Trackdays - Get the Maximum Enjoyment from Your Time on the Track

Many motorcyclists want to take their bikes onto the track and trackdays are the ideal environment. If you have never been on a track before the experience can feel daunting so here are a number of tips to help make your trackday enjoyable.Use a van or a trailer to get your bike to the track

This has a number of advantages. If the worst happens and the bike getsdamaged you can get it home without waiting for a recovery service. Youcan prepare the bike the night before by removing anything that can bedamaged in a spill. Removal is far better than taping something up. Ifcost is an issue hire a van with a friend or two. One advantage that isoften overlooked is what happens after a trackday. You've been out onthe track for 8 sessions, you're tired (trust me, you will be!!), yourleathers are soaked with sweat, your tyres are way past their best, you have to ridehome and your perception of speed is screwed up. It's a recipe for disaster.With a van or trailer you can get changed into fresh clothes load thebike up and unwind with some good sounds. If it's a hot track day youcan change out of your leathers between sessions.

Food

Don't eat junk food and drink Coke or other fizzy drinks: the sugar levelsdull your concentration. If you don't believe me have a look at the firstsession after lunch at your next trackday. Drink bottled water and eatfruit or pasta.

The 3 Sessions to be aware of!!

There are 3 sessions you have to take extra care in. I would advise you to runat 75% in these sessions for various reasons:

1. The first session of the day

You are new to the track. Even if you have been around it before andit's dry, the grip levels will be different from last time and heavyrain might have washed some of the rubber deposits away. The track willbe colder than before and other riders may not have ridden the trackbefore. If you have done any work on your bike you will surely discoverthat you failed to tighten a caliper bolt in the first few laps.

2. The first session after lunch

Tyres have cooled, concentration levels are lower. Use this sessionto get back into the groove and gradually build your speed up again.

3. The last session of the day

Simple bit of advice here, don't go out in the last session: confidenceis up and will invariably exceed ability, tiredness will start to playa part and tyres wil be nearing the end of their life. It's just notworth it. Pack up when you are ahead.

Find someone slightly faster than you

Once you have settled into a rhythm, know the track and are confidentwith your bike's handling and braking, find someone who is about 5-10 %quicker than you. Follow their lines, use their braking points and soonyou will find that extra bit of speed.

Pick your group wisely

Fast Group: lots of fast road riders and racers, this is probablythe safest group of the lot as fast riders know what they are doing. Ifyou aren't sure whether you should go intermediate or fast, pick the fastgroup: you can always ask to go down a group later.

Intermediate Group: Try to avoid this group likethe plague, its got fast guys who don't like to finish mid pack, slowguys who don't want to go in the slow group. The broad spread of ridersis a recipe for disaster.

Slow Group: this is the ideal group for Novicesand people who want to build their confidence. You won't be the slowestrider here, you are not expected to ride like a GP god and apart forma few intermediate riders who like to lap people and so choose this groupyou will be given lots of room. Once you have lapped 3/4 of the fieldand are confident of your ability then its time to move up. Take somelap time of riders in the other groups from the front, middle and backof the group, compare them with your lap times and if you can make itin the fast group, do it!

Mark Thompson has spent the past 20 years racing motorcycles and managing race teams and riders. He now runs the Trackbikes website.