Just booked my first Track day
Discussion
Pesty, you'll have a ball for sure, despite the fact that you will likely be a fair bit apprehensive beforehand.
I've done a couple of track days now (and have another booked in July) and I absolutely love them.
Other than go out and enjoy, I only have a few tips:
* put your standard road can back on - some tracks are more strict than others, but there are plenty of occurences of disappointed riders being turned away for having noisey race cans
* don't get too carried away trying to emulate Hodgeson, Toseland and Chili
* ride cautiously on the first few laps, then ride to what you think are you current limits, then push it a little further without going mental
The track is the perfect place to improve your skills, but if you get carried away you'll be picking your bike off the gravel and the gravel out of your arse.
>> Edited by gixxer1000 on Thursday 12th June 09:08
I've done a couple of track days now (and have another booked in July) and I absolutely love them.
Other than go out and enjoy, I only have a few tips:
* put your standard road can back on - some tracks are more strict than others, but there are plenty of occurences of disappointed riders being turned away for having noisey race cans
* don't get too carried away trying to emulate Hodgeson, Toseland and Chili
* ride cautiously on the first few laps, then ride to what you think are you current limits, then push it a little further without going mental
The track is the perfect place to improve your skills, but if you get carried away you'll be picking your bike off the gravel and the gravel out of your arse.
>> Edited by gixxer1000 on Thursday 12th June 09:08
mechsympathy said: Don't plan on doing any work for the following week: you'll be too busy reliving the corners/straights/overtakes etc etc etc.
And take the first session steady, I was still shaking with (pathetic) excitement after 30 mins.
I'm boreing everyone at work already about it.
I'm actualy excited now I'm going to be a bag of nerves when I finaly get there
cant wait to go down that hill bit to the craner curves and old hair pin.(think thats whats that part of the track is called. I used to sit there and watch the touring cars)
And yes I fully expect to be riding round the same sort of lap times as say rossi would
Do allow plenty of sleep the night before. Riding bikes fast demands high levels of concentration and strength derived from ample sleep.
Please take time to learn the circuit intimately before allowing you ‘unbridled’ enthusiasm. If a track can catch out the likes of Carl Fogarty then a novice could unwittingly become a fairly immediate victim!
Do not worry about what others are doing, unless of course they’re posing a danger to you. First and foremost concentrate on your own safe progress, and take time to learn the art of fast and precise riding. There’s always going to be faster and slower riders, forget them, you’re here for you.
Obviously when you first venture out onto the circuit at the beginning of each session, your tyres will be cold, and to a lesser extent your brakes. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE the ability of a cold tyre to dump you on your arse before you realise what’s happened. Please allow a couple of laps before attempting knee-down / peg-scraping abandon!
At lunchtime, try not to eat loads of food, especially those high in carbohydrates. Complex carbs stimulate the release of a brain chemical, serotonin, which promotes drowsiness. Exactly what you don’t need, obviously! Keep the snack light, keep the intake of caffeine moderate, but above all try to take plenty of fluids especially if it is a hot day. Dehydration comes fast especially in full leathers, and impairs your ability to concentrate. As a rough guide if your mouth becomes dry you are already 20% down on your hydration levels. Try to sip water constantly throughout the day.
As soon as you feel your concentration and strength flagging towards the end of the day, knock it on the head and think about going home. This is the best time of all to bin it, because familiarity and tiredness don’t go well together! Don’t worry about getting out for one last session, better to take you and your bike home in one piece and digest what you’ve learnt in a nice hot bath.
The bike should for understandable reasons be in sound condition. There is no need for full-on race preparation, but the removal of obviously breakable parts should be considered, as should the fitting of crash mushrooms etc. With regards to mushrooms don’t buy cheap ones, as watching them bounce down the track, when the bike goes down, without a scratch does nothing for your sense of humour! Tape up any lights, and either fold in or remove your mirrors (if you come off the mirrors will actually demolish the front fairing). You only need to concentrate on what is in front of you let the person behind worry about the same, i.e. you.
The track is harder on tyres than the roads check they have tread. Think about dropping the pressures, as a rough guide run around 28-30 psi in the front and 30-32 psi in the rear. The tyres will work a lot harder and therefore will run at a warmer temperature, if you don’t drop the pressure the working temperature will be closer to 50 psi, but if in doubt ask! Take time to warm the tyres up at the start of each session. One lap is sufficient and don’t weave it does nothing for the tyres, and its dangerous.
If you are familiar with your suspension, stiffen it up in accordance with your manual. Check the chain is at the correct tension and that is oiled the night before. If you do this on a paddock stand allow for the suspension to tighten up the chain, if it snaps you will be on your arse! Check the Brake pads have more than 3mm. If you have the time, clean up the callipers and check all pistons work. Finally use your common sense to tape up or remove any flappy or loose bits, cables, bolts etc.
Make sure the exhaust is within track limits, there is nothing worse than turning up and being told to watch.
Don’t use a flip lid, these do not work very well and scuffs on the chin are common.
If it rains, take wet weather gear with you, and enjoy the track. It is fun in the rain; you just won’t go as quickly.
Learn the flags, they will save your life and others
When you start off, it is going to be loads to get used to. So ditch things like gears. Go round in third or fourth until you have got used to brakes and acceleration. The less things filling your brain the better.
