Track newb - what/how to bring

hey, so just planning ahead for when the weather improves and I go to try out a track day, what are some ESSENTIAL things to bring (hmm motorcycle/helmet/gear/balls? check)? What're people's thoughts on best way to get it there? Car/trailer/truck or backpack stuffed to the gills?

I don't have a truck/trailer personally, but can likely borrow one if needed. I'm looking to try Infineon which is not far from my place in SF, so distance isn't really a big deal.

Spare clutch, shifter, and brake levers. Spare gas. Tool box. Lots of water. Food. A change of cool clothing/dry clothing. A rear stand. Zip ties for your kickstand. Just off the top of my head.

spare pegs and lever in case you crash. Pop up canopy to stay out of the sun. Food and plenty of water. Chairs, fan for yourself and helmet depending on how hot it is. Extra fuel unless there is pumps on site.

If you ride there, be prepared to walk home. It is very likely that you will crash and injure yourself or your bike to the point where you cant/don't want to ride. Always go with friends or someone you trust to pack up your stuff for you if you have to go to the hospital.

My first year, I used a 4dr sedan and the folding trailer from Harbor Freight to get to the track. You dont have to go all out on a Toy Hauler to get there, just get a trailer or a pickup truck.

Take good food and drink. Being hungry and thirsty cos trackside food is crap sucks.

Other than that you just need a well serviced bike, with correct tyre pressures, plenty of pad life and correct chain adjustment, ...and check oil levels before you go, as topping-up at the track may not be an option if you can't find your regular make.

Riding to the track (and riding home) is a good way to calibrate your brain into sensible(ish) behaviour.
Ideally track days should offer the safest possible environemnt to ride your bike fast and hard (lots of run-off, good tarmac, no oncoming traffic, police etc) but there's not reason to ride beyondn your limits and crash just because other people are watching. ... Unless you want to start racing or are a lunatic.

I load a trailer to get my bike to the track. I'm usually pretty tired by the time I come home, and I'd ride too fast for the street if I rode my bike home. And that way I can take more stuff.

Make sure to check the requirements of your track day organization on bike prep, and check whether the track has any additional requirements. I prep my bike before I go so that I'm not rushed when I get there to pass tech.

I take all kinds of crap but actually need very little of it. Things I always use: cooler with drinks and food, chair, folding table (if I bring one), easy up if it's sunny (or find shade if I don't bring one), tyre pressure gauge, bike air pump, things I need for bike prep, tools for basic bike service, all my riding gear, fresh base layer to change if it's hot. Things I often bring but rarely use: every kind of tool I can imagine, spare parts, bike fluids and chemicals, owners/service manual. Search for checklist threads on a few track day organization forums and you'll find lots of lists of stuff to bring - most of which you'll never need!

Just a few thoughts FWIW. Have fun - you're going to love it.

Pretty much what everyone else says. As to whether to ride or drive, that kinda depends on how you ride. Personally I load the bike in the van for 2 reasons. 1: because I want to take lots of stuff like paddock stands, warmers, tools ect. 2: because I know once I get on track I can't resist riding hard, sometimes I ride harder than my talent can cope with and leather meets tarmac Saying that though, I've only binned it twice in 16 track days, though there have been a fair few close shaves. So if you are planning to take it easy, riding there shouldn't be a big issue.

Oh and you will need either a one piece suit or 2 piece leathers that zip all the way around. At least if you are riding on track in the UK you would.

And lastly enjoy! Riding on track is fantastic fun!

good points all! Thanks for the heads up! i guess riding wisely is to plan accordingly for worst-case scenarios. Didn't even occur to me "hey what if I bung up the bike or myself (knock on wood)?"

I've heard it can take at least 5 laps to warm up tyres if they're cold, but since I'm totally new, I likely won't be railing the course by any means. Would you say tyre warmers are a worthy investment for someone such as myself? Maybe answering my own question, but i guess stickier tyres can't hurt and may even be wiser for a newbie.

If you have decent sport tyres now, I wouldn't buy stickier until you ride more track. For street tyres, I wouldn't buy warmers - I just don't give it the berries until after I'm 2 or 3 laps through the session. If it's cold or wet be more gentle! You'll be surprised how hot your tyres are when you finish a session.

[quote="chris2"]spare pegs and lever in case you crash. Pop up canopy to stay out of the sun. Food and plenty of water. Chairs, fan for yourself and helmet depending on how hot it is. Extra fuel unless there is pumps on site.

If you ride there, be prepared to walk home. It is very likely that you will crash and injure yourself or your bike to the point where you cant/don't want to ride. Always go with friends or someone you trust to pack up your stuff for you if you have to go to the hospital. quote]

That has to be one of the most pesermistic, misleading and offputting posts in the history of SD Net!

