Fast Guy Question

Wow, that isn't that far from where I was born. I'm curious how much are houses there? I remember asking about that as a kid in the 70s and 80's when we went over there. It seems like I remember hearing in the late 70's that a home in the Karlsruhe area was around 500K. I think that was in Deutsche Marks, so it would have been around $250K? At that time my parents house in Illinois was about $65-70K, for a 3 bedroom ranch with a full basement and 1/3 acre.

My Grandparents rented a four level apartment with a yard. Most around that area all rented, in Ruupur, a suburb of Karlsruhe? My uncle was in the German Army and when he retired they moved to the city his wife was from, by Niederstetten. I think it was called Herrenzimmen (sp?) Small place, population of about 50 and they moved into the upper two levels of the home she grew up in and her parents owned. I never asked but can only imagine doing that because it was much cheaper out there?

 

"Fast from the start" ?

I think guys that are naturally fast already had excellent vision skills before they got on a bike. They learned doing other sports, or they have exceptional natural talent in the way they move their eyes and process visual information.

 

my dad sold the house there (150 sqm) built in '94 last year for a little over 400k Euros



Niederstetten is IIRC on the swabian alb which is basically redneck country. houses are way cheaper there than around the industry areas...

the $ i got my house here on 2 acres for would get me a nice 2-3 bedroom apartment near stuttgart or a shabby little house further out.

 

So I had to do the conversion, 1615 square feet for around $445,000 if I use the rate from July last year. That is close to California pricing.

 

fast is fast. James bronson was fast from day 1. He made it to ama pro with on doug polens team


he didnt race or throw a leg over a bike for prolly 8 years. started dead last at jennings on a bone stock gsxr 750 and got 3rd in a wera race expert race.

i dont think you learn to get crazy fast. you can be slow and get faster....but not slow and then near record pace

 

I would go so far as to say the first day you through a leg over a motorcycle your speed ceiling can be measured. You either have it or you don't. Practice will never make you an alien

 

I know close to nothing when compared to all of you guys but this is my take on how and why you become fast.



Wish I had started at this age.

 

Really? I'm highly competitive (as I'd guess most folks on here are) and a lot of races I've won, I can't recall anything about. Like, I'm vaguely aware they happened or I'll remember something specific, but not in general. Races I've lost, I can remember every mistake, every single little thing I did, things the guys that beat me did, where I could have done better, etc.

So, based on that, I'm going to assume you won.

And in regards to the original question, I think some people have it and some don't. Training can hone natural talent, but it can't create it. Almost every guy I know that's fast was always fast, relatively speaking.

 

You are probably right. I do recall the the times I've lost much easier. Isn't that funny how the mind works. The supposed joy of winning is over shadowed by us wanting to do better and analyzing why we lost.

 

The stories behind Bayliss and Biaggi sealed my belief that like most sports, immense natural talent will take you much farther than any amount of training/experience will.

I believe both of them never rode a roadrace bike in anger until well into their teens, and were incomparably fast from the start.

 

The only way to avoid the agony of defeat is to win. I don't love winning, but I really, really hate losing.

 

Well, I'm hoping to prove you guys wrong. I don't think I will ever set lap records or ride at a MotoGP level, but I am sure as hell hoping I can one day get within a couple seconds of the fastest guys.

I guess I can't accept that I will never be any faster than I am now, even after nearly 20 years of racing. Maybe one day I will accept that this is as fast as I'm going to get- but I doubt it. I stepped up classes because I wanted more of a challenge- winning in a "soft" class has lost it's luster.

If there's no hope I might as well take up golf.

 

fun > fast

 

That is so, so true.

I have won some, and can't remember much of anything about them. But the losses, especially ones where I had a legit shot at winning, they tear me up. I don't expect to go out there and beat former WSBK racers or guys that have qualified on the front row of AMA/MA events. But when I lose to someone that I have beaten before, or if I end up losing after I held the lead for several laps, that shit eats on me all night. Like I can't enjoy dinner, I can't sleep, etc. I will replay the race over and over in head all night.

 

I agree, to an extent. But everyone has a different interpretation or idea of "fun". I love motorcycles and riding them. If I am not riding them, then I am talking about them, or playing video games, or watching races on the internet, or reading magazines. I love taking cross-country trips where I might not ever get above 85mph. But racing is different.

There is no telling how many times someone has said something to me like "dude don't worry about it, just have fun". The thing is, to me fun = winning, or at least going as fast as I am physically capable of. Working out 2-3x every day, watching my diet, going over notes, studying race videos, cleaning the bikes, setting up the pit perfectly, getting prepped in the morning, discussing strategies with Brian, etc. To me, all of that stuff is fun.

I will never be the guy that shows up with a dirty bike, parties on Friday or Saturday night, sleeps late the next morning, skips the first practice session, finishes 12th in a race, then parks the bike, and grabs a beer. I know there are lots of guys that do that and enjoy it and that is awesome, but that is not me. It is just not how I operate. To me, that isn't fun. Im not the guy that will be in the paddock listening to music and drinking beer at midnight...I am the guy in the RV prepping stuff for the next day, making sure I have adequate carbs the night before, watching race videos, and trying to be fully rested (even though I usually cant sleep because I am too excited).

I will either train like a beast, be fully prepared, and pour everything I have/can into winning........or I will sell my shit and stay home. There is no in between.

 

Stick with bikes. Golf will make you even crazier.

 

I'm that guy sometimes. There are classes and such I race pretty much as an excuse to be at the track and hang out with my friends, there are other classes I take quite seriously and put forth some effort. Not nearly as much effort as you, but some

 

The weird part is that I can't even do that stuff at track days. I back off the intensity, probably won't study notes and stuff like that. But I still don't drink/party, etc...and while I am out there, I try to work on stuff and ride well (or devote my attention to the customers/students im coaching).

I don't make the same close and/or block passes, and don't push quite as hard. But I will pick out spots to work on certain things. My overall lap time won't be race pace, largely due to traffic and risk vs reward, but there will be individual corners/sections in any given lap that I will take at race pace.

If I want to drink and party, I will do that at home or somewhere else. If I am at the track it is either to win, improve, or help others improve.

 

The difference in the level of commitment might be related to the amount of money thrown at it.

 

This WAS me....when the time it became NOT me, I hung up my leathers at least for the foreseeable future. I was always about the race and not about the party! I loved to family environment in the paddock, but still was there to go as fast as I possibly could!