Follow people of your level, but don’t succumb to peer pressure, if someone is noticeably faster than you leave them alone. Use them to learn the line, (the racing line) try and recognise braking, turning and apex points and once you have gone past the point aim for the next. Your bike will go where you look, this is very important! If you see someone come off in front of you look for a way through and you will miss them, watch them riding down on their arse will lead to you riding over them. Also if you go close to the grass don’t look at it, if you do you will go grass tracking. So look through the corner.
If you do go on the grass, and your not heading towards the Armco, don’t hit the brakes (or take your hand off the brakes before you go on the grass), you will meet the ground very quickly. You need to remove the weight from the front wheel, so roll on the power, and slow down using the gears.
If your going through the hairpin, don’t choose too lower gear, so avoid 1st.
If the back end slips don’t close off the throttle, this will lead to highsides.
Survival reactions will cut in every now and then. We were designed to fight woolly mammals and not ride bikes, so when you think your going to fast in a corner and your survival reactions say hit the brakes, IGNORE THEM!
But above all have fun!!!!!
Hopefully these points will be useful.
Please take time to learn the circuit intimately before allowing you ‘unbridled’ enthusiasm. If a track can catch out the likes of Carl Fogarty then a novice could unwittingly become a fairly immediate victim!
Do not worry about what others are doing, unless of course they’re posing a danger to you. First and foremost concentrate on your own safe progress, and take time to learn the art of fast and precise riding. There’s always going to be faster and slower riders, forget them, you’re here for you.
Obviously when you first venture out onto the circuit at the beginning of each session, your tyres will be cold, and to a lesser extent your brakes. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE the ability of a cold tyre to dump you on your arse before you realise what’s happened. Please allow a couple of laps before attempting knee-down / peg-scraping abandon!
At lunchtime, try not to eat loads of food, especially those high in carbohydrates. Complex carbs stimulate the release of a brain chemical, serotonin, which promotes drowsiness. Exactly what you don’t need, obviously! Keep the snack light, keep the intake of caffeine moderate, but above all try to take plenty of fluids especially if it is a hot day. Dehydration comes fast especially in full leathers, and impairs your ability to concentrate. As a rough guide if your mouth becomes dry you are already 20% down on your hydration levels. Try to sip water constantly throughout the day.
As soon as you feel your concentration and strength flagging towards the end of the day, knock it on the head and think about going home. This is the best time of all to bin it, because familiarity and tiredness don’t go well together! Don’t worry about getting out for one last session, better to take you and your bike home in one piece and digest what you’ve learnt in a nice hot bath.
The bike should for understandable reasons be in sound condition. There is no need for full-on race preparation, but the removal of obviously breakable parts should be considered, as should the fitting of crash mushrooms etc. With regards to mushrooms don’t buy cheap ones, as watching them bounce down the track, when the bike goes down, without a scratch does nothing for your sense of humour! Tape up any lights, and either fold in or remove your mirrors (if you come off the mirrors will actually demolish the front fairing). You only need to concentrate on what is in front of you let the person behind worry about the same, i.e. you.
The track is harder on tyres than the roads check they have tread. Think about dropping the pressures, as a rough guide run around 28-30 psi in the front and 30-32 psi in the rear. The tyres will work a lot harder and therefore will run at a warmer temperature, if you don’t drop the pressure the working temperature will be closer to 50 psi, but if in doubt ask! Take time to warm the tyres up at the start of each session. One lap is sufficient and don’t weave it does nothing for the tyres, and its dangerous.
If you are familiar with your suspension, stiffen it up in accordance with your manual. Check the chain is at the correct tension and that is oiled the night before. If you do this on a paddock stand allow for the suspension to tighten up the chain, if it snaps you will be on your arse! Check the Brake pads have more than 3mm. If you have the time, clean up the callipers and check all pistons work. Finally use your common sense to tape up or remove any flappy or loose bits, cables, bolts etc.
Make sure the exhaust is within track limits, there is nothing worse than turning up and being told to watch.
Don’t use a flip lid, these do not work very well and scuffs on the chin are common.
If it rains, take wet weather gear with you, and enjoy the track. It is fun in the rain; you just won’t go as quickly.
Learn the flags, they will save your life and others
When you start off, it is going to be loads to get used to. So ditch things like gears. Go round in third or fourth until you have got used to brakes and acceleration. The less things filling your brain the better.
Follow people of your level, but don’t succumb to peer pressure, if someone is noticeably faster than you leave them alone. Use them to learn the line, (the racing line) try and recognise braking, turning and apex points and once you have gone past the point aim for the next. Your bike will go where you look, this is very important! If you see someone come off in front of you look for a way through and you will miss them, watch them riding down on their arse will lead to you riding over them. Also if you go close to the grass don’t look at it, if you do you will go grass tracking. So look through the corner.
If you do go on the grass, and your not heading towards the Armco, don’t hit the brakes (or take your hand off the brakes before you go on the grass), you will meet the ground very quickly. You need to remove the weight from the front wheel, so roll on the power, and slow down using the gears.
If your going through the hairpin, don’t choose too lower gear, so avoid 1st.
If the back end slips don’t close off the throttle, this will lead to highsides.
Survival reactions will cut in every now and then. We were designed to fight woolly mammals and not ride bikes, so when you think your going to fast in a corner and your survival reactions say hit the brakes, IGNORE THEM!
But above all have fun!!!!!
Hopefully these points will be useful.
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