View Full Version : Any Track day tips.
Hi got my first track day on sunday at snetterton and was wondering if anyone has any top tips to help to day go smoother, Obviously the first thing to do is enjoy myself :D and second is don't fall off :(
Take spare brake/clutch levers with you in case you come off.
Also take a bit more than your average tool kit to fix those odd things.
Different visors.
Sandwiches/drink as it'll be expensive at the track.
Gaffer tape, zip ties
LICENCE
Wallet
Booking slip of your track day etc.
:thumleft:
Can't think of anything else at the minute, But i'm sure others will add more.
Are you riding to the track or taking the bike in a van or trailer???
Spikenipple
20-07-09, 06:44 PM
Concentrate as much as you can during the sighting laps to work out a rough speed to take the corners at, then during the day build up til your speeds are at a comfortable level. Don't jump straight into it and do something you don't know if you can do, basically!
maviczap
20-07-09, 06:46 PM
H'mm, I think the 'Bomb Hole' is where a lot of people come unstuck at Snet, although this isn't from personal experience.
Listen to the instructors if there are any? Follow their lines. Reduce your tyre pressure, but by how much, you'll have to wait for the more experienced guys here.
Enjoy, How much, just out of interest?
Think its about £99 for the day plus £25 for 1 session of private tution, not sure of exact prices got it as a gift
Think you should take around 3-5 psi out of each tyre.
I was recomended 28/26 front/rear respectively. Though it didn't feel too good, so upped them slightly.
Oh, but if you do this, make sure you can get to an air supply or foot pump in case you take too much air out...
Sideshow#36
20-07-09, 07:01 PM
Think you should take around 3-5 psi out of each tyre.
I was recomended 28/26 front/rear respectively. Though it didn't feel too good, so upped them slightly.
Oh, but if you do this, make sure you can get to an air supply or foot pump in case you take too much air out...
Thats a little too low to be honest. I usually run something like 31f/30r
Think you should take around 3-5 psi out of each tyre.
I was recomended 28/26 front/rear respectively. Though it didn't feel too good, so upped them slightly.
Oh, but if you do this, make sure you can get to an air supply or foot pump in case you take too much air out...
And don't forget to inflate them to normal for riding home!
Just relax, be smooth, and enjoy it.
Thats a little too low to be honest. I usually run something like 31f/30r
Yeah, i did one session on 30/33 then went to the tyre guy. That's what he suggested i do (28/26).
It felt frigging horrible, so change them straight back after just the one session.
been told by someone to take my number plate off or cover it with tape
been told by someone to take my number plate off or cover it with tape
Yeah. Means the marshalls spend less time clearing up shards of plastic all over the track if you come off.
Be wise to take your mirrors off to and tape up your headlights.
No matter what anybody says, if you feel the need to pull over to let the others catch up, just do so ;)
http://photos2.pix.ie/44/68/446815B7A3674742939413BD8A567951-500.jpg (http://pix.ie/davewarrington/1113612)
No matter what anybody says, if you feel the need to pull over to let the others catch up, just do so ;)
:smt043 :smt038
That reminds me actually. Probably bad advice, so feel free to ignore this one...
...But i was told that if i went into the gravel to keep the throttle on and keep going aiming for the exit of the gravel. Stops you from bedding down and sliding down to a gravelly death.
Obviously this won't work if you're aiming straight for a wall with little distance in between. Also if this happens, be careful when coming back onto the track so as not to bring lots of gravel and dirt onto the racing line.
One of the racers will be along shortly to confirm or deny this. :rolleyes:
noob-saibot
20-07-09, 07:26 PM
jasus dave why'd u end up in there??
..tis a lovely shot though!
Well i'll tell the story in picture shall i ...
This is a friend of our's driving Pj gallagher's old K7 750, with a lovely quick shifter just after i whooped his ass, and hammer it past him.
http://photos3.pix.ie/58/5A/585A3818A0174F92835330511FF70E61-240.jpg (http://pix.ie/davewarrington/861367)
So on the next session words were had ( friendly banter ) and i took the front position followed closly by two other chaps and the same guy on said gsxr.
http://photos2.pix.ie/C1/41/C14149A7E7A844D1BE00704C54B4B2F2-240.jpg (http://pix.ie/davewarrington/861320)
Comming down this hill
http://photos2.pix.ie/B2/77/B277B425CA954DFB92B68156EF74E5E1-240.jpg (http://pix.ie/davewarrington/861316)
It was at this point when i realised i haddnt got in a quick smoke, and prob had time to pull over and grab a quick lucozade also...so i didnt take the right hand turn, thats off camber, and drifted on in to the gravel.
and then rejoined after a second or two.
noob-saibot
20-07-09, 07:52 PM
Down the hill, wet knickers moment for sure :eek:
Down the hill, wet knickers moment for sure :eek:
Yea im a big enough man to admit, i bottled it on the run down to whats known as tartan 1.
