track day advice

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

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

I did my first track day last Wednesday and absolutely loved it 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

so what companys and circuits do you recommend ?

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.

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.

Ohhh

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

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

Ohhh

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

Depends on how many people book before you

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