With an Android app called "Trackmaster" (about $10) and a "QStarz BT-818XT" Bluetooth GPS Receiver (about $75) used along with your cell phone (strapped to yourself or to your bike), you can collect some interesting data at your track days. This receiver collects data at up to 10Hz (every 1/10 second), and the Trackmaster program works with Google Earth to produce some interesting maps of each of your laps. Here's one from 6/29 on Miller's west track:

There's not enough detail visible in this small image to be really helpful, but I'm printing these things out on 13"x19" photo paper at a high resolution. The data for this lap is actually collected over about 1150 data points. Data collected at each point is time, elapsed time, latitude, longitude, altitude, bearing, acceleration, lateral acceleration, and speed.

If you can get somebody REALLY good to carry your equipment around for a few laps (I got Shane Turpin to do this for me -- he was a wild card entry in the WSBK race at Miller this year), you can compare his drive lines, breaking points, and speeds all around the track with yours. It'll show you at a glance where you can make the most improvement. I've cut my lap times by over 11 seconds on this track over the past two trackdays by studying these maps (mine against his).

Here's a view that is zoomed in a bit more:

The GPS positioning isn't always totally accurate, but I think this is VERY USEFUL for us guys trying to learn. -bg

That track looks like it's got some wild turns in it.What was your speed in those turns BG?On average.You think a 14 could pull that off?And that track width...how wide?Wide as a two lane highway?Or more.I'm used to using only one lane...not all that wide either.As you know.Even though I have most of the roads memorized regarding brake points and stuff...it's still pretty hard for me to actually ride too fast considering it is the street...and ya never really know what to expect.Seems like having 'two lanes' would REALLY allow a guy to rail pretty good....and the fact that no one is gonna pull into the lane from a side road or some major surprise cresting a hill or somethin.It looks like a real blast!Any deer or critters playin 'death wish' around there?LOL!!!That's a BIG concern here...all year long.Ya never know.
Semi's have a way of suddenly appearing right in font of ya as ya round that curve....it can be VERY interesting at times.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 7/10/2012 @ 10:55 PM *

It's hard to know the scale of the track in a picture like that. It's about 2.5 miles around. I'd guess the width averages about equivalent to a 3.5 lane highway, but it is wider in some points and narrower in some. I've ridden the 14 a few times on this track and it is NOT the best tool for the job. My CBR600RR is much faster around the track, and much more fun.

Riding a track like this is a GREAT way to learn trail braking, which is absolutely essential for fast lap times.

I'll try to put some speeds in the picture at the end of the braking points and the acceleration points, to give you an idea of how slow I'm going...

I need to knock 15 seconds off my 1:55 lap time to be able to run with the fast guys... -bg

* Last updated by: bgordon on 7/11/2012 @ 9:25 AM *

VERY interesting.....might just have to look into something like that!

That's pretty cool!

NINJA ZX-14 MotoVlog

I've cut my lap times by over 11 seconds on this track over the past two trackdays by studying these maps (mine against his).

On a 2.5 mile track? Wow... that is awesome!... I was in on a group buy for a GPX Pro 4, but too many guys pulled out last second for it to happen... Have to look @ maybe going this route for the time being. Thx for the tip.