Track days on a 919

[green hornet]

Hi I am new to this.
I have a 2004 919, And I would like to try a track day, Have never done one. Would a 919 be a good bike for this. When I look at the 2006 - 2007 zx6 600 cc sport bikes their horse power ratings are about the same and their torque ratings are quite a bit less, are they that much better or will the 919 do just fine. I dont want to take my 919 to the track and find out that its just not the kind of thing that you do. Thanks Mike

[mcromo44]

The 919 is a great bike to do track days with.
It's easy to ride and feels easy to ride, not at all intimidating as compared to a razor sharp 600 SS or bigger CCs if you are not used to that.
I've done over 1200 miles of track mileage on mine.
Keep in mind how soft the suspension is.
Stay smooth so it doesn't move the suspension as much, and be prepared for your pegs folding up on you.
A tip to keep your foot from getting trapped in a folding peg and grinding your boot off, is to put the sole of your boot against the plate the peg mounts to.

[SociallyAwkwardPenguin]

I would like to do a track day on mine. But i haven't found one close to go to yet.

[green hornet]

Thanks for the info.The bike is stock. Did you make any needed changes for the track.

[The Shadow]

Welcome to Wristtwisters, Greenie!

[jay313]

Originally Posted by SociallyAwkwardPenguin

I would like to do a track day on mine. But i haven't found one close to go to yet.

Depending where you are in OK, there are two tracks in the DFW area. Make a weekend out of it. Eagles Canyon in Slidell and Motorsport Ranch in Cresson. I did my trackday through RideSmart. Good group of guys. In the novice group, it really didn't matter that much what type of bike you were on. Everyone is just learning, so your speed depends entirely on your skills and how comfortable you are with high speed braking and carrying speed into the corners. I have some track day pics of me dogging some pretty exotic bikes. I got passed as much as I passed others, so it's not like I was a star out there.

Just relax and have fun. You're not in a race, anyway. It's about learning to control your bike and position your body at higher speeds than you can safely try on public roads. One guy in my novice group went down. Hate to say, but he deserved it. He was acting like he was in a race, trying to pass everyone. Unfortunately for him, he didn't yet have the skills or experience to back it up. No one felt sorry for him when he wadded it up. Just a low side with no physical injuries.

Whichever track day you attend will have a prep list for you. If you're running in a novice group, you won't have to make major changes. You don't have to change out coolant or safety wire anything. Mainly, tape up lights and mirrors and signals. There is a safety inspection, too. Brake pads at least 50%. Tires at least 50%. No leaks. Throttle doesn't stick. Simple stuff.

[mcromo44]

Originally Posted by green hornet

Thanks for the info.The bike is stock. Did you make any needed changes for the track.

If you are going to go out on a stock 919, aside from what the track provider might require for prep, is the following suggested list.

1
Remove throttle cable slack.

2
Remove mirrors.

3
Tape all lenses.
Use the blue masking tape, sticks enough but does not fuse like white does, and won't blow off like green can.
If they saying duct or plastic tape, just put that over the blue masking tape, trust me, when it comes for removing it, you'll be thankful. Especially on a hot day.

4
I don't bother removing the headlight wire connector, some do. Same story re brake light.

5
Front End
Run your ride height (so called preload) adjusters all the way down, and if you refuse to do that, run them mid range.
Check your rebound adjustment, and remember that too much will get you into serious trouble in a hurry, while a bit less than ideal will not cause you grief.
Don't be surprised to see that almost all of your compression stroke travel is used up by hard braking. (use a zip tie as indicator of maximum travel used)

6
Rear End
The stock unit is garbage and the spring is way too soft.
Some run with max preload, although I feel that # 4 is probably better otherwise the rear end will act like it is solid when extended under any hard braking.
It's probably best to leave the rebound adjuster at the Honda manual suggested initial setting, and just put up with whatever you get.
919s with stock shocks squat badly on a track, 2004s and later in particular.
The rear shock unit is a real weakness on the track, concentrate on being very smooth on the guess, avoid whacking the throttle in 2nd & 3rd (assuming you don't have any 1st gear turns), and see 1 above again.

7
Tire Pressure.
You will hear such a range of things to do or not to do that your head will be spinning. What to believe and what to do hang in the balance.
It's your first time on the track, you do NOT want to run rears in the 20s as you will be spooked by carcass movement.
Nor do you do want to run the Honda manual pressures otherwise the tires will not grip as well. (as in 36 F 42 R)
Go for a pressure that allows some carcass flex, gives better grip, and still feels "familiar" when cold and when warmed up.
32 front and 34/35 rear is something you simply can not go wrong with be it hot,cold, wet, or dry.
Once you have a few sessions under your belt, and feel you can use more grip, then find someone that either "knows the tire" you use, or is using them, and see what they are using.
For example, Michelin 2CTs work well locally for us with 31 cold F and 30 cold R.
Just remember that the more grip you put into the tires by either pressure settings or the ones you are riding on, the more you are asking the stock suspension to cope with under increasingly extreme conditions.

