I just finished my second track day at Miller Motorsports Park. East track this time. I rode my son's CBR 600RR. At the first track day 2 months ago, I rode the 14, and it is much too big and too difficult to turn compared to the 600.
Anyway... The highlight of my day was a 2-up ride behind Daniel Short, who is the director of the Yamaha Champions Riding School. He was one of the instructors at the morning session at what Miller calls T.O.R.D.E. (Track Orientation, Rider/Driver Evaluation). You know the old saying "those who can't do, teach"? Well that certainly doesn't apply in this case.
I thought I knew how to ride a motorcycle pretty well... After this ride, I realized that on a scale from 1 to 100, with 100 being the skill level of this guy, I'm probably a 2 or 3. I've NEVER been on a bike going this fast through corners, braking so hard, or leaned over this far. It was a REAL EYE-OPENER. The good news is that, by the end of the day, I may have increased my skill level to a 4 or 5 out of 100. Still a long way to go. There's a whole different world out there, guys! Where people who race motorcycles live. One that I had an opportunity to discover and to put into perspective today.
This was the most amazing experience I've ever had. I'll never forget it. If you ever get a chance to take a 2-up ride at a race track, I'd highly recommend it. -bg
