20-05-14, 10:28 PM
Havent been to Oulton Park so cant comment on that one. There is probably some info on Youtube though.
If you are going there completely blind then try to get near the front on the sighting laps. The instructor will take you around at a slowish pace and be on pretty much the right line. Trouble is, this is like Chinese whispers so if you are mid to back of 30 other novice group the line has altered beyond recognition.
Some trackday companies would let you collar an instructor for a bit of help in the sessions without charge. If this is the case, then ask, they dont bite and having someone watch you will be a lot of help.
Body position; you dont have to go for the Marquez elbow down. Even if your arse never leaves the seat road riding you should try to hang off a bit on track. What you often see if novice group guys getting more confident as the day goes on, leaning further and further in their road riding mode until the tyres let go. Get half an arse cheek off the seat on the side your next corner is going; you will lean just as far but the bike will be more upright.
I wouldnt recommend Twist of the Wrist TBH. If you must then read book 2 before book 1, they make more sense in that order. Keith Code is a Californian so he writes in an annoying mystical guru style which grates. I did the first 3 levels of Cali Superbike school and found that it is a very expensive way to learn a painting by numbers way to ride on track.
Personally I think Simon Crafar's Motovudu book / DVD is a far simpler, better and more natural way to ride.
Usually I tell novices to do the first session on their usual tyre pressures and then check them when they come back to the garage while they are still hot. The pressures will now be higher. Let out enough air to get them back to your usual road pressures. now leave them alone for the day. Unless you get slides and grip issues late in the day (in which case repeat the above).
It used to be safe to tell folk drop the pressures down to 30psi at both ends and go from there but some of the tyres now run much lower than that so best way is to see how much heat / pressure you are generating and go from there.
Dont forget to blow them back up before you ride home.
HYDRATE. Drink lots of water as you will be sweating even if you dont realise it. Your concentration will lapse if you dehydrate.
Dont stay out every lap of every session. If you arent used to track riding 20 mins is both physically and mentally tough. Come in early if you get tired or cant focus totally on what you are doing. No one will notice as everyone is doing their own thing. I very often used to miss the last session of the day on tight twisty tracks as I was done in by then. Plenty of others are done in but still risk it which is why the last session often has most accidents.
If you are going there completely blind then try to get near the front on the sighting laps. The instructor will take you around at a slowish pace and be on pretty much the right line. Trouble is, this is like Chinese whispers so if you are mid to back of 30 other novice group the line has altered beyond recognition.
Some trackday companies would let you collar an instructor for a bit of help in the sessions without charge. If this is the case, then ask, they dont bite and having someone watch you will be a lot of help.
Body position; you dont have to go for the Marquez elbow down. Even if your arse never leaves the seat road riding you should try to hang off a bit on track. What you often see if novice group guys getting more confident as the day goes on, leaning further and further in their road riding mode until the tyres let go. Get half an arse cheek off the seat on the side your next corner is going; you will lean just as far but the bike will be more upright.
I wouldnt recommend Twist of the Wrist TBH. If you must then read book 2 before book 1, they make more sense in that order. Keith Code is a Californian so he writes in an annoying mystical guru style which grates. I did the first 3 levels of Cali Superbike school and found that it is a very expensive way to learn a painting by numbers way to ride on track.
Personally I think Simon Crafar's Motovudu book / DVD is a far simpler, better and more natural way to ride.
Usually I tell novices to do the first session on their usual tyre pressures and then check them when they come back to the garage while they are still hot. The pressures will now be higher. Let out enough air to get them back to your usual road pressures. now leave them alone for the day. Unless you get slides and grip issues late in the day (in which case repeat the above).
It used to be safe to tell folk drop the pressures down to 30psi at both ends and go from there but some of the tyres now run much lower than that so best way is to see how much heat / pressure you are generating and go from there.
Dont forget to blow them back up before you ride home.
HYDRATE. Drink lots of water as you will be sweating even if you dont realise it. Your concentration will lapse if you dehydrate.
Dont stay out every lap of every session. If you arent used to track riding 20 mins is both physically and mentally tough. Come in early if you get tired or cant focus totally on what you are doing. No one will notice as everyone is doing their own thing. I very often used to miss the last session of the day on tight twisty tracks as I was done in by then. Plenty of others are done in but still risk it which is why the last session often has most accidents.