My first track day

**Sentox** · 26th April 2010, 17:08

Manfield, obviously. Thanks to a the organisers, it was a fantastic day.

And I have the biggest, stupidest grin imagineable on my face. What a buzz. For anyone considering it, just go. It's a fantastic way of working on your riding skills, and it's just plain fun besides.

The "slow" group had some supermotards, 650s, even a Ducati 848, so I got left behind in the straights a lot, but corners were plenty fun. Scraped a peg twice and my boot about four times, so memo to self to tuck my foot in better (I ride with the balls of my foot on the peg, but apparently my foot is simply too far out). The chicken strips on my amazing (

) Shinkos have shrunk to around 3mm on the back, so I was getting it over a little more.

A guy there ran lines for me in the fourth session, which was really enlightening: showed me that what I thought was a late apex wasn't really, and I needed to travel a lot deeper into the corner before tipping in.

Definitely addictive though. Won't be my last track day

**zealchick** · 26th April 2010, 17:16

Originally Posted by Sentox

Manfield, obviously. Thanks to a the organisers, it was a fantastic day.

And I have the biggest, stupidest grin imagineable on my face. What a buzz. For anyone considering it, just go. It's a fantastic way of working on your riding skills, and it's just plain fun besides.

The "slow" group had some supermotards, 650s, even a Ducati 848, so I got left behind in the straights a lot, but corners were plenty fun. Scraped a peg twice and my boot about four times, so memo to self to tuck my foot in better (I ride with the balls of my foot on the peg, but apparently my foot is simply too far out). The chicken strips on my amazing (

) Shinkos have shrunk to around 3mm on the back, so I was getting it over a little more.

A guy there ran lines for me in the fourth session, which was really enlightening: showed me that what I thought was a late apex wasn't really, and I needed to travel a lot deeper into the corner before tipping in.

Definitely addictive though. Won't be my last track day

Ditto!! I did the HMCC rider training day at Hampton On Saturday that was my first taste on a track i will definately be going back for a proper track day soon :-)

**R-Soul** · 29th April 2010, 13:39

Originally Posted by Sentox

Manfield, obviously. Thanks to a the organisers, it was a fantastic day.

And I have the biggest, stupidest grin imagineable on my face. What a buzz. For anyone considering it, just go. It's a fantastic way of working on your riding skills, and it's just plain fun besides.

The "slow" group had some supermotards, 650s, even a Ducati 848, so I got left behind in the straights a lot, but corners were plenty fun. Scraped a peg twice and my boot about four times, so memo to self to tuck my foot in better (I ride with the balls of my foot on the peg, but apparently my foot is simply too far out). The chicken strips on my amazing (

) Shinkos have shrunk to around 3mm on the back, so I was getting it over a little more.

A guy there ran lines for me in the fourth session, which was really enlightening: showed me that what I thought was a late apex wasn't really, and I needed to travel a lot deeper into the corner before tipping in.

Definitely addictive though. Won't be my last track day

awesome man! Yeah its a buzz alright. I am completely addicted. Just wish that I had a track bike (so that I dont have to put my daily commuter at risk). I guess I will just have to save...

**Sentox** · 29th April 2010, 13:51

Originally Posted by R-Soul

awesome man! Yeah its a buzz alright. I am completely addicted. Just wish that I had a track bike (so that I dont have to put my daily commuter at risk). I guess I will just have to save...

Hey, your username has changed

Yeah, my plan now is to eventually get a track bike and keep the 250 for commuting and such. It's perfectly capable around town and even travelling long distances. Mileage is fantastic, and the lack of power stops me from doing anything too stupid (most of the time). Replacing it with a 600/1000 when I get my full will just give me way too much bike for the policed public road (imho; doubtless plenty of people will disagree with me there) while forcing me to keep all that annoying stuff like mirrors and lights

I guess I've just realised I don't care about going fast on the road anymore.

**R-Soul** · 30th April 2010, 09:52

Originally Posted by Sentox

Hey, your username has changed

Yeah, my plan now is to eventually get a track bike and keep the 250 for commuting and such. It's perfectly capable around town and even travelling long distances. Mileage is fantastic, and the lack of power stops me from doing anything too stupid (most of the time). Replacing it with a 600/1000 when I get my full will just give me way too much bike for the policed public road (imho; doubtless plenty of people will disagree with me there) while forcing me to keep all that annoying stuff like mirrors and lights

I guess I've just realised I don't care about going fast on the road anymore.

hehe Yeah - special request - after the last ART track day, I felt the name needed tweaking....

