Track Days & Racing | Riding in the Zone

Blog Archives

Best Track Day Bikes

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Ken Condon — 7 Comments ↓

I often get asked from riders new to track days, what is the best motorcycle for riding on the track? In an effort to answer this FAQ, I decided to list some criteria for what I look for in a…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, My Motorcycles, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: best bike, motorcycle, Track Days

Knee dragging 101: Fundamentals You Need to Know

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Ken Condon — 11 Comments ↓

Most people have seen video or photos of motorcycle racers (or not very smart street riders) dragging their knee while leaned fully in the middle of a corner. Every motorcycle event photographer knows that the money shot that every track…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Musings, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days

How to Not Suck at Cornering

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Ken Condon — 2 Comments ↓

Hot on the heels of the The Power of the Quick Turn article is this followup post about what happens after you tip into a corner. Too many riders struggle with cornering, not necessarily because they are afraid to lean,…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days Tagged with: Cornering, countersteering, mistakes, Motorcycle tips, riding, Safety, technique, Tony Foale

Guest Writer: When Do You Lean?

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Paul Duval — 9 Comments ↓

The ability to lean a motorcycle with confidence is a fundamental part of riding. Unfortunately, humans do not come hardwired to lean much more than about 20 degrees, which is the lean angle where we start to lose traction when…

Posted in Guest Writers, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: Cornering, countersteering, motorcycle, racing, throttle, Track Days, traction

Track Day Bike Prep-Triumph Street Triple R

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Ken Condon — 11 Comments ↓

The Patient: I recently sold my trusty track-only 2005 Kawasaki ZX6R for a more upright track /street bike. I thought I would buy a new Yamaha FZ-09, but I talked with Dave Searle from Motorcycle Consumer News who told me…

Posted in My Motorcycles, Track Days Tagged with: motorcycle, Street Triple bike preparation, Tony's Track Days, Track Days

Guest Writer: Just Go Faster

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Jeff Meyers — 2 Comments ↓

“Just go faster, Jeff,” my track riding guru Ken Condon says after asking him what I need to do next as a track day rider. I am flattered, because Ken says that my track form is very good. He says…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Guest Writers, Motorcycle Musings, Track Days, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: Cornering, technique, Tony's Track Days, Track Days

Guest Writer: If in doubt, UPshift

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Ken Condon — 3 Comments ↓

Chuck Boucher is the latest RITZ guest blog contributor. Chuck is an expert level roadracer with the Loudon Roadracing Series and is an instructor for Tony’s Track Days. You can read Chuck’s biography here. Chuck recently had a racing mishap…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Guest Writers, Motorcycle Safety, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: Motorcycle tips, racing, Safety, shifting, Track Days

Track Day Tire Dilemma

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Ken Condon — 4 Comments ↓

Tires can be a source of anxiety to a motorcycle rider. And it’s no surprise, since our tires provide us with the traction we need to make it home in one piece. When it comes to track days, many people…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Musings, Track Days, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: maintenance, race rubber, Safety, tires, Tony's Track Days, Track Days, traction

Guest Writer: Get Back on the Horse

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Ken Condon — 5 Comments ↓

The latest guest post is from long-time track day rider and club racer, Ian Vivero from Smelly Dog Racing who has an interesting point of view about post-crash psychology. So, listen up. The floor is yours’ Ian. Getting Back on…

Posted in Guest Writers, Motorcycle Safety, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: crash, motorcycle, racing, Track Days, traction

#1 Reason Why Motorcycles Crash in Corners

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Ken Condon — 4 Comments ↓

Motorcycles crash for many different reasons, including in no particular order: They are not very stable when ridden slow, so tip overs are common They are hard to see in traffic, so collisions with cars is far too frequent They…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Safety, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: Braking, Cornering, crash, mistakes, motorcycle, Motorcycle tips, Safety, Track Days

