Recently I have been lucky enough to become part of the staff as a 'Control Rider', at Optimum Performance Rider Training here in Washington. The man that made it all possible is our fellow forum member TRAILBOSS. What a fine gentleman and an amazing rider! The track day with OPRT that I spent recently was one of the best sheer fun motorcycling days I have ever had! I have to give a huge shout out and THANK YOU to OPRT and all the staff! Kirk, thank you brother! Noah, you are a ton of fun to ride with my man!
Anyone thinkin about doin a track day should absolutely get out here RIGHT AWAY and do it! If you are out here in Washington come out to one of the OPRT track days at the Ridge, in Shelton, WA. The team at OPRT have made the learning experience FUN again! The structured levels and rules make perfect sense. Everyone has a great time! The instructors are accessible and knowledgable, the environment is friendly and welcoming in a real 'old school track day', everyone helping everyone kinda way. A focus on safety and learning and really helping riders was everywhere. What a refreshing and fantastic experience! THANKS OPRT!
It is a real honor to be on the team TrailBoss! I will be there Wednesday! Early!

I also have to give a huge thank you to Jason Tanaka for his amazing photography and total awesomeness!

OPRT Click for INFO
JasonTanakaPhotgraphy CLICK for pics and INFO

What a fantastic day with some great people! Can't wait to cook y'all a big dinner TRAILBOSS!

A fantastic pic of my bro TRAILBOSS. Any of Y'all wanna learn how to actually go fast on a 14R??? Talk to this man. He lives eats and breathes a pace on a motorcycle that is really awe inspiring. Great skill combined with a sure hand and iron will. Kudos TRAILBOSS! You ride with a smooth grace that is really a gift sir!

* Last updated by: Cblast on 7/7/2014 @ 12:06 AM *

Two Cblasted 14R's ripping down the front straight makes an incredible sound! We need to get some more 14's out there tearing it up. Freakin so much fun! The track is just incredible with elevation changes and challenging corner sequences, fast sections and faster sections that'll make ur stomach drop! The nicknames for the sections are even cool. The front straight is wicked, turn 1 and the following sequence are a masterpiece. Stunningly beautiful track with turns that haunt my memory... Calling me.
Let's get some of y'all out there and enjoy the fun and ability to push the big girl with no legal ramifications!

THE RIDGE RACETRACK - Clicky

* Last updated by: Cblast on 7/7/2014 @ 12:25 AM *

Thanks buddy!

It was great getting another avid 14R rider out there and getting some laps in. In case any of you didn't know, Sebastian really is an asset to the riding community. I can see why he's so well liked here on the forum. Just gotta get him off those touring tires.

For those of you that are interested in a trackday up here in WA, message me for discount codes and I'll get you the VIP ZX14(R) treatment! We all pit under the big Kawasaki flag!

The 14R is a pretty big bitch to be tossing around on a race course, but it accounts for itself well with a steady throttle hand and some, uh, firm inputs. Passes in the corners take a bit of planning, and braking off the straightaway led to some heat issues. I'll likely need to get some steel lines and better rotors. All in all I am very pleased with how it performed.

* Last updated by: TRAILBOSS on 7/7/2014 @ 12:40 AM *

Thank you so much Big T! Words aren't enough my man! And YEAH! I am gonna mount some sticky stuff!

That last one of you cutting up the inside is freakin FLAWLESS! Im saving that one to blow up for the shop wall sir!

* Last updated by: Cblast on 7/7/2014 @ 12:41 AM *

Looking good men. Looks like so much fun, I'm seriously jealous. Congrats on a great day. Oh by the way, I hope you didn't use your brakes trailboss...there just for mistakes.

Fling cool boys!!!
Fling cool!
W

Oh by the way, I hope you didn't use your brakes trailboss...there just for mistakes.

Nah man, I just used my engine braking and passed everyone in the runout. I ain't no noob.

* Last updated by: TRAILBOSS on 7/7/2014 @ 6:12 AM *

Very nice. I need to get to the local track, and get some lessons and practice.

Just gotta get him off those touring tires.

