Viewing 33 posts - 1 through 33 (of 33 total)
  • Motorcycle track days.
  • fervouredimage
    Free Member

    Fancy buying myself a cheapey track day only bike. Just wondered if anyone here has any experience of track days and/or track day bikes?

    I’m a stones throw from Silverstone, not far from Mallory or Donington so would seem a shame not to get a few in a year. Any advice?

    shifter
    Free Member

    Do it, it’s a lot of fun. Be careful though, can get very expensive!

    samuri
    Free Member

    Not what you’re looking for but I did a knee down day at ashbourne? one time. They guaranteed you’d get your knee down by the end of the day. They had these tatty VT250’s that had been dropped about a hundred times, leathers that were worn so thin you could almost see through them and these battered old helmets.

    That day was a lot of fun, taught me how amazingly far over you can get a bike over on one side and actually how easy it is to get your knee down.

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    neninja
    Free Member

    I used to do a fair few but it got too expensive by the time you’d paid for the trackday, fuel to get there plus a couple of tanks on track, tyres etc.

    Mallory is a pretty good place to cut your teeth and usually not too pricey. Rockingham is usually a cheap (less than £100 for a day).

    I’d go for an older GSXR600/R6/ZX6R/CBR600 and replace all the plastics with a race fairing. A 2005 CBR600RR would be ideal but you’ll get a similar year GSXR600 for less.

    fervouredimage
    Free Member

    Yeah, the cost is a concern. I intend to buy something cheap and maybe get in a half a dozen days a year at the most so hoping that will keep the costs fairly minimal. Just a bit of fun to get the endorphins flowing really.

    Where do you find the costs stack up most?

    reedspeed
    Free Member

    It goes totally against the grain mate !,the last thing you wanna do is ride something cheap on a track day !,spongy brakes,risk of blowing up & dumping oil everywhere !,knackered bearings dodgy mechanics who say they fettled it & havnt,apart from your own life,think of the the other 20+ in your group..

    Having done on average 25/30 days a year up until recentley,here & in Spain/France etc,i can tell it gets very expansive,& thats if you dont have n off !.

    Having said that,it depends how you wanna do them,i had the full kit,that a race team,genny,van awning,2 bikes bought new 08 R1’s,in full bsb Superstock trim,new rubber @ lunchtime !…with spares etc etc..

    But,i’d still say save up & buy an ex race bike,or a nearly new something..

    This is one sport to never ever cut corners on !!.

    neninja
    Free Member

    Mostly fuel and tyres plus you’ll probably want a spare set of wheels with wets.

    If you stay fairly local it keeps the cost down but you’ll want to do Cadwell, Oulton, Brands and then it gets expensive and the fuel cost is high plus the better the circuit the more they charge generally.

    chojin
    Free Member

    Track days: The most fun you can have on two wheels.

    shifter
    Free Member

    It is possible to do it on your only bike – I do, but many people get very carried away! Spare wheels with wets would be great (especially at Cadwell last Monday…) but then you need a van or a trailer, and then you may as well have tyre warmers and a genny…

    reedspeed
    Free Member

    Ya cant go wrong with a 600rr,or an R6, 2007 onwards….

    neninja
    Free Member

    07 onwards 600rr and R6’s aren’t going to be cheap though. It depends what the OP wants from it really.

    I’d be looking at 03/04 600RR’s http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-CBR-600-rr-track-bike-2003-/190700195685?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item2c669e0f65

    or you’d probably get an 05 GSXR for similar money.

    fervouredimage
    Free Member

    I’m in the first throws of doing this so at the minute I have no idea what I want.

    I’ve come from a motocross background but the body can’t take much more of that so a handful of track days throughout the year and lots of ‘tinkering’ time in the garage with the bike will keep me smiling.

    For nostalgias sake I was tempted by a Honda NC30 (400). Hugely underpowered but I had one when I was a teenager and after seeing one running at Donington the other day eating alive bikes much much bigger I was seriously tempted by one. They still look great too IMO.

    scotchegg
    Free Member

    I live in Ashbourne and would like details for the knee down day please samurai.

    MrSparkle
    Full Member

    I’m guessing it was a fair while ago if they were using VT250’s, mate.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Old CBR6 is the default trackday bike IME- there’s loads of old race bikes out there that nobody else wants, they’re reasonably quick, cheap to fix, easy spares etc. You’ll probably want to MOT and insure it though so you can test it on-road.

