Every day that I can. Ride to work if the weather isn't crappy. Ride to wherever on the weekends. Track days whenever I can.
I sold the street sport bikes (CBR954 and GSXR1000) and picked up a VStrom 650 for street. Planning to return to touring if the job ever lets me take a whole week off in riding weather. Over the years I had ridden a Gold Wing, a FJR, and a V65 Sabre as touring bikes before coming to the track. I was on a solo ride up in the Angeles National Forest one day in January of 2010 or 2011 on the CBR, and realized how foolish it was to be riding that style up there alone on a road with so little margin of error. I didn't have any particular scare, but just realized how f'd I'd be if I went off one of those roads. A few months later the decision to move away from sport bikes on the street was made. Took me until last summer to let go of the CBR, though.
Riding on the track made me rethink the way I ride on the street. I save the fast stuff for the track and just relax on the street... although I still ride like everyone on the street is trying to kill me. All the more reason to head for the mountains and less traveled roads.
I love to ride, street, dirt, bicycle, track, whatever. I'm far from a trackday hero, only a couple days under my belt, but I think your choice of bike has a lot to do with it.. I had a gsxr k7 600 street bike, boring. My speed triple however is a blast on the street, on the track it feels heavy and weak on the top end..... Always Trade off..
This sums it up for me. This past year I didn't get to ride my sportbike near as much as on the street simply because it was fitted up for the track as I was averaging 1 weekend a month, however, I was unhappy weekends before events if my bike wasn't street ready. I miss street riding too much and going far away places on the weekend just on 2 wheels. I went out and bought my dual sport in July and rode that every day just about until early October commuting, then my knee got injured. Next year my R6 will be strictly for the street and I am on the lookout for a track only bike. My garage isn't big enough. Add another dirt bike to my stable too - I had to get an extra as a "guest" bike because I am teaching my nephew to ride!
I still have my Versys... awesome in the mountains by myself and I have an FJR which is great for longer rides or anytime I am going to do any interstate miles.
Yup, I can't ride a pure sportbike on the street. It just isn't fun. I like riding the ZRX though:thumb:
Reduced my speed and time on the street after seeing my buddy hit a deer. What are the chances of hitting a deer on the track. Crazy
Check Youtube. There is a video of a guy hitting a deer at about 150 at a track day. Luckily he wasn't hurt badly.
I still street ride, although mostly commuting to and from work or the occasional weekend ride with friends. The best time I have street riding is taking long trips out of state with friends and exploring new routes or just getting lost somewhere and happen to find some roads with nice twisties. I usually put on about 14,000 - 16,000 street miles a season.
i've heard about your street riding.. you may want to give it up before this is you ----> :crutch: :thumb: :lmao:
When I first started racing I was a race snob and didn't ride on the street. That will never happen again as I missed out on alot of fun. Road trip while riding and local rides with friends and especially now riding motards going off and on road. Why give up something you love.
Just got back from a 2,000 mile camping ride to Arkansas on my Versys. Amazing. Totally different experience from riding the track, I love moto camping. I don't bother with commuting or riding in town. If I get on I want to do an 80 mile cruise minimum, and prefer to do at least 200-300 miles at once.
If I could afford a track weekend EVERY weekend, I wouldn't need to ride street, but I must be on the bike every weekend (unless it's bad weather/too cold then I'm in a bad mood). I have friends who ride only at the track, I just don't think I could do that 6 weekends a year, I would need another hobby (or 2 or 3).
I enjoy street riding mainly because I enjoy different kinds of bikes, and I can only afford the time and money to do that if a lot of it is street. If I had the time and money to have a I4 600, I4 1000, V2 1000, and more all as full track bikes, I would... but I've decided to have the R6 be the dedicated track bike, and a literbike and Ducatis on the street. Pretty happy with this setup, the GSXR1000 is an excellent summer daily rider.