My first track day was at COTA last year and I was able to learn a lot!! You can be an aggressive street rider, but it does come at great risk. I still have fun and push it on certain streets, but leave most of it to the track.
I would say that there are different kinds of streets you ride on. If you have the Snake or the Dragon in your back yard then you can become a very very good rider.
If you ride near or in the city, forget about it
The track teaches proper focus. You have to be aware of other riders in your area but focus on what's coming up much like you have to be aware of things around on the street and focus on what's coming up. If you don't know or practice proper focus on the street, you're not taking it all in to avoid situations.
A clean closed-course track allows you to safely repeat the same turns over and over again without having to worry about ordinary obstacles you encounter on the street. It will give you consistent riding surface as apposed to the street where you never know whats around the next corner, even if you have ridden that same corner a thousand times. Like P@t said, it allows for greater focus on riding and not having to use any of your concentration on the what ifs.
I learned quickly how horrible my body position was. I remember scraping pegs on the street and thinking I was fast. Then the track showed me both how slow I was, and how fast I could get with proper body position.
I also overcame my fear of tucking the front under hard braking. On track I could push that limit and discovered just how hard I could brake without even a hint of traction loss up front. And I'm still miles away from braking like Nicky Hayden
Hahahaha. I did the exact same thing, thinking I was hot sh*t on the street when I was scraping pegs and then realizing at the track 1. just how dumb that is, and 2. just how slow I was!!
Proper body position is huge and the track gives you time to be able to work on it in a closed course setting.
Also, learning how to brake harder and feel what the front tire is doing without fear of running into sand, gravel, dogs, other cars etc.....
The track gives you the opportunity to try things in a safer and more controlled setting.
Good points. What else can/did you learn at the track that you didn't figure out on the street?
Riding on the track exposed all of my riding flaws . You think you're Joe Rocket on the street , but the track will humble you with the quickness .
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