[lonwane]

Joe:
I'm not a racer (you guys are crazy) but what I know about riding is it's ALL about having fun. I sold my street bike because I ouldn't have fun while riding. RELAX and have FUN!'Lonnie

[FthatGuy]

Lonnie,

thanks for your comment, buddy,

You know it’s interesting. Since I started this adventure many people at the track, at various and sundry times, have asked me if I was having fun. Maybe it’s the expression on my face or something I said at an unguarded moment that prompts such a question, I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because for me “having fun” is not yuking it up or engaging in frivolity. For me “fun” is found in the intense pursuit of a goal: the carefully conceived and perfectly executed plan of action resulting in the attainment of an objective.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love to laugh and my family and I have a very good time together. Our lives are characterized by a lot of laughter and silliness. But that’s a different kind of “fun”.

When we (my family and I) decided to get into motorcycle Roadracing it was after much discussion ending with the understanding that we had an objective and that that objective would be “fun” to achieve. Along the way we enjoy going to the track and seeing and interacting with the people that make this adventure so rich. But the singular act of riding a motorcycle on a racetrack, while exciting, is not an end in and of itself – it’s merely part of a means to an objective. But it’s a critical part of that objective and is why I allow little room for failure or error and why I’m so hard on myself when I fail or don’t live up to what I believe I can do.

Take away the objective and we would not go to the track. To me it doesn’t make good economic sense to pay money to ride a motorcycle around in circles on a racetrack without an objective no matter how fast you’re able to go. So when I’m at the track I may not be enraptured in chuckles and giggles, laughter and frivolity, in fact I may be frustrated, angry or disappointed at my failure to live up to what I expect of myself, but overall being out there engaged in this pursuit, with a long range objective in mind, at this time in my life, with the greatest family in the world at my side and my dear friends is paradise for me regardless of how it may seem to those on the outside.

As we move closer to our objective, however slowly, we look for signposts along the way that encourages us to keep going. Those signposts make the endeavor far more than just “fun” they provide great joy and tremendous personal satisfaction that enable me and my family to shout, if only to ourselves: WE DID IT!!!

I guess what I'm trying say is: The harder I push myself the more fun I'm having. I have to have a mountain to climb and the closer to impossible it seems the more it appeals to me.

For me that’s “fun”

Joe B
CCS #356

[#751]

yep, everybodies fun is different. I love backing it into turns 3 and the pit stright turn. Is it the fastest way around east? , NO, but I have too much fun doing it, I don't care. Fun to me, is sliding into and out of turns. I have tried the lightweight thing a few times and to me it's just not fun. Could I go faster if I rode different? You bet ya, but it wouldn't be as fun to me.
Not caring who beats me or who I beat is something I have had since the beginning. I mean it's fun to win, but if I don't, I can still have fun.

As soon as I pull out of the pits, it's like God is talking to me, I am in a different world, nothing else exists, nothing hurts, nothing matters, and that is fun.

Know wht makes it fun for you Joe and do that. If It's just being in a race, fine, do the trackdays so you are comfortable, forget lap times, body position, lean angle, gearing, etc. and just ride. I still think the 1 gear thig will help you. Go faster and faster breaking deeper and deeper and get on the throttle sooner and sooner while carrying more and more corner speed. 1 gear, east, below 1:15's , you have your goal

[FthatGuy]

Sounds good, Tom.

Next time out I'll do the 1 gear execise. Actually the more I think about it the more I like the idea. I'm thinking maybe go out in the beginner group, stay in second gear the whole session and ease into it. Maybe do 3 or 4 sessions like that. I have a good feeling about it.

You know on Saturdays before a race, when I first go out people tell me I look tense and not relaxed at all. And it's true. By the end of the day and on Sunday morning I'm told I look much more at ease and relaxed and it's true I feel more like I'm slowly getting into it. By race time I'm just starting to feel some confidence come back (even though I still have some of the anxiety from the crash) the day is over and it's time to pack up and go home and I think: If I just had more time...

There's some things becoming clear to me through these discussions on here:

1. I don't think my struggles are as prominant or insurmountable as I percieved them. In fact looking back at the whole discussion I may be making a bigger deal of it than it is.

2. I think that all the analysis may be more detrimental than helpful because the very nature of analysis tends to create problems where there are none.

Hmm. I may have taken the wrong approach all along.

When I started this thread I was looking for answers to questions that I thought were the principle hindrence to my racing/riding. I never thought that after a vigorous and honest discussion with those, I think, are some of the best racers/instructors in the country would uncover the REAL struggle. I honestly feel like I've made improvement here. My thinking is more clear about racing and I feel like I have a WORKABLE battle plan.

As an aside:
You know I think our club should somehow package all this knowledge and skill and offer it to the riding public. I mean this should not be kept under a blanket. There's a viable, workable and most of all marketable product here. I mean man if you can clear up my thinking you can you help anyone. Of course it would have to be organized & unified and everyone would have to be going in the same direction otherwise we would be like the galant young knight who jumed on his horse and rode off in all directions. It's just a thought. High profile, high rez, marketing would be the key. I have some other thoughts but I'll reserve them for another time and discussion.

Joe B
CCS #356