Which is probably all of us. 95% of my riding is on the highway to work. Sadly there are very few turns to help keep the shape of the tire profile. Angel GT's have 10k on them, hopefully bear mtn kills them.

Group buy on Q3's paired up with the coupon would be awesome. I'm getting a set before the coupon runs out July 31 anyway.

I'll likely need to get some steel lines and better rotors

On my list..
Braketech 330mm break upgrade

Braketech price sheet

Now that is what I call really laying the beast down! Wow.

I soooo need a track day or three

I soooo need a track day or three

Seriously, man. All previous thread drama aside, you need to get out and LEARN your machine in a controlled environment. You'll never push your bike as hard on the street as you do on the track, so you'll learn how far your limits and your machine's limits really extend. The skills you pick up at the track will directly translate to safer, more competent street riding.

Regardless of how you slow down.

Awesome pics man. Is that thing CRANKED over or what!!!

I need to do 1 track day ... just one ... so I can get rid of my chicken strips! About 1/4" left

I'm too a-skeered to do it on the street ... heck, even on super-curvy NC mountain roads

It'll go a little further with some exaggerated body lean and sliding the toes up. Maybe some rearsets and additional ride height in the rear. As it was I was scraping the pegs (with removed feelers) pretty regularly.

It's all a bit superfluous, though, as I'm a little wary of lowsiding a financed bike. I don't need to take this monster to the hairy edge at the track. That was never its intended purpose. I brought it out to learn its limits and get some cool shots to share with my 14R brethren. Just wait till I get the Givi bags mounted and take it out there! Dragging bag, anyone?

I need to do 1 track day ... just one ... so I can get rid of my chicken strips! About 1/4" left
I'm too a-skeered to do it on the street ... heck, even on super-curvy NC mountain roads

Try scrubbing them off with a 200/55 rear! I had to come in HOT to some of the corners before that tire started getting used completely. I wouldn't have believed the 14R would hold up against more track-suitable bikes, but it hacks in there pretty damned well!

* Last updated by: TRAILBOSS on 7/7/2014 @ 7:25 PM *

You'll never push your bike as hard on the street as you do on the track, so you'll learn how far your limits and your machine's limits really extend. The skills you pick up at the track will directly translate to safer, more competent street riding.

AMEN brother! That said entry and exit ramps (highways) on 4am runs get tiresome real quick.

Nah man, I just used my engine braking and passed everyone in the runout. I ain't no noob

Had another track day with OPRT! That has got to be the most fun way to spend a day with your machine! An amazing crew of people that I am proud to be a part of! Thank you TrailBoss! Always fun ridin with you!
The OPRT team has made track days a fun and an incredible learning opportunity. Ya get to go out and rip on the machine with no concern for speed limits! :))
The group riders were excellent today and I had the honor of listening to a lesson being taught to a new student from an former pro race team rider. The instructor had such a massive wealth of knowledge and such a simple way of conveying and helping a new track rider understand. It was one of the best experiences as a student I have ever had, and I wasn't even the student! I had just been walkin by and recognized the very talented rider talkin and I wanted to hear what he had to say. I took a knee and paid attention. This crew and the way they are helping riders is really something better than I have seen at other tracks in the Pacific Northwest. The camaraderie, the respect, the quality of rider instructors, the staff at OPRT, WOW. These guys are the Top Notch for anyone looking into doin a track day! OPRT focuses on safety and quality of instruction in a fun and accessible way. Everyone is always willing to lend a hand or a wrench. Several times today I noticed staff members helping track riders fix tape or adjust tire pressure to pass tech inspection, and I could not help but be struck by that old school vibe. This is how it used to be, I was in the paddock as a kid and I remeber the hot dogs and the sodas and the everyone helping everyone. Fantastic job OPRT! Gimme some more of that old time rock and roll!