After the last ART day, I now realise that riding anywhere close to the way that I can on a track will get me killed almost instantly. So road riding is almost ruined for me as a speed buzz. I will still go for rides, but not about speed or anything like that - more about getting technique and muscle memory right (for the next track day!!)

**rachprice** · 30th April 2010, 10:29

hey good to see you out there and enjoying yourself so much

**Jacko2** · 30th April 2010, 12:56

Originally Posted by R-Soul

hehe Yeah - special request - after the last ART track day, I felt the name needed tweaking....

After the last ART day, I now realise that riding anywhere close to the way that I can on a track will get me killed almost instantly. So road riding is almost ruined for me as a speed buzz. I will still go for rides, but not about speed or anything like that - more about getting technique and muscle memory right (for the next track day!!)

Know what you mean, after trackdays, certainly slowed me down on the road. The NEED is not there anymore. Actually enjoying cruising again.
Plenty of cheapish ex-racebikes around. Most already set-up and come with spares.
See Ya out there.
Come say hello.
JACKO

**DidJit** · 30th April 2010, 13:04

Well done!

Track days are mucho fun.

**sinfull** · 30th April 2010, 13:12

Couldn't have picked a better day to do yr first trackday aye ? Nice and warm out there monday it was, wish tomorrow looked like it'd be as good !

**HenryDorsetCase** · 30th April 2010, 13:36

Originally Posted by Sentox

Manfield, obviously. Thanks to a the organisers, it was a fantastic day.

And I have the biggest, stupidest grin imagineable on my face. What a buzz. For anyone considering it, just go. It's a fantastic way of working on your riding skills, and it's just plain fun besides.

The "slow" group had some supermotards, 650s, even a Ducati 848, so I got left behind in the straights a lot, but corners were plenty fun. Scraped a peg twice and my boot about four times, so memo to self to tuck my foot in better (I ride with the balls of my foot on the peg, but apparently my foot is simply too far out). The chicken strips on my amazing (

) Shinkos have shrunk to around 3mm on the back, so I was getting it over a little more.

A guy there ran lines for me in the fourth session, which was really enlightening: showed me that what I thought was a late apex wasn't really, and I needed to travel a lot deeper into the corner before tipping in.

Definitely addictive though. Won't be my last track day

Good stuff: wait till you get your knee down! (as long as it isnt followed by the rest of your body and your bike...)

**R-Soul** · 30th April 2010, 14:22

Originally Posted by Jacko2

The NEED is not there anymore. Actually enjoying cruising again.
Plenty of cheapish ex-racebikes around. Most already set-up and come with spares.
See Ya out there.
Come say hello.
JACKO

Yup the need for speed is not there- I still have a quest for good technique though.

Now the need for another track day is there...

**CookMySock** · 30th April 2010, 15:01

Originally Posted by R-Soul

riding anywhere close to the way that I can on a track will get me killed almost instantly. So road riding is almost ruined for me as a speed buzz.

The speeding on the road thing ends one day anyway, so it might as earlier rather than later. There's just way too much crap on the road to race around on it.

I've only done one track day ever, and I'm amazed what I learned on it. I had no formal tuition/support on the day except the linesman, and one person who said "you're doing alright!", but it's notable how different I feel on my bike now.

The only thing that worried me is, by the end of the day I was basically racing everyone.. How long would that have lasted?

Steve

**R-Soul** · 30th April 2010, 15:15

Originally Posted by DangerousBastard

The only thing that worried me is, by the end of the day I was basically racing everyone.. How long would that have lasted?

Is't that the point- pushing your personal boundaries in a relatively safe environment? That is after all what a track day is about, no?

**CookMySock** · 30th April 2010, 19:25

Originally Posted by R-Soul

Is't that the point- pushing your personal boundaries in a relatively safe environment? That is after all what a track day is about, no?

My personal boundaries were becoming secondary to some universal power that I did not fully understand. Oh I believed it, and you know I wanted it to be my new god, but I couldn't get that image of plastic on pavement out of my head. "Sensible" kicked in. Headshakes, severe wriggling under heavy braking, slip and deep dive into turns, arse getting light during braking - all ignored.

I need a bike I can drop.

Steve