Are you thinking of doing a track day but don't know where to start. The following information has been complied from different members Bikers Anon to help and guide you through.

Disclaimer Notice
Please read the Disclaimer Notice Here  before acting on any of the information contain on this page or any other page on this web site.

So what are track days all about?

My First Track Day

"Take it easy, it’s not a race, build up your speed over the sessions and consider the other riders on the track."

The Weather

Wet or Dry?

Most people prefer to be on an track day when it is dry, due to there been more traction on the track surface.

While there is a lot to be said about riding in the rain or on a wet track, a wet track narrows the margin for error considerably.

If you are already confident riding in the rain then you may think about attending the track on a wet day. Otherwise you will be better of on your first track day to go on a fine day

Before Leaving Home

Food and Drink

"Keep yourself Hydrated".

Bring plenty of fluids, in particular water. Even if it's the dead of winter, keep drinking until you urinate. Dehydration can cause a number of very undesirable effects for motorcyclists. If you sweat profusely, you may need an electrolyte style drink such as Gatorade. Chances are though that simple cold water will hydrate your just fine.

Caffeine is a diuretic: cokes and coffees will stimulate but not hydrate.

You may not feel like eating, especially if you're out there working physically hard, which you shouldn't be on your first track day. Fruit, chocolate and muesli bars at ride days or race meeting are easy to carry and will hit the spot nicely. Obviously carbohydrates are ultimately what you want as you will burn up a lot of energy even if it is mainly nervous energy. Fatty, heavy things like track hamburgers and chips won't sit well in your stomach.

Eat a good breakfast before you go to the track. Don't screw your body around by arriving on an empty stomach, hitting it up with coffee, and then thrashing your bike around a circuit. It goes without saying that arriving with a hangover is just a waste of time and your money.

Your mind needs to be fresh and you need some energy.

What to Wear "Protect your body, Spares are not easy to come by" Wear appropriate safety clothing. You should not go to the track without good two- or one-piece leathers, solid leather gloves with carbon fibre hard bits (if you have them) to protect those delicate hands , a good helmet, motorcycle boots and a back protector. If you can afford a track day, you can afford all the necessary safety gear. Your body is a rather vital part of your day-to-day life: do not skimp on protecting it

Getting to the track

It is best, but not a necessity, to trailer your bike to and from the circuit. You will be mentally fatigued by the end of the day, but a bit "geed up" from all the fast riding. It's better to be off the bike under those circumstances. And of course accidents happen out on the track; so save yourself some headache and make sure you've got a contingency plan should your bike be rendered unrideable.

Once at the track

Arrive at the track on time. Your first job is to find where you sign in. At Eastern Creek this is usually at the bottom garage (furthest away from the timing tower). Sign your indemnity forms and collect your grade sticker.

Which Grade should I go in A, B, C or D ?

General mid week tracks days will usually have 3 grades and weekends will have 4 grades. 

Book yourself into the slowest grade on the day. If after a few sessions you find that everyone in that grade is riding to slow for you, you should be able to move up to the next grade. If you book yourself in to a grade which is riding to fast for you, you can also move down a grade as well. To change grades will will need to visit the sign in desk again so they can issue you with a new sticker, you should not be a charge.

Scrutineering

Pop your grade sticker on your bike, it is best to take some tape to put under the sticker to make it easier to remove at the end of the day, and then have your bike scrutineered. Your bike should be in a road worthy condition. The scrutineers will check the condition of your tyres, brakes, chain and they will make sure nothing looks like it is going to fall off half way around the track.

Tyres "Traction is very important" A track day is not the place to get the last few km's out of your tyres. Always go to the track with a good set of rubber on your bike. This could be the difference between staying on or falling off. Would you be happy doing 160 kph + on this tyre?

Tyre Pressure 

On a dry day lower the tyre pressure to around 30psi in the front and rear. You should buy a tyre pressure gauge and do this once you get to the track. The aim of lowering your tyre pressure is to increase the “footprint” of the tyre and help get heat into the rubber to soften it up and make it stickier.
On a wet day lower the tyre pressure to about 28psi to try and get more heat into the rubber.

Check your tyre pressure when the tyres are cold for consistency.

After the day has finished and you’re riding your bike home, turn into the first service station and reinflate your tyres to your normal road riding pressure. This will save them wearing out due to the lower inflation.

Tape up or remove your Mirrors, even tape up your speedo.

Don't worry about bikes behind you. That's THEIR problem to pass you safely and avoid you.
Taping up your mirrors stops you using them to look behind you, focusing your attention where it should be, on the track in front of you. After a few laps you will get used to not being able to check your mirrors and you will stop looking at them all together.

Track days are NOT A RACE. You don't have to go FAST to enjoy them. No one is forcing you to or expecting you to.