[Mr T81]

I went to the track a couple times this summer and really
enjoyed it. All the mods I did to my 919 are esthetics
except the Renthal UL which makes it a bit more comfy.
Everybody has to try it at least once.

Honda 919 TrackAttack - YouTube

[jay313]

Originally Posted by mcromo44

4
I don't bother removing the headlight wire connector, some do. Same story re brake light

All good stuff. One note on No. 4: I simply removed the fuse. Easy. Only issue was that I was leaving the track at dusk and luckily needed to stop for gas just as it got dark. Realized that my headlight fuse was still in my pants pocket. Oops! Glad I didn't ride all the way home that way. Stupid move on my part.

[green hornet]

Thanks
All good information.

[mcromo44]

Originally Posted by jay313

All good stuff. One note on No. 4: I simply removed the fuse. Easy.

Very good idea and one I never thought of because it's so obvious and simple !

[Rob919]

Originally Posted by jay313

Depending where you are in OK, there are two tracks in the DFW area. Make a weekend out of it. Eagles Canyon in Slidell and Motorsport Ranch in Cresson. I did my trackday through RideSmart. Good group of guys. In the novice group, it really didn't matter that much what type of bike you were on. Everyone is just learning, so your speed depends entirely on your skills and how comfortable you are with high speed braking and carrying speed into the corners. I have some track day pics of me dogging some pretty exotic bikes. I got passed as much as I passed others, so it's not like I was a star out there.

Just relax and have fun. You're not in a race, anyway. It's about learning to control your bike and position your body at higher speeds than you can safely try on public roads. One guy in my novice group went down. Hate to say, but he deserved it. He was acting like he was in a race, trying to pass everyone. Unfortunately for him, he didn't yet have the skills or experience to back it up. No one felt sorry for him when he wadded it up. Just a low side with no physical injuries.

Whichever track day you attend will have a prep list for you. If you're running in a novice group, you won't have to make major changes. You don't have to change out coolant or safety wire anything. Mainly, tape up lights and mirrors and signals. There is a safety inspection, too. Brake pads at least 50%. Tires at least 50%. No leaks. Throttle doesn't stick. Simple stuff.

Originally Posted by mcromo44

If you are going to go out on a stock 919, aside from what the track provider might require for prep, is the following suggested list.

1
Remove throttle cable slack.

2
Remove mirrors.

3
Tape all lenses.
Use the blue masking tape, sticks enough but does not fuse like white does, and won't blow off like green can.
If they saying duct or plastic tape, just put that over the blue masking tape, trust me, when it comes for removing it, you'll be thankful. Especially on a hot day.

4
I don't bother removing the headlight wire connector, some do. Same story re brake light.

5
Front End
Run your ride height (so called preload) adjusters all the way down, and if you refuse to do that, run them mid range.
Check your rebound adjustment, and remember that too much will get you into serious trouble in a hurry, while a bit less than ideal will not cause you grief.
Don't be surprised to see that almost all of your compression stroke travel is used up by hard braking. (use a zip tie as indicator of maximum travel used)

6
Rear End
The stock unit is garbage and the spring is way too soft.
Some run with max preload, although I feel that # 4 is probably better otherwise the rear end will act like it is solid when extended under any hard braking.
It's probably best to leave the rebound adjuster at the Honda manual suggested initial setting, and just put up with whatever you get.
919s with stock shocks squat badly on a track, 2004s and later in particular.
The rear shock unit is a real weakness on the track, concentrate on being very smooth on the guess, avoid whacking the throttle in 2nd & 3rd (assuming you don't have any 1st gear turns), and see 1 above again.

7
Tire Pressure.
You will hear such a range of things to do or not to do that your head will be spinning. What to believe and what to do hang in the balance.
It's your first time on the track, you do NOT want to run rears in the 20s as you will be spooked by carcass movement.
Nor do you do want to run the Honda manual pressures otherwise the tires will not grip as well. (as in 36 F 42 R)
Go for a pressure that allows some carcass flex, gives better grip, and still feels "familiar" when cold and when warmed up.
32 front and 34/35 rear is something you simply can not go wrong with be it hot,cold, wet, or dry.
Once you have a few sessions under your belt, and feel you can use more grip, then find someone that either "knows the tire" you use, or is using them, and see what they are using.
For example, Michelin 2CTs work well locally for us with 31 cold F and 30 cold R.
Just remember that the more grip you put into the tires by either pressure settings or the ones you are riding on, the more you are asking the stock suspension to cope with under increasingly extreme conditions.

This is all good info. I've done well over 10 trackdays, including a couple months ago at Barber Motorsports Park (That track is like visiting a Country Club for racers!). I've done most of my trackdays with RideSmart, as well as Lone Star Trackdays, which has a lot of TDs at ECR and Cresson. Try getting with one of those organizations. Both are good peeps, and I'm friends with some of their Instructors. RS is a very well organized group. LSTD is a little more hands-off (unless you add class time), but that's mainly because they cater more to CMRA Racers who use their TDs to practice or hone their skills.
The best bet for you, for a first timer, would be to go the RS route, and sign up for Level 1.

Your 919 will do just fine... That's me in my avatar at a LSTD Trackday.