* Last updated by: Cblast on 7/9/2014 @ 11:27 PM *

An excellent post Cblast. Wish I was over there. The coolest thing about hearing about "old school" practices is the respectful way it is mentioned. Especially for those of us that ARE "old school". Keep it alive.
I really got to get me some track time and tuition on this beast, or my 10R, but they're rare around my neck of the woods and it's winter here. Got to get rid of the factory Bridgestones too. 190/55 Dunlop Sportsmarts are on the list.
I've got to ask TRAILBOSS.... is the bike capable of that on medium sticky tires and set-up, or have you tweaked your ride especially for track grip? I ask that for my own knowledge of how far they will go before you're on the ragged edge. My skills are no where near yours, but I'm curious about what is "possible". I don't have "survival strips" on my rear tire, but I know there's more to it than that. I don't think I'm anywhere near your lean angle.

* Last updated by: sweetfa65 on 7/10/2014 @ 12:06 AM *

I touched knee down today with pilot road 4's and solid set-up. It's just happened as a by product of lean angle and corner speed, wasn't trying to per say. Just did, then used that as my edge guide, hit it both left and right after that.

I'm only 5'8" with a 30" inseam, if I can do it on pilot road 4's anyone can. Just takes time in the saddle and a focus on the fundamentals. An 'attack' riding position, leaned forward agile and focused helps a ton.

An excellent post Cblast. Wish I was over there. The coolest thing about hearing about "old school" practices is the respectful way it is mentioned. Especially for those of us that ARE "old school". Keep it alive.
I really got to get me some track time and tuition on this beast, or my 10R, but they're rare around my neck of the woods and it's winter here. Got to get rid of the factory Bridgestones too. 190/55 Dunlop Sportsmarts are on the list.
I've got to ask TRAILBOSS.... is the bike capable of that on medium sticky tires and set-up, or have you tweaked your ride especially for track grip? I ask that for my own knowledge of how far they will go before you're on the ragged edge. My skills are no where near yours, but I'm curious about what is "possible". I don't have "survival strips" on my rear tire, but I know there's more to it than that. I don't think I'm anywhere near your lean angle.

To be honest, this bike asks WAY too much of its tires when ridden aggressively. If you're only going to do 1-2 trackdays ever with your 14R, a quality 55 series sport touring tire (Road 4, Pirelli Angel, etc) will suffice. You likely won't get fast enough in two days to start shredding tires unless you're a very advanced street rider. But I promise, once you go you're going to want to keep going back. And after a few days out there, high-mileage sport touring tires will not be adequate for the demands you'll be subjecting your tires to.

Sebastian is running roughly 20-30s off my pace, and his Pilot Road 4s are at their limit. For moderately aggressive street riding, you can get away with sport touring tires, but for track specific work you're going to need better tires. I'm running a 200/55 DRC, and I use every damned bit of the tire. It grips like crazy, and I have complete confidence at full lean to add throttle or brake as needed.

I set all of my bikes up to perform at track pace, whether they are street bikes or track only. The 14R is actually the first machine I've owned with suspension stiff enough that it feels planted at speed. Usually my 240lb ass requires re-springing of everything. I also pull off peg feelers, lower lever angles, etc. With some suspension setup, the 14R is surprisingly track-ready. Get out there and kill it!

* Last updated by: TRAILBOSS on 3/30/2015 @ 12:51 AM *

Ok, great. That puts it into perspective. It's got to be done right. I just fitted Dunlop Sportsmarts to my 10R which is now my cheap "blade", for carving and track days. I intend fitting same to the 14R for summer. I wanted your perspective, as I am starting to push a little harder than I should on the road, trying to learn and improve. I really have to get to some track days with tuition by better riders, and practice in the right environment. On both bikes preferably.

* Last updated by: sweetfa65 on 7/11/2014 @ 1:07 AM *

Yeah, I hear yah T! My Dunlop Q3's should be here any day! Can not wait to ride with ya again bro! That track is living in my mind, it's rythymn is wicked, it's challenging, the elevation changes make ur gut drop. Man, I had sooo much fun. Thank you again TrailBoss! You are a gentleman and a true credit to that Beautiful 14R! Your fluid lines, the way you flow through that uphill section. Awesome. Can't wait to break in the new tires with ya! We gotta get some more 14's out there!