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How many of you have done a track day?

2K views 24 replies 15 participants last post by  armydog1002 
#1 ·
I would like to, I'm not all that experienced though. Do you have to be very good? I want to get better, especially at cornering. I think it would help to have some instruction. So I know just how low, can I go...

So how good to you have to be and is there anything I should do to my bike to get it ready? Track day isn't cheap. Not only is there the cost of the day but I can't just show up in pajamas....They have pretty strict gear requirements.

So they put everyone in groups. How easy is the beginner or lowest group? I don't care about beating anyone else, I'm pretty sure your first time out it isn't a race, but I don't want to embarrass myself either.

How fast is the average pace? How fast do you top out on the straights? How fast DO they take those corners? Are there any other costs I should know about? I won't burn through a tire the first day right?

I'm trying to find guides online and they are really basic, or some youtube videos but I haven't had much luck just yet. Will I look out of place if I don't have a fancy one piece suit?
 
#8 ·
As everyone else said, just get out there. I wish I would have started sooner - I learned more in my first track day than I had my previous 4 years or so of riding on the street. I barely ride on the street anymore except to test changes on my bike. In my mind, and most others on here, it's the only proper way to ride a sportbike and daily riding on the street just seems completely mundane.

However, even the fundamentals they'll teach you in novice group are immediately transferable to street riding. I still see a lot of BMW adventure bikes and cruisers taking Novice classes just to learn about being a better rider. It's not at all about setting quick lap times - it's a learning experience for every type of rider as well.
 
#9 ·
I guess you have to live for the days in summer when they have track day.

In my state there are only two tracks. I guess tho that different companies hold their own days but all told there aren't that many.

I want to do as many as I can afford. Do you think it matters much which company is sponsoring the event or should I pick it more for which track looks better or mix different companies up to see who is more fun or what? I'm curious also what kind of people are with each group.

One of the tracks is right in the city and the other is out in the middle of nowhere. I think the city probably has more hipsters. Some young guys out here have beards. Crazy. So that type will probably be at the city track. The country track probably pulls people from all over the small and mid sized towns.

For some reason I have it in my head that city riders are better. But I doubt that's the case. Maybe they just have more money and nicer clothes.
 
#10 ·
I would say the minimum requirement is to be comfortable on your bike, confident that you know how to work all the controls, and at least comfortable going highway speeds.

There's a huge variety of skill levels at a track day, and the beginner group always has a bunch of people who've never been on a track before. My first track day was at a track where racers will hit 180+ mph, and turn 1 is a 120mph chicane. (The guys who can do this won't be in the same group as you.)

There was someone in the beginner group with me that never used more than 3rd gear, and probably never went more than 80mph the whole day. You'll be fine. You won't have anything to be embarrassed about. People at the track love riding motorcycles, and everyone there was in the beginner group at some point, and will be completely stoked to help out someone just getting into it.

You will need good gear. At the minimum, a leather jacket, leather pants that zip onto the jacket, helmet, full gauntlet gloves, riding boots. I highly recommend getting a decent one-piece suit, and a back protector. You don't have to break the bank with a crazy custom top-of-the-line $2500 suit, but you're probably going to spend about $500.

That first track day is expensive, but once you've got all your gear, it's just track day fees and gas.
 
#11 ·
I may have attended one or two in my day. :sing Lots of good advise here, so I won't repeat everything. Just go. And take advantage of all the instruction available to you. If one instructor doesn't seem very helpful, go find another one to help you out.
So they put everyone in groups. How easy is the beginner or lowest group? I don't care about beating anyone else, I'm pretty sure your first time out it isn't a race, but I don't want to embarrass myself either.
None of the other times out is a race either. Not until you actually go racing. Any organization worth half a crap will emphasize that a track day is NOT a race and should be treated as such. That includes courteous passing and following the rules set for your group. When people treat it like a race, or try to show off their mad riding skillz to their buddies (especially some groups of intermediate guys who think they're fast) they end up riding over their head and crashing. I've seen it many times.

Don't worry about embarrassing yourself. Everyone was new and inexperienced at some point. There's no shame in going slow, and you won't be the only one. There's always first timers there, and it's the best place to learn and improve. You will probably find that most people will be encouraging and welcoming to you for getting off the street and onto the track.
How fast is the average pace? How fast do you top out on the straights? How fast DO they take those corners? Are there any other costs I should know about? I won't burn through a tire the first day right?
The beginner group pace will be slow enough that anyone capable of riding a bike around on the street should be comfortable with it. Go as fast as YOU feel comfortable going. No you won't burn through a tire in a day. At beginner pace you can do a lot of track days on a set of tires.
Will I look out of place if I don't have a fancy one piece suit?
No. Lots of people wear 2-piece suits. Nobody looks out of place as long as they have gear that meets the acceptable safety standards.
People at the track love riding motorcycles, and everyone there was in the beginner group at some point, and will be completely stoked to help out someone just getting into it.
Yup. Just keep in mind that there can be numbskulls who will happily give you well-intentioned advise, but they don't really know what they're talking about. So listen to the instructors/control riders, or at least guys in the advanced group. They should be experienced enough to actually give good advice.
 
