never been to a track day, what you like to have known before your first track experience?

Tyres …

I didn’t want to splash out on a new set of tyres before a trackday as it seemed silly to burn up a nice new tyre … I could just destroy the remains of an old one …

What I know now …

The bits you will use are the bits you won’t be using on the road, so its not like you are ‘wasting’ any new tyre.

A well used tyre chews up incredibly fast .. becoming an unusable/scary tyre …

Tyres are the singles biggest confidence supplier and taker …

Do it. Full stop.


Trackdays are great, make sure you've some rubber on the tyres (I've used Pirelli diablo stradas mainly), brake material on the pads, oil in the sump and fuel in the tank.

Exact bike prep depends on circuit and organisers, take some duct/masking tape and you'll be able to meet most of their requirements (unless your bike is super unsafe, or stupidly loud).

As for masking up the speedo or not, a matter of opinion, been both ways, only tend to look at it on long straights which start to get a bit boring on the SV anyway, or the fuchsrohre for bragging rights.

Go there with the aim of having fun and coming home in one piece, whether it's speed, knee down, lap times, looking swish, or just living the dream.

I've driven to trackdays before, and trailed the bike as well, trailing is a luxury but not always available, I've ridden to the 'Ring from the Uk twice for weekends and for one dayers in the UK from Belgium once (including the euro tunnel), France from Belgium, Belgium from Belgium and the UK from the UK before, so it is do-able.

As for tracks, Croft is good, better for a first timer than Cadwell, haven't done Donny yet, but take heed of other's advice.

- crashing is not compulsory (I wish someone had told me that )
- 15-20 minute sessions seem a *lot* longer than you might think
- everyone else is too busy concentrating on their own riding to think "look at this noob" or whatever you might think they might be thinking about you
- slow is smooth
- smooth is fast

Originally Posted by weazelz

...
- slow is smooth
- smooth is fast

Slow is slow ... it is actually hard to be smooth when you are wobbling about ... you need a fair bit of momentum/sweeping lines to make it smooth!!

But without being to literal , generally speaking it is true that if you are 'trying' too hard you are probably actually going to be going slower than if you knocked it off a few degrees and got your fluidity back

At the end of the day, just go out there an play ... you don't need advice and seeking it will only get you over thinking stuff!!!

^ ^ ^ ^

Exactly, it's all about the fun factor.

I would love to do one but I'm concerned I'll bin it.

Originally Posted by robchester

I would love to do one but I'm concerned I'll bin it.

That is a common concern and perfectly valid as it could well happen.

But consider this --> Do you think the same before you go out on a road ride/burn?? A 'bin' could well happen on every/any road ride ... so if not why not??

[G]

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

That is a common concern and perfectly valid as it could well happen.

But consider this --> Do you think the same before you go out on a road ride/burn?? A crash could well happen ... so if not why not??

+1

Your no more likely to crash on the track, than on your journey to it if you take it easy, just dont try and push yourself to quickly.

Originally Posted by graemepaterson

+1

Your no more likely to crash on the track, than on your journey to it if you take it easy, just dont try and push yourself to quickly.

its hard to quantify 'likelihood' of one against the other ... but there is a chance you will drop it on the road, yet most people don’t give it a second thought ... it certainly wouldn't stop them for going for a ride ... my point is that why should this be any different on/for the track???

Its more fear of the unknown than probability based ... but at the end of the day all you are doing is going for a rideout, but on a well tarmac’d road with no oncoming cars/busses etc or chances of tractors pulling out ...

I feared ‘dropping it’ before my first trackday (and I still do) … but it didn’t prevent me and doesn’t prevent me from doing one …

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

its hard to quantify 'likelihood' of one against the other ... but there is a chance you will drop it on the road, yet most people don’t give it a second thought ... it certainly wouldn't stop them for going for a ride ... my point is that why should this be any different on/for the track???

Its more fear of the unknown than probability based ... but at the end of the day all you are doing is going for a rideout, but on a well tarmac’d road with no oncoming cars/busses etc or chances of tractors pulling out ...

I feared ‘dropping it’ before my first trackday (and I still do) … but it didn’t prevent me and doesn’t prevent me from doing one …

Yep - I think everyone does! I'm around 12 trackdays in now and a superbike school and still haven't binned it (touch wood) . Another thing to consider is that a spill on the road more often than not, ends up being more costly than one on the track (to you and the bike) because there is a lot more for you and your bike to hit.