Heartland Park bike track day

[Harvey Mushman]

Heartland Park Topeka has a number of bike track days scheduled. A couple years ago I read a post here on RideForum that said the general public could show up with your street bike and they would take you out for some laps on the course so I did it on my street bike and had a good time. Does anyone here know if they do that on every scheduled track day or just certain ones? I have a couple DS friends and we were talking recently about doing this with the dual sport bikes.

http://www.hpt.com/index.php?option=com ... Itemid=235

If you have any info about this you can share that would be great.

Thanks.

-Harv

[ozarksrider]

When you went did the course include the drag strip? I didn't like HP because of all the concrete barriers, especially the S at the entry to the drag strip. In the rain that straight can be slick, think spinning up the rear trying to accelerate, with the oil from the cars!

I think the track up by Omaha looks like a safer alternative. http://www.midamericamotorplex.com/2006/default.asp

Anyway with all that said if you go why don't you post it? I'd put some street tires on the GS and go. No better place to learn something about getting around on pavement, and shred a little rubber along the way. Those places usually have a "first time to the track" class with one on one instruction.

I've seen guys ride KLR's, Tigers, and Gold Wings at track days. You can ride what you want, if you meet the tech requirements. Those are usually pretty minimal.

[Harvey Mushman]

You did not go on the drag strip at all when on the road course. When I arrived I went to the paddock area and asked some guys some questions and they directed me to the guy that arranged the laps. They inspected your bike and you had to tape up mirrors and lights and that was it. There was no cost involved at all. There was about 15 bikes in the group and there was a pro rider at the front and the back and you could not pass anyone, you had to stay in line. We did about 7 laps with them getting progressively faster and the final lap we saw maybe 75-80 mph down the front straight. It was alot of fun getting on the course and talking with some of the real racers afterwards. I stumbled across a post here in rideforum that caused me to check it out. If I can get some more details about when they will have another event that does this I'll post up about it.

[Motoracer13]

They have the road corse next to the dragstip. It has been a few years since that part of track has seen double duty. When AMA superbike raced there alot of the pros complained about the track. Last track day I did there it dumped the bottom out in the morning. It wasnt till afternoon that they were able to open the whole track. In the morning session during the rain I was still seeing 155-160mph down the strip next to the dragstrip.

[Motoracer13]

Harvey did the say anything about riders gear? Track days its full suit be it leathers or mesh.

[Foster]

I have done track days at Heartland and have found the tech requirements are stricter than many other tracks in the area because of the number of yahoos that show up. Pay particular attention to your tires. They are the item that tends to get the most scrutiny and they want something like 80% tread left.

As far as riding gear, they will require boots, gloves, helmet, and zip together textile or leather. The more that zips together the better but you can use the ones that have the 8 inch (approx) section.

If you are interested in track days, check out Trackaddix and go do the school at Hastings, NE. It is $50 and worth EVERY penny. I did four track days last fall and am now an addict. You will find that you slow down on the street and enjoy the scenery more (IMHO).

If anyone is interested in contacts or info on the area tracks let me know.

You will learn more in one day than you will in a whole season of street riding and even if you are slow you will have a blast! I am not fast by ANY standards and I have a blast every time I am out there. The Trackaddix group is a wonderful group of guys who want nothing more than to go out and have a good ride/time.

http://www.hpt.com/index.php?option=com ... Itemid=235

http://www.trackaddix.com/

[Creekside]

I second those . Track Addix is a great bunch of guys. Well here's a brain dump and a half about the same as those above..I have done about 30-40 track days? Addix likes more addicts so they almost always have that free ride to get more hooked on crack (oops - track).

Omaha is less strict by a long shot. I think I have only been inspected there maybe once? Being a flat track with more curves its not nearly as fast. That said I have wiped out more at Omaha than HPT. I think its the barriers too that slowed me down on the chicane at HPT which are not at Omaha, which then I don't fear wheelies out of the last turn which then leads to wrecks on my part a little ways down from there... when I set the grass on fire and then landed in it, laid there wondering why the sky was orange.... Omaha also used to have half price weekdays which where usually empty and open to run at your leisure. Monday? Wed? This track (as of a few years ago) was rougher than HPT. Also I have not ridden on it since the big flood up there a few years ago. If you are looking for putzing after taking some classes and your a safe knee dragger, Mondays are nice - you can get in a 100 miles easy on a cool day. They have gas on site.

HTP a few years back the drag strip was in the track. 10+ years ago before they lowered the hill and made smoother turns down at 1 & 2 it was a much more dangerous course with the new pavement. Coming off the hill you where often wheeling when you needed to be braking (leading to wrecks) if you didn't notice how light the front was, well then, track closed for a bit, and you get the "ride of shame" on the back of the trailer with your bike assuming you could stand. Never crashed there but a lot used too. The chicane was a bit scary at the end, but at least it was wide. HPT is nice tech track.

