Riding a motorcycle on a track in a truly unforgettable totally absorbing experience. Expect to get addicted.
Even on a ‘Novice Only’ day, nearly everyone will have track bikes, tyre warmers etc. This is unnecessary when you are starting, any road bike capable of 120 mph should be fine.
Be prepared to be overwhelmed by the experience, and forgetting any advice you have been given.
We’ve kept it simple, and stuck to the bare essentials to keep you safe and make sure you get the best out of the day.
Preparation
You’ll probably need to fit a front brake lever guard, duct tape over any lights, speedo or mirrors if still fitted.
You won’t be able to use a lap timer, and any video camera must not be fitted to your tank or helmet. Fit it on your fairing, and it will need a safety lanyard if it comes loose.
You’ll need a CE approved full face helmet with an ACU gold sticker, one piece or two piece leathers with a full zip, a CE approved back protector, minimum 200mm high motorcycle boots that overlap your leathers, and gloves that cover your wrists with a wrist strap and reinforced palm. You can also buy gloves with carbon fibre knuckle protectors.
Make sure you bike is in good condition, plenty of tread on the tyres which should not be more than 5 years old, plenty left on the brake pads, chain adjusted properly etc. You can keep to road tyre pressures, but consider reducing them by a couple of psi front and back which will make the tyres hotter and a bit grippier. Don’t forget to pump them back up if you’re riding home.
It is important to remember that participating in a track day is not the same as a racing event, therefore you must adhere to different rules to ensure everyone on the track remains safe.
Before embarking on a track day, it’s helpful to gather as much information about the circuit you’re attending as possible. Study the track layout, memorise the corners, and understand the flow of the circuit. Websites, online forums, social media (YouTube in particular) and official track websites are excellent resources for finding detailed track information.
But be aware some advice will be conflicting or poor, from the unqualified and those looking mainly for social media attention, so don’t just accept advice blindly, apply commonsense and use your judgement.
First time on track
Ride steadily, applying brakes and throttle smoothly.
You’ll initially be following a coach. Watch the coach’s lines and ride where they do, not blindly following any rider in front who will often be cutting the corners behind the coach.
Just focus on the racing lines and getting used to the speed – the coach will gradually speed up through the first session.
On later sessions, take it easy and learn the circuit, gradually increasing your pace. If you frighten yourself, back off, slow down slightly and build up speed gradually again.
There will likely be riders both faster or slower than yourself. You will usually encounter faster riders, which can be intimidating and encourage you to go faster then you otherwise would. It is a steep learning curve, and you will likely be very significantly faster at the end of the day.
The trick is to ride consistently using the same lines, changing gear and braking at the same place on every lap.
Once you are riding on your own, take care as there will likely be a large difference in the speed and ability of other riders. Slower riders can suddenly brake, change direction much faster, may swerve in front of you unexpectedly, and may not be following the right lines.
Overtaking
You will initially be required to follow the rider in front, which can be a problem if they can’t keep up with the coach. The coach should ride no faster than the slowest rider in your group, as initially the coach should just be showing you the racing lines around the track.
Even when experienced, do not overtake another rider into or around a corner. If you feel you have to pass, as you are being held up, do so on the straights as you would on the road. If you are riding more quickly, or have a faster bike, this should be straightforward.
There are no mirrors on track bikes, so it is always the role of the overtaking rider to take total responsibility for the safety of both riders.
When being overtaken, stay on your line, don’t try to either block or get out of the way of riders coming past, as this could put you both at danger, as you might be overtaken on either side.
Braking
Braking obeys a square law – twice the speed needs 4 x the stopping distance. So it takes 4 times the distance to stop at 120 mph than it does from 60 mph. It’s easy to leave your braking too late at the end of fast straights.
There are usually count-down boards at 300, 200 and 100 feet. Start at 300 feet and gradually leave your braking later as your confidence builds.
There are no brake lights on racing bikes, so care is needed to avoid running into another rider.
Just use the front brake on track, ignore the rear brake for now – it’s too easy to lock the rear brake on track.
Start braking as you would on the road, completing your braking before the corners where you can, then applying a small amount of throttle to keep your speed up.
Most riders are surprised how late you can brake, but it needs practise. Squeeze gently, don’t snatch the front brake, then after the forks compress and the weight shifts forwards, you can usually squeeze as hard as you like. Even in the wet you can get the rear wheel in the air if you apply the front brake gradually.
If your bike has ABS and it comes on, which you’ll feel as the lever will vibrate, then you are braking too hard too soon, or more likely snatching the lever, or apply too much brake when banked.
Cornering
Brake in a straight line before the corner, judging your entry speed using the ‘limit point’ as you do on the road.
Follow the coaches lines initially, aiming to clip a late apex on the inside of the corner.
When the corner starts to open up, gradually open the throttle as the revs rise, always keeping your eyes as far down the track as you can see.
Later, if it’s dry you can try carefully trailing your front brake into corners, gradually releasing the lever as your angle of lean increases, making sure it’s fully released before the apex and full lean.
Throttle Control
Don’t apply the throttle until you have made the turn, and are looking to start picking the bike up as you exit the corner.
Again, apply the throttle gradually and smoothly as the revs rise – don’t just twist it immediately right back. This method makes ‘high sides’ out of corners less likely, helps keep the front wheel on the ground, and minimises the chances of flipping over backwards in the lower gears.
If your bike has traction control, and you feel it cutting the throttle, then you have applied too much throttle too early. It’s the opposite of braking – the weight transfers to the rear wheel as you accelerate, and it takes a second or so for the weight to transfer and the grip to increase.
Bear in mind that at high lean angles, traction control may not prevent a fall if you are too enthusiastic with the throttle.
Gears
Initially, just ride as you do on the road, but faster, keeping in your usual gears and changing gear midway through the rev range at first, until you have learnt the circuit and got used to the speed.
Once you feel confident and are ready to go faster, start to use the lower gears and the full rev range of the bike, which means if you’re still on road gearing you’ll only likely use 3 or 4 gears. You’ll need to gear the bike down if you have a track bike, to maximise performance by using all 6 gears. It’s not important until you are used to track riding.
Be careful changing down if your bike is not fitted with a slipper clutch, as changing down too early can lock the rear wheel or over-rev the engine. Release the clutch slowly on down shifts.
Some bikes have quick shifters and auto blippers so you don’t need to use the clutch once you’re moving. If not, you’ll need to pull the clutch in as usual when changing gear, and blip the throttle on downshifts and/or let the clutch back in steadily.
At the end of the day
Be aware, there are two basic types of rider, those who ride very carefully, or even avoid going out in the last session having enjoyed the day, and those who think that if they fall off in the last session they’ve still had a great day, and haven’t missed anything.
Most riders just want to enjoy riding around the circuit, others just have to be faster than anyone else, so are better off going racing.
Later, reflect on the day, how you and other riders have ridden, and how you can ride quicker and more safely on your next day.
This is just the start of a long totally absorbing uniquely rewarding journey of riding and learning which never ends. There really is so much to learn and master.
If you want to spend money on going quicker, it’s usually far better spent on suspension set up than engine tuning.
Mike Abbott
ACU Road Race Coach Licence #62210
British Superbike School
British Superbike School 