Bike track days for beginners

Track days are popular with car drivers for the opportunity to go harder and faster than you legally or responsibly can on the road, improve your skills and explore the limits of your vehicle in relative safety. Can the same really be said for motorcycle track days, especially the ‘in relative safety’ part? Absolutely!
Look at it this way – for sure the speeds may be higher. But a track is a controlled environment where you can push your bike harder than you would ever do on the road, learn its limits and do so safe in the knowledge you’re not going to hit a patch of diesel, have a tractor pull out in front of you or meet anyone coming the other way. Circuits are also designed with run-off and gravel traps to catch you rather than the walls, street furniture or trees lining roads out there in the real world. To test the theory we went along to a Ducati track day as a green-around-the-gills rookie rider with barely a year on a full licence to see what we could learn. And whether track days really can be about being a safer rider, as well as a faster one.

The pit garage on a Ducati track day is undoubtedly a scary place for a rookie. We’ve previously enjoyed track-based training with IAM Roadsmartbut that was very much about practising road skills in a controlled environment. This is rather more intimidating given the surroundings and fact everyone looks very serious in their branded leathers. Thankfully Ducati has set everything up, with a shiny Monster SP to ride and an instructor in the form of seasoned hand Andy ‘Spidey’ Peck as chaperone for the day. While clearly at the fancier end of the spectrum, a sporty naked like the Monster is a great bike for a track newbie, being slightly more upright in its riding position, powerful enough to keep pace without being too scary and packed with rider aids like cornering ABS, traction control, anti-wheelie and a quickshifter for working the gears without worrying about the clutch. Once squeezed into our conspicuously new leathers, Andy talks through the basics of cornering and track position before leading out for the first session. Starting at a nice, steady pace the goal is to follow Andy’s line, learn where to be on the track and generally put those early nerves at ease, the relative calm of the novice group meaning fewer knee-down heroes on sports bikes to worry about.

With one 20-minute session per hour the downtime between is Andy’s opportunity to debrief before introducing new learning elements on a step-by-step basis. Some fundamental principles translate to road riding and lessons learned on the IAM Roadsmart day, these including assessing the pending corner on approach, braking in a straight line to enter it at the correct speed, looking through the turn to find the exit and then smoothly adding the power as you accelerate away. Just without the worry of oncoming traffic, slippery drain covers, hedges blocking your view or, indeed, speed limits. As such things happen a bit quicker than you may be used to, though Andy’s deceptively smooth style makes it somewhat less scary. Mainly it’s all about preparation and setting the bike into the correct position and gear before tipping in and committing, something that falls apart the instant Andy swaps places to observe from behind. Within a couple of corners he’s seen enough and resumes his position as lead rider, ready to share his observations at the next debrief.

Race track surroundings can encourage you to pile into the corners too fast, standing the bike on the nose like some wannabe MotoGP hero and feeling the ABS chatter through the brake pedal as the unweighted rear wheel slides around. Guilty as charged, Andy instead advising a smoother, longer braking phase to make sure the bike has been slowed properly before attempting to turn. It’s the same old ‘slow in, fast out’ advice you’ll hear on car track days. And with a bit of self-discipline it makes a real difference.

The publicity material for the Ducati Monster SP has a rider hanging off the bike in all manner of gymnastic poses, up to and including dragging knee AND elbow along the track. And if you’ve ever watched motorcycle racing you’ll have seen the riders throwing incredible shapes, all in the name of speed. It’s early days for all that but for the next session Andy advises sliding across the saddle to shift outside bum cheek to the centre of the bike, turning hips to the direction of travel, cocking the inside arm and counteracting the natural tendency to lift your head upright by leaning into the turn. Going through these motions in the pit garage feels strange, but back out on track it makes more sense, Andy exaggerating his body movements up ahead as a visual cue. While the pictures tell a different story the lean angles feel as heroic as those ones in the Ducati marketing shots, the weight shifts opening the corners and making earlier application of power feel totally natural.

