I’ve got my first trackday on a moto coming up at Cadwell, and was wondering what tips you guys have. I’ve been there a few times on sports bikes, but I’m sure it must be different on the XT!?
TBH although you would have to change the way you ride the track I think that would be purely to take into account the strengths of the bike, ie later braking and turn in and open the throttle earlier, rather than worry about foot out, backing it in bollox
Never understood why people think you can brake later on a supermoto 
The most important bit in braking is the bit of the tyre that is touching the ground, and as supermoto tyres are no more grippy than sportsbike tyres it must have something to do with the brake components. Except that supermotos have half the amount of braking equipment a sportsbike has, ok so they weigh less, but not that much. Also sportsbikes have the weight further forward and lower which is better for braking, and the forks dive less - keeping both wheels on the ground for longer.
If supermotos were better at late braking then surely Valentino Rossi would dump the right hand brake disc, and lengthen his forks. It’s ALWAYS the case, on open circuits, that if a supermoto gets past a sportsbike on the brakes, its not the supermoto that’s better - it’s that the rider is better.
Not having a pop, but if I had a sportsbike and a supermoto - and had the run of Cadwell or Lydd. I know which bike I would be faster on round each track.
As for your trackday, just go as fast as you can - untill you crash. Then go round slightly slower than you were before. That’s the best thing about supermotos IMO - crash it, pick it up, ride off again 
My point wasn’t you can brake later due to better brakes, but I’ve found riding with other bikes and since changing to the Z that because you can turn in much later and quicker on the SM that means you can brake later, so your right outright braking is no different but you can do it later as you don’t need to set yourself up for the corner as early.
That is right you do tend to brake later on the motard as you can just throw it over on its side and not have to worry about corner entry as you can cange line within the corner better than you can on a sportsbike.
Having said that I dont believe motards are quicker round a track. I remember some time ago one of the bike mags compared a motard round a very twisty track to a gixer thou and the gixer won.
Ness (on her GSXR600) and I went out on the 339 this weekend and what I learnt is that around Cadwell I don’t think that I (on the XT) will be any quicker than her. On the straights she will have a massive advantage over me, and on the corners I think I will have the advantage, but not enough to make up what I lost on the straights. On the road the higher seating position of the XT gives much better visibility (which I hadn’t appreciated until yesterday) and the wide bars allows for very quick last minute adjustments going into corners, however on the track where we do the same piece of tar over and over I may be quicker in the first 2/3 sessions, but by lunchtime I don’t think that I will be able to keep up around an entire lap with my top speed limited to around 100mph. Given the same amount of time on both bikes, I’m certain that I would be quicker on the 600. It might be different story if I was on a CCM/KTM/Husky though…
I doubt it would make much diff if you were on a different tard, a jap inline 4 will pretty much always be quicker and be able to make up any disadvantage with more power. Having said that thou, it all comes down to rider. I know motard guys who will wipe the floor with a lot of people on sportsbikes, but i also know sportsbike riders who are just as quick on the same roads so I reckon rider skill is massively important.
I used to be able to take the piss out of a lot of people really easy on the SMC, ie round the outside, inside or pretty much where ever I wanted to piss em of most but then again, I’ve also been able to do that a fair amount on the Z so I guess its just slower riders who rely on massive hp to make up for lack of skill
One thing you have to get used to on a tard is getting blitzed on the straights, but then straights are boring
I think brake distances ARE shorter on a motard.
20KGs less and soft as ****e front tyres help…
so does the fact that after a straight bit of any note you entering the braking zone at a lesser speed.
BTW - Cadwell may be known as a twisty track - but the 2 straights are very long on a 'tard!
Hey, my garden path is long on a tard!
I’m at Brands on Tues eve (15th)
Right, the time has almost arrived. Ness and I will be heading upto Louth this afternoon, and then its CADWELL TOMORROW And it looks like the weather will clear up by tomorrow, we hope… 
Good luck mate. Hope the weather is kind to you. Enjoy yourself on that lovely circuit.
Cadwell is a fantastic circuit Fridayman, I’ve seen a few SM’s round there, have fun and be safe!
Lovely circuit and Louth is a nice town too.
I`ll be crossing my fingers for good weather as well with Donington for me tomorrow. Enjoy the nimbleness of the supermoto and the wheelies over The Mountain.
Cheers guys - I think I’m more worried about wheelies over the mountain than rain… I’ve got to learn how to wheelie properly!
Jay, I’m sending you a PM about your Gix.
When I was there i discussed the issue with fellow racers, the general consensus of opinion was to off and then on the throttle as you get to the second bump. Worked for me, got both wheels off the ground on numerous occasions, but, in a nice controlled manor without the front going skywards. Presumably it would also work on a motard.