Motorcycle Racing and Track-day Videos

A few thoughts on using video:

Most important – Ride your Ride – if you are racing or doing track-days for someone else or for the camera, please, for everyone’s sake, find a new hobby.

Video is a great way to critique yourself.  That said, this is not MotoGP, World Superbike, or Moto America and you will not be discovered by showing your best wheelie video or mugging your “duck-lips” while looking back at the camera like your favorite lingerie model.  If you are using a camera for the sake of “getting it on video” or to have something to “post” you are doing it wrong.  This is how others get hurt, period.  Use the video to critique your riding, are you consistently using braking markers and turn-in markers, are you setting up others for passing properly, etc.  Video can be an incredibly useful tool when it is done safely and used to learn and improve.

Do a few tests with camera placement keeping in mind what you are working on.  If you want to see what your body is doing, place a camera on the tail as far back as possible and use the right lens/view setting; if you want to see your throttle and brake hand, mount the camera SAFELY and SECURELY with a view of your right hand that does not affect control of the motorcycle.  Again, the key here is to be sure that the camera does not affect your control of the bike or the way the motorcycle is supposed to work.

While watching lines is important, one of the most useful things I have found is to “listen” to the video.  Motorcycle racing is brake and throttle – there should be no coasting.  As you watch your videos take note of where you are braking and “on the gas”.

Finally, always have a plan. Consider what you are going to work on during the track-day session or your strategy for the race, before you get on the bike.