Motorcycle Track Training: Why You Should Consider it

There are some riders involved in bike track days that are in it just for the crack, a chance to get on their motorcycle and ride around in circles for a day with a hefty grin on their faces.

For a lot of the paddock though, there are two main goals that we all strive for, the first is a desire to go quicker than we did previously, the second being a more subconscious need to ride safer at the same time as going faster, and it’s motorcycle track training that can help you achieve both of those goals.

Novice Track Day Training

Even if you’re a novice to track days, now is as good a time as any to try a bit of motorcycle track training. When your track riding canvas is pretty clean, it can payout in the long run if you do any training because you will learn the correct techniques early on. This will allow you to pick up ‘good’ habits from the start and give you a good base to start your circuit riding life from.

Also, if you have confidence issues as an inexperienced rider, training will help you work out what is causing those issues and also how you can break through the barriers that are stopping you from going faster. This is in fact just as relevant to experienced riders as it is for novices.

If you’re thinking ‘do I have to get track training?’, the answer is obviously no, but wouldn’t you rather learn how to correctly ride a motorcycle on track to not only make you faster, but also save you throwing it up the road every few days? I had two crashes very early on in my track day life, but since I sat down and decided to learn how to do things properly I haven’t had a single crash (famous last words?), so I can tell you from experience I know which route I would prefer.

Benefits of Motorcycle Track Training for Experienced Riders

As an experienced rider you no doubt have some areas of your riding that you know are weaker than others, and getting training is the prime opportunity to bring those areas up to scratch.

As a brief personal case study, not so long ago I was struggling with corner exit drive, brought on from a fear of losing the rear end which I developed after crashing on my first track day. I decided that it was an area that had to be improved, so I set about organising a one to one session with an ex coach from a popular training school.

Knowing what to work on, the coach set about giving me ways to get over this fear, then he subsequently monitored my progress. After working on this (among other things) throughout the day I saw massive improvements in exit drive come the end of the day, and what’s more, I was able to take the lessons he had shown me onto my next few track days to practice, after which I made further strides with it.

After this day my exit drive become one of the strongest parts of my riding, something I owe solely to the training I had that day.

If you have areas you think can be improved, I urge you to seek out the correct training to help you work on them, after which I have no doubt that you will instantly see the benefits from it and wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

The Options

Structured Schools – There are a lot of routes you can take to getting training, but if you’re fairly new to track days then one of the schools such as Ron Haslam Race School or the California Superbike School are very good setups as they have a good learning structure that covers what you need to be learning as a newcomer. The Ron Haslam School caters more for novices and those with little experience on track, where as my personal favourite – CSS – will cater for new and experienced riders alike. You can see the pricing structures by following the above links to each website.

One to One – There are many ex racers and trained professional coaches that offer one to one track day training. If you’re fairly new to track days or relatively inexperienced I would advise against getting one to one training right from the off. Although you will see benefits from this type of training, because there will no doubt be a wide variety of things you need to work on you may not see as much benefit from it as a structured school that covers all the basics. This method of motorcycle track training is taken on more by experienced riders that know of more specific areas they want to work on.

The cost of one to one track training will vary depending on what coach you use as well as which circuit you attend. A lot of the time you will have to pay for some of the coach’s expenses which can mount up, so expect to pay anything between £400 and £800 depending on the coach and the venue.

As for choosing a coach, one of the most highly regarded coaches on the motorcycle track training scene is Mike Edwards, who is in fact the only ACU certified commercial road racing coach around today. Mike has been in the game for a long time and knows his stuff, so you wouldn’t go far wrong to start your enquiries with him.

Summary

Whether a novice or an experienced track day rider, there are massive benefits to be had from getting motorcycle track day training that will not only see you riding faster and safer right away, but will also help you further improve many days later with the advice you are able to take away.

It can be expensive relative to a track day, but I believe the cost is justified by what you can potentially get out of it. Wouldn’t you rather spend your money learning how to do things right as opposed to spending it going out on your own and getting it wrong? It’s a no brainer. Motorcycle track training is the best investment you can make to improve your riding and make you quicker, better than any shiny bolt on, that’s for sure.