FZS 600 track riding and cornering

[msewelly]

Hello everyone,


I'd just like to see if any one has done a track day on there fazer? I'm just intrested as for the fun of it me and a few other bikers went to a open car park the other day (which was empty and no obstacles near by)
and decided to see if we could do some knee down runs, now I was getting very low (the footpegs scrapped) but without knee sliders I couldn't really complete it, the other bikers on there super sports seem to be able to lean more with less effort, is this because the bikes are better suited for the task? I'm certainly looking at doing a track day on the fazer and would like to hear if anyone here has done one.

[fazersharp]

The knee down thing in my opinion is just bull-poo most I see get their knee down not by leaning further over but by hanging off the bike more and it doesn't get them around the corner any faster than me who is actually leaning over more than them, and if you have scraped your pegs that's as far as it will go and if you want to get your knee down then you are going to have to hang off the side.

[His Dudeness]

you can do it but as fazersharp said I don't think it would make you go quicker on a fazer

[img height=557 width=744]http://p1.bikepics.com/2010%5C05%5C27%5Cbikepics-1984522-800.jpg[/img]

[wickedmonkey]

I read or heard or saw (TOTW2 maybe?) that the idea is that the more you lean, the less the bike needs to lean and so makes the bike more stable around the bends.

[Slaninar]

Getting the knee down should allow you to lean the bike a bit less - since pegs start scraping rather soon. On track that should provide you with a bit more speed on slow sharp corners. If you do it right. I can't. 

[limax2]

The idea is that by moving your weight out (and thus moving the center of gravity out) you don't need to lean the bike as far for a given speed. In that way you stay on a fatter part of the tire or don't scrape parts of the bike on the floor. Or to put it another way you can go faster for a given amount of lean. The G.P. boys etc. sometimes use the knee on the floor to recover from a front end break-away. I wouldn't fancy your chances of that with a Fazer though!
Personally I'm the old school type of guy and keep everything tucked in.

[His Dudeness]

Here's some inspiration for you  :lol

[img height=668 width=891]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sqGsSQT-YB8/TgnlWxb0NBI/AAAAAAAAA8g/pJYyZnFoxBQ/s1600/ROSSI+LEAN.jpg[/img]

[Punkstig]

It's fine for a trackday!

[johna6968]

Seen quite a few fzs 6's used on trackdays.. The thought of the perfect commuter all week then thrashin the pants off it come trackday is very appealing  :thumbup

[kawasutra]

Funny looking Fazer that!  :b

Here's some inspiration for you  :lol

[unfazed]

and it is a slow blue one. :lol

[msewelly]

Thanks for the reply's!


Just a note I also don't don't knee downs everywhere, it was just a spur of the moment but I also agree that it makes little difference, I was following some knee down bikers and found I actually could pass them without getting my knee down.


Problem is my biking chums don't realise its a sports tourer and was never designed to set fast lap times! I do always have a chuckle at them however, supersports bikes but they can't be used for such on a public road

[unfazed]

Don't be so sure about it being a sports tourer never designed to set fast lap times, I have embarrassed many a sports bike with the Fazer 600 during a track day as well as public roads.

The last Fazer 600 to race in the TT set faster lap times than some sports 600, much is down to the rider.

[Millietant]

I've done laps at the Nurburgring on both our Fazer's (the 600 and the 1000).


Suspension wise, both were a little soggy, but perfectly adequate at sane (but not slow) speeds.


I'd have no worries at all about using either on a track day - and as others have said, if you know what you're doing, you'll likely be passing the sports-bikes.


Don't know who's old enough to remember the kiwi ex GP racer Paul "Loopy" Lewis - he laid down a challenge to any non-racer in the UK that he could beat them in a straight one on one race, riding his full dress Harley Tourer against any bike they chose to ride (road legal) on a race track - and if he lost, he'd give them the Harley.


After a lot of races, he still had the Harley - so don't worry about your FZS.

[kawasutra]

Some of the nice things about riding a track day are:


being able to rag your bike to it's limits,


finding your own with braking,


no speed limits,


no manhole covers,


one way traffic,


no car/van/ bus distractions.

So, it's not just about getting your knee down, it's a lot more to do with the above.

[fazersharp]

I would do one but I  think they cost too much, and I would not be covered on my insurance

[apage16]

I did one a short while ago. No kneedowns, but I wore a fair portion of my toe sliders off and my back tire is scrubbed right to the very edge.


It was £89 for the day, and tbh, I don't think I could have ridden that track any more. I was shattered!


I even made a little video...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPg13n_pDA8


Or this one if you want to skip the pre-amble...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSvsn_JP6GA




All in all, I reckon the bike was more than capable. I was in the novice group as it was my first track day, so I'm not saying I'm the best rider, but I was keeping up with and on some of the bendier sections overtaking R1's and R6's. All on my 12 year old commuter!!!  :lol


It must hurt to be overtaken by a £500 granddad when you're on your £5000 sportsbike!  :rollin

[fazersharp]

Yes I think when a superbike first comes across a fazer they dismiss it,------- but the next time they come across one they give it a little more respect

[apage16]

It's so true! And one of the reasons that I'll probably not ever get rid of mine!


The guy I went with was on a Triumph Daytona (4 cyl) 600 (or 650, I forget). Anyway, he looked down his nose at my bike and then promptly struggled to keep up with me all day!

[wickedmonkey]

I did one a short while ago. No kneedowns, but I wore a fair portion of my toe sliders off and my back tire is scrubbed right to the very edge.


It was £89 for the day, and tbh, I don't think I could have ridden that track any more. I was shattered!


I even made a little video...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPg13n_pDA8


Or this one if you want to skip the pre-amble...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSvsn_JP6GA




All in all, I reckon the bike was more than capable. I was in the novice group as it was my first track day, so I'm not saying I'm the best rider, but I was keeping up with and on some of the bendier sections overtaking R1's and R6's. All on my 12 year old commuter!!!  :lol


It must hurt to be overtaken by a £500 granddad when you're on your £5000 sportsbike!  :rollin

Excellent vid. Looked like an amazing day. What tyres did you use? Do you have to wear a complete set of leathers on the track?