Taping up your Speedo overcomes the desire to check your speed, once again after a few laps you will get used to this as well and even more of your focus will be back on the track in front of you.

Rider Briefing

All track days include a rider briefing on safety and rider etiquette for the track day. Make sure you attend the briefing and don’t be afraid to ask questions at the end. Listen carefully to the advice given. It is crucial that you attend the riders briefing and listen; even experienced racers should go along.

The First Session

You are not Mick Doohan. Forget about going as fast as possible. Have a plan sorted out for your day, like the one below.

Your first couple of track days should be spent learning and thinking, not throwing your bike away and hurting yourself because you were off having delusions of grandeur. Like the rest of the population who haven't been riding dirt or mini bikes since they were five, you are not going to be the best of the best. So ride within your limits.

Operate in your own space. It's easy to get caught up just blindly following other riders, or constantly being annoyed by someone out on the track. A common problem is the rider on the small bike being overtaken by the big fast bike on the straights and then getting blocked in the corners while the big fast bike uses its superior power to pull away down the straight again. If this, or anything like it happens, just do a ride-through the pits. Pull into ans ride through (at the pit lane speed limit of course) the pits and re-enter the circuit. Hey presto, problem solved.
Above all, ride within your own space.

Always ride the first couple of laps slower to warm up the tyres and make them sticky. So many riders crash on the first or second lap due to cold tyres.
Don’t stop concentrating after the chequered flag at the end of the session. This is the second most frequent time for crashes.

Difficulties in recognising one's own incompetence will lead to inflated self-assessments. Read this:
lhttp://www.apa.org/journals/psp/psp7761121.html. You'll find it very true at the track. Everyone thinks, once they get comfortable, that it isn't as hard as they thought it was to go fast. The best medicine for this is to circulate in A group for a couple of minutes, you'll come back pale as a sheet.

FIRST TRACK DAY ACTIVITY LIST

Find your reference points. The most important and fundamental thing you can ever do at the racetrack. You will need at least four reference points for every corner: when to start braking, when to start turning, where you will apex, where you will start accelerating. They could be marks on the track or very near the edge of the track (braking markers are ideal).
Make a flowing line from one reference point to the next. You won't gather a full set of reference points for many track days, but gather as many as you can.

Write stuff down. Have a paper and pen handy, and write down what you discovered at the end of each session. Did you find a new reference point? Did you make a change that worked? Draw an eyes closed map of the circuit; i.e. close your eyes and visualise circulating, drawing a map on a piece of paper at the same time. Your maps will get better as you find more reference points. Write down what made you feel nervous, what made you feel confident.
The reference points you select today may be gone tomorrow. Use your first few laps of the days to confirm or find new reference points.

Smoothly apply the throttle throughout the turns. Once you have finished braking, get back on the gas gently and smoothly and control the throttle throughout the entire turn. DO NOT CHOP THE THROTTLE. Smoothly apply the throttle throughout the entire turn. Say it again, and again, and again until it is gospel.

Look through the corner. On a motorcycle you go where you look. At the entry of the turn you should be looking towards your apex - not at the track right in front of you, not at the Speedo, not at Bob on the VFR next to you. By the time your motorcycle reaches the apex you should already be looking at the exit of the turn. Your vision should smoothly progress from one reference point to the next, always staying ahead of where you are.

Helpful tip: visualise the tank cam they have in the MotoGP races. The one that points from the steering head back towards the rider. Watch the riders head - this is what your head should be doing.
This is enough for anyone to work on with their first track day. Once you have your reference points, you're looking through the corners, and smoothly applying the throttle, you can start adding more techniques.

Pit Lane

Do not speed in pit lane – slow right down – someone could easily step out of a pit garage into your path. You are no longer allowed to stand on the pit wall at Eastern Creek, think safety at all times, use your peripheral vision to monitor all that is going on around you.

Crashes do happen

Crashes are not uncommon during the latter sessions. People get tired or overly keen to get in that one last "hot lap" for the day. Most crashes happen in the first or the last session and in the first lap or the warm down lap after the chequered flag

So, don't feel compelled to do EVERY session you are "entitled" to or paid for. Sit out a session or two, wander around the pits, watch/listen/learn.

For a full day you may want to skip the last session, No point being collected by some clown on the last session of the day... what a rotten way to spoil a great day!

Even come in early from a session or find some clean track by slowing down the straight and waiting for some clear space.

Most of all enjoy yourself

"Think safety at all times"

Do you have any advice that should be included on the page?
Send an email to @ bikersanon.com with you thought and comments, they may even be included on this page.

A special thanks to the members who helped put this information together.

Luke Burton
Alister,  
Grant Snowden