YOUR LAP TIMES - TRACKDAYS

Off-topic
21

[quote]
blade (04/03/2008)

first time on track was at brands in the wet, and i was on my own. just rocked up, hadn’t a clue - quite funny really. remember being amazed what my bike would do even in the wet (and was still far more than in the dry that i’d ever done). loved it, blew me away, even with the soaking :smiley:

had a camera after a couple of trackdays and intially was prob something like 1:06 to 1:10. oct was 56secs, this one just gone I was being too cautious and more like 58/59secs. I’ve prob been doing trackdays properly for about a year and half now, and done 8ish including a couple of evening sessions

the beauty of the track compared to group riding, is that you dont have to keep up if you dont want to, but are still riding with your friends. if they clear off, good luck to them, you’ll see them in a couple of laps, or back in the pits. the only presure is what you put on yourself really

heard people argue that you dont learn on track, but if you see many experienced riders on top end bikes in the novices and how they ride to start with, compared to a few trackdays on the difference is marked. i dont think i’ve ever spoken to anyone that didn’t enjoy the day and didn’t learn something about how they ride, and what their bike can actually do

lap times aren’t very useful to start with - if anything they’re prob the wrong focus anyway. you need to learn to ride again to some extent - you’re properly braking hard in a controlled way, ‘reading the road’ differently in terms of positioning, apexes, braking reference points etc. esp in novices and inters, there is a bigger spread of standard and therefore traffic, so times vary anyway. what is more important is learning to pass and be passed safely

its always better to keep things slower to start with, and enjoy yourself rather than beating times. practice your technique, body position, how to work with the bike rather than against it etc before trying to be the fastest bike out there pays off in the long run.

better to add speed to technique, not technique to speedall the sensible stuff aside, its just bl*ody good fun!:cool:

22

Mmmm, wet trackdays JB. Seriously love them :slight_smile:

23

But can you be too slow (assuming you’re in Novices)?

I keep playing with the idea of doing a trackday on my 250 scooter. I’d like to do a trackday just for practising cornering really. But if I’ve only got a top speed of 80-ish, then will that be too slow that it means I get in the way of the others in Novices?

(I know I won’t be doing 80mph in the corners, but I have a vision of coming out of a corner and everyone else turning on the power and leaving me for dust)

24

No, you can’t be too slow. There’s always someone slower than you, and minimum speed doesn’t factor into it. You ride your ride, at the pace that suits you.

25

Thanks Jay. Maybe I need to get hold of some leathers then and start saving up:)

26

love 'em at brands, donny was a bit er ‘interesting’ in the wet :w00t:

just scored some spare wheels so gonna get some wets now that i have transport to carry 'em :slight_smile:

27

Good man! You won’t regret it, they’re awesome!

28

Done my first track day oin my bike on sat, i was grinning underneath my helmet all day, you cant beat the experience of riding on track as you cant push you bike that hard on the road without consequences, looking forward to the nxt one. i was in novices and despite not pushing myself too hard i was pleased that i wasn’t the slowest there :smiley:

29

Do you lot take your bikes in your vans or petrol in your car for your bike?..i would just be riding there and back? And another thing, ive got a yoshi exhaust on my bike? doesnt that pass the noise level? so many questions…god i need to sit and talk to someone…B if your reading this and can get to borough…me and u need to talk !! :wink:

30

good thread you started jules, so many questions and sensible answers, trouble is Im now giving this MAJOR consideration, teapot or not its just gotta be done :slight_smile:

31

I recently bought a full system and it got through the noise test at Brands Hatch without the baffle in. The only thing is I don’t know how loud it was. When I asked “How much was it?” he replied “105db” but I can’t be certain if he was talking about my bike or the track limit?!

32

the main circuits either have petrol available in them, or just outside so its not a big deal if you dont have jerry cans. I’ve just ordered a 20L one so that i dont have to pop out, but its not a requirement for most tracks.

without having your bike tested its hard to say as individual exhausts can vary. one of the guys i know racing got delivered a race legal exhaust it and came out at 114dbs. it was f*cked tho. :smiley:

odds are you’ll be fine and it will be under the 105db limit. bear in mind that different tracks have different rules for the weekend and evening sessions though which can be 98 and 102dbs so make sure you check what you’re booking for. for instance, i put some extra packing in my r1 cans, and they come to only 98dbs which is apparently the ‘quiet days’. my bike isn’t quiet tho.

couple options if you think you’ll you might be over - grab yourself a baffle you can insert just in case, pop along to a track day to watch and get your bike noise tested so you actually know what the level is, or throw the stock one in the car if you’re trailering the bike

33

There’s a really good thread in the Trackday section which will answer most of your questions.

