget it. SHIT! I need tracktime seriously bad since it was a new to me track,so I frantically drill out the lock, pry out all the little brass teeth and get to a point where I can at least use a long skinny screwdriver and turn to unlock it. Missed 1st session at that point,so I sit in the front seat of the pickup and have a snack and calm down..........while sitting there all pissed off at myself, I then remembered putting the effing key to the gas cap in the damned ash tray of the truck...............talk about dumb shit, and ruined a perfectly good FZR fuel cap to boot.

 

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