I dont know how many track days I have done but it's years worth, starting as a novice and in short order running with the fast group. In all those years I rode to every track day on the bike I was using for the track taking only the tools necessary to remove the number plate etc and some tape for the headlight etc. Yes there are occasional crashes but most are self induced wobbles into the gravel followed by a low speed topple, of the rest most are low sides with minimal damage with only the occasional highside or tumble. I could count on one hand the number of unridable bikes I saw (out of thousands taking part). I only ever had one memorable accident (A huge highside out of Edwinas at Mallory) and even then I just bust my hand up a little and added some strained and bruised body parts. The bike was fine and I rode home after.

Don't let this post put you off. With oposing traffic, junctions and potholes you are in much more danger on the way to the track than you are when on it. You dont need to take anything special. Just turn up, try to relax, start slow and build from there. It's great fun and you will have a huge grin at the end of the day. carefull on the way back if you ride though, your speed perception changes and your road speed (if you are anything like me) tends towards the OMG end of the range!

a ha. Reading through these answers to your question PBRnr makes me realise there are two trains of thought here. The first is what you should bring/prepare for. That's easily answered and I'm sure there will be much advice. Personally I think for your first few track days you should not get occupied with all the kit, tyre warmers, vans, track day accessories etc. Just get down there making sure that your bike is in good condition, tyres good, brake and other fluids checked, preferably an oil change - the regular pre-check routine.

The biggest issue you will face is your state of mind. Seriously, you will have butterflies the night before and will not sleep well. You need to arrive in plenty of time, give yourself a nice talk to to calm your nerves and set off determined to take it easy and be prepared to learn from scratch. Enter into the novice group with the confidence that you can ride your bike and don't get hung up on becoming a track day god on the first time out. You won't be. Just accept that you have a learning curve to go on. Don't be intimidated by all the other guys who have a lot of experience, don't envy their inters. and fast group wrist bands - you might be there one day but not today. Take it real easy, try and learn the track in the morning. Let everyone else pass you - it doesn't mean you are a wimp, it means you have a good understanding of your abilities. If you stay on and get to ride the next session - that's when you are doing well and are the hero of the day.

The "red mist". You might find that you speed up and start getting on a roll and are riding faster than you want. It sucks you in - believe me. That's when novices crash. They start to believe they are gods and start to ride at a pace they would not usually be comfortable doing. It's an ego thing. Don't let anyone tell you different, we've all done it to some extent. It is a horrible moment to suddenly realise you are crashing/running out of track space/entering a corner too fast and panicking/freezing. It happens in slow motion and you will relive it hundreds of times in the future as you replay your stupidity.

My advice is to really get your mind focussed on what your abilities are. Don't try and prove anything to anyone, except yourself. The feeling of improving and slowly getting to grips with track day riding is unbeatable when riding home after eight sessions round a great track is absolutely unforgettable and rewarding beyond your wildest dreams. But to go beyond your abilities on your first day, crashed bike, repair bills, maybe injuries leaves you feeling like a fool and maybe would even stop you having another go.

So go for it!

PS. I made ALL of the above mistakes. ALL OF THEM

So take my advice. I now ride in inters and sometimes fast. But the memories of my mistakes still haunt me, I learned the hard way.

Good luck.

Mate. If it's your first trackday just keep it simple. Ride up with a back pack or tank bag. If you can tow the bike that's also good. Take some good food, drinks etc. A small tool and puncture kit plus a tyre pressure gauge. The latter is most important. If you take nothing else, take the presure gauge. Get to the track in plenty of time and settle down and watch what's going on. Ask questions and get comfortable. Get on your bike and ride. First tine out you'll need a clear head so don't fuss around getting a truckload of stuff together. Just take it easy and enjoy yourself.

Checklist:

You. Bike. Pressure gauge. Maybe some tools. Food and drinks. Oh yes, gaffer tape. Good to have a bit in your bag.

Check your bike over thoroughly beforehand,eat a good breakfast before you go,ride your bike there,drink plenty of water while your there,lower tyre pressure's,start in the novice group and ride you're bike sensibly and learn the track and just enjoy the day.
Dont get caught out and eat loads at dinner time as you wont feel like riding in the afternoon,bannish all thoughts of crashing and think positive and you'll be fine and remember to breath and relax.

Enjoy dont forget to buy your first trackday photo!

I think everything has been covered pretty well on here.