Vintage Motorcycle Road Racing

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Ken Condon — 2 Comments ↓

Yesterday was the the first round of the United Stated Classic Racing Association (USCRA) roadracing season. I got a firsthand look at vintage roadracing in the U.S. by participating in the 2014 United States Vintage Grand Prix at New Hampshire…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: 500 Ninja, attitude, motorcycle, road racing, Track Days, vintage

Guest Writer: Track Day Rain Riding

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Ken Condon — 3 Comments ↓

Adam Butler is the first ever RITZ guest blog contributor. Adam is an expert level roadracer with the Loudon Roadracing Series and is one of my co-instructors for Tony’s Track Days. You can read Adam’s biography here Let’s see what Adam…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Guest Writers, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: motorcycle, rain, riding, Safety, technique, Tony's Track Days, Track Days, traction

How to Save a Front Tire Slide

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Ken Condon — 19 Comments ↓

Is it possible to not crash when you experience a front tire slide? Maybe. Both of my recent track crashes were the result of a sliding front tire (both were caused by me asking too much of a cold front…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Safety, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: Braking, Cornering, crash, mistakes, motorcycle, Motorcycle tips, Safety, technique

Is Crashing Really that Bad?

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Ken Condon — 7 Comments ↓

Crashing a motorcycle sucks. No doubt about that. I’ve had my share of run-ins with gravity and it’s not fun. But, does crashing a motorcycle always mean carnage and a hospital visit? It depends. My crashes I’ve had only one…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Musings, Motorcycle Safety, Rider Education, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: crash, mistakes, motorcycle, Motorcycle tips, racing, Safety, strategy, Track Days

It’s Easy to Ride a Motorcycle Really, Really Fast

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Ken Condon — No Comments ↓

Whenever I tell people I ride a motorcycle on a racetrack, the first question they usually ask is “How fast do you go?” I invariably begin my answer with “Depends”. No, not the product found in your grocer’s personal hygiene…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Musings, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: motorcycle, Motorcycle tips, Track Days, zone

New Bike, New Track

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Ken Condon — No Comments ↓

It’s hard enough to get accustomed to a new-to-you bike, but throw in a new-to-you racetrack, and things can get interesting. It’s kinda like patting your head while rubbing your tummy in a circular manner (I’m pretty good at that,…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Musings, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days Tagged with: barber, Braking, motorcycle, Motorcycle tips, Street Triple R, Tony's Track Days, Track Days, Triumph

Barber Track Day Videos – Street Triple R

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Ken Condon — 2 Comments ↓

Sometimes, video is worth a thousand words, so here I present three videos from the recent trip down to Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Below is a video that Aaron (Aprilia RSV4) shot of my first few warm up laps…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, My Motorcycles, Track Days Tagged with: barber, Cornering, motorcycle, Street Triple bike preparation, Tony's Track Days, Track Days, Triumph, zone

Tony and Ken’s Barber Experience- UPDATED

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Ken Condon — 10 Comments ↓

Tony from Tony’s Track Days and I are leaving for the southern state of Alabama to take in the beauty (and warmth?) of the Barber Motorsports Park and absorb decades of motorcycle history at the Barber Museum. We’ll be riding…

Posted in Adventures, All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Musings, My Motorcycles, Track Days Tagged with: barber, motorcycle, Track Days

Adjusting to a New Bike- Part 3 – Power Delivery

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Ken Condon — 5 Comments ↓

This is number 3 in a series on adapting to a new motorcycle, whether that means borrowing a friend’s bike, swapping bikes on a ride, or adapting to a new bike. Please share your experiences in the comments section. If…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Safety, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days Tagged with: acceleration, motorcycle, Motorcycle tips, Safety, technique, throttle, Track Days, wheelie

Thompson (CT) Motor Speedway Progress Report

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Ken Condon — No Comments ↓

Northeastern Racetrack Drought is Officially Over! New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been the only game in town for motorcycle track day riders and racers for many years. We New Englanders had to drive 6 or more hours to the New…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Musings, Track Days Tagged with: connecticut, motorcycle, thompson, Tony's Track Days, Track Days