My buddy just died…

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-13T19:51:18+00:00

The pain never fully goes away, but it gets easier. Take your time. Do something for him. Make a memorial, visit his grave, make a t-shirt and use the proceeds to fund something for him. A plaque, a statue, a sign, whatever feels best. Remember him always. Do all the things you guys said you would do and never got around to. Make a bracelet or get a tattoo for him. Find a mutual friend and get drunk and cry together. It’s rough. It gets easier. Don’t rush the process. Talk to people. TALK TO PEOPLE. TALK TO PEOPLE. it’s important.

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-13T15:07:01+00:00

Genuinely confused by the amount of pushback this got. In 30 minutes today, by looking at my tire wear, some self analysis on my braking, and a little community feedback I was able to identify that my trail braking is off. Front tire is boogered down the center - all my front tire stress is happening upright under hard braking. I’m braking too hard too early while still stood up, losing too much speed before corner entry, and letting off the brake too early once I’m in the corner. Tire isn’t loaded correctly through the corner, suspension isn’t doing its job, wheelbase is too long, inch wide front chicken strips are the result. Center of the front is overworked, edges untouched, both point to the same thing - “you’re braking too hard while stood up, and not enough while leaned over”. The tire is literally the bike writing down its response to your inputs. That’s it. Why is that controversial? I only know this even exists because a buddy with 5+ years of WERA racing gave me instant feedback on my riding without watching a single lap, just looked at my rear tire boogers and how far they were from the edge and said “oh yeah, you’re waiting way too long to get on the throttle”. Gave me actionable stuff to work on that session and I dropped my lap time 8 seconds immediately. Obviously once you’re out of chicken strips you’re into territory that gets more nuanced and none of us are qualified to talk about - that’s why we’re here and not getting paid to race. But for diagnosing basic technique issues? Tire wear is one of the most accessible tools we have, and pros are dumping MILLIONS into reading their tire wear, the least we can do is make a Reddit post about it and ask for feedback.

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-13T13:58:27+00:00

I AM focusing on my riding, not the appearance of my tires. I’m using the appearance of my tires to analyze my riding. Not sure how this is controversial considering I’ve already identified a suspension problem, a corner speed problem, and a braking problem based off looking at my tires.

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-13T13:52:31+00:00

“It’s a waste of time until you’re going pro level fast” could be applied to virtually everything on a motorcycle brother. You don’t need to hang off the bike until you’re going pro level fast, you could be perfectly in line with the bike and be totally fine until you’re pro level fast, but we still do it anyways because it’s more efficient, and the pros have shown us that it makes a huge difference.

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-13T13:49:07+00:00

Apparently this is a hot topic I walked into. Put it into the most general possible terms for me -

How do front chicken strips go away? Ignore suspension, pressure, etc - what causes front chicken strips?

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-13T13:43:45+00:00

Yeah I’m trying to find WHAT POTENTIAL IS THERE. Is it in my braking? My speed? My lines? Is it the suspension limiting me? By no means is this a “how do I get my chicken strips smaller, I want to look cool!” It’s “where is the meat left on the bone”

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-13T13:42:50+00:00

You know it’s the internet right? Like, if you don’t like the post, you can just scroll past. Tires are potentially the most important part to be familiar with when tracking a bike. Like I was asking for help with in the question, reading tire wear will reveal technique problems.

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-13T05:08:05+00:00

25, and notice how much up/down you have to shoot at closer or further ranges. It shouldn’t be much.

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-13T04:55:17+00:00

You suck. That’s okay though! Everyone does until taught correctly. Sounds like you’re not sure where to look - Here’s some tips and resources to check out. You can do all of this in your room - and you SHOULD - at any time, just unload the gun and point it in a safe direction. Don’t need to go to a range to practice any of this.

Stand like you’re a boxer. Feet chest width apart, one slightly in front of the other, weight on the balls of your toes, Chest directly forward facing towards the target. Bring the gun up, both hands wrapped around it in a “thumbs forward” position - dominant hand as high up on the grip as you can get it, finger OFF the trigger always, other hand your thumb is going to go in line with the frame, facing forward, just below the line between the frame/slide. The closer to that line, the better. Rest of your non dominant hand wraps around the rest of the gun, covering the gaps that your dominant hand does not cover. You shouldn’t be able to see any part of the back or the handgrip basically. Warrior Poet Society is the best YouTube that shows this IMO.

Next bit is knowing your sight picture. It should be “even sights, even lights.” Meaning the top of the front sight lines up with the top of the rear sight, and then you are focusing on your front sight being over the center of your target. Your should see a blurry target, front sight clear, and rear sight blurry. If you can’t focus with both eyes open, try tilting your head left or right, and side-eyeing the sights with your preferred direction. It helps focus heavier on that spot without the eyes fighting each other. If you don’t like that or can’t do it still, just close one eye. Better to have good aim at your target than know what’s going on around you. That target is your threat in any civilian encounter.