Andy’s final piece of the puzzle is a lesson in alternating your gaze between where the bike is now and where you want it to be further up the track, the latter through using visual reference points like marshal posts, kerbing, changes in surface or whatever to raise your eyeline. Added to the previous stuff about line choice, braking points, gear selection and body position suddenly it unlocks a new level of confidence and corners taken in third or fourth in the morning session are suddenly a gear up, the Monster’s torquey power delivery making the rear tyre squirm for exit speed sufficient to give a couple of Panigale riders a rude awakening. That’s more down to Andy’s patient and expert instruction than any heroics on our part. But it goes to show just what a difference tuition can make. And by the end of it speed and confidence have increased without once having felt sketchy, out of control or in any other way in danger of binning it. All skills that can serve you just as well out on the road.

A suitable bike you’re allowed to take onto a track is an obvious prerequisite, which means one you can afford to replace should the worst happen, either out of your own pocket or with suitable insurance. Suffice to say, your regular road policy probably won’t cover this so if you’re financially committed to a bike through finance or similar make sure you protect your investment with suitable specialist cover. It might cost but it’s better than the alternative. Or you could buy a bike specifically for track use – it needn’t break the bank and you can set yourself a budget you know your wallet can absorb if it comes to it. Nor do you have to spend a fortune on a fancy sports bike. A sporty naked will be cheaper to buy and fix if you do drop it, just as fast where it matters and there are plenty of affordable options out there. Just leave some budget to make sure the engine, suspension, brakes and (especially) the tyres are all in top notch condition. Many people prefer to remove mirrors and other unnecessary parts to save weight and cost in the event of damage, and if you’re not riding the bike to or from the circuit you can take this further. If you prefer to keep your bike road legal your options here are more limited so plan accordingly. As a minimum most tracks require that you fit a lever guard for the front brake so it can’t be snagged by a passing rider, but this is a simple bolt-on addition.

While a track is, arguably, a safer place to ride a motorbike than the public road you’ll be riding faster and pushing harder, so your riding jeans and textile commuter jacket aren’t going to cut it. Organisers will insist on a helmet with an Auto Cycle Union ‘Gold sticker’ certifying it for track use and most will also require full, one-piece leathers. You might just get by with two-piece jacket and trousers if they zip together all the way round but if the organisers aren’t satisfied you risk being sent home without a ride, so a suit is a safer bet in all regards. If it doesn’t already have a back protector you’ll be expected to wear one as well, and the marshals will check this before you go out. The kit obviously doesn’t come cheap but given it’s all you have between you and the track surface you’d be daft to skimp. We went with a suit from Vanucci sold through European kit retailer Louis Moto, along with matching gloves and boots. While there may be tempting deals to be found online fit is crucial, so if possible buy from a store where you can try a few options. Your suit needs to be tight enough to be borderline uncomfortable when standing around off the bike (it should loosen slightly in time) but fine in your riding position on the bike with no restriction in movement. Many bigger shops have ‘dummy’ bikes to sit on and test this out on the shop floor. Knee sliders may feel like an essential accessory for any serious track rider but you’re unlikely to need them at the outset.

Most motorcycle track days run in sessions or groups, divided by experience level. You choose your group accordingly, the novice group obviously the best place to start given the pace will be a little slower and you won’t be a rolling chicane for wannabe racers. Be ready for an early alarm call because whichever group you’re in you’ll need to attend a briefing at the start of the day, so allow plenty of time to get there, unload or prepare your bike, get changed, grab some breakfast and get your head together before going to the briefing and doing what are called ‘sighting laps’ ahead of the sessions proper. These are carried out at low speed and provide an opportunity to familiarise yourself with the track, learn where the marshals are so you know where to look for warning flags and get yourself mentally prepared. On sessioned days you’ll then have a timetable for when your group goes out, so take the time between to stay fed and watered and be ready to line up a few minutes before you’re due to go back out again so as not to miss out on any valuable track time. Take it easy for the first lap or two of any session to let your tyres get back up to temperature and build the speed up incrementally. Ride your own pace and don’t be tempted to stay on the wheel of faster and more experienced riders. A cool-down lap at the end of the session is a good idea as well, this helping both bike and rider get breath back before coming back into the pits.