I have been riding sportbikes since 1995. I've crashed 8 times? Once doing about 130mph+ on the track. 6th gear, wide open throttle, knee on the ground, WOO - now THAT's a rush!
I may have a bit more perspective on track riding safety than most. My business does photos and videos at trackdays and amateur racing across California. I've personally attended guessing around 400+ motorcycle trackdays/amateur races since 2006, and my business (my staff) have covered many more. I've seen countless crashes at the track, up close.
Everything we do in life is managing risk vs reward. Want to start your own business and potentially make lots of money, or keep a stable "safe" job? Risk vs reward. Want to commute safely, buy a big SUV. Low risk, low reward. Want to commute and have lots of fun (or save big on gas)? Motorcycle. Big reward, big risk. Smoke cigarettes? Eat fast food? The list goes on...
What I'm getting at is that riding on the track is managing risk, while maintaining the reward. Downside is the cost and gear needed. If you ride backroads or canyons, as we call them in Southern California, then its cheap, just gas and tire wear. But the risk is that if you crash, you are likely to hit something at the edge of the road - either a canyon wall or guardrail, or a driver crosses the double yellow, gravel in road, the list is endless. The response time of first responders is much, much slower than at the track. At the track, there is runoff if you "run out of talent", and there is an ambulance idling on site, ready to go. Is riding at the track safe? Hell no, but safer than riding on the streets.
@MJ DeMarco is managing his risk by substituting the riskier motorcycle for the UTV, while maintaining a similar level of reward. Which looks super fun by the way! I have managed mine by not riding on the public streets anymore. I do 100% track riding. That's me in my avatar... on the same bike I tossed doing 130mph after rebuilding it.
I may have a bit more perspective on track riding safety than most. My business does photos and videos at trackdays and amateur racing across California. I've personally attended guessing around 400+ motorcycle trackdays/amateur races since 2006, and my business (my staff) have covered many more. I've seen countless crashes at the track, up close.
Everything we do in life is managing risk vs reward. Want to start your own business and potentially make lots of money, or keep a stable "safe" job? Risk vs reward. Want to commute safely, buy a big SUV. Low risk, low reward. Want to commute and have lots of fun (or save big on gas)? Motorcycle. Big reward, big risk. Smoke cigarettes? Eat fast food? The list goes on...
What I'm getting at is that riding on the track is managing risk, while maintaining the reward. Downside is the cost and gear needed. If you ride backroads or canyons, as we call them in Southern California, then its cheap, just gas and tire wear. But the risk is that if you crash, you are likely to hit something at the edge of the road - either a canyon wall or guardrail, or a driver crosses the double yellow, gravel in road, the list is endless. The response time of first responders is much, much slower than at the track. At the track, there is runoff if you "run out of talent", and there is an ambulance idling on site, ready to go. Is riding at the track safe? Hell no, but safer than riding on the streets.
@MJ DeMarco is managing his risk by substituting the riskier motorcycle for the UTV, while maintaining a similar level of reward. Which looks super fun by the way! I have managed mine by not riding on the public streets anymore. I do 100% track riding. That's me in my avatar... on the same bike I tossed doing 130mph after rebuilding it.
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