I rode my bike to my first couple of track days, it didn't make me go any slower though, luckily I didn't crash but it was quite daunting being so far away from home my first time at Cadwell with no transport for the bike should the worst happen, I saw another bike while I was there which had been made unrideable and the bike had ridden there, the organiser was arranging to drop him off down the road somewhere so he could call the RAC to pick him up

The SD crashes well though and can be dusted off and ridden more so than the average plastic missile.

These days as I've got faster I'm not comfortable riding to the track as there's more scope for a crash.

Bics right though, taking the time to practice your technique and think about things is probably the best thing to do, can't say it's what I did though I went as fast as I could go on my first couple of track days and didn't even use to hang off at all, I felt I was going pretty well as it was and didn't want to jinx it, I kept saying to myself I must practice proper technique but the thrill of it always stopped me. However, I went to an evening session at Brands with Shade and BTD and I just felt rubbish, no confidence at all on the brakes or in the corners so I decided I couldn't get any slower so it was as good a time as any to practice my body positioning and I ended up having so much fun in the end, I wasn't the quickest but I was getting it and then the next time I did a track day the whole thing was so much better and I improved considerably because of the time I spent learning that time out, if I'd carried on as I was Id have invariably done a BTD at clearways or somewhere similar.

So don't worry too much about riding you're bike there for your first couple of times, just take your time and get into it, make sure to take the time to warm your tyres, most of the novice crashes I've seen have been in the first session with people going too hard before their tyres are ready or before they've worked out the track a bit more.

We usually say 2-3 laps over here is enough, I always erred on the side of caution with tyre warming and always waited till the 3 laps were done before really opening her up but I was a bit slow compared to others so I've started picking the pace up gradually through the 3 laps so I'm full speed by the end of the 3rd

Haha great to hear folks reminisce about track days past. I fully intend on being able to do the same one day, hopefully upon all positive experiences. I grew up put-putting along SF city roads on a small-cc cruiser and then cruised around on my father's old sport tourers. The SD is my first venture into sport riding and the fact that this bike was waaaay more capable than myself was glaringly obvious the moment I cracked that throttle. That said, I do feel the track would be the best way for me to learn the beasty in the safest way possible.

I already catch myself riding faster than I did in all my years previously, mostly because the SD puts out so easily...it's like falling asleep at the wheel (thankfully never FULLY happened to me); in the back of your mind you know you're going fast, but maybe you don't realise it until it's just too late to slow down. I've got my share of small, ego-grounding experiences in my riding history to know I'm no Moto God. Thanks all for the votes of confidence (and realism).

Thanks Bic for the words of wisdom, i too am thinking about my first 'trackday' and was shaking my head 'NO' when i read footpegs, tyre warmers,levers, etc. Too serious for me, i just want to see what it's like to go from the hooligan/tourer to the hooligan/track guy for a couple of days.

t

I rode to the track on my first track day. I never even considered the possibility of crashing. Thankfully, I didn't crash.

I've hauled the bike for each successive track day. Its less stressful. All the track day sponsors require a certain amount of bike prep: tape lights, tape or remove mirrors, remove fuses, etc. When you haul, you can do this stuff beforehand at that makes one less thing you have to do at the track. You can concentrate on the things like finding a place to camp out, registering, tech inspection, etc. Most of all, you'll have plenty of time to make sure you make the rider's orientation meeting. If you miss that, you're out.

The other advice I have is to take plenty of fluids. You need to stay sharp. It sounds stupid, but quit when you get tired. I personally don't ride the last session. I'm just too beat by then.

tyres: My first track experience was with Reg Pridmore and his CLASS school. Reg pretty much requires new tyres. With new tyres, I'm generally moving pretty good by the end of the second lap. By session 2, the tyres are smoking - literally.

I thought requiring new tyres was a bit anal, until my last track day at Fontana. It was a bit cold, and it had rained the night before. The track didn't look wet, but after three laps, I figured my tyres would be fine, so I uncorked it going down the front straight. When I hit the brakes the bike just started to slide, so I did my best to get it pointed in the right direction and held on for dear life as i ran over the two curbs at the end of the front straight. I kept the bike up, but probably wouldn't have had the problem at all on fresh tyres. The tyres I had on the bike were baked from my last trip to the track. So, consider fresh tyres. You don't need warmers with street tyres, but they definitely work better when fresh.

Perhaps the best advise I could give you is not my advice at all. Its from Jason Pridmore. Remember, this is not a race. There are no trophies or prize money. You are there to have fun and to improve your riding skills.

man, I love this no-BS thread! topnotch

WOW! Lots of posts on this one.
I will make it simple since he is talking about my home track.
PBRnr: PM me and I will fill you in or come by my house and I will SHOW you what I take.

