This is intended to be a guide of things to do and or check before you go and do a track day. It's the same sort of list as you'll find on organisers websites, plus a few things i've either learnt or been told that I either would've forgot or have helped. If i've forgotten anything, please p.m. me with additions and i'll tag 'em on.
Clothing:Most track day organisers will let you use two piece leathers providing they zip together all the way round. Some will let you use them if they zip across the back, fairly few seem to require one piece suits.
You will normally also need an ACU Gold stickered lid. You will also need good quality gloves (no holes in 'em) and boots without laces.
Some organisations will rent the equipment to you if you don't have it, but you will have to leave a damage deposit in case you bin it.
Take spare undies.
Yourself:If you feel like crap, don't go. At the end of the day, if you're flanning on travelling at double the national speed limit and braking hard and late, you don't want to be feeling a bit icky, or have anything detracting from your concentration or physical well being. Yes, you'll probably lose your money, unless you can give them advanced notice, (e.g. if you break something - yourself or bike - a month before) but the alternative is far worse.
If you're going to a major circuit, do some research. The net is awash with circuit maps, guides etc. Plenty of club racers keep diaries - read ones that are relevant for the cricuit you're going to. As often as not they'll be a guide as to what
not to do, but they're normally quite a funny (and sobering) read.
If you're flanning on making a habit of doing track days, buy a copy of the MCN circuit guide - it's invaluble for beginners and more experienced riders alike - it gives a description of every bump and every turn on every major circuit in the country. It's only £30 and worth every penny.
Watch some videos of BSB / WSB / GP action from your destination - it'll give you an idea of the lines to take, (best not watch Nori Haga then!
) but it won't show you where the guys are aiming for when they brake, turn in etc. - that's what the MCN guide is good for. Bear in mind that these guys make it look far, far too easy, and if you try emulating the Stalker / Nitro Nori by trying to back it into a corner up the inside of someone else, you'll put two people in the care of St John's Ambulance services.
Try and track down a computer game simulation of the circuit you're going to - it may not be 100% realism, but at least you'll know what order the corners come in. And if it's good enough for Troy Bayliss... Here's a short list of what games have which circuits:
GP500 (PC) - Donington Park GP Circuit
MotoGP, MotoGP2 (PS2 possibly PC and XBox?) - Donington GP
EA Sports SBK Series (PC) - Brands GP, Donington GP, Silverstone National on some of the newer ones.
TOCAa & TOCA2 (PS1 & 2, PC) - Brands Indy, Donington Indy, Thruxton, Knockhill, Snetterton, Silverstone National (TOCA2), Croft, Half of Oulton Park.
Take plenty of water and sugary snacks with you. Muscling 200kg of metal round a circuit at high speed is hard work, doubly so in the summer, and if you're a beginner you're more likely to be tense and thus use more energy than someone who is comfortable with what's involved. You don't want to be weighed down by eating all the pies between sessions, but you don't want to become dehydrated or run out of energy either.
Take your driving licence with you! Double check with the organiser for any last minute changes, and any other requirements they may have - i.e. additional identification / security if you're hiring bikes or kit from them.
Bike:If you're using your own bike, there are plenty of things that you'll need to do. Starting with things to do at home...
Check your bike
thoroughly. Every bolt / fastener should be tight (no need to murder 'em up - check your Haynes manual or get one from your local library for the correct torque settings), double check the critical ones!!
Make sure it's not leaking oil or coolant from anywhere - they won't even let you on the track if it is.
Get a big roll of gaffer (bodge / duck / duct whatever you call it) tape for taping up lights and mirrors when you get there. Better still, take tools for removing mirrors completely. I'll tell you why later...
Think about fitting new tyres. If you're down to a couple of mm of tread left, they'll be down to the canvas by the end of the day. Fit new ones - they will lose a lot of their life during the day (mostly at the edges if you get into the swing of things), but at least you'll make it home in the rain upright.
Check your brakes! Make sure you have plenty of pad material left, put new fluid in 'em (unless it's been done recently) and make sure they're bled 100% properly - ask a mate / mechanic if you're not confident on how to do it.
Seriously consider renting a van / blagging a lift from a mate with one. Bikes are tricky to ride home with two broken wrists, trickier still if they've been swept into a collection of bin liners.
At the track:Tape up your headlights and indicators - it stops you scattering glass and/or perspex down the track if you bin it. Turn off your headlights so you don't melt the tape!! You may be required to tape up your tail light, you may be allowed to leave it to stop people riding into the back of you if you brake earlier than they expected!
Tape up your numberplate, or remove it completely. Rumours persist about insurance companies having people watching track days to stop people binning it and claiming they did it on the way home.
Tape up or remove your mirrors. You do
not want to be concentrating on the R1 that's about to stuff you up the inside rather than getting round the corner itself!! If you have a faster rider behind you, he'll find his own way past. Concentrate on your riding, not what others are doing around you.
Tape up your speedo. If you look at anything on the dash, it should be your rev counter to make sure you're in the power band. If you look in amazement at how fast you're going down the back straight, the next thing you'll be looking at in amazement will be your braking marker sailing past while you're still doing 170mph. If you want to know how fast you go, buy a cycle computer (about £30 for one with a decent speed range) that works off a magnet you attach to your front wheel. Most have a top speed recall facility, and you can tape over the display when you're out on track and check it later in the pits.
Drop your tyre pressures a few psi. 36 front 42 rear may be fine for public roads with a pillion, but 32/32 will pay dividends on the size of contact patch and how quickly your tyres will warm up. (Make sure you pump 'em back up before you ride home though!!) Don't go bonkers from the word go - the tyres
will feel different and you don't want to lob it in the first session. (Or any for that matter) If it's an instructed track day you'll have to follow people at a reasonable pace to start with anyway, if it's not, don't go bonkers or it'll hurt!! Don't get carried away from all the vids you watched, or the stonking black lines you were leaving out of Coppice on the PC last night when you were "beating" Doohan!
Listen to the briefing they give you! Make sure you understand what all the flags being waved mean, find out what time your group is out (or find out what signals to listen for over the tannoy) to make sure you don't miss out on any of the fun.
I think that's most of it. If you've been through that lot, you should now be sat in the collecting area on a perfectly prepped bike burbling away to itself waiting for the call for your group to go out and have some fun. Which at the end of the day, is exactly why you're doing it. The rambling above is to make sure you minimise the chances of anything going wrong, be it with your preparation, bike prep or not knowing what's going on when you get there.
Right, the green flag has dropped.....GO!!!! :mrgreen:
