Hampton Downs Ride Days

[Bassmatt]

Whats the difference between an open day and a track day? Apart from the $50 extra.

[Mental Trousers]

You mean "$50.00 difference and the ambulance and marshals and mechanical help available and coaching staff available and all the professional staff" ...

If you're still not sure the extra $50.00 is worth it get your wife out at Puke with amongst the nutters that race SuperSports and she'll never go near a track again.

[Bassmatt]

You mean "$50.00 difference and the ambulance and marshals and mechanical help available and coaching staff available and all the professional staff" ...

If you're still not sure the extra $50.00 is worth it get your wife out at Puke with amongst the nutters that race SuperSports and she'll never go near a track again.

Thanks for the replys mental. Just to clarify Im not anti HD, i have done CSS there its a great track and run well, Im just trying to understand why an open day is different and cheaper than a ride day.
Are you saying there is no ambo or marshalls at an open day? Surely not?
As for the mechanical and coaching staff maybe that should be user pays?
Also Taupo@$135 vs HD$199 means I can do 3 days at Taupo for the price of two at HD.
I really want to do HD but if I cant justify that extra coat to myself I wont be able to bring myself to hand over the cash. ( Anal, yes I know)
The issue for me is $150 for a car vs. $199 for a bike at HD. The Taupo thing is not really the issue.

[racefactory]

Thanks for the replys mental. Just to clarify Im not anti HD, i have done CSS there its a great track and run well, Im just trying to understand why an open day is different and cheaper than a ride day.
Are you saying there is no ambo or marshalls at an open day? Surely not?
As for the mechanical and coaching staff maybe that should be user pays?
Also Taupo@$135 vs HD$199 means I can do 3 days at Taupo for the price of two at HD.
I really want to do HD but if I cant justify that extra coat to myself I wont be able to bring myself to hand over the cash. ( Anal, yes I know)
The issue for me is $150 for a car vs. $199 for a bike at HD. The Taupo thing is not really the issue.

He is wrong. Of course there is an ambulance at Pukey testing.

I think it all comes down to what you want though. If you want to set lap times and learn limits etc then you just want to get on there with minimal interference. If you are for improving your road riding and wishing to learn safe technique, feeling part of a 'program' or community and coaching etc then I'd say you'd be better at HD.

However I agree with you fully, coaching and mechanical should be user pays.

I also wouldn't mind if it was 150 but 200 bucks doesn't make it an option for regular fun.

In addition, it really isn't bad having a 125 or 250 road bike at pukey testing, plenty of guys have done it and report of nothing but total success, so what if you are getting past by 300kmh bikes?Hold your line and they will avoid you, they want to avoid you just as much as you want to avoid them don't forget!!! Never seen anyone complaining about being passed by much faster riders and machinery, they just comment on what an awesome spectacle it is.

Also it seems you get a lot more time on track at open days... if you go on Friday there often aren't even any other bikes down there and you get an insane amount of track time. Then again, HD might offer enough time for you. In my case- five or so twenty minute sessions certainly isn't enough for me.

I'm going down tomorrow for 90 bucks with my new bike, can't wait.

[cowboyz]

just make sure your suspension is setup properly. at taupo it could cost you a set of fairings. at HD it may be a greater cost.

[Mental Trousers]

The issue for me is $150 for a car vs. $199 for a bike at HD

That's something you'll have to take up with HD Track Management.

At Puke Open Days the few staff they have there are First Aid qualified etc, but there's no ambulance. At least, that's how it was when I broke bones there. They put my arm in a sling etc and one of the other riders (a nurse) found me some good drugs in glove box but I had to go to A&E when I got back to Hamilton for full medical attention.

[racefactory]

Hey man how did you come off on the circuit and where? Sorry to hear that man.

[Bassmatt]

So an open day for bikes at Puke is $90?
What is the cost for a car open day at Puke?
Once again its not about different tracks and their charges or the cost for a open day at Puke vs. a track day at HD.
What I want to know is why I can drive a car around HD for $150 but to ride a bike costs $199
Nick Smiths not on the HD Board is he?

[racefactory]

So an open day for bikes at Puke is $90?
What is the cost for a car open day at Puke?
Once again its not about different tracks and their charges or the cost for a open day at Puke vs. a track day at HD.
What I want to know is why I can drive a car around HD for $150 but to ride a bike costs $199
Nick Smiths not on the HD Board is he?

It's the same 90 bucks.

[Mental Trousers]

What I want to know is why I can drive a car around HD for $150 but to ride a bike costs $199
Nick Smiths not on the HD Board is he?

As I said, take it up with HD Track Management. Asking on KB is about as useful as taking a dump in your own helmet.

[Bassmatt]

As I said, take it up with HD Track Management. Asking on KB is about as useful as taking a dump in your own helmet.

I got the impression from some of her posts that "Miss D" is part of the setup and was hoping she might be able to shed some light.
Nevermind.

[Latte]

Ride Days/CSS is a customer of HD Track Management.... The open days at HD appear to be run by the Track themselves.

[Mental Trousers]

That's right. But HD Management won't run Open Days for bikes. Instead they farm that out to HD Ride Days. I guess the risk for them is too high with bikes.

[CatTheBrat]

Yea I am part of the team, don't know everything though. HD Ride Days pay to hire the track for the days. I do believe that if you book more than seven days in advance it is $184 but I haven't checked recently my memory isn't that good lol
Anyone is welcome to come down just to have a look and have a chat to the crew about how it all works. Spectators welcome, just stay behind the fences. As I say I don't have all the answers, Darren's your man.
Next ride day is Saturday 19th Feb