Good advice or not?

**placidfemme** · 13th April 2007, 09:44

I'm not sure where I should have posted this... but anyway, if its in the wrong section please can a Mod move it.

~~

I was having a chat with one of my american chat buddies who used to race in the AMA (or summat), and was talking about doing the trackday at Taupo, and sent him a link to the Taupo Track website... and he's check it out and given me the following advice...

Taupo Track:

http://www.tauporacetrack.co.nz/pdf/track_1.pdf

His advice:

Turn one looks like a great place to practice your braking. Turn five looks a little difficult because it decreases in radius and it doesn't have much run off. Turn seven looks like it a good place to work on carrying your corner speed deeper into the turn each time. It's probably the first place you'll get your knee down on the track if you haven't already experienced that. Be careful in turn nine. It doesn't look like much more than a kink in the track on paper but the faster you get the more this turn will start to become a real turn. Turn fourteen also decreases in radius. You'll be tempted to get on the throttle to soon. I'd wait until you are past flag point eight to start getting on the throttle. And turn fifteen is a real important turn. You'll have to get fifteen right to make sixteen. As you come out of sixteen, close your throttle as you flip the bike over for seventeen. Closing the throttle completely will really help your transition from sixteen to seventeen. A fast transition into seventeen will help you get on the throttle sooner coming out of seventeen and onto the straight quickly.

Seems alright, but then I've never been on the track so... what do you think?

**Keystone19** · 13th April 2007, 09:57

Actually, that's a pretty damn good summary for someone who has never ridden the track. He's right about turn 9. It is an incredibly fast turn and really is a head thing - best taken knee down at full throttle (don't try that on your first attempt though eh Tammy).

We usually don't run corner 9 - that is the A1 GP track and more often than not we are running the corners to the right of corner 9 on the map 8 - 12.

Better get him over here to show us how it's done by the sounds of it...

**aff-man** · 13th April 2007, 10:05

turn 1 - yes good place to practice braking cause it's at the end of a straight ...duh. But the line you take into the corner is far more important.
Turn 2 - if you mess this up you're not set up for 3 and 4.
Turn3 - pretty quick if you get out of turn 2
Turn 4 - faster still watch the slight drop when exiting the corner... I got my knee down for the first time here.

Turn 5- isn't difficult but again it's all about your line. If you take it wide and cut in fast the corner isn't as sharp and you can get on the power earlier and snake people who do run it wide

Turn 7 - most people run off here due tot he camber and how the corner tightens. I still havn't got it quite right but am slowely getting there. Take a very tight line.... It's also a corner where I had my knee on the deck and tight up against my fairing.. scarey stuff.

turn 8 - real fast sweeper
turn 9 - only done that track version twice and it looks tighter than it is with a bit of a bump. I always back off when I can really keep on the throttle

turn 14- also a bit tricky cause it tightens but the sooner you're upright the sooner you can get on the power.

he's right about turn 15- gotta get it right to get 16 and you're hard under brakes as well so it can get a bit interesting. I usually am up to 4th on the back straight so hard on the brakes and chop it down to 3rd going into 15 then to 2nd between 15 and 16 and get on the power early through 17 to "drift" the bike wide... it is towards a concrete wall but you get over that... sorta.

Hope this helps, just what i've learnt so far. The lines you take at taupo are very important due to some of the more technical corners, and will be different for different bikes and riders...

Oh and watch out for the bits where thier concrete patches met the tar seal, if you ride on the lips they can get very interesting very fast....

**Goblin** · 13th April 2007, 10:16

Originally Posted by placidfemme

Seems alright, but then I've never been on the track so... what do you think?

I think your best bet is to book a trackday, get yourself on the track in the slow group and take it really easy and your confidence and speed will increase with time and practice. Just dont be in a rush to try and be fast. You can be given advice 'til you're blue in the face but actually doing it for yourself is the only way to learn.

Oh....and have fun!

**kiwifruit** · 13th April 2007, 10:17

Originally Posted by Goblin

I think your best bet is to book a trackday, get yourself on the track in the slow group and take it really easy and your confidence and speed will increase with time and practice. Just dont be in a rush to try and be fast. You can be given advice 'til you're blue in the face but actually doing it for yourself is the only way to learn.

Oh....and have fun!

+ 1

**placidfemme** · 13th April 2007, 10:22

Originally Posted by Keystone19

Actually, that's a pretty damn good summary for someone who has never ridden the track. He's right about turn 9. It is an incredibly fast turn and really is a head thing - best taken knee down at full throttle (don't try that on your first attempt though eh Tammy).

