First Trackday, Unprepared ?

[Slipperywang]

Got my license(unrestricted) around 4 months ago. Not had any other bike experience before this. So far I have a had a great time on my bike and to be honest I have been pushing it a bit on the road. Going to fast and doing daft stuff. So I have decided to do a track day, slow me down on the road and learn a lot! Before I do it I have some questions:

1. Only have textiles at the moment so need leathers. Shall i go for the full leather power ranger look, or get a 2 piece suit that zips all the way around the waist? Some people have said certain tracks can be a bit iffy if you don't have a full leather 1 piece.

2. Bad bike for track, I have 03 fazer 600. I keep it looked after and it is in very good nick. Will it survive track day use ?

3. How long will break pads,discs, and tires last ?

4. What track shall I go to as I am based in Sheffield ? No tracks are particularly close so have a choice of many. Also i will be getting to the track on the bike and probably just camping or staying in a rubbish hotel for the night.

5. Track insurance ? Do i need it or not ?

Thanks for any replies in advance!

[supercommuter]

If you are just using your leather for trackdays, get a one piece.

If you are using them for road as well get a 2 piece zip together

If you are going to start racing you need a 1 piece

Just make sure there is a bit of meat on your tyres and pads

Bike will be fine

Go at your own pace and enjoy

[dibblecorse]

I'd start with a 2 piece suit unless you get seriously into trackdays, they can often be easier to move on if you do get sucked in but then again they come in really handy when you just want a leather jacket, for this reason I've not sold my 2 piece even though it no longer goes near a track.

Donington 1 hr away or Croft 2 hrs away I guess would be straightforward circuit wise.

Bike will be fine, just check everything is tight, tyres / pads have meat on them and tyres aren't squared off ... you won't kill a set of tyres in a day .....

Take it slow and have fun

[Slipperywang]

dibblecorse said:

I'd start with a 2 piece suit unless you get seriously into trackdays, they can often be easier to move on if you do get sucked in but then again they come in really handy when you just want a leather jacket, for this reason I've not sold my 2 piece even though it no longer goes near a track.

Donington 1 hr away or Croft 2 hrs away I guess would be straightforward circuit wise.

Bike will be fine, just check everything is tight, tyres / pads have meat on them and tyres aren't squared off ... you won't kill a set of tyres in a day .....

Take it slow and have fun

Two piece i guess then and there is Cadwell park, three sisters, mallory park, Donington are the ones I have considered. Cadwell looks the most fun though.

[trickywoo]

Slipperywang said:

Two piece i guess then and there is Cadwell park, three sisters, mallory park, Donington are the ones I have considered. Cadwell looks the most fun though.

I'm going to go against the two piece advice.

I've had both and much prefer a one piece. Its way more comfortable on the bike and unless you are going to be walking about lots a two piece doesn't have many advantages. Even if you are walking about you will still have boots and trousers to worry about and you'll likely be carrying the jacket.

Its personal preference I guess but I just can't get on with two piece leathers. Textiles fine but not leathers.

[Birky_41]

I started track days in 2016 after getting back into road bikes in 2015. My first bike was a K1 750 which owed me about £1600. Having a decent setup and items on the bike for me was more key i.e decent tyres, pads, brakes etc

In terms of leathers when I got back on the road I had a 2pc and did 3 track days on my road bike before going 1pc and getting the track mule

Your skill and what you want/expect from track will determine how good that bike is as well. You'll be riding it bloody hard (but it will do it) if you want to run in fast group and having owned an old air/oil cooled one back in 2001 I recall ground clearance being a major issue for me and that was only road riding

How long does it all last? Again how fast/aggressive are you? What tyres? If you are novice/mid inters run whatever you want. S21's T30's M7RR's, they are good all rounders, are capable on track at a moderate pace and will last ages. You'll know when they are shagged you'll see it clearly. On a flip side there are people on the trackday section that'll do a rear V02 in a day. Same with pads

Tracks in area? Get used to travelling...this becomes the norm

Track insurance - pfftt...

Slipperywang said:

Got my license(unrestricted) around 4 months ago. Not had any other bike experience before this. So far I have a had a great time on my bike and to be honest I have been pushing it a bit on the road. Going to fast and doing daft stuff. So I have decided to do a track day, slow me down on the road and learn a lot! Before I do it I have some questions:

1. Only have textiles at the moment so need leathers. Shall i go for the full leather power ranger look, or get a 2 piece suit that zips all the way around the waist? Some people have said certain tracks can be a bit iffy if you don't have a full leather 1 piece.

2. Bad bike for track, I have 03 fazer 600. I keep it looked after and it is in very good nick. Will it survive track day use ?

3. How long will break pads,discs, and tires last ?

4. What track shall I go to as I am based in Sheffield ? No tracks are particularly close so have a choice of many. Also i will be getting to the track on the bike and probably just camping or staying in a rubbish hotel for the night.

5. Track insurance ? Do i need it or not ?

Thanks for any replies in advance!

[Timbo_S2]

If you're gonna have to buy leathers, get a one piece suit. Lots of secondhand bargains about at the moment.

Bike will be fine, keep an eye on pads and tyres and decide to swap to more performance orientated items when they need replacement. Raft of knowledge available!

Brakes, suspension and training are what you should be spending your money on. Everything else is superfluous!

[Slipperywang]

I will try a one piece and two piece suit to see what I like the most. If track days become a regular thing (witch I hope they do) I will get a 1 piece and sell on the two piece, which makes me lean towards just buying a 1 piece to begin with.

