Streets of Willow

I think I have discovered legal heroin, and Fastrack Riders is my dealer. On Friday Randy and I took track school with Fastrack Riders at Streets of Willow, and I'm hooked. I am now a junkie. I've been trying to think of how to describe how I felt after doing my first track day. My first thought is, its like trying to describe how you felt after you had sex for the 1st time. But different. It would be like having sex for the 1st time while on a roller coaster that lasted 20 minutes long. Since it would be impossible for me to capture those feelings with my limited vocabulary, I will simply write about the events of the day. I might start really jibber-jabbering so bare with me.

The Prep -
When going to the track, you have 3 options. Ride your street bike, rent a bike or ride your track bike. Since riding our street bikes was the cheapest option. Randy and I went with that. If you are going to ride your street bike you need to prep it 1st before it will be allowed on the track. 1st and foremost, make sure you have new or good tires. My Multi came stock with Pirelli Diablos, which I recently just picked up a new set, so I was good on that. Next you need to tape your headlight and remove the fuse. Also you need to tape your blinkers and brake light and pull the fuse for those. But I quickly found out that on my Multi, the fuse for the blinkers and brake light is also the same fuse for the fuel injection and starter. So I left the fuse in, and completely removed the blinker/mirrors and the rear blinker/brake light/license plate assembly. You also need to tape your wheel weights. Fastrack didn't require safety wire or water wetter, but some other tracks do.

Getting there -

Since Streets of Willow is in Rosamond which is a good 2.5 hour drive without traffic and you have to check in at 7am, we opted to go up the night before and stay in Lancaster at the Essex hotel. Which gives a discount to track riders. Mike offered us his trailer, his mechanical expertise and photography skills for the day, and we are forever grateful. We ended getting on the road around 8. Once we just got past LA, we stopped for gas and some food. And just as we were walking back to the truck to get back on the road. We heard a hissing sound coming from the back tire of Mikes truck. Luckily we heard it when we did, cause it would of sucked trying to change the flat on the side of the freeway in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. So after changing the flat and getting back on the road we didn't get to Lancaster till midnight. We checked into the hotel and 5 and a half hours later we were waking up and getting ready. The sun was still rising on the way to the track.

The morning -
The gates opened at 6:30am, and its $10 a person to get in, whether you're riding or not. We were one of the 1st ones there so we got a close spot to the track entrance and concession stand. Registration started at 7am. Riders taking the school have to be suited up and ready to ride at 8am. So you have an hour to set up your pits, register, take your bike to the tech and get it inspected, get dressed and be sitting on your bike at the track entrance. The instructors then take you out for a couple of sighting laps at a slow pace. I thought we were only going to do 3 laps, but we ended up doing about 6 laps. Each lap a little faster but still a moderate pace.

The class -

This was some of the best money I ever spent. The class portion was run really well and moved like clockwork thru out the day. The instructor ration was 3 to 1 and they were really helpful and knowledgeable. To signify that you are in the class y ou get to wear colored jerseys over your leathers. Randy and I got the purple ones, better than the yellow ones in my book. After we rode our 20 minute session we went into the classroom right away. In the classroom for 30 minutes. Then we had about 10 minutes to get ready before your next riding session. And repeat the same schedule every hour until 1pm. From then on we still rode in the Level 1 sessions but on our own without the instructors, to practice what we have been learning.

Since it was our 1st time at the track, it was required that we take the class. I would of taken it anyways because I learned so much in 1 day. And you never realize how many bad habits you have until you have an instructor point them out to you. Once you correct them, you cant believe what a huge difference it makes in your riding. One of my worst habits that our instructor Mattias pointed out is that I always turn into the corner to early. Which causes me to miss the correct apex and then go wide coming out of the corner. Even after showing me the correct lines, every now and then I would fall back into the same habit and turn in too early. But part of it is think my personality. When I was a kid I couldn't wait to open my presents. Either for Christmas or birthday, it didn't matter. I couldn't wait to open them. And corners are like presents to me. I cant wait to get into them. This is something I will still continue to work on.

The Track -

They say you never forget your 1st. I know I will never forget the 1st time I rode Streets. Its a smaller tighter slower track than the Big Track at Willow. Which was perfect for us.

The entrance to the track was at the beginning of the front straightway that starts going uphill, so right away you pick up some good speed. Turn1 was a fast right hand turn still going uphill, that I kept on the throttle and just leaned into it. Turn 2 was one of my favorite turns. Its a tight right hand decreasing radius turn. By the end of turn it spits you out going downhill into a short straight before Turn 3, a tight left hand turn at the bottom of the hill. Exiting turn 3 you are going back uphill into Turn 4. The tightest turn of the track. Randy and I agreed, Turn 4 was our least favorite. The pavement right before the turn is patchy and bumpy. I never found a good line or rhythm going thru it. Turns 5, 6 and 7 are all fast sweepers. Each faster than the other picking up speed until you get to Turn 8, also called "The Bowl". Turn 8 is the fastest and most banked out of al the corners. Coming out of Turn 8 throws you into the back straight. This was the fastest part of the track for me. You have too much to worry about and not supposed to look at your speedo. I couldn't help it on the straights, every now and then. On the back straights I was hitting 95mph. At the end the straight it slopes downhill so you cant see Turns 9 and 10 until you are hitting Turn 9. Both corners are not really corners and you can almost go straight thru them. Coming down the straight and flying thru Turns 9 and 10 gave me a lot of speed coming up to Turn 11. Which gave me a couple of "Oh Shit" moments because I was coming in too fast. Turns 12 and 13 are quick little turns that lead up to my favorite, the most fun turn. Turn 14, which is a wide right turn on the "Skid Pad". I scraped my brake pedal and pegs the most on this turn. Its also the turn I got closest to putting my knee down. My knee never actually touched but I was within an inch or two.

Safety -
One thing that was constant and always present was the concern for safety. Throughout the day they would make announcements over the loudspeaker, if you're tired, skip a session and rest. Also there was an ambulance sitting at the end of the track ready to go. Not one in the area just in case, but actually on constant standby for the whole day. Every time I looked over, there were two paramedics sitting inside the ambulance ready to go as soon as a rider went down. I did see 2 different riders go down during the day. Both of them were in level 2 and happened around noon. Which the instructors told us is when most of the accidents happen. But when the riders went down. Everyone exited the track and the "Crash Truck" was right there to pick up the rider and bike. Both riders were ok and everyone else resumed riding right away.

End of the day -

By the end of the day you are beat. Mentally, physically and spiritually (depending on how many "Oh Shit" moments you had). Tires take the brunt of the beating of the track. But I was able to all but eliminate my "Chicken Strips" on the side of the tires. But also because my Multistrada wasn't designed especially for the track, it scrapes a lot. On the left side I was scraping my peg and the side stand as well. On the right I really scraped the brake pedal a lot and a little on the peg. I will definitely raise my brake pedal before my next track day. And once I get better at hanging off, it should help with scraping the pegs.

Final Thoughts -
I went to the track to become a better, safer rider. I learned a lot about how to properly take a corner and more importantly if I didn't take it correctly, I learned how to safely get myself out of danger. Although I feel that I am now a faster rider, I am not going to take what I learned at the track and use it to ride faster on the street. I am going to take what I learned and use it to make me a safer rider on the streets. And when I have the desire to go fast and push the limits, I will be "Taking it to the track".

For more pictures go here.