BMW R1200R Forum banner

Track Day Coming Up

4K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  Snapping Twig 
#1 ·
In September.

I had to either get a one piece suit or a 360* zipper for my current
rig.

So confusing, one piece suits. Leather is best for track, Textile is best all
around. Textile melts when it hits the pavement, leather is a bad choice in the rain.

So...

I had a zipper mounted on my leathers. Spidi Unit pants, Alpinestar jacket.

While there I had a look at the armor. OMG!! 50 joule rubber garbage in both the pants and jacket.

Swapped it out for Forcefield 100 joule. Much better. :) Rode it today, feels nice. With the pants zipped to the jacket, it's warmer and feels different in a good way.

Hope to never know how good this armor is. ;)

Track day for me is going to be at Sears Point. It will be a Keith Code level 1 day. No racing, strictly getting to know what a bike can do.

I expect this will help me learn more about the limits of traction and take the voodoo out of it - safer and smoother while increasing my cruising speed.

I like the idea of "The Pace", and I try to do just that. With the help of a childhood friend and lifelong rider, I have finally learned to lean the darn thing and counter steer.

For example, I just wore out a set of PR 3 tires after 9K miles. In this, a first for me, I wore out the whole tire, not just the center portion. Even, all the way to 1/4" from the edge of the tread face. Milestone.

So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

BTW, I priced a leather suit custom made by my local guy - Johnson Leathers in S.F. and it is $2K.

Yes... I will have them make me one in the future. :) After all, textile is good, but drop it once...
 
See less See more
#2 ·
...

BTW, I priced a leather suit custom made by my local guy - Johnson Leathers in S.F. and it is $2K. ...
Just curious: Does that $2K suit have inflatable protection like MotoGP people wear, the kind that can be re-armed by the user without having to have it rebuilt at the factory?
 
#3 ·
No idea. I'm pretty sure it's their entry level quality suit.

You can look them up on the web and call. Owner answers the phone, nice guy.

He uses Forcefield armor, perhaps he does what you want at your request and if you like an alternative he'd accommodate you.
 
#4 ·
Forgot to mention. Two piece suit, zipper connection is difficult
to work with.

I added a lanyard to the zipper handle. It is made from tuna cord https://www.seattlemarine.net/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=980&idproduct=1677 which you can find at the link or a high end fishing store.

I use this whenever I have a zipper handle break. Tail bag, jacket main zipper, the list is endless.

I made the lanyard 3" long and when I tried it out, easy as pie. No help needed to connect jacket to pants.
 
#5 ·
Super curious about your experiences, please post! I will sign up for the "Capital of The Americas" Formula 1 track in September. They give us 7 x 20 min session on the original track. It is "novice" level, so no crazy racing.
 
#11 ·
Thanks! Watched that last night, along with a few others. You know how one video leads to another...

PR 4 tires in that vid too. :)

I'm really liking PR 4's, got @ 500 miles on a fresh set so far and they stick like glue. Really suited for our bikes. They feel even better than the PR 3's I just wore out.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top