Basically, just turn up with your bike in good working order and enjoy the day. All I ever remove from my bike is the mirrors and numberplate, drop the tyre pressures (there’s a tyre guy there who will do this for you), put a bit of tape over the lights and off I go.

I’ve never timed myself - probably best I don’t or I’ll start racing myself :w00t:

Even though I had a whoopsie on the weekend, it definitely wont put me off track days. I think they help you to learn yours and your bikes capabilities in the safest environment. In fact I learnt one of my bikes limits on the weekend, apparently you can’t ride it while lying it flat on the floor :hehe:

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Bet you’d still try and race it, even horizontal !! :w00t: (will have a serious chat with u later girl, on the track day questions:))…

35

Back in May 2006 I passed my test. 3 weeks later, after waiting for money to clear from selling my house I bought a VFR and took it over to my sisters in St Albans. Next morning I rode from St Albans to Snetterton to watch a mate of mine do a track day (he’s a (ex?)racer and track day instructor) within 20 minutes I’d signed up and next thing I know I’m off round the track… Wowee :smiley:

It was a great experience,even that early in my riding days.

Hilights for me were…

Getting my foot down for the first time (OK so it’s not my knee but this was my second day of riding).

Getting used to the rear end kicking out a little as I change down to first for Russells.

Finding myself at the front of the grid going out on my third session… thought, I’d better make sure no ones being held up by me and really whacking the throttle on for the first time coming out of the pit lane… felt like the Melenium Falcon gonig into hyperdrive :smiley: And I only got overtaken by one bike that session.

Overtaking a Hyabusa… OK he had me on the straights but over a lap i was quicker as i was riding faster round the corners - very pleasing for my first time (although it’s almost certain it was his first time too to bve fair).

overall it was a great experience, not intimidating, gave me levels of confidence in the bike it would have taken months to obtain on the road which was very useful as two weeks later I was off on a two month tour of europe.

Looking forward to my next track day on my R6 :stuck_out_tongue:

36

Even though I had a whoopsie on the weekend, it definitely wont put me off track days. I think they help you to learn yours and your bikes capabilities in the safest environment. In fact I learnt one of my bikes limits on the weekend, apparently you can’t ride it while lying it flat on the floor :hehe:
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But I bet you were thinking…I CAN SAVE THIS, grip ya b@**tard lol, glad you didnt get hurt though or do too much damage to ya bike :slight_smile:

37

My second ever trackday was on one of the timed events that was run a few years ago (you had a transponder fitted and yours times were gathered, then you was graded into groups for the afternoon sessions) My first laps (Brands Indy) were in the 1:10’s but by the end of the day I had acheived a fairly constant 58 secs with a best just a shade of 00:57:07 - I think this was because I was out on track following someone who was just slightly faster than me.

A better understanding of the bikes capabilities, and would also say after a TD I am a lot more aware of the increased risks in road riding.

Just take it easy and go with your instincts, try to keep the red mist in control and aim to enjoy youself. The fear will subside about 20 seconds into your first lap.

38

Good read, i should have booked it first, cos now the novice is full, theres just intermediate and fast…and i dont think im intermediate material, although i prob wouldnt go amiss out there with them…but think for first time i should have gone with the novices, as we all do …oh well, another time i guess…would have liked first time out to have been on the LB one though…prob go and watch the others now…didnt think it would be full so quick…

39

There’s not a lot more I can add to the already very informative and useful advice here.

Blade, It can seem like a daunting thing to take to the track but please give it a go and if you have a great time and become addicted then surely that’s a good thing and not something to worry about. I wish I could find another addictive sport.

To put your mind at rest why not pop down to spectate and see what it’s all about, there’s no pressure and if you do go on track just do your own thing and ride at your own comfortable pace, you’ll be fine, lap times are unimportant but having fun and improving your skills are compulsory.

40

Just put it this way…imagine your perfect road and then ride…and you’ll get better each lap :smiley: