track day advice

[Warren]

track days.

now ive got a bit of money in the bank :) im thinking of doing a track day.
however, i dont have enough money in the bank to repair my bike if i have an off :(.

just wondering, i know nothing about track days and where to start in booking one, wondering if you guys could recommend anywhere to start. any tips and pointers ? and course's suitable for a track virgin. (lots of coaching - less hooligans)

i have 2 piece zip together leathers, back protector, BMS stamped helmet, crash bungs ect ect. anything else i will probably need ?

also, are BT020's good enough for the track ?

im not looking to become the doctor in a day, i am looking at getting to know my machines limitations a bit better (mabe get my knee down for the first time if conditions allow :))

cheers guys

Warren

[weegaz22]

invest in some decent crash bungs before you hit the track, 020's should be fine for the track, but just let the heat build up in them for the first few laps as a lot of crashes happen on cold tyres

[northwind]

The best solution is just not to crash, but there's some things you can do to make sure that if you do it's not such a disaster...

Make sure you can take the mirrors off- you won't want them on track and they're expensive if you drop it! Better to just remove them entirely. Likewise anything else expensive and removable that sticks out, and aftermarket bodywork if you have any on.

And if I was you I'd get a roll of decent cloth tape- real gaffa if you can find it but anything half-decent and similiar is good... Use it to tape up your lights, and stick a bit down the sticky out bits of fairings. It won't help you if you go down on tarmac but it will protect the paint from the kitty litter if you don't go in too hard- a couple of feet of tape meant mine took absolutely no damage to the plastics after I chucked it into the gravel. Some people tape up the speedo too to avoid clock watching, not a bad idea.

If you have any spare levers it'd be a good idea to take them with you (or get a set). Certainly in my experience most track day offs happen at fairly low speeds and don't do a huge amount of damage, but if you snap off the front brake lever or clutch level that's you out for the day and maybe needing to get it vanned home. Always nice to have a spare.

Also, did you ever manage to get anything sorted out for your suspension? Lots of track days have setup guys on hand now so that could be the ideal opportunity to get something sorted out. And check it's in good condition before you go, things like oil, chain tension, all the routine easy stuff.

Other than that, be careful and have fun... They really are fantastic. Don't be afraid to be overtaken or even lapped, there's always going to be someone faster than you (and there's always some **** on a Blade or similiar who should be in intermediate or expert staying in beginner because he wants to massage his ego and overtake loads of people)

You won't regret it... I crashed last time and I still didn't regret it :)

[Haxsaw]

I did my first track day last Wednesday and absolutely loved it :D I also did it on the OEM D220s and had toes down with no complaints. They are now quite shredded, though!

As above, just take it easy: I had no intention of trying to race anyone but towards the end of the day, as confidance went up, I found myself getting held up in the corners and was forced to take an R1 round the outside :lol:

[Warren]

so what companys and circuits do you recommend ?

[Warren]

http://www.trackdays.co.uk/tracks/brands-hatch.htm

i found this.

just wondering . . how comes its more expensive on certain days than others ?


also, whats the indy circuit of brands ?

and is it recommended for a newbie ?

[Balky001]

If you are worried about dropping it you can get you bike covered for about £50. Type in Track Day Insurance in google, there's a few companies.

Weekends are ususally more expensive (except Lydden!) as they have more meets and racing then. I'm doing Brands Hatch Indy next Tuesday for £139. If you are checking tracks, see what layout they are going - Silverstone has National and GP, as does Donington - so this can affect the price. Brands Indy (the smaller circuit well suited to SV) at 139 is not bad, the GP circuit is usually another £100 on top. If you book through people like UK Trackdays they add another £10 on the booking so most people book direct, although having companies like UKTrackdays and Racedays etc is good as you can see all dates available in one place.. But save the £10'er.

Tracks I'd recommend - Brands Indy, Snetterton (although not a great track for SV650), Donington GP and Silverstone GP.

[Mike1234]

Have a look at www.biketrackdays.co.uk to choose your track day.

If you choose one of the Motorcycle Folly dates (they have a Brands Hatch date on the 11th July) I will be there as Chief Instructor and will help you out during the day. There will be a suspension guy in attendance and, probably, a tyre supplier.

Don't worry about tyres, suspension, taping anything up, etc. Make sure you have one piece leathers or two piece that zip together.

Relax, enjoy it, look where you want to go rather than where you don't (e.g. gravel, grass, etc.), concentrate on the throttle through the corner rather than the brakes going in to the corner and remember tomake use of the instructors as they are paid to be there to help you.

