one track day in. and trying out for a ducati team !!,,,,tips please

Hang on a minute, you've done one track day and now you're on slicks? So I'd assume you have paddock stands, tyre warmers also for the slicks too? Something smells a tad fishy here.

 

Yes, I thought the same. Doesn't add up. Did the OP do his first ever track day on slicks? If not, why buy slicks straight after a first trackday? No use having slicks unless you've got spare wheels with some treaded tyres on.

And to race a litre bike, I'd say you would need to be holding your own in the fast group on a track day as a minimum requirement or it'll be carnage.

I'm not trying to put down the enthusiasm of the guy, in fact, I'd encourage him to have a go at racing in DD. Anyone who's done it will say the same thing, it's enormous fun on cheap (Ducati) machines. The talent and skill required are even more important as there just isn't the power to mask any rider inadequacies. As we all know, it's easy to get on a big bike, blast round a track and think you're Rossi. It's only in the face of competition that you realise there's a lot more to it than point and squirt.

Good on you if you have a go at it though, life's for living and sometimes you have to push yourself beyond what the nay-sayers tell you you can't do.

 

When I did a few track days on a solo bike, they weren't called 'track days', they were 'practice days', hence the pic of me leading Foggy into Russells at Snetterton......(I was lucky he didn't break my nose for getting in his way)......Practice days weren't controlled to the same extent of Track days.

....but anyway, I was using my ZXR750, reportedly a good fast handling bike....and in fact I did put up some bl**dy good lap times......and I was giving a bloke on a GSXR1100 a hard time in some of the bends....on the long straight, he just ripped past me...

.....but imagine my surprise one practice day when an experienced club racer on a 250 2-stroke Kawasaki was p*ssing all over me particularly in the bends....there was no way I could stay with him even though I have been riding bikes since, well,....'kin ages....and that included racing a Boyer Trident for a short while in the 70s.

Mind you, when I eventually changed the ZXR750 for a ZZR1100, I found I could chuck the 1100 around much better than the 750, but I'll bet the guy on the 250 would still blow me away...

AL

 

TBH you would be better off skipping trackdays and British club racing and going straight to WSB

 

I hope he enjoys the day. Though I would like to pop along and spectate............if only we knew location and date of the test.

 

That's exactly my point Al, before I started racing, I would do track days on my 1098 and thought I was pretty quick (quick enough to go racing LOL). But I got a rude awakening when faced with guys who had learned how to race.

There's a massive difference between riding a fast bike around a track and riding fast around a track on a bike. Without much experience a rider falls into the trap of using the bikes ability and not the riders ability to go round. Hard on the brakes and then massive power to get going again, this is great in the inters on a track day because there's a lot of low hanging fruit to pick off but it won't get you anywhere in a race. Learning to ride quickly means firstly learning to keep smooth and keep going.

As Freak mentioned earlier, a little DD bike (with 50-60 bhp) can easily match a litre bike around a track if the big bike rider hasn't learned how to maintain their speed advantage through a corner. And a lot of riders don't learn because their 'big' bike means they don't really need to learn. And a trackday doesn't encourage a rider to make the leap because it's perceived to be dangerous. How often have I heard TD organisers briefings telling riders to 'just do them on the brakes'.

Then there's track positioning, everyone can find the fastest line around a track which is great when you're not being challenged or trying to pass someone. But in a race, you need to go outside this comfortable strip and be able to predict where the other rider is going to be putting him/herself so that you're in the best place to take advantage. What would be considered at best discourtious and at worst downright dangerous on a trackday, in a race would be standard practice.

 

....and that's exactly why I decided to do sidecars instead.......

......my fear tolerance was not good on solo because I was more concerned with 'what if....?'

'....what if I try a bit more in this corner......'

'...what if I drop my precious bike.....'

'....what if I come off......'

'....what if I break a bone or two.....'

'....what if I get another massive injury like the one I had on a road bike....'

'.....what if I lose a leg.....'

The only 'what ifs' I had in sidecar were things like.....'what if I lift up now, can it whip round Druids faster.....?'



........and I wouldn't get the blame for not pushing hard enough.......

Still, if Terry_Tibbs is going to come up against a few racers on here, maybe they should at least know what his bike looks like, so they can recognise him....

AL.

 

When you've decided which series you're going to be racing in, make sure you check their technical rules for tyres. Many have a control tyre that must be used so it's worth practicing on those if you can. No point getting used to one thing only to find out they're not allowed.

Good luck with it, you'll have a great time and probably learn a lot (the easy way I hope)

 

I'm gonna jump in a bit more.

First, I hope the dealer or whatever you are going with - the guys name is not Paul. If it is...

2nd. I think the majority of us here and myself included is a bit beyond the support your enthusiasm and more concerned about you and your expectations. YOu mention you are running slicks. Do you know which brand and compounds? What are the hot pressures they need to be set at of the warmers? Do you have stands and warmers?

3rd. Why are you on slicks? You do know that treaded track tyres are a requirement to go racing for rookies? You CAN NOT use slicks as a rookie atleast for most clubs.

I think no one wants to piss on your parade, but seriously, 1 step at a time. You are about 20 steps ahead.

Btw, I have a friend who started track riding and came across a ducati dealership "owner" who also owned a race team and asked my friend to come along. My friend also wanted to go racing and they became good buddies for some time. Let the dealership do thousands of pounds of work on his bike and even buy a ducati off them. I was on the same track day as them and my friend was slow. I lapped him (me on a 748 and him on latest 1l bike) at silverstone. Yet back at the paddocks, there were only words of how fast he was from the dealer and how he needed new suspension and all. So for a complete novice, he now had ohlins ttx and ohlins cartridge kit. Oh, they bought him the best warmers too. But only for him to take his warmers off at the 1st call and sit in pitlane for 10 mins. (obviously he doesn't know what they do).
btw, my friend and the dealer are no longer on speaking terms.

Does it sound familiar to you?

And just a note, said dealer openly admitted to cheating on the race bike in how he has 30 extra bhp but no one will find out.

 

Please let us know what times you are getting around the track you will be testing on and what times you get at donny.

Atleast then, we know whether you are truely gifted or need bring down to earth.

 

Donny on the 5th you say, I may be there I'll come say hello. Can't doubt your enthusiasm and if you are sliding slicks around on your first track day you are going far, I can't do that so will be asking for tips

 

When I was about 12, we had to do a fitness test at school (in our singlets and plimsolls...). Squat jumps, squat thrusts, press-ups, step-ups, pull ups - the whole thing.
We had to count them all up and that gave us a score. When it came to the pull-ups, the final exercise, I managed 1/2.

One bloke in class claimed he had done 17, and produced a ludicrously optimistic total for the test. It was, after all, self-assessed. This guy had no reputation as an athlete, was more of a dosser than a star footballer or cricket fiend, so we all complained and said he'd cheated. So they made him do the test again all by himself a week later under supervision. Result? He produced the same score, including the 17 pull-ups.

So yes, sometimes, the talk really does match the walk, however unlikely it might appear.

 

Lol....

Yeah I'll bring my autograph book :biggrin:

 

I would try and make the 5th at donny as it's round the corner. However I have been asked to screen test to be the next bond so I'm a bit busy. Any tips would be appreciated

 

Learn the eyebrow raise!

 

Haha yes!!