If you do drift off, get her down to 2nd and just keep the throttle on, but dont try and fly over the gravel, just take it nice and easy, and work your self out of there.
And my no1 rule, Brake up right, and get off the brakes early, slow in fast out, if you want do like rossi, brake brake brake get the leg off the peg, hang it out there, get ure balanbce and them flick the bike in to the turn, keep the power on, keep it constant, wait untill you start to straighten up before you lash it back on again.
custard
20-07-09, 08:15 PM
have a decent meal the night before, get some carbs in you.
dont worry too much about tyre pressures, wait till you get to the track and see how you go. i have done a couple and never bothered to change them...
take it slow and gradually build up cos hoghsiding in the 2nd session of the day aint fun! and on that note ignore first gear, just pretend its not there
finally - grin like an idiot and get more adrenalin inside you than you know what to do with!
enjoy dude!
Red Herring
20-07-09, 08:27 PM
Don't forget it makes a huge difference to the pressures if the tyres are hot or cold. About 32 front/30 rear hot equates to about 29/27 cold but I would suggest that is a tad low for a first timer as you're not going to work them as hard as a regular track rider (no offence but I figured you wouldn't be asking if you were on the pace) so start a couple of psi higher and maybe drop them as the day goes on.
As has been said spend the first couple of sessions working out where the track goes and build up your apex speed until you are happy with what's going on, then slowly improve your lap times by accelerating a bit harder and braking a bit firmer for the bends, but always make sure you take the same line and corner speed as before. Snetterton has a nice long straight which is great but it's all to easy to lose perception of speed at the end and go in a bit to hot, the only good thing is there is plenty of room to run on, provided you have the sense to recognize what is happening and pick the bike up, otherwise you will run wide and launch yourself across the apex of the following right hander. Watch the "chicane" at Russels as well, the left side of the back tyre doesn't do any work anywhere else and it's very easy to highside there as a result.
Above all else, as has been said, take it easy and have fun.
Like people have said the first 2 sessions all i plan on doing is going out and trying to learn the track and gain a bit more confidence on the 3rd session i've got an instructor coming out with me to give me pointers hopefully by then i'll be more comfotable with the track and be able to take on what he's saying more without worrying about where the track goes. its only a novice day so i'm sure there be a few others out there like me and probably a few with more power than sense as well
Paul the 6th
20-07-09, 08:54 PM
best bit of advice I wish anyone had given me:
do a novice only track day.
I went on a track evening to cadwell park where there was novice and advanced groups. The advanced group was full so all the pro's went in the novice group just so they could get on track. Because I was an actual novice, I had people under & over taking me before, during and immediately after corners, so I could never relax and learn or enjoy the track...
One guy on a ducati nearly had me off because I was clearly a novice and he absolutely had to get past me. Fair enough if there was a cash prize or a trophy for the winner at the end, but I felt people were seriously pushing it to the limit just to keep up with their friends (and I wasn't going slowly either! the majority of guys in the novice group were on full race prepped/track bikes)
If I ever do another track day again, it'll be a novice only :)
One thing that helps me with tracks i've not been on and haven't any clue where they lead was to watch a few Youtube videos.
It massively helped me when going to a new track. :D
It is a novice only track day apparently novice is 3 or less trackdays, and i've still got the BSB races at snetterton saved on the sky+, plan to watch them a few more times this week although i think snett looks like one of the easier tracks to remember,
Red Herring
20-07-09, 09:46 PM
best bit of advice I wish anyone had given me:
do a novice only track day.
I went on a track evening to cadwell park where there was novice and advanced groups. The advanced group was full so all the pro's went in the novice group just so they could get on track.........)
This is getting to be more and more of a problem now as track day organizers just seem to be desperate to take the money and will put riders where ever they can get them in. The really annoying bit about it is the experienced riders should be the ones able to pass without causing problems, it's just that some of them don't seem to care.
I did my one and only (so far ;)) track day there a couple of years ago.
Make sure you have all your paperwork to hand, and check you have the gear to meet their regulations i.e. leathers that zip together/one piece etc.
Snetterton is a straight forward circuit. It is a reasonably flat track and there are no blind bends. I stuck in the novice section and had a great time even though it rained. I also ended up running into the gravel at the end of the pit straight. I misjudged the braking distance and could do nothing about it other than hold on and stay in a straight line. Fortunately I stayed up and rejoined in a suitable gap. More luck thank judgement!
Have a great time and try to remember it's an experience day rather than a race day :)
Don't crash - most important thing about doing a trackday, that is.
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