If you fear the barriers - go ride Brainard! Its got barriers that will make your eyes pop out on turn 9, first gear head first into 10ft tire wall with a bridge over your head, 90 degree and narrow, and you and three other monkeys will be going way too fast side by side into that 15mph corner and come out on wheelies heading to the dragstrip. Its a skid mark city in all kinds of ways (lol). Its also (well used too) have NASCAR turns & 2 where you could hit top speed up in the clouds on. They tried to get people to take it a bit easy on those with the story about the racer who they "found" out in the marsh but never found his bike. I always had trouble going faster than 150. Never liked it. Even there where it seems slow. The sand on turn 4 is nice to slide in. There was a boat shop across the street that can repair anything and get you back out there in 30 minutes.

You can get great used leathers if you know what you are looking for on ebay, or craigslist. If your serious get a 1 piece, they are much safer. Get vented boots if you can with the hard sides/tops for $300, its gets blazing in the summer out there on the tarmac. Get a back protector, get hard armor on the elbows and knees. Get gloves that have two sets of Velcro, your hands are worth it in a slide. Take a class at HPT or Omaha. Classes are worth your time very much so. Read Keith Code's or someone's books about trail markers on the track. You need to understand marker points (oil spot, crack, whatever) for each corner or your just lost out there. Suspension is important, hp less so. Your suspension and your confidence are worth another 50hp easy. Air pressure (19-22 give or take, depends on air temp, don't just do a day at 36/42 and turn your tires into sponges). Summer riding can boil the brakes, switch to dot 4 on sintered pads (this is fine for the street too). I'd get a 750 Suzuki or something less than the liter bike land missile I had, you can tell a 600 by the way they just blast out of the curves and then see the liter bikes roar later to catch them. Curves are the fun part, so get a smaller bike. Any idiot can do 160+.

I only went for entertainment never racing. Often classes are free or $50 extra- take them! Those racers will let you follow them - you learn more in 10 minutes than a lifetime on the road. I followed a guy from Chicago once and went from dumb ass noob (even after some classes) to a being able to drag knees anytime any place hang off the bike like a monkey for fun. It just clicks when following someone on the right markers/lines and you trust your bike and your self.

There is what I remember. Its probably worth what you paid for!

[troy]

...Those racers will let you follow them - you learn more in 10 minutes than a lifetime on the road. I followed a guy from Chicago once and went from dumb ass noob (even after some classes) to a being able to drag knees anytime any place hang off the bike like a monkey for fun. It just clicks when following someone on the right markers/lines and you trust your bike and your self....

This is why I let people follow me. It's my way of giving back to the community.

Seriously, thanks sharing this!

[troy]

Just got an email from Freedom Cycles stating "2014 Motorcycle Track Day Tickets now available at Freedom Cycles!"

http://www.freedomcyclesinc.com/

[Creekside]

Your welcome. Omaha also has those beginner runs too right after lunch, if its still run by Ducati Omaha. I think really every track does, but it might depend on the sponsor. The East Coast used to be run by Sport BIke Track time and they always had those for recruitment drives. Track Addix blocked them from expanding here after a few tries,

Track days are a hoot. I don't see much reason to own a sport bike unless your willing to go and get some real use out of it. Its like owning a 990/1200/800 and just commuting with it (wtf moment here). You don't have to get crazy out there like I did sometimes (like try to melt a puck in one lap and get a personal moment with that chicane at HPT), but you can have a lot of fun in beginner group. A note for beginners - take it easy the first few periods out there and get your mental picture of the track - you have to go slow to go fast (find your reference points). Also the first period after lunch is the worst - the "newly minted" intermediates will now be passing like maniacs with little regard for safe passing and the crashes usually start now (tired and excited, watching newbies on adrenaline rushes is hilarious back in the pit. One guy wrecked, a part bike now, and literally pushed his bike up the ramp into his truck himself. But he was so stoked about coming back. He got his knee down and passed me back after following me around for a bit, last chicane section, dragging a bit too hard on the metal). They will be gone the next period as those guys usually move to Internmediate and become markers for racers looking for passing practice, and then Beginner is usually pretty empty for the last 3 periods. Save some energy for the last period, maybe consider skipping session 4. Session 7 Beginner has like 5 bikes out there, compared to pyscho session 4 after lunch with 30 bikes, 15 thinking they are racers and 15 terrified of them. I loved the last session as I was the fasted noob on the track and you could easily get a racer to lead/follow/critique you around for your own if you did not waste all of your energy earlier. Best time for practicing clean passes too. The noob group usually has 3-4 racers assigned to them to police the track during the session. Talk to one about later in the day when the shit clears up. I get excited just thinking about those times. Intermediate group

Too bad I can't do that stuff anymore. I miss that rush . The smell of alcohol fuel is amazing. Those racers are just so fast when you go stand at corner and watch how much faster they are than the guys passing you last session.