Back to School (SWM Seeks Ninja 400)

 

So Many Things Wrong...

Looking at this picture (and others) of my fellow motorcyclists and me in action really helps sort out what's going right and wrong with my riding.

When I dice it up with other novices, I'm at the point where I can out-turn and out-brake people on liter bikes, but I'm also getting smoked by folks with whom I'm evenly matched, and then there was my track-neighbor who was riding a Ninja 400, getting faster by the session. It was her marked improvement (and willingness to study the craft and receptiveness to coaching) that's the focus of this post. Basically, I can pass the majority of people in my run group, but there are a few people I get stuck on. Our speeds are close enough in corners that whoever's in front stays in the front until we get to the straightaway. This is basically how it went w/my friend on the 400. If I was in front, I'd pull away most places, but she would never be too far off as she carried speed and I overbraked. If I was behind, I'd be stuck behind because I didn't want to take unnecessary chances and, to be honest, I simply don't have the skills to pull the pass. As we came to the last turn onto the straight, I could scream past the moment we passed the apex cone, but that's just throttle, and no real skill on my part.

Even though my trusty R6 is sorted out (barring an annoying cooling issue that I'm praying isn't a head gasket), it still has a few traits that keep me from trying to carry more speed in curves. I'm running most of the track in second gear, and there are times where my hand moves a little more than I'd like and I upset the bike, usually at a critical time. The last thing I need is a twitch, a little slide, and then a high side.

One easy solution to this would be to ride in third gear, which pulls the engine out of the power band and makes it behave more like a 400. Riding like this, momentum is your friend and the bike becomes more docile. My main problem with this is I can't practice on the street, and I can't afford to risk the carbon fairings of my street Daytona or the irreplaceable plastics on my 16 year old Ducati. 

In a nutshell, I'm going back to basics. Back to where I probably should have started in the first place (for anyone with track aspirations, anyway). I want a bike with big sliders and pre-scratched fairings. I want low power so I can focus on corners, corners, corners. I want to learn u-turns like Jerry Palladino. I want this bike to a) help me build up the chops for a bump to intermediate and b) allow me to practice low speed maneuvers like a boss. MSF instructor territory? Possibly. I certainly have the passion and seat time for it, now I want those skills. A street legal Ninja 400 may not be the cure for all of my riding woes, but I'm really looking forward to a lower stakes sportbike that I can make mistakes on, practice on the street and in parking lots, and attract minimal attention. Did I mention it only adds $3.09 PER YEAR to my motorcycle insurance? What's not to like?