[Flamin_Squirrel]

Ohhh 8)

Might be interested in attending - how late can I book?

[Mike1234]

Ohhh 8)

Might be interested in attending - how late can I book?

Depends on how many people book before you :D

Why not give them a call and find out? You can get their details via www.motorcyclefolly.co.uk

[northwind]

If you are worried about dropping it you can get you bike covered for about £50. Type in Track Day Insurance in google, there's a few companies.

But read all the small print! For instance, Pitandpaddock

"Exclusions: Damage to bodywork / fairings, Mechanical breakdown, Storage and transit costs, Loss of consumable items, Loss or damage to helmets or overalls / clothing, third party liability."

£60 gets you total loss replacement only with a £500 excess, £125 gets you ground up repair, but with a £500 excess and no cover for the bodywork. So to make it worth claiming on an SV you'll need to really work it over. Ground up repair's almost certainly not economic for us- with the £125 cost, £500 excess and no plastic cover you'd need to bend the frame or basically destroy everything else to make it worthwhile. and in that case the total loss cover would probably kick in it seems.

Not saying it's a bad idea, just that you'll want to read it over carefully.

[Balky001]

I agree with you, but if you are doing minor damage you wouldn't claim anyway and serious stuff, well, you'd make sure it was a write off. I took out the insurance once but thought it a bit expensive if you are doing 5 or 6 track days a season.

[exduker]

I was in the same boat as you Bikeageboy when I tagged along with a mate to a Hottrax day at Mallory Park to find out about how it all worked.

I was impressed with the organisation and the support for novices. I've since decided that I would be OK to do one myself but would offer the following advice based upon my albeit limited personal experience but from talking to several people there

1. first rule is "ONLY GO AS FAST AS YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH" do not get sucked into trying to be Barry Sheene in a day. I watched the novice group and saw that all sorts were out there and going at varying speeds. You will not be the slowest, and even if you are, it don't matter!

2. second rule "WAIT FOR YOUR TYRES TO WARM UP" - I think it's usual to do several "sighting laps" behind an instructor at the start of each session to warm up the tyres but then gradually build up speed thereafter rather than going banzai as soon as the instructor peels off

A good source of advice can be found on the Hottrax site here
http://www.hottrax-online.com/content.php?include=novice&osCsid=0070bcbcfbbc2103a2eb7bac90f262f4

and here

http://www.hottrax-online.com/content.php?include=typicalday

All-in-all, from being a bit of a wuss about it all, I now feel more confident to go along myself and have a go. The missus has just anounced the first child is on the way though so just as I work up the courage, I need to save money for other things!

[Halonic]

The missus has just anounced the first child is on the way though so just as I work up the courage, I need to save money for other things!

well done that man

A couple of questions, has anyone tried a track day on a naked? and, anyone tried Nordschleife at all?

aside from that, from what I've seen, Brands et al do evening sessions for much cheapness, it doesnt look like you get many laps but I'm hpoing this would be an easy intro into it

[exduker]

thanks!

plenty of nakeds (is that naki in plural form?) at the event I went to - one of the instructors was even on a traillie!!!!! :shock:

I'd recommend Malory Park as a good starter track - short circuit (easy to learn), a couple of long bends (to build up confidence and try for the knee-down mecca experience) and my mate was seeing 155mph on the start/finish straight (admittedly on a gixer thou) :shock:

The best bit is its usually circa £99 for a full day with about 6-8 20min sessions!

From where I am (M40/M25 junction) it took just under 2 hours to ride there.

[Balky001]

aside from that, from what I've seen, Brands et al do evening sessions for much cheapness, it doesnt look like you get many laps but I'm hpoing this would be an easy intro into it

I spoke with FocusedEvents as I'm doing a daytime track day at Brands on Tuesday, where they are also doing an evening session for £59. They said that you get 4 sessions, but as there are only 2 groups of 25-30 minutes each, that could be a good 2 hours, as opposed to 2 hours 20 minutes for an all dayer at £139 - good value!

[bmk]

Hi,

For anyone new to track days and feeling apprehensive about doing one, I would recommend Martin Hopp. He has one day a month at Cadwell Park, and his fall off / accident rate is probably the lowest in the country.

He runs his days with about 10 or so instructors and limits overtaking in the mornings whilst everyone is getting up to speed. Don't assume that because overtaking is restricted that you will be going slowly, he runs 5 groups to each session, each with their own instructor, and they will lead the group as quick as they feel comfortable with, building the pace each session during the morning, with tips and feedback after each session.

Days cost £125, and his rebook rate is probably about 70%. His website is - http://www.hoppridertraining.co.uk/