Its been a couple of weeks since my spin around Button Willow. Thought I’d share my experience.
The event was sponsored by The Track Club and was my sixth time on a track. The fee was $150 for this event—when the day was over it ended up being less than a dollar per minute of track time.
It was predicted to be a bit warm (though not as warm as this Labor Day weekend) and being a Monday there were fewer than the average number of riders. Altogether there were about 35 paid riders and the Track Club probably had another 10 or 15 who were “instructors.” As usual the Track Club split the riders into three groups—first third were the “experts,” second group were “experienced,” and the third group were “beginners.” Each group had their 20 minutes of track time each hour.
The Track Club did a great job of coordinating flagging the riders just finishing off and sending the fresh group on, not wasting any time between groups. It seems that the “B” group had the most riders—about 25 the time I counted. Us “beginners” had at most 15 bikes on the track plus a few guys in reflective vests. Considering the track is almost 3 miles long it seemed that most of the time there were only two or three of us playing on the track at the same time. Only twice was I slowed by moving chicanes, and then only for maybe half a lap.
The Track Club begins the day by holding a little orientation sessions. They let the experts take the track at 9am and kept us rookies a little longer as they explained some of the finer points of the track. The Club keeps the track open during lunch so we had eight sessions or approximately 160 minutes of track time. The “C” group actually had the most track time. We never lost a minute due to fallen riders whereas the “A” and “B” groups had multiple incidents of exceeding one’s limits and shortened sessions.
The Track Club arranged for both tire and suspension service to be available at this event. I was riding with Michelins—a Pilot Power CT on the rear that had been scuffed in two months earlier with 150 miles around the big track at Willow Springs, and a relatively new Pilot Power on the front—a replacement for the original French made CT that I had used at “Big Willow.” Michelin recalled that tire—something about tread separation according to the rumor mill. The tire service at Buttonwillow was selling and mounting Pirelli’s which I plan to use after this set of Michelins square off with my freeway commuting. Race Tech, the suspension guys at the track, adjusted my Ohlins for a mere $20. While at Willow Springs the bike kept trying to “stand up” when I was cornering. After Ken from Race Tech balanced the Ohlins the bike didn’t fight to stand up when I was leaned over during my 160 minutes at Buttonwillow.
After checking out all the other bikes during the tech session I concluded I had the only BMW in attendance. I also was probably the only one to ride my “track bike” to the track. I was definitely the only rider there in an Aerostitch! My K1200GT is currently my “only” ride, and since it was my method to get home, I tried to keep away from the edge while thrashing around the track. However this sixth track day was my first experience of crossing that boundary.
As usual I’m pretty cautious in the morning sessions—relearning the track, the lines to take, the braking points, the changes in elevation and pavement surfaces, the apexes, etc. My four previous times at Buttonwillow have all been on the largest configuration—taking “The Drag Strip” from “Lost Hill” all the way to “Star Mazda Turn” then coming back up to the “Esses.” This time the Track Club used a slightly different course configuration, shortening the trip down “The Drag Strip” and turning into “The Sweeper” which dumps right into the “Esses” after a sharp decreasing radius. This was the new corner for me, and of course, the one that “woke me up” when I thinking about the guy behind instead of the road before.
Buttonwillow is more challenging for the GT than Willow Springs. The 9 turns and long straights enabled me to get the big Beemer into 6th gear at two spots at “Big Willow,” where I had my first experience with dabbling with an indicated 140. However the 13 or so turns and the short straights at Buttonwillow limits me to an occasional very short sprint in 5th gear before I’m hard on the brakes while running down the front straight.
Most of the riders in the “C” group were truly novices, with many on 600s with only a few on larger Japanese sport bikes. The European sporties seemed to be limited to the “A”and “B” groups. I’m pretty sure I had the biggest, heaviest bike in the group. It was obvious that most of the riders in this “C” group had fewer track days under their belts than I (not that I am much more than a glorified novice at this) and there appeared to be a lot of “coaches” out there with reflective vests helping them with lines, etc. However there was at least one fellow in the “C” group that was at my level of riding if not a little better. He was on a smaller bike and could really take the corners. I thoroughly enjoyed riding behind him and following his lines and then sprinting past him on either of the two straights.
During one of the afternoon sessions we were enjoying our little game of tag and he came up beside me as we approached the top of “Lost Hill,” a blind right turn at the crest of a small rise. He braked first as we approached this right turn so I reached the turn ahead and gassed it as I approached the apex at the crest and then down into the dog leg left. I twisted the throttle to its limit when we got back onto “The Drag Strip” and then applied the brakes hard just before leaning over to the right as we dove into the right turning “Sweeper.”
Even though I knew he would catch up to me in the turn I was hoping I had gained enough ground at the end of the “Drag Strip” to keep from slowing him around the curve. I had the GT leaned over as far as my foot peg and boot would allow, gently applying more throttle, grinding both the peg and the boot into the pavement as we sprinted to the right. With the throttle on steady I was thinking how fast he must be closing in when suddenly the track cut a sudden turn into the “Esses.” Directly ahead was a wide patch of dirt. Shit. I wasn’t looking far enough ahead and forgot the radius dropped decisively into the “Esses.” Now, with my right boot and peg being ground down by the pavement I had two choices—continue on my trajectory and see how the Pilot Powers gripped the dirt at a 55-60 degree angle, or straighten up and go rock hopping. I pushed left and eased up on the throttle and headed upright into the dirt. Thank the gods this little section had been used by many another before me and was hard packed. Going straight with only a slight throttle I bumped over the raised edge of the pavement and across the dirt and straight back onto the track right behind the fellow who had been following me. He had kept his good line instead of following me, staying on the pavement, and my trajectory with significantly less momentum brought me to his six. I laughed hard and relished my good fortune for getting away with such a screw up. I ended up staying right behind my anonymous ridding buddy for the rest of the session, too embarrassed to pass him and then face running off the track again.
Yes, another gift to remind me again to ride my own ride. Do track days make me a better rider? I think so. I certainly don’t take it to the limit in the canyons. With track days there is no reason to.
Despite this little off road experience, I had another great track day. Yes, I know I’ve got a lot to learn. One of these days I’ll take a course from Reg or Keith. However, I’m having fun in my ignorance. Where else can I ride like Valentino (at least in my mind) and live to tell about it? Not bad for an old fart on a pig of a bike!
