Trackdays

[Kwacky]

There's a good discussion going on at the Performance Bike's forum about trackdays.

Opening post is:-

I did a Rockingham day this weekend, and am seeing a trend appearing nowadays, where people are repeatedly trying to ''win the track day'' on the first few laps of the first session.

In the briefing we were told politely that the right handers (only three at rockingham) would be where people were going to crash. Guess what?

Oh yes captain prick bins it on the first **** lap!! And numerous people were ''caught out'' throughout the day.



Now the track day briefs I know are a bit patronising and tedious, but they do make valid points and should be listened to and abided by.

I was wondering how to get people to stop being selfish, arrogant, and just generally shit blokes.

How about the track day organisers don't allow people back on if they crash in the first five minutes? It would make people think twice before being a dick.

Or is there another way that people can think of? A fee of £200 pounds would focus the mind on the job at hand.



I'm just tired of people not listening to the brief and thinking that somehow they are not affected by physics, and that other peoples track time doesn't matter.

Discuss.


This is what I've posted:-

I've been riding bikes and doing track days for a while.



When I first started doing trackdays about 14 years ago it was rare to see a track bike. Hardly anyone had tyre warmers. The majority rode there and wanted to ride home on their bikes. Smaller trackday companies like Motorcycle Follies had a regular following and trackdays had more of a club feel to them. Idiots weren't tolerated. If you were really fast you went racing to show off your skills.



Now when I turn up I'm usually one of no more than a handful on a road bike. Novices are on tricked up Gixxer 600s with spare WOW, quickshifters and tyre warmers. People with more money than sense are racing in inters on full on race spec Fireblades. All of the bikes are covered in race plastics, which they can replace for £200. If they bin it it's thrown in the back of the van.



So yes, things have changed. People aren't worried about binning their bikes, which makes a lot of difference when you're out on track.

[Perkles]

I couldnt agree with you anymore , I was shocked by the amount of tricked up track bikes on my comeback to bikes and track days last year
I ride at about 80% on track and always have something in reserve,I always do two full laps to warm my tyres and get everything up to working temp before I gun it .That's why I get overtaken so much in the 1st few laps but fook it I dont want to fall off

[kingfixer]

having done at a guess about the first 8-9 of my first trackdays on my road bikes the time came where I thought I had got to a sufficient level to get a track bike. That and the thought that if I binned it I would damage approx 4k's worth of bike and not 15k's worth or 20k with the Panigale which I almost did once and that made my mind up to get a track bike. I normally put myself in inters but now I have the blade it will most probably be fast group.
I do despair at people on track bikes racing about in novices it shouldn't be allowed, But sometimes that's where the TD organiser has put them. On my 2nd track day on the panigale I was booked in inters but when I checked in I got put in fast group "why" was my reply, " because your on a fast bike and you have done at least 10 track days and inters in overbooked ". Now some of the fast lads might have thought what's he doing in fast group just cos he has a flash bike, but sometimes it isn't your choice.
I suppose im lucky in that I can afford a track bike cos they still cost a fortune to upgrade bits etc, but I would still rather bin that than my road bike.
That and riding back home after doing a TD, once coming back from Silverstone it was quite hot and I was so knackered I don't how I got back in one piece.
I laugh at the lecture you get at the beginning about being careful and not overtaking dangerously etc etc and then were off and its just a total free for all, some of the riding being fecking terrible, that's how I came off at paddock hill bend a kid stuffed me up the inside where I thought there wasn't enough room !!.
TBH I think a lot of people who do TD's take it just a little bit too seriously, for me its just a good day out, have a great time, don't come off !!

[kiwikrasher]

I noticed a big difference in the attitude at the track this time after a 4 yr break. Much more mature, saw one bike run off in my group and no crashes. Used to see a crash nearly every session. No one cut me up and I in turn ensured I sat back until I had a good clear pass.

I have a track only bike cause after trashing my Daytona at the track I don't want to go thru' the pain of doing that to my road bike again. Plus for $5K I've got something I'll never fully master.