#12 ·
Research with whatever group you will be doing the track day with and learn what gear is required. Normally its just a suit, boots, gloves (that cover your wrist), helmet, and maybe a back protector. Other than that, make sure you have a good set of tires and go! I ride with Sportbike Track Time. In the novice class they break you down into sub-groups, that way you are not riding with the faster novice guys. Once you are out on the track, you are following your assigned instructor who will continue to pick up the pace and begin to go faster and faster until you start to find your limit. Do not worry about being fast, think of it as training to make you fast. If there is anything to watch out for, it will be the guys who show up on their first track day thinking they are the next upcoming Valentino Rossi. We had one like this at my last track day in Talladega and, God bless him, he nearly caused a few wrecks and even ran off the track once. He always had an excuse for everything...
 
#16 ·
For my first track day, I was invited out by some guys on the local forum. I didn't have any skills on a track, and the guys that I was with, showed me the ropes, shadowed me, and pointed out all of my flaws (and there were A LOT of them). After a while there, I was more confident in riding. After that, I got hooked into track riding, and even signed up for multiple SuperStreet events with our local club here. So... go out and have fun, and don't treat it like a race. Also, don't try to keep up with anyone since it's you first time.
 
#17 ·
Assuming I like it which I will. Do you think I can fit 8-10 into the summer if I'm willing to travel?

You are spot on about the gear requirements. One or two piece that zips. New helmet. Back protector. Gauntlets and big boots.

What level of quality would you invest in? Do I really just need one set right? Not two for different weather or anything?

The leather pants are going to take some getting used to. They feel....weird. The feel that got in the thoughts and then they also seem like they are going to fall done but they haven't.
 
#20 ·
you should look up your local track day provider and check out their info web page. they should have a run down of what's required to prepare yourself for the track. here is a link for our local provide with a list of what you should do to prepare for a track day. click on each link for a in depth explanation.

https://z2trackdays.com/ti/z2/content/info.html?id=rWpWAAXbEQDiEzJCpsfUiLLBoJeMEd

the best thing to do is find a friend that is already going to the track so he can help you out as far as what you should do to prepare yourself. most track provider will have instructors that would help you out along the day. those are the guys you should try to partner up with during your first track day to have them take you around the track to show you how to handle each turns. they will also ride behind you to tell you what you can do to improve your riding style.
 
#21 ·
I'm a firm believer in every rider having a 2 piece leather suit no matter what. Get one and for the love of [ ] do a track day, no matter what. No experience with TDs in Oregon but I would hope an organization there would be willing to lend you some gear just to get you on like they do in Texas.

There is absolutely a wealth of info you will learn at a track day...both about yourself and the bike that will be invaluable to your riding experience. I was new to this sport only 2 years ago and kept reading about this "bug" you get when you get to tracking. I am now infected!
 
#22 ·
I know! Everybody tells me I will love it! It sounds good, but not that good, but I believe you all, I'm sure I will be surprised.

I have all requisite safety gear now.

I need to do some quick online ordering for bike protection. What should I order? I don't even have frame sliders! Can I order cheap sliders off of eBay or do I need to get quality ones? What else should I get to protect the bike in case I low slide pushing it trying to corner?
 
#23 · (Edited)
sliders do nothing for a bike sliding down the road. they are only good for a tip over in the driveway.

you got safety gear now make sure your bike is safety wired. the oil drain, the oil fill cap and the oil filter. (these are what 99.99% of all orgs will require). check with them first as you may be able to skip this in the newbie group) you may have to change out the coolant to water wetter or a racing coolant like yamaha's coolant. the normal coolants are hard to clean off the track and tracks don't like it.
change oil if it hasn't been done for a while, lube the chain, make sure the throttle snaps shut when you let go of it, brake and clutch levers work without binding, chain at proper tension. tires in good shape. tape up you lights (use blue painters tape for easy removal and no residue) (I prefer to remove fuses for lights also) remove mirrors. that's all you need. keep in mind all you are doing is going for another ride like always but in a safer more controlled place where you can explore your limits of riding.

btw, the real question should be, how many of you have only done 1 track day?

trust us, it's like getting laid. once you do it that's all you will want to do lol
 
#24 ·
It's really up to you how much (if any) you want to spend on crash protection. Frame sliders are always up for debate. Personally, I don't even run them on my R6 and I've low-sided it twice. I even have a set (or at least one) for it in my spare parts bin.
keep in mind all you are doing is going for another ride like always but in a safer more controlled place where you can explore your limits of riding.
That's great advice. You're even more as risk on the street, so your concern for crash protection shouldn't really change much. If you're worried about your nice expensive OEM fairings, the only thing you can do to protect them from a crash is to not have them on your bike.


I never recommend cheap Chinese parts from ebay. Generally, Woodcraft provides excellent value for stuff like that, so definitely check out their offerings if you're looking for protection. Just remember that crash protection is about protecting functionality, not cosmetics.
 
#25 ·
I bought woodcraft frame sliders, case covers, rearsets, crashed tank (something that passes inspection) rental clip-ons, and eBay bodywork. I got some of these things because my R6 does double duty (street and track). Sure, changing my bike over after every track day can be a pain but, I like how clean it looks and I don't have any down time in a shop.
 
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