Advice for first track day?

In 3 weeks time I have my first ever track day. Does anyone have any tips and advice for things to do / not to do.

I am intending to stay within my limits, but anyone here fallen off during their first track day? What was the cause?

Where are you going, and who is organising it?

There is no need to fall off, although them who do are generally dangerous to everyone

Just enjoy the experience :P its not a qualifying session

[rictus01]

First track day.

make sure your kit and bike are up to it.
try going with people you know and who are in the same group (you'll all want to talk about it after each session).
listen to the newbie rider briefing
take a newbie bib.
take your time on the first session, let your tyres warm up.
second session ask one of the instructors to follow you around, he will follow for a few laps, then either pull in and stop, to explain how you can improve, or overtake you and allow you to follow using the correct lines.

practise for the rest of the day.

smile like cheshire cat all day.

go home totally knackered.

enjoy, Cheers Mark.

[Balky001]

Follow the intructors as close as you can on the sighting laps, ask them to follow you in the first session and tell you where you are going wrong. Go at your own speed (don't take it too easy though!) and don't try and do your quickest lap in the first couple of sessions, build up to it, or you'll bin it by lunchtime. Speaking of which, take it easy after the lunch period as you can get over-confident. But do ask the instructors for help and don't worry, once you done one you'll want more - and its natural to be nervous first time out. You'll find most of the time the guys in the pit are really friendly and if they know you are trackday virgin then they'll give you some good advice. Remember to take a screwdriver/hex set (multipurpose ones are fine) for removing mirrors etc, gaffer tape for lights and bits, wipes/cleaning fluid for the visor, and something warm to wear when you are in the pits at this time of year

I binned it on my 5th lap on my first trackday!!!

I was leaning too much on a cold, wet knockhill hairpin on cold tyres and had a wee lowside. I was getting too confident up to that point and it was a good way to level my head!! I was able to get back on and take it much easier. The track dried up and it was great after that.

I wasn't the worst that day!!! That honor goes to the Gixer rider who went into the gravel on the warm-up lap and the Raptor rider who went off on the grass and into a wall (at about 2mph!) on the 3rd lap!! lol

Just take it easy and you'll be fine!

Ride it like your Rossi - maybe you'll be the greatest

This comes from a man who has high sided a fair few times

[northwind]

Raptor Guy didn't go off, he highsided it almost exactly where you lowsided... Well, if you can call it a highside, considering he was almost stationary by the time it hit the ground... And he did it 2 metres on front of me just to put the Fear into me.

I took things very, very slowly on my first- no instructors that day but we got talked through the 3 likely crashpoints on the track (clearly Baz wasn't listening...) Overconfidence was not an issue, after seeing Baz and Raptor Guy bin theirs within seconds of hitting the track I was pretty much on a go slow for the whole first session and didn't really get into it till about the 3rd. (Why were we doing our first ever trackday in the wet? Because we're Proper Men, even Nutty Tart. Also, we're a bit simple)

I did crash on my second track day, just pushing on a little too hard on a still-wet track and lost the front. From what i've seen, trackday offs mainly come from overconfidence, overenthusiasm, and cold tyres- I suffered from number 2.

I think you have to be realistic, and understand that it might go wrong... Don't count on it, but plan for it as a possibility. Have a get-home plan for sure, I take a decent range of tools and a full set of levers, roll of gaffa tape, etc, so that I can patch up light damage and get home unless I've injured myself or done more serious damage. Personally I wouldn't go far away to a trackday without transportation for the bike, or some way of getting the same.

Personally I just wouldn't do a trackday without crash bungs, they turned my 60mph slide into the gravel from a bike-wrecker to a single broken lever... but this is a bit of a personal taste thing.

[mattSV]

I have been think of doing a track day recently

Found loads of excellent advice in this link on the SV1000 site (www.sv1000.zyns.com)

Details here - scroll down and have a look through

http://www.sv1000.zyns.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=10298

just have fun and dont try and race anyone - you will though.

and for the record i am not a proper man

i recently had my first trackday at donnington. i recomend folding in or removing mirrors, the last thing you need to be worrying about are the people behind you. and also if there is a photographer there get some photo's taken.