ever take a vintage bike to a track day?

I'm asking this because I'm really not too knowledgeable about track days. They pretty much didn't exist back when I started racing 20 years ago. Anyhow, I've got a friend who's a good, reasonably fast street rider who's thinking about track days prior to starting vintage racing.
Would he be OK riding Novice group on a race-prepped RD400 at a track day? Or would be be better off to just jump in and start doing WERA vintage right off the bat, with just a riding school and mock race? I know he can learn safely, but my worry is putting him on the RD out there with inexperienced riders on powerful modern sport bikes. What do you guys think?

 

I took my RZ350 to a NESBA trackday at Putnam back in August. Since I'm a racer, I signed up to be in the I group. My RZ is not a race bike...kind of a hybrid street/trackday, not a pure racebike. Anyway, it's my first time at a trackday, and I saw right away that I was the only guy there with a vintage bike. In the morning meeting, I told the other I riders that I am going to be on a vintage bike but I am no rookie, so just be patient.

They were all completely cool with it except for one douche on a 1098 that was going to win a trophy at a track day. A-hole stuffed me in turn 4 when he had had all the room to wait until the next straight and pass. Other than that it was great. Half of the riders came over to check out the RZ like it was from another planet. But every group has a dick.

 

Thanks for the insight. That addressed one of my concerns- the only racers my buddy has really been around are from WERA Vintage and AHRMA. Too big a dose of douchebag rider on 150hp bike would have him wishing he had his money back and waited to ride with just vintage bikes, I think. And he's not old, but just has mature taste in motorcycles.

 

If he's riding an RD400 I'd just start him right out racing in WERA Vintage. He would probably have more fun being on the track with similar bikes and top speeds.

 

I have done track days at Nelson Ledges with my Honda 350. Went out with the slowest group and had fun. Most of them unable to corner as well as the 350 so I was able to pass them thru the turns then they would go by me on the long straights. It was no problem all day.

 

Another trick I did at Putnam was to start last when our group went out. That way they only had to get around me once (and it was only a few of them). I had the track to myself for almost the full session.

 

3 of us did Calabogie with Turn 2 last summer. 2 FZR 400s and one Honda Hawk GT. We were in the fast group and still passed some gixxers along the way. Of course, we were getting killed in the straigts, but managed to make good passes in the cormers.

We also did Mosport with Rider's Choice and even if our lap times were faster than alot of people in our group, we went in the slow group because Mosport has such a long back straight... It was sometimes a little scary having noobs on ZX-10s flying by at wot, so we just stayed off the racing line in that section.

You gotta love passing modern superbikes on a 60 hp clunker from the eighties...

 

race.

 

There were no track days when I started either, just went to Superbike school and went racing. I say just go racing on a vintage bike. The other racers would show him more respect and give a newbie room. I hope to get back out there as soon as I can come up with enough fun tickets to finance it, and I probably wouldn't bother with track days.

 

I also went the route of Superbike school, and race the next day. Back in the 80s that all we had. You can trackday it up just fine on an old bike. Im a Control Rider at JGP on my Vintage GSXR (same bike I started racing on) during trackdays. Just get on the track and have fun!

 

+1 on the go race route, though I wouldn't be afraid to go to a track day on a vintage bike if it meant getting out there soon versus waiting till spring.

 

Did my 1st track day @ Willow Springs, August this year on my 89 GSXR 1100. Does that count as vintage? Got me hooked immediately but I've since purchased a 98 GSXR 750 track bike.

 

As a track day only rider myself, I'd say bring it to a track day.

Lot's of various age and condition bikes show up at the TDs I've been to (Grattan, Gingerman, Autobahn, Putnam Park with STT).

Intermediate is probably the best group. If you're slower most of us can get around easily.

A guy shows up regularly on his '73 Guzzi with 110 tires f/r and does a very respectable job. he gets passed on the straights, but hangs in there through the twisties. Lots of early gen honda cbrs regularly show up.

When my RZ gets put back together I'll take it out there too.

Richard

 

Come out and race, my little rd400 beat 2 gsxrs in the mock race after my riders school. Thats the first time I saw corner workers, and they were clapping for me.

 

+1 ... come race ! more fun than should be legal , in the vintage pits...:up:

 

Try a track day, it's a blast on a vintage bike. Rode 2 track days at Lightning NJMSP this year on a 1985 Cagiva 650 with modifications and had a ball. Didn't have the top speed like the other bikes, but in the infield section just rode the heck out of it. At the end of the day, some guy said he couldn't catch me, that I was flyin. He was on an 848. Made me feel good. Vintage racing for 2011.

 

In prep for my 2008 season the boys dragged me to three track days [Jennings, Tally, RA] which I did on my SV650--the CB350 wasn't ready yet. It was good, at least I learned which way three WERA tracks turned....

 

I don't think the older bike would be a disadvantage in the beginner group. Most of the riders are so bad you could pass them on a moped. Everyone's there for experience - which you can get on any bike.

BTW-I had a blast at a TPM track day this past tuesday on my 88 FZR. I was in red (intermediate) and I sure as hell wasn't the slowest.

 

Track days for sure, you can work the bugs out before race day practice. I never have a problem with the new bike guys, they are generally really good and even stop to talk about the bike. Plus it is always fun passing a guy in a corner with a bike that is twice their age. Warms the heart that the old farts can show the way.