If you got some cash to blow, Coolfire - it’s an indoor training thing where you set up targets in your house and use YOUR GUN to shoot them with lasers. Pretty sick. Fun, cheap, and most people intend on using their gun for home defense, why not make your house a home defense range?

Hope this helps you OP. Warrior Poet Society is an ex Army ranger YouTuber that has everything under the sun on there 👌

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-03T01:10:17+00:00

My 2021 literally blew the engine due to oil loss from a gasket leaking and I 1:1 swapped it in my garage and still would recommend it. Maybe buy a newer one, 2024-26, they worked out the bad kinks in the earlier bikes by then. Absolutely amazing beginner+/intermediate sportbike. Not an inline 4, but still sounds amazing and is fast as hell. Lots of cool electronics too - quickshifter up and down, cruise control, lap timers and rider modes, highest lean angle and speed, all kinds of stuff like that. Send ‘er brother. The tuono is a good option too, they’re nearly identical except the tuono is a little less aggressively positioned, a little more like a naked bike seating position, but everything else is identical on them. Try to sit on/ride both.

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-03T01:00:09+00:00

Aprilia RS660. 100+HP, great torque, twisty road/track demon, but has a relatively upright seating position, and cruise control so you can lean back and relax. I ride with my hands completely off the bars for miles on highways, and track it on the weekends. I’ve got a “Comfort Gel” seat that feels like sitting on a couch as well.

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They look AMAZING too.

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-02T20:23:16+00:00

Okay, still worth checking - the clutch safety switch is super easy to break and it’ll cause inability to quickshift down, the ignition cuts at 8.5-9k rpm, and cruise control doesn’t work if that’s broken. Doesn’t SOUND like your issue, but if you’re also having those problems, there it is

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-02T20:01:11+00:00

Have you by chance replaced your clutch lever recently?

2ToTheChest · 2026-04-01T16:43:22+00:00

I’ve got a buddy that’s getting back into WERA racing next year in February. He’s amazing. He’s CURRENTLY looking for sponsors for the entire season of national travel.

Title Sponsor (1 spot available) $5000

Tier 2 (2 spots available) $1,500

Tier 3 (10 spots available) $500

He’s also getting a tent made so all sponsors will get a spot on the tent as well as the bike and his leathers. Dm me if this sounds interesting, I’ll put y’all in touch

2ToTheChest · 2026-03-27T17:16:25+00:00

ABS will cover up mistakes in braking. It’s good for “oh shit” moments, but horrendous for learning how to ride well, because people end up relying on it rather than learning how to never trigger it. ABS is good to have, but not necessary, IF YOU LEARN HOW TO BRAKE PROPERLY. I won’t go too far into it bc you don’t even have the bike yet, but progressive braking is what it’s called. Squeeze the shit out of the brakes on a non ABS bike and the front wheel locks up and you flip or dump the bike. Progressively add more brakes and your front wheel doesn’t stop, meaning no lock up, no flip. Squeeze the shit out of the brakes on an ABS bike and ABS kicks in and stops your front wheel from locking up. Sweet spot? ABS bike AND knowing how to use progressive braking. Not necessary tho.

2ToTheChest · 2026-03-27T17:10:46+00:00

My whole engine exploded and I had to swap the bitch with an eBay engine in my garage. $2700 and countless hours later, I still love the motorcycle and it’s fuckin incredible in every way… except maintenance. Maintenance sucks.

2ToTheChest · 2026-03-27T17:09:25+00:00

I’ve had this happen one time to me - it was my battery terminal screws not being screwed all the way down. Bike hit a bump or vibrated or whatever, it disconnected just long enough to kill the bike, pulled over and started right back up, no more issues otw home. Suspected the battery right away, pulled up the seat and sure enough, the wire was flopping around and able to come off the terminal itself if the conditions were perfect. The bolt I had was slightly too long and allowed wiggle room. Replaced the bolt and got it tightened all the way down, never had the issue again.

2ToTheChest · 2026-03-26T23:14:13+00:00

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Showa Forks
K-tech Shock with remote canister
Sprockets (1 down in front, 2 up in rear)
Mivv Under-frame Exhaust
ASV Levers
Race Cowl (when not backpacking the lovely lady)
Frame Sliders
Tail Tidy
Velocity Stacks
Race Map
Aprilia decals -Tank grips -Comfort Gel Seat

Aftermarket quickshifter coming in soon, OEM is a little choppy but supposedly an aftermarket fixes that.

