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    • Home
    • Thinking Of Track Riding?
    • Track & Bike Preparation
    • Track Info & Booking
    • Maintenance Guides
    • Product Reviews
    • Products We Use
    • Our Partners
    • Track Action
    • Blog
    • Mental Health Motorbike
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Thinking Of Track Riding?
  • Track & Bike Preparation
  • Track Info & Booking
  • Maintenance Guides
  • Product Reviews
  • Products We Use
  • Our Partners
  • Track Action
  • Blog
  • Mental Health Motorbike
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

HOW DO YOU LEARN A TRACK?

Preparation  is  key  to  every  aspect  of  track  riding.  Knowing  the  track  should  be  close  to  the  top  of  your  list.


The  internet  is  a  great  place  to  start.  You  can  watch  onboard  videos  on  YouTube  of  past  races  or  videos  that  people  have  uploaded  from  track  days.


Before  the  event,  the  organisers  will  email  you  all  the  information  you  need,  including  a  map  of  the  circuit.  Study it.  It  details  not  only  the  track,  but  where  to  park,  what  garages  are  available,  where  the  toilets  are,  and  where  you  sign  on  in  the  morning.


I  always  have  a  look  on  Google  maps  before  going  to  a  new  track,  you  can  pickup  some  useful  information,  and  a lot  of  UK  circuits  have  been  mapped  by  Google  so  you can  drop  a  pin  on  a  corner  and  rotate  the  view  360  degrees.  This  is  great  for  looking  at  cambers!


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Taken from Google Maps  -  CRAINER

UK Track Info & Booking

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 My  favourite  method  is  the  Xbox.  Ride  2  &  3  is  a  fantastic  game  that  has  real  road  bikes  and  UK  tracks.  I  was  able  to  use  my  bike  at  Donington,  Cadwell  and  Oulton  Park.  Are  the  games  close  to  reality?  Ish.  They  are  very  good  for  learning  what  corners  come  next  and  where  you  should  position  yourself  on  the  track,  but  that's  about  it.  


When  going  into  turn  one  at  Oulton  Park  on  the  Xbox  all  you’re  thinking  about  is  getting  around  the  corner  as  fast  as  possible.  In  real  life  you’re  thinking  about  gears,  braking  point,  how  the  bike  is  reacting  to  your  inputs,  and  G-Forces.  You’ll  be  amazed  how  much  G-Force  you’ll  experience.


At  Cadwell  when  you  head  up  the  hill  towards  park  the  bike  nearly  bottoms  out  at  the  dip.  You’re  doing  120mph  and  when  the  forces  hit  you  for  that  split  second  you  feel  like  you  can’t  move,  so   before  it  happens  you  have  to  be  on  the  right  part  of  the  track  so  you  don’t  end  up  on  the  green  stuff , and  in  the  right  gear.  Your  Xbox  controller  won’t  give  you  that  sensation  unfortunately...


Speak  to  riders  in  the  paddock,  you’ll  find  everyone  will  help  you.  At  Cadwell  the  weather  was  dry  and  sunny,  yet  after  speaking  to  someone  in  the  queue  for  signing  on  they  said  “Just  be  careful  for  the  first  few  laps  and see  where  the  damp  patches  are  under  the  trees  before  the  start  and  finish  straight” I  was  grateful  for  this,  and  prepared  for  them  on  my  out  lap.  

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 Taken from Google Maps  -  CRAINER  CURVES  -  DONINGTON  PARK 

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Donington Park - Taken from Google Maps

You’ll find  that  all  track  day  providers  will  offer  1:1  tuition.  Even  if  you  class  yourself  as  a  fast  rider,  you’ll  still  benefit  from a  1:1  session  as  the  instructors  will  get  you  on  the  right  lines  for  the  first  session.


Take  your  time  on  new  tracks,  brake  early  for  bends  and  alter  your  braking  markers  throughout  the  day.  You’ll  find  yourself  braking  later  and  later  and  the  corners  will  start  linking  up.  At  the  start  go  slowly  into  corners  and  then  fast  out  until you’re  happy  carrying  corner  speed.


Two  of  my  best  tips  are,  keep  your  head  up  and  look  down  the  track,  not  down  at  the  corner,  and  everyone  wants  to  get  their  knee  down,  but  don’t  force  it.  Build  your  speed,  look  down  the  track  and  as  your  corner  speed  increases  you’ll  find  knee  down  second  nature  and  you  won’t  even  be  thinking  about  it.  The  amount  of  people we  see  trying  to  get  there  knee  down  with  2  degrees  of  lean  is incredible.  The  bike  has  more  lean  on  the  side  stand! 

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