South Island Track Days

[Geordie_Biker6]

Hi all.

Ive recently been quite interested in the idea of buying a purpose race/track bike and doing a lot of track days and maybe some club racing.

I have been searching all over the net for info on track days in the south island and have found bugger all (bearing in mind im searching for organized track days, not theres the track away you go "test days" such as those at ruapuna every tuesday & friday).

I was just wondering if anyone else has the same problem? Perhaps im searching for the wrong things?

Any info on the subject would be very helpful.

Cheers,

-GB

[SVboy]

Most bike shops should be able to offer you a MCI racing calender that lists 'have a go days'. Some MCI race meets now have a class newly set up for people to ride rather than race, in order to get a taste, using street bikes.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Interesting innit. I have an ex-F3 racebike that is my trackday toy. I bought it after I decked my streetbike

there are two MCC "Have a Go days" in any given year, and generally they are at the beginning of a season in October and again in May. The May one has been cancelled this year and replaced with a race day which includes the street bike/street rider "have a crack" class that the other poster refers to.

My personal view is that this is an opportunity missed. The HAGD's were and are very well supported: if there were more of them then maybe more people would want to go racing. I realise that MCC will say "Well we are a racing club, this is not our core business" Plus there are all the other issues around a volunteer group organising something like this.

I wonder whether there might be a business opportunity for someone to organise these on a more regular basis?

I wonder whether the major limiting factor might be access to the track on summer weekends (I have no idea how that is done).

I wonder whether there will be (more) neighbour issues if there is more track use (in spite of my stongly held view that if you move near a racetrack that you know is there and it has been operating since 1946 and thus you lose any right to make a complaint).

anyway, that is my disjointed thoughts on the matter.

edit: some shops organise their own but you have to be lucky or the member of the inner clique to know about them and sign up.

Just to put some economics on it: I would happily pay a hundy for a trackday: 4 or 5 sessions, bring my own lunch or buy it there.

Bottom line: I dont want to go racing but would like to do more trackdays. I enjoy Levels too as well as Ruapuna.

[SVboy]

We are extremely lucky in ChCh that we have access to Ruapuna on tuesdays and fridays for such a modest sum and few conditions. I cant think of anywhere else where track access is so easy or relatively cheap. No, its not in the weekends, but I think the Canty CAR club has a pretty fully full calender.

[Geordie_Biker6]

Hi guys,

Cheers for the info however as stated in the origional post im looking for Organized track days, NOT have a go day days.

Cheers,

-GB

[300weatherby]

Hi guys,

Cheers for the info however as stated in the origional post im looking for Organized track days, NOT have a go day days.

Cheers,

-GB

If you don't want to attend a "Have a Go day", if you don't want to take advantage of tuesday/friday practise at Ruapuna, if you don't want to jump in and race, just what the hell do you want?

Give your definition of "organised track day"....

[Dave-]

Motosoc recently dropped bikes from it's latest track day due to a lack of numbers (they got 7, needed 10)

[HenryDorsetCase]

Hi guys,

Cheers for the info however as stated in the origional post im looking for Organized track days, NOT have a go day days.

Cheers,

-GB
Um, thats what a have a go day is - a track day

[SVboy]

As Above-'Have a go' days are organised track days, usually divided into 4 classes-c,b,a and race licence holders. Riders make their own call as to which class they enter and road bikes are prepared for the track using a list provided by the organisers. Bikes and gear are checked .Riders that misplace themselves can move classes or will be moved by tutors on the track. Each session is 15min IIRC? Usual day gives 4 track sessions.

[HenryDorsetCase]

http://www.mci.net.nz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=128&Itemid=75

Oooooh looky: here's a page that tells you what it is and gives a DL link for the bike prep.

The fundamental issue I think is the name: and it comes from the fact that having wobbling munters on road bikes going slowly round the track is not the core business of MCI. So the "Have a Go" moniker implies that people want to use the racetrack as a stepping stone to going racing, which is MCI's core business.

Some of us are wobbling munters, and have no desire to go racing, we just want to ride our street bikes (or non road registered bikes that won't break us if we crash them uninsured) quickly. Or as quickly as we can go. Which is not that quick. But its masturbation: we don't have to pleasure anyone but ourselves.

And while I appreciate the point about access to the track on Tuesdays and Fridays (and have taken advantage of that myself): it is not the same as riding in a group, which can be fun, or very frustrating. That comes down to organisation though.

OK Mr Geordie Boy: We have identified a market gap, and a target consumer. How about you and me set up a business running trackdays? 50/50 split, I will under write it money wise but do not have time to organise it. You organise it for half the profit. Yes, it is a for-profit enterprise.

You in?