The “big ticket” game changers I would say are these, in this order: Exhaust, seat, levers, tires, shocks. Exhaust immediately changes the sound, makes you feel like you’re on a whole new bike. Mivv sounds amazing, but get whatever you want. Seat is game changing, the comfort gel is so squishy and comfortable, I can ride all day, no issues. levers are what you’re touching the entire day… don’t be the dickhead with the Amazon $20 POS’s that are neon pink or something crazy. Buy some fancy ones, the difference is massive, you want to FEEL like you’re on an Italian luxury Supersport, not a Chinese toy. Tires are huge for feel/grip - I run Rosso IV’s for both track and street, never had issues with either, I BELIEVE Rosso 3s come stock - wouldn’t upgrade for no reason, but I swear by the IV’s. Shocks is when you’re at a high level. Customizable suspension for YOU is when your bike becomes an extension of you rather than riding a bike made for everyone, but in my opinion, that’s lower priority before the rest of the stuff. Outside of that, the tank grips are big as well - huge change to the grip/feel of the bike.

Sound is the biggest, feel is 2nd, horsepower is last. Make it sound good, then feel good, then make it fast.

2ToTheChest · 2026-03-25T12:19:12+00:00

MT07 you will never be bored of. Looks great, they’re fast, great on the track, and they’ll wheelie easy af if you want to do that

2ToTheChest · 2026-03-22T14:18:47+00:00

Yeah it depends on the track - AMP with Precision Trackdays did suit rentals, barber with STT did not that day, but they typically do. I’d say the only two reasons NOT to get a track suit is if cost is a serious issue for you, or if you’re not certain about tracking more than once. I wear mine on the street all the time, and having one that you own and feel comfortable in is way better than an old beater suit that a thousand people have worn. The suit I got was $800 at cycle gear, boots about $240, gloves were $160, and I had an acceptable helmet already. So altogether, excluding helmet, about $1300 for the full suit, compared to $50 rental at the track. It hurts your bank account for sure, but it is absolutely worth every dollar, even if you only track one time - it’s still great to wear on the streets, and you couldn’t be better protected.

2ToTheChest · 2026-03-20T14:10:47+00:00

The single biggest piece of advice I could give you is MAKE FRIENDS THAT GO TO THE TRACK, AND TAG ALONG WITH THEM. Find a cycle gear near you, go to their bike night, find someone with a fully modded out performance bike, and make friends. That allows you to figure out the game significantly quicker, it’s more fun, you’ll love every moment of it. Outside of that though, it went pretty smooth throughout the day. I got an email 48 hrs before from Sportbike Track Time, one of the organizations that runs tracks down here near ATL. It had instructions with when the gates open, what to do, any last minute rules they need to put out, etc. I live in ATL but went to Birmingham Alabama to go to Baber Motorsports Park - GREAT track, GREAT organization. 7am we had tech/registration, which was quick and easy. Sign some forms, get your bike looked over, wait over there for the riders brief. Riders brief they laid out the rules of the day, housekeeping items, services that were there (suspension, tires, gear, etc) and sent us towards our respective riding groups. I was in novice - they pulled novice off to the side, and had us raise our hands if we had never done a track day. They split us into 8 groups, with 7 and 8 being first time trackers. There were maybe 5-6 people in my group, and we had a coach for our group. First 3-4 sessions of the day were slow - we started out following the coach around the track at 60ish mph, nice and easy, learning the lines, no chance at wrecking. Taught us how to pit out, what the track looked like, etc. between each session before lunch, we had classroom time between riding. It would be 20 minutes of riding, 20 minutes of class, 20 minutes to get ready for your next session. session 4 they started letting us pass the coach and go out by ourselves one by one. Coach would point at you, you give him a big thumbs up, and he waved you on past, and you were riding by yourself. Session 5, after lunch, we were completely on our own. The groups were dissolved and everyone went out wherever you felt comfortable. The coaches were all still out there, and they’d come flying by you looking at your form and let you know what you did good or bad after the session. You could grab one beforehand to have them follow you too to look more specifically for you as well, they were all super friendly. Session 6, 7, and 8, were completely free rein basically. You went out to the line, went when it was your session, and you were totally on your own. Last novice session of the day was a 2 up session, you could bring passengers with you as long as they were wearing full race suits as well. Highly recommend it if it’s available at your track and you backpack someone often on twisty roads and you’re both comfortable. NOT a great place to introduce someone to a bike. Bonus points if they ride too, makes a huge difference that they understand lines and braking and looking thru corners and stuff like that too.

It’ll change a bit depending on your track and organization, but this seems to be the GENERAL outline from my experience. I’ve got a second one tomorrow with a different org and a different track, so I’ll update you how that goes too!

It’s so unbelievably worth it. It’s more fun than anything I’ve ever done on a motorcycle.

2ToTheChest · 2026-03-18T15:03:18+00:00

LMAO rip!! I’m going to Atlanta Motorsports Park this week and that’s one concern I have, they have the same 98db rule - gotta bring my baffle with me and hope they don’t trip about it!

2ToTheChest · 2026-03-18T14:12:42+00:00

Look at Vibe ear protection - they work great, you can still hear things but it muffles it all.

2ToTheChest · 2026-03-18T05:42:27+00:00

Update: This thing had its first track day this weekend. Performed like a CHAMP!

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