For the benefit of others here:
Most of our track day providers call your day "over" if you crash. Even a gentle lowside at 15 mph first thing in the morning. So spare are not needed in case of a crash.
Due to the climate here I am wearing a sweatshirt in the morning and wish I was naked by mid afternoon sometimes so,
Long sleeve "Cold Gear" Under Armor for the mornings and the "Heat Gear" stuff for the afternoon.
Most of our tracks have fuel so no need to bring more than 5 gallons. The biggest deal is water and snacks. Including Pedialyte or Gatorade. There is food available at concession stands but you will want to have snacks for between rounds to keep the calories up.
Newbies will soon find that track riding at any pace is NOTHING like street riding. It is quite strenuous.

The fresh oil change is good advice but don't do it the night before unless you are a person who has high confidence that you NEVER forget a step.
A track day at Infineon is $300. Dumping oil all over the track because you forgot to torque the drain bolt or tighten the filter will make you [i]very very unpopular![i]

I especially like the advice about keeping your head. Very, very easy to get sucked in. Ride around and have a good time. Speed comes naturally with time.

PBRnr, I am going to be at Infineon on the 28th with PTT. Come on out. I will be with my team, Uniform Speed and the Mammoth Motorsports folks. Of course the SD stands out a bit too.

the 28th? stuck in the office... tho may call in sick, ha

thx for the offer doc! i'll have to hit you up on your infineon equip list

Just finished my first ever track day at Infineon and it was a blast. Would never have believed prior to the day how hard I could ride without crashing and also how far I am from having the finesse of more experienced track riders.

I started out light n easy and ended up doing as well as I thought I could by the end of the day. Thanks for the advice about knowing limits. I actually sat out 1 session in favor of a quick nap when I noticed I was making more stupid mistakes and losing concentration mid day. After that nap, I went out and ran my best laps of the day IMO.

It was great, can't wait to do it again.

Can't see through the dark visor but I bet there is a huuuge grin going on in there. Bravo.

the problem I have bringing bike in the van with spares is I seem to go more for of the overtakes I should,nt have, i guess it will come down to how competitive you are, loads of people turn up on the latest tech and just toot around the track and at the same time you get crazy people in the faster groups on varaderos and the like

Nice one PB, you'll be addicted now, nothing like it for getting to know your bike and how you can ride it.

Headlight mask made me smile

Have Fun!
Leave the ego at home.
The only winners at track days are the ones that take an unbinned bike home.
Keep a beginners mindset
learn the track
reference markers
braking points
turn in
be smooth
RELAX!
Flow
....at most track days the marshals are there to help!
listen, focus, learn grasshopper

this is a fantastic thread - how about we make it a sticky? (if no mods read this I'll pm one sometime...)

Does anyone have any opinions on doing something like a California Superbike School session before your first track day?

PBR,

Cool vid! What camera are you using? Where and how is it mounted?

GoPro HD set in 720 (30fps) mounted using the handlebar screw clamp. Put it just to the right of my scott damper, left of the brake res.

Opening shots up to the part of on-track footage is with a Canon Vixia HF200

Second track day ever! loved it and feel more confident. Still have a lot of things to improve on though.

A prayer session? Good Lord!

I guess that's all part of living in a religous extremists country!

PBRnr, Good to see you are getting up to my favorite track more.
What are those, 2:15 laps?
You gotta get outta that group. Those guys will end you! There were some seriously questionable lines being ridden all around you. I saw you having to ride into some scary areas of that track to avoid guys.
That guy that crashed at T1 did a C group type mistake: Guy in front parks in T1 and the guy from behind, who was drag racing out of 11, snatches the brakes and.....dump.
You did an outstanding job not following the bike off of the track...or did you?
It looks like cars were on the track the day before or so. Lots of oil and sweep on the track.
I rode there once just after NASCAR and man. was that track filthy!
It looked like you were riding the bike in the proper rev range. It took me ages to figure that out. As soon as I got a GoPro I figured out lots of things.
Keep at it and you will get faster.

It is weird to watch such slow laps around that track.
Before you think I am on a high horse, take a look at the humbling video of Martin Szwarc in the Formula Pacific race.
http://www.flipshare.com/api/template/l ... B275BD8D7F
I think these are like 1:39s
Wow!

Watch my May 2010 video and I am barely eeking out a 1;56-1:54. I cringe when I watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8rFZ31meOM
I didn't know I wasn't reving up enough. Unfortunately, the music drowns out the engine sound.

Then watch my October video when I went with MenloSD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJcHFh_Ey3A
1:49-1:50s
You can hear the engine although it sounds terrible.

Are you coming up for the AFM races this weekend?
If so stop by the Uniform Speed pits and introduce yourself.