    Someone mentioned wets… I always did trackdays on my own bike but if you’re booking far in advance and planning weekends round them then wets are a good idea so as not to waste your money/spoil your day.

    singlecrack
    Free Member

    Track day ..lol. Do it ..shows you what a bike can actually do even a small capacity bike ………for even more fun do it on a 250cc smoker (rgv ,kr1 ,aprillia rs)

    wrightyson
    Free Member

    Mate had a track day cbr6, he binned it at Cadwell. Got a free ride in a helicopter after spending thirty minutes wedged in the tyre wall, then did 2 weeks in intensive care and a total of eight in hospital. Be careful and make sure the red mist doesn’t descend when some scrote does you on the outside on a 125!!

    Dickyboy
    Full Member

    did my first one on my 14yr old Moto Guzzi 10 days ago & had great fun in the novice group, heaps of money doesn’t have to be spent, but I did come away toying with the idea of buying a track day only bike 🙂

    momo
    Full Member

    For tyres, make friends with a racer or two, race day scrubs make fantastic track day tyres. I run dunlop D211 GPs, cost me about £50 a pair.

    NC30s make great track bikes, fairly light and handle brilliantly – just be prepared to put the time in fettleing it.

    As said above a full set of race plastics and engine case protectors, if trailoring or in a van, take spare brake/clutch levers, footpegs, ie all the bits that stick out or the bits that are likely to bend in a lowside crash.

    clive
    Free Member

    2 stroke’s can be a right laugh for track days , not to bad on the wallet to boot

    rgv 250 or a rs 250 with a set of race pipes and tyga body kit ?

    fervouredimage
    Free Member

    NC30s make great track bikes, fairly light and handle brilliantly – just be prepared to put the time in fettleing it.

    Absolutely. Painfully reliable as well as far as I can remember. That’s the machine I’m initially looking at although I haven’t ruled a 2 stroke as some have suggested. A good old 250 could be great fun.

    Don’t know much about rgv 250’s but have heard a few good things about them. Seems to fit the bill.

    flange
    Free Member

    I did a few last year – my first being Brands GP circuit. A scary prospect as a lot of club racers used it to test their bikes prior to the race season starting. Nothing quite like being passed on the outside through Paddock hill by a 250 two-smoke when you’re on your nice new fireblade. All the kit, goes like….

    My suggestion would be to pick one of the smaller tracks (as oppose to Silverstone/Brands) as its less likely to be full of racers.

    As for bikes, something you don’t mind binning would be a good start. Nothing bigger than a 600 if you’re new to it and even then it’ll feel like a rocket ship. A 400 might be a good bet if you can fit on it.

    I’ve done quite a few track days in cars on some pretty quick circuits and nothing comes close to doing them on a bike. Go into a corner too hot in a car and you can just slam the anchors on and keep turning. Totally different kettle of fish on a bike – you’re looking for somewhere to crash.

    Awesome fun though – if cycling didn’t take up all my time, I’d be doing plenty more of them.

    Would recommend hiring a van as well, even if its road registered. I was battered after my first one, then had a nice 120 mile ride home on cooked tyres. Not a lot of fun, although its amazing how much faster you can take roundabouts after a day on the track…

    almightydutch
    Free Member

    Presuming you can ride a bike to a reasonable standard I’d say your best off spending £100 to get an ACU license. This would enable you to get to Mallory Park on Wednesdays for the afternoons bike testing sessions.

    60 quid gets 3 20 mins sessions. Slow/Fast/Slideycars. Sessions gets mixed into Solo’s and slideycars if less turn up too but its usually pretty well attended. This year being an exception as people seem to be staying away with the variable weather. Thats the cheapest tracktime I know of and means you dont have to commit to a full day.

    Bike wise, anything 03 onwards with CBR 6 being what I would class as a great starting point. If your a bigger lad then maybe a Gixxer 6. I wouldnt go down the 2 stroke route as they require way too much fettling to get them right. And ones fettled correctly fetch good money. Way better off on a budget 600. You should be able to get away with a couple of grand for something reasonable, anything less than that usually means long term problems.