We usually don't run corner 9 - that is the A1 GP track and more often than not we are running the corners to the right of corner 9 on the map 8 - 12.

Better get him over here to show us how it's done by the sounds of it...

lol don't worry, by the time I get on the track I'll more than likely be either too nervous or too excited to remember what he's said about any of the turns lol

I'll be doing the May 6th Trackday with Frosty...

*is all excited*

Originally Posted by Affman

turn 1 - yes good place to practice braking cause it's at the end of a straight ...duh. But the line you take into the corner is far more important.
Turn 2 - if you mess this up you're not set up for 3 and 4.
Turn3 - pretty quick if you get out of turn 2
Turn 4 - faster still watch the slight drop when exiting the corner... I got my knee down for the first time here.

Turn 5- isn't difficult but again it's all about your line. If you take it wide and cut in fast the corner isn't as sharp and you can get on the power earlier and snake people who do run it wide

Turn 7 - most people run off here due tot he camber and how the corner tightens. I still havn't got it quite right but am slowely getting there. Take a very tight line.... It's also a corner where I had my knee on the deck and tight up against my fairing.. scarey stuff.

turn 8 - real fast sweeper
turn 9 - only done that track version twice and it looks tighter than it is with a bit of a bump. I always back off when I can really keep on the throttle

turn 14- also a bit tricky cause it tightens but the sooner you're upright the sooner you can get on the power.

he's right about turn 15- gotta get it right to get 16 and you're hard under brakes as well so it can get a bit interesting. I usually am up to 4th on the back straight so hard on the brakes and chop it down to 3rd going into 15 then to 2nd between 15 and 16 and get on the power early through 17 to "drift" the bike wide... it is towards a concrete wall but you get over that... sorta.

Hope this helps, just what i've learnt so far. The lines you take at taupo are very important due to some of the more technical corners, and will be different for different bikes and riders...

Oh and watch out for the bits where thier concrete patches met the tar seal, if you ride on the lips they can get very interesting very fast....

lol doubt I'll be going as quick as you (obviously) but thanks for that

I think your best bet is to book a trackday, get yourself on the track in the slow group and take it really easy and your confidence and speed will increase with time and practice. Just dont be in a rush to try and be fast. You can be given advice 'til you're blue in the face but actually doing it for yourself is the only way to learn.

Oh....and have fun!

Yup... as mentioned above I'm doing the trackday on May 6th...

**aff-man** · 13th April 2007, 10:24

Originally Posted by placidfemme

lol don't worry, by the time I get on the track I'll more than likely be either too nervous or too excited to remember what he's said about any of the turns lol

I'll be doing the May 6th Trackday with Frosty...

*is all excited*

lol doubt I'll be going as quick as you (obviously) but thanks for that

Yup... as mentioned above I'm doing the trackday on May 6th...

Hmmm depending on what i'm riding.... and if there is still spots. I might come burgle a slower group.

**placidfemme** · 13th April 2007, 10:26

Originally Posted by aff-man

Hmmm depending on what i'm riding.... and if there is still spots. I might come burgle a slower group.

lol remember I'm a muppet... and last time I was following you... I... well you know lol

**Paul in NZ** · 13th April 2007, 10:57

Sweet Jesus I'm glad I'll never race anything - I could never remember all that stuff... It sounds awfully technical ya know..

**aff-man** · 13th April 2007, 11:01

Originally Posted by placidfemme

lol remember I'm a muppet... and last time I was following you... I... well you know lol

ahh yes... well......hmmm... *cough cough* no comment.

**placidfemme** · 13th April 2007, 11:35

Originally Posted by aff-man

ahh yes... well......hmmm... *cough cough* no comment.

even if I can't keep up, I'll just pretend I'm a lap ahead and your trying to catch me LOL

**Keystone19** · 13th April 2007, 11:45

Originally Posted by placidfemme

even if I can't keep up, I'll just pretend I'm a lap ahead and your trying to catch me LOL

Can't wait to see you on the track Tammy - yer gonna love it!

**speed63** · 13th April 2007, 11:58

The AMA guy is right on the money. Impressive considering he hasnt seen the profile of the track. Is his name Mat or Miguel by any chance?

**placidfemme** · 13th April 2007, 11:59

Originally Posted by Keystone19

Can't wait to see you on the track Tammy - yer gonna love it!

Thanks

I'm really excited and pretty nervous too, and I agree I think I will love it...

**Keystone19** · 13th April 2007, 12:00

Originally Posted by speed63

The AMA guy is right on the money. Impressive considering he hasnt seen the profile of the track. Is his name Mat or Miguel by any chance?

Or Nicky...?

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