If track days do become more regular and I get better I may also get a new bike that's more capable, still a 600 though, would fix the ground clearance issue.

[Freakuk]

Pretty much the same as everyone else to be honest.

Where you are you have Donny, Croft and Mallory as your go to circuits, I've never done Croft but it doesn't look too challenging, Donny and Mallory are open circuits and Mallory would be the easiest to learn. I wouldn't consider Cadwell any time soon, it's narrow and lots of complex, difficult corners not something for the inexperienced rider to try first.

Gear wise 2 piece full zip leathers or 1 piece suit, I started with 2 piece, comfy but also restrictive on a track, now only use 1 piece road or track, consider a back protector also (just in case). Depending on TDO you may need an ACU approved lid, something to consider.

Bike wise, there's nothing wrong with a Fazer, they're pretty bullet proof, at your level tyres will last for a good few trackdays, likewise pads will too. Just make sure you have decent tyres and pads aren't worn down, also check your brake fluid and you have enough in the reservoir.

[Slipperywang]

Can anyone recommend a company to do track days with ?

[Freakuk]

No Limits would be my first choice and grab an instructor for some advice, but tracks do run their own events also.. worth checking their websites.

You could always look for training, CSS, Ron Haslam.

[black-k1]

When deciding if you want a 1 piece or two piece suit a 1 piece suit is probably better on the bike but consider the situation where you're desperate to take a crap and the loo floor is covered in piss. Will it be easier if you can unzip and hang the jacket on the loo door or try and hold the sleeves off the floor while wiping your arse?

[jakeharvey63]

black-k1 said:

When deciding if you want a 1 piece or two piece suit a 1 piece suit is probably better on the bike but consider the situation where you're desperate to take a crap and the loo floor is covered in piss. Will it be easier if you can unzip and hang the jacket on the loo door or try and hold the sleeves off the floor while wiping your arse?

I bought my first 1 piece for the road last year, and I found them soo much more comfortable than a 2 piece. Stops any wind draft in the colder months but bloody hot in the summer. But you do look like a power ranger but as said before, invest in a back protector too.

As to the comment above, avoid all flammable foods the night before (curries, dominoes etc) and make sure you push out a poo before you leave in the morning. Job done!

[graeme4130]

Working at Silverstone, I've seen a couple of good branded two piece leathers pull apart in a crash. One set just ripped all around the rear on the join, and the other appeared to have unzipped itself 3/4 of the way around in the slide (perhaps was not done up 100% before). Either way, both crashes ended up with some pretty nasty skin loss in the lower half of your upper
For that reason alone, and the fact you're only looking for a suit to wear on the track, I'd go one piece every time

[Biker's Nemesis]

I've one bit of advice. Don't get pissed the night before you're on track. 9 or 10 pints is no good to man nor beast.

[Fleegle]

Biker's Nemesis said:

I've one bit of advice. Don't get pissed the night before you're on track. 9 or 10 pints is no good to man nor beast.

You big northern tart. What's up with ya? You know its the only way forward

[Mr_Tickle]

I do about 1 track day a year, I'm slow and rubbish but I do enjoy it. Regarding leathers I would say 2-piece. I went 2-piece and they're fine for my one track day. Never had anyone say they weren't suitable because they have a zip in the middle. Outside of the track day I also use the jacket with jeans occasionally and I like to tour in leathers so they get used for that too. For me a 2-piece was more versatile and hence was a much better option.

Your bike will be fine for the track, just make sure as mentioned above that you have a bit of meat on the tyres, brakes, etc and it's in good nick.

[Biker's Nemesis]

Fleegle said:

You big northern tart. What's up with ya? You know its the only way forward

I can't do it anymore, I think it's either because I'm to old now or I have got too many female hormones, again that's an age thing.

It's ok when everyone else is stfaced and struggling the next day but it only takes one sneaky bastid to not drink and be on form.

[mak]

Biker's Nemesis said:

9 or 10 pints is no good to man nor beast.

^^^^^ This is very true, not even worth bothering at all with that lowly amount .

Biker's Nemesis said:

it only takes one sneaky bastid to not drink and be on form.

[mckeann]

Slipperywang said:

1. Only have textiles at the moment so need leathers. Shall i go for the full leather power ranger look, or get a 2 piece suit that zips all the way around the waist? Some people have said certain tracks can be a bit iffy if you don't have a full leather 1 piece.

2. Bad bike for track, I have 03 fazer 600. I keep it looked after and it is in very good nick. Will it survive track day use ?

3. How long will break pads,discs, and tires last ?

4. What track shall I go to as I am based in Sheffield ? No tracks are particularly close so have a choice of many. Also i will be getting to the track on the bike and probably just camping or staying in a rubbish hotel for the night.

5. Track insurance ? Do i need it or not ?
!

1. 1 pc leathers are safest and more comfortable on track. keep your textiles for the road.

2. that will be fine whilst you're in novice. Give it a service, and make sure you have good tyres and brake pads. sorted

3. Ages, whilst you're in novice. Less and less the quicker you go.

4. Bigger wider tracks are easier to learn on as there's more room if you make a mistake. I hate cadwell, feels like a narrow road with no room for a mistake.

5. depends if you can afford to crash your bike or not. Personally, i would do your first trackday or two on a hire bike if you're worried about crashing.it does happen unfortunately