Sonoma Raceway Z2/Yamaha RWorld annual event

[smokamoto]

Liked the old pics. Like you I used to race. When we were young enough that it was racing, same era so a lot of , uhh, enthusiasm.

[kpke]

I enjoyed the video. Nice riding out there smokamoto

[smokamoto]

I enjoyed the video. Nice riding out there smokamoto

Thank you Ken, I rode fast enough for me!

[rz500guytexas]

Glad you all are still going to the track. You tell people you are going to a race track to do a track day and all they hear is, race. We all watch the videos and see the carnage from riding on the road at speed. No thank you. I had a rider get killed next to me on one of Rick Lance's rides in North Carolina years ago. Sold all my street bikes when I came home. The track is the only place to enjoy these wonderful bikes for what they are. You can also go as fast as you want or as slow. Most all the groups I ride with have good instructors that are more than happy to help you become a safer rider. You can practice so many riding skills on the track and all of them make you a safer rider on the roads.

I am glad your buddy that is an instructor saw the same things I did. I am still learning so am not the best to advise anything. I watch the guys riding with AHRMA on those skinny tires and wonder how they do it. My 500 took years to get to where it is. I found it was at it's potential and that was when I purchased the TZ 250. I still can not ride either to their potential but it is still a blast. I am no spring chicken with a lot of physical restrictions but when I have one of those young guys come up after a session to talk and the helmet comes off they are a bit suprised. Goes to show them taht horsepower does not equate to being quick on a road race circuit. Several things with racing now is that I am forced to stay in better physical shape, I have to stay flexible, and I need to do cardio training. Have hernia surgery in a week and then recovery at pool. After I feel normal in a month or so I am will be doing a few private days with an instructor in the Dallas area. I am hoping to get in the upper third of the racs I enter next season. Stay safe and keep shiny side up.

[rz500guytexas]

Holy shit. Well done. Hats off. Any more praise your head would swell. Off site for a while with recent hernia surgery. My praises to you. Will watch video again but I could watch your confidence lap after lap and well done with your patience. I thought you were going to split the two riders earlier in the video. Great to see some one using the bike as intended. My go pro does the same vibration but if I wrapped it in a piece of paper towel before putting it in the housing it helped. Looked like it was mounted on front of tank. I really am impressed with older style suspension and tires, well done. I believe you lapped everyone and possibly twice on a few. What a hard track to figure out. The bike sounde awsome and temperature never went up. You know after watching the video that you are over revving a bit but hard to keep revs down when it is is in the power band. I do the same thing.

Must also be nice to be able to pass anywhere. Our group in the level you rode is outside 6 feet. There are too may time where an inside pass is safer for you and the rider you are passing. They can then run wide all they want if you pass inside. They are not going to take you out or run you off track if they do not see you. Inside it is here I am on the line, this is where you need to be. Again well done. Going to drink a glass of wine and will debrief in a future post and please be honest if you saw the same thing I did. Oh by the way when you missed that shift I thought he is getting tired and be dang if that was not the last lap. Well done and no excuses, you rode well.

[smokamoto]

Grateful rzguy for your comments. Hope your hernia recovery goes well & you get back to the track soon. Did you catch me at the end passing a line of riders under the yellow flag? Totally missed it, a Control Rider followed me in and we had a nice civil chat about situational awareness…I was overly focused about passing safely & not falling off lol.
Yes I was getting tired when I missed the shift to 3rd, it was in but popped back out! And yes it’s difficult to keep up with shifting when the revs climb so fast between 8 & 10.5 rpm.
Not certain I’ll do another track day on the RZ-so much fun but so risky. I do have a deposit on the first R7 60th Anniversary model at the stealership I worked at decades ago, that should be a fun track day toy.
Stay safe and well out there.

[rz500guytexas]

Have not watched video again but watching primer dry. Did not see yellow flag. You can get focused on what is in your small world while on track. I tracked my old RZ a numerous times and bought a second at a good price with all of Rick Lances mods. Miss him so much. It took year to get it to where it currently is. Proper rider it is tough to pass. What were the bikes in the pctures. Looked like in line 4s. That had to be a lot of fun back then racing but awful dangerous at the same time. Lot of riders never came back from the tracks. Safety is so much better now but some tracks are just too dangerous to go to what our limits are now. If you were riding back then did you know John Tippin. He opened up a shop here in Texas after leaving California where he was raised. Raced RDs. Again well ridden and glad you are still out there. And the R7 you are buying is the RZ lookin one? I am being pit bitch for a guy a COTA this coming weekend who rides a new one. He just had suspension done so I am going to help set it up for him, do tire warmers since he does not have any, and be camera man. Younger guy I met at a recent Nate Kern event. Would enjoy chatting about racing and get some history since we are about same age. Happy Thanksgiving to ya