Buell Inside Pass: the Ultimate Track Day

2007 was the inaugural year for the for Buell Inside Pass: the Ultimate Track Day. The idea behind the track days was to provide a deeply discounted track day - a great value with lots of sessions, where riders may sign up for a Buell Demo ride and try out the latest Buell models, including the new 1125R.

The 2007 Inside Pass schedule included 12 top notch tracks around the country, among them Barber Motorsports Park, Road Atlanta, Pocono Raceway, Mid-Ohio, Road America and ending the season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Buell partnered with Private Track Time to organize the events. There were a couple of events where local track day providers ran the event. Red Shift ran the event at Laguna Seca.

A Great Way to Start the Day

I was amazed at how many Buell 1125R motorcycles were in the garage and prepped for the track. Riders of all makes were in attendance, and upon registering they received a pair of complimentary Buell knee pucks and an Inside Pass T-shirt. Breakfast and a variety of juices, water and coffee was served - it seemed that the coffee was popular throughout the day - probably due to the weather. The event was well organized and the staff helpful and friendly.

Buell 1125R Prototype - Mine For The Day

Media riders were assigned a Buell 1125R for the day. While waiting for the track to open, I checked out my assigned 1125R and set the clutch and brake levers to my liking, then took a few moments to collect my thoughts.

Prior to the track sessions, and throughout the day, classroom sessions were available. During the first classroom session, instructors explained the format for the upcoming riding sessions, and outlined the day's schedule and format.

I was impressed with the way the event was run. Groups got a 5 minute call and there was no downtime: the next group was staged in the pit lane while the previous group was ending its session and exiting the track. Groups were divided into three classes: A, B and C, with C being the "beginner" class. A and B group riders had the option of signing up with one of the instructors for evaluation and critique.

I am very familiar with Laguna Seca, having done car track days at Laguna Seca in the past. This was my first motorcycle track day, so I signed up for the C (beginner) group, and was pleased that the instructor presented helpful information on track position and landmarks in turn 1 and 5. The result of the instructor feedback was immediately evident with riders having much better lines in following sessions.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Laguna Seca celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007. The raceway has had many changes for safety and 3 lengths. The current configuration is 11 turns and 2.238 miles of dramatic elevation changes and challenging corners.

Over the years Laguna Seca has held just about every class of professional racing, both cars and motorcycles. Mazda has committed to make Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca a premier World Class facility. The recent repaving of the track has great grip and is very smooth. It was fun to ride the Buell 1125R at Laguna Seca and I look forward to my next track day.

Track Sessions

The groups went out in order: A-B-C. The first track session for the C group was "follow the leader" format, and the group stopped and rotated riders from 2nd to last position so everyone got a chance to follow the instructor and learn the race line. In the second session we all got to lead a lap with the instructor behind us and received a critique when we stopped to rotate to the back. This format was beneficial to riders new to the track or not familiar with Laguna Seca. From third session it was "open" format, with restricted passing in the corners. I thought the instructors did a good job of keeping egos in check and making this a safe and fun track day in spite of the wet track.

Buell 1125R Impressions

The 2008 Buell 1125R is an impressive motorcycle and represents a first for Buell: The Buell and BRP-Rotax engine was designed specifically for the 1125R, a clean break with the past. The Helicon engines 72 degree DOHC V-Twin provides a compact size with a broad powerband and redlines at 10,500 rpm. Rated at 146 hp crank horsepower at 9,800 rpm, it should have about 135 rear wheel horsepower, torque peaks at 82 ft. lbs. at 8,000 rpm.

The 1125R was easy to ride, even on a soaked track. The bike has a superbly balanced feel and everything works well. The handling was confidence-inspiring, the brakes predictable. Power delivery was impressive with smooth acceleration in the wet conditions. I was told the prototypes were about 90% of what the production bikes will be. Changes were made to spring rates, engine cooling and improved fit and finish for the production models.

The transmission was smooth and had a refined feel, the HVA (Hydralic Vacuum Assist) Slipper Action clutch got the most comments from the other journalists. I agree with the consensus that it made the bike much more forgiving in the wet track conditions. During deceleration, I could feel the rear wheel begin to lock up and, the clutch released, and the bike continued to track with minimal fuss.

Buell Demo Rained Out

Unfortunately it rained all day and because of liabilities the public-access Buell Demo Rides were canceled - track time was limited to media riders. The track day attendees, and especially the Buell staff, were disappointed. There's always next time, though.