    You go on about budget, scrap that thinkin straight away. As soon as you do the first one every rational thought goes out the window and you’ll be hooked.

    What do you ride on the road by the way?

    fervouredimage
    Free Member

    Currently riding a 2009 R6 on the road. I’d never track day her though. The down side I have with bike choice is my height. Being 6’2 can be a pain although the R6 is very comfortable as was my old NC30 back when I was a teenager.

    I’ve got a valid ACU road racing licence currently from my Supermoto days so Mallory sounds ideal.

    weeksy
    Full Member

    I’ve done about 100 Trackdays, both UK and Jerez/Spa.

    I’ve currently got a cheap 2000 R1 i bought as a track bike…

    Tyres are a huge eater of budget, as it transporting bikes to track and back in a hire van.

    almightydutch
    Free Member

    6’2″ and fit an R6…..you wont on track. It may be comfy sitting up on the road but being stuck behind the bubble all the way round the track you’ll feel too big.IMO

    Plenty of trackdays available and pick the ones that suit you, Mallory wednesdays are good for a taster session or genuine testing.

    weeksy
    Full Member

    Alright Dutch 🙂

    almightydutch
    Free Member

    How are we Weeksy? Braver man than me on a 2000 R1 thats for sure

    crotchrocket
    Free Member

    best advice: ditch the plastics. get engine protectors all over the metal work, because you will be dropping it 😀

    also: get the best lid you can afford & replace it regulary – mine definitely saved my life. The Oesteo guys said “if this wasn’t such a new lid you would have lost the use of your arms or died, no question.”.

    weeksy
    Full Member

    Good thanks Dutch. I’ve got 3 of them now… a 2000 trackbike, 2001 road bike and 2004 roadbike 🙂

    porter_jamie
    Full Member

    Been racing for about 15 years (spannered 2 british championship winning supermonos), and lost count of the trackdays i have done.

    My advice would be to spend the money on tyres, suspension and brakes. dont tune the motor, maybe just do the gearing (chain and sprockets) spend more money on crash protection – you know, big lumps of plastic bolted to the frame and swingarm, and armoured engine covers. If you don’t, one crash might cost more to fix than the bike cost. it is worth fitting proper race plastic as it saves a whole load of weight and hassle.

    You will get your arse handed to you by snotty teenagers on battered CB500s, or aprilia 125s. This is not because your motor is not powerful enough. It is because they are riding it a lot harder!

    Don’t ride your bike to the meeting, use a van or car and trailer. You can never take too much stuff, but beware you can end up taking your whole workshop in you are not careful!

    Enjoy it.
    Try and relax.
    Take a responsible adult.
    Don’t look behind.

    re crotchrocket post – couldnt agree more. Never ever ride without your backprotector. Mine has defo saved me a few times.

    almightydutch
    Free Member

    Lids are meant to have a shelf life of about 3 years.

    Also make sure its a multiaxial fibre one not some nasty fibreglass helmet.

    As Crotchrockets says, by the best Helmet you can afford. On top of that, make sure its from a well known big brand too.

    geordiemick00
    Free Member

    my track day career ended up in me going bankrupt in 2007, so don’t throw your life at it like I did and do 43 in one year…..

    pick which track you fancy, there will be racers at every track day but most are split into groups of starter/intermediate/ACU (racers) and start off in starters, if you’re confident you’ll just look good in comparison to the rest.

    remove your reg plate – CCTV vans do the rounds of the paddocks on behalf of insurance companies.

    check your brake pads and if in doubt replace

    Check the tracks Db levels, donnington and oulton park are total sticklers for noise, due to complaining neighbours, most have limits but not policed aggressively

    ride for yourself, don’t get drawn into a race. I’ve double lapped lads on R1’s on my 1200cc V twin harley powered Buell, it’s all about riding fluent and not being a ‘point and squirt’ merchant.

    take your mirrors off and blank off your speedo, the time it takes you to look at them (needlessly) you’re off the track and on the grass

    learn how to drag your back brake – scrubbing off speed in corners goes a long way. When you get better you can drag your front brake without standing the bike up

    be wary of a large lunch, if your session is straight after lunch you’ll feel lethargic

    check nothing leaks – for the sake of others

    enjoy, miss my track day era so much…

Viewing 33 posts - 1 through 33 (of 33 total)

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