I was just at the NESBA board (I ride with them as well). I was amazed that someone actually started a thread where he asked if it was OK to listen to music while he rode during a trackday.... WTF?!?!?! That has got to be one of the most F'ed up things I have ever heard... Thankfully, they will add a new written rule to their rulebook about absolutely no music/headphones while riding. Perhaps we need this rule at STT as well and possibly an announcement during every Rider's Meeting? It appears that common sense isn't very common...
Whereas I want to record the sound of my bike doing laps, then play it back on earphones when I'm not at the track!
Maybe the guy just wants headphones so he can hear his spotter telling him the easiest way through the the jam of riders ahead of him :roll:
I've seen it done with at least one of my students. I suggested he just wear earplugs, but he ignored my advice. (This is Robert from the S. Division btw.)
I've been doing trackdays with music ever since my second one, I like to listen to it at a low level, it actually relaxes me. Paired with my active noise cancelling headphones, it's amazing how drastically everything slows down when there is some calm in your helmet. Not everybody will benefit, obviously.
Why do people think this is such a big deal?... I personally use inner ear monitors plugged into my mp3 player... the ear monitors double as earplugs and the music keeps you from over thinking everything and actually lets you focus on whats coming up in front of you... are you worried about hearing someone coming up behind you? To each his own I guess
Some of these replies are actually scary... a track day isn't a Sunday ride to Starbucks with friends.... Earplugs yes, but listening to music is just plain stupid - no matter what riding level. Here are some links to other boards (NESBA & WERA) - it appears fairly consistent against music on the track... http://www.nesba.com/TrackTalk/bb/Forum1/HTML/002000.html http://forums.13x.com/showthread.php?t=66867&highlight=music+helmet As a refugee from Reduc, I am concerned about the attitude here. OK, I concede... you got me with your rapier-like wit... Perhaps I do need to turn on some tunes and concentrate less on riding... When I one day make it to the Intermediate group, will you give me some pointers-please, please, please? WTF Dude...
hmmm. i'm guessing you're a big proponent of seat belt laws, helmet laws, cell phone in car laws, etc....
You probably are one of those people that realize that the world isn't homogenous....I bet you believe yourself to be the only being that exists in this world also.
I would say at least prohibit them in the Novice class but possibly allow them in I and A groups BUT require you to tech your headphone setup to make sure they won't interfere with bike operation.
I've gotta agree with Hank. that's such a bad idea. there are too many potential distractions to begin with, to deliberately diminish even part of your awareness, I dunno... fine for the road, but for the track, come on! Lance
how many of you naysayers have tried it? i've ridden on many occasions with tunes. with my aural senses being soothed by alternate stimuli, my tactile sense is heightened, i.e., i FEEL the road. in fact, i almost hear it as if the bike were a transducer. don't knock it if you haven't tried it.
Fred its funny you say that. Try that when you drive your car too (mine is a bit loud). I hear different things with the radio on versus off and it depends on the "music" too. Lots of bass filters out different sounds from lots of treble.
i prefer music while riding on the road...but when i get to areas that need focus (ie m119, deal's gap, angeles crest, that really cool mountain road outside monterrey mexico, etc). i turn off the tunes. more out of respect for the road....but in the back of my mind...i'm sure it's more for safety. it just doesn't seem right.....for me. i would strongly discourage it on the track....but i wouldn't kick anybody off the track.
:shock: Wow!! this sounds frighteningly like the arguement the last drunk driver i arrested proposed to me... "but a few drinks makes me a BETTER driver b/c it calms me down." And there is no arguing that he was putting others at risk unnecessarily. Your "aural senses" should be working in harmony with your tactile and visual senses to make sure that you dont knock your self senseless by falling down in a senseless crash that would cost dollars and cents to repair! While the music may not be a direct cause of the crash, it is certainly demanding attention that could be better focused elsewhere in a track setting. (in a similar sense, no cell phone has CAUSED a traffic crash, but they sure as heck take enough attention away from driving to allow for another boneheaded move to become the ACTUAL cause!). Lets not even start on the potential for additional injury caused by the player that is no doubt stored somewhere between your leathers and skin. In the event of a get off, what happens when you land on it? Something tells me it isnt gonna give so easily. But what do i know...
Here's my take: if you go down and take me with you while listening to music, you'd better hope that they transport one or both of us, cuz if I find out that all of your attention wasn't on the track, I could get real ugly.
I'm not sure if this is a good example, but I once rode with a guy on the street that would always be be-bopping with his MP-3 player on the street, chillin, revving his exhaust at everylight, and pulling wheelies everywhere he went, and would always wear shorts and a T-shirt. Yes, he was a definite squid , but he also crashed 5 times on the street in one summer. He even asked if he could borrow my bike so he could go take his motorcycle test for an endorsement.(So the insurance would cover his last crash.) I told him hell no and he actually had the balls to tell me........Well, I have a CBR 1000 and he can handle you're bike. I'm sure you know what I told him...... :evil: :x I know there are people that are mulit-tasked and can handle a little music on the street so in that aspect I can be ok with it, but on the track I'm not so sure it's a good idea. :?: This might not be a good comparison, but the story of the guy is true and I still think that the attention could be diverted onto the track instead of trying to b-bop and chill around the track. It's not exactly you're typical stroll to the store to pick up some milk you know.
shit...i was trying to stay outta this one... devil's advocate: when i'm on the street with no music. i tend to head for town...race around...goof around...wheelie...piss people off (more than usual) when i'm on the street with music. i tend to head for the country roads and ride really mellow. now i'm strongly against it at the track....but it's just an opinion.