Track day virgin - your advice please
 

So I've only gone and signed up for my first track day :D

What should i do to prepare? :shock:

Your valued advice please :wink:

Relax, it's a motorbike and a bit of road, you do this everyday.

relax & enjoy :-)

Do try not to break it...

If I was you, I'd leave my lowers in the shed... No particular need to leave fragile expensive bits attached to it. Do you have crash bungs? That's good cheap insurance, meant I could ride home after a 70mph ****-up at Knockhill... And staying with the pessimistic approach, a spare pair of front levers is a nice thing to have. I've got a complete set of rashed up fairings which I fit, just because I'd feel like such a k*** if I didn't and I binned it.

Don't race yourself. That's what I did, it's obviously stupid but it's very easy to get carried away in the heat of the moment... And that's about it. Listen to the briefing, then get on with it :) Don't get close to the other idiots, they're all paying £100 to go and ride their own expensive motorbikes around a racetrack designed for professionals- the fools! Anyone who'd do that sort of thing is obviously wrong in the head and should be given a wide berth :)

Did my first one a few weeks ago, I was ****ting myself beforehand.

But like Mr Squid said, at the end of the day its a road and a motorbike.
In fact its better than that, there are no manholes, mud from tractors, cars, vans etc

Just relax, take it steady to start with and go at your own pace.

I thought I would be so slow I would need a man with a red flag walking in front of me, but by about the third session I was overtaking sportsbikes.

Just be there for yourself and your own enjoyment - make a point of having the biggest smile at the end of the day rather than the fastest time.

I did my first track day with Suzuki Race School as I didn't want to use my own bike - so can't really advise. Though pessimistic, Northy's advice is also very realistic. Strip what you can from your bike and carry some basic spares if you can - just aim not to use them. :wink:

I'm not sure you'll need spares, but having a back up plan if you bin it might be a good idea.

Otherwise, get the bike in trim. Do all the adjustments, checks etc. Oil, chain, levers, make sure it's all nice and tight and running well.

Make sure you've got all the gear and are used to wearing it.

Get a roll of duck tape and learn how to switch off the lights (if you have a pointy) using the fuses. Learn how to remove the mirrors.

Finally, make sure you have ok tyres. They are the most important bits of the bike! Find out what the recommended track pressures are. They'll probably have a compressor there so you can pump them up again after. Decent road tyres are more then fine, don't bother with race or ultra sporty tyres.

Once on the track, take time to learn it. Build up your speed session by session. Don't go balls out straight away, and relax. Your unlikely to injure yourself if anything goes wrong, because your on a track with good runoffs, no obstacles, marshalls and you're wearing all the gear.

Enjoy!

Good point and something I'd not thought of beforehand

Focused Events who I did mine with had a tire man to advise on pressures and even adjust them for you. :thumbsup:

Also take the first session steady (be tempted to stay in one gear 3rd or 4th, especially if there is no obligatory pace laps) as it'll take a while to learn where the circuit goes, turning in points etc.

As for tyre pressures, mirrors etc, probably good advice but I've always left my mirrors as they are (couldn't be bothered to tape them in), and have done two track days at standard pressures on pirelli diablo stradas, and two track days with slightly reduced pressures, couldn't tell the difference at my basic track level.

Make sure you're fully hydrated, probably less of an issue during winter, and eat some food.

Most of all have fun, and try and relax when you get out on track.

Have a great day, what track are you off to?

That's a good point. Take refreshments!

Taking mirrors off is preferable to taping or turning in, as it's one less thing to break if you fall off and it's easy (well on the pointy it is, dunno about other bikes).

Both track days I've been on had a tyres guy.