Sorry if you dont like long posts about sod all!

Well after some serious and persistant hinting, my wife cracked and for my Bday bought me a voucher for a track day. I currently have a roadgoing NC23 and an NC30 in bits so i will be using the CBR 400 I reckon as i trust it more than the vfr at the moment but am a bit worried about binning it. A decent NC23 is a lot better than a shed of a VFR for all the IL4 bashers!

I have no idea where to book it for and the choice is confusing me now - I am in Dudley, west mids, so i have thought Mallory as its prob only an hour away. I want some instruction and i know they say there will be instructors to help but does this actually happen or are you left to 'figure it out' after a 20 minute introduction. I expect i will be a novice novice so its a bit daunting to imagine other blasting round.

The voucher i have is for use with a co or website called 'trackdays'.

I have bought some one piece RST leathers off ebay, bargain (and after a diet can fit into now!), might need a new helmet, gloves and boots as the ones i have arent v comfortable, cheap 'Nitro' stuff to just get me on a bike so i am thinking about upgrading.

Why do it?
I am doing the trackday to improve my riding and get to know the bike. It became obvious going out on my own isnt helping as much as i had hoped as not long back i went in to a corner a bit quick (or what i thought was quick) and grabbed a load of front brake, the bike stood up and went straight into the other lane. Lucky no oncoming traffic but at that point I put the bike in the garage and decided I should do something about my lack of riding skills and have lost a lot of confidence again. I have always been into cars so the bike thing is new to me, although I have had field bikes, an mtx125 and i used to taz around on a vespa when i was 16, but that doesnt count!

Any advice would be really appreciated so i can make sure that I and the bike are ready and dont waste the opportunity of a track day that i havent paid for! Oh and i know i should pick a dry day................

Go for it, you'll love it! Choose a track you fancy. You have Mallory, Rockingham, Donington not too far away.
Rockingham national is nice, its a small track with lots of corners so is ideal for a 400. I did one there last weekend. You will find nolimits have plenty of instructors available there and they are there just for you. They do one on one tuition and its all included in the day. Just ask at the briefing.
Mallory is fine too although its a bit bigger. donington is great and is nice and wide and flowing. I shall be going there on 3rd August with classicbiketrackdays. There is someone from here going to Mallory this saturday. He is on an NC30 trackbike.
all the best
Dave

I would say when track riding, try hard to focus your attention much further in front and be prepared for the next corner before you have got there. be sure of what gear you should be in and know where you plan on peeling in, look through the corner via the apex to the exit.
Set your corner speed early instead of rushing up to the corner and getting in a fluster as you do everything at the last sec and get all in a muddle. By getting comfortable with your corner speed you can experiment by going faster by letting go of the breaks sooner. When you are happy with corner speed, then concentrate on braking harder and later still maintaining the same peel in point

Mallory is a decent track and as it is so short, you can get a fair few laps in and learn where you are going. it is also cheaper and so you might get 2 trackdays out your voucher!

try and get a "no limits" day - I do believe that the "trackdays" company is just a front and they sell on other peoples days.

Either way,chill out - no-one is racing you and you can do a couple of sessions and then get an idea where you are.

Gerrards at Mallory is a superb corner...very very fast (once you are up to it)

Pics and a write up of your day please!

As Mark says, Mallory would be a good place to start. Its easier to learn and not to complex.
If you go out in the novice group, pretty much all the other riders will be of a similar speed - so you not going to get sat up in corners or have people stuffing it up the inside at the hairpin. Mallory also has a new surface thats pretty grippy in all weathers even on road tyres.
I guess the best way to ride a track is "not to try and go fast" just go as fast as you feel comfortable. As the others have said get an instructor to show you some lines if they are busy at the start keep asking
The only downside to trackdays is they will have you hooked like a drug and all you will spend your money on is getting back on track

I recommend Mallory for your first one mate, short lap, fairly easy to learn and its grippy. Unlike Rockingham which is slick in the wet to say the least! Wait until you feel comfortable with your bike and the circuit before you get some instruction, best thing to do is to try and RELAX!

Enjoy!

Great, thanks.

I think Mallory or Donnington in that order of preference will be my choices as they are both only 1 hr away but it will depend on whats available when it drys up a bit - I just dont want to do it on a wet track - been watching a few youtube clips (trying to avoid the ones with crashes!) I will def try and go with no limits, they seem to have a good reputation.

I have obviously read through bits about the bike, ie no mirrors and tape up speedo but is there anything else i should pay attention too. I will be changing the brake pads as they are >50% worn and front tyre as that has a few tiny cracks in the tread - went through the MOT but the tester said i should consider changing it, suppose i will give it some fresh oil + filter aswell as i havent changed it this year.

Will I need to take any tools with me just in case?

If you ride to the circuit, then you are limited to any tools you can take?
If you are taking the bike on a trailer/van, then if you feel confident adjusting the suspension then i would just take the tools for that (screwdriver, C-spaner and socket set for raising lowering forks and adjusting pre-load) Also if you dont need to ride it there take of indicators, rear footpegs, mirrors.
If you can get a new front tyre, it will give you more confidence
I guess the most important thing is as Brys says; Relax and enjoy it. Dont look behind you just keep looking at where you want to be going. If someone is catching you they are faster and will get past, so let them think about that and you think about your lines and riding

There will be enough tools there with all of the super keen people. Don't worry about them, just ask someone.

Remember to lower your pressures - there will be a tyre man there so ask him. usual figure is about 30psi front and rear

Chill - don't worry about other riders - unless you are overtaking them. Try and relax into it and you will find it very rewarding.
You might make mistakes, don't let them scare you. It is the reason you are there.

Best one for a rookie - Look where you want to go - force yourself to look through the corners, especially Gerrards..don't be looking at the outside of the corner thinking "oooh..going fast herre, oohhh getting close to the outside here...oooohhhhhh shit not going to make it....."

Look through it, thinking " I can take more throttle here, roll it on...roll it on....roll it on...ahhh the straight!!"

CMSMJ1 wrote:There will be enough tools there with all of the super keen people.