Thirty minutes of preparation can save your whole day. And in some cases, someone else's too.
The bike you ride on the road is not automatically ready for the track. Not because it needs to be modified or upgraded, but because some details that mean nothing on the road become serious problems at a track day: for you, for the other riders, and for the organiser who will send you home if your bike fails the technical inspection.
The good news is that preparation takes very little: a few hours the evening before, a quick check in the morning in the pits, and you are good to go.
Taping is the first check carried out on road bikes. The purpose is simple: if the bike falls, plastic and glass fragments must not end up on the asphalt. The tape holds the pieces together even in the event of a break.
Cover the entire lens surface with strips in an X or grid pattern. The tape must adhere well across the whole surface, with no air bubbles in the centre that could give way on impact. Both front and rear.
Cover the orange plastic completely. Indicators are often the first things to break in a fall and the coloured plastic on the asphalt is slippery.
The best solution is to remove them. If they do not come off easily, wrap them completely in tape. A mirror that breaks scatters glass and plastic fragments everywhere.
Standard coolant (green, blue or red) turns into a sheet of ice on the asphalt if it spills onto the track following a crash. This is why most circuits explicitly ban it. Completely drain the cooling circuit and refill it with pure distilled water. If you need corrosion protection, use a clear anti-corrosion additive specifically designed for track use.
Check the level with the bike upright and the engine cold. The sight glass or dipstick should show the level in the correct zone. Verify that the oil filler cap is properly closed and that there are no leaks around the sump.
Check the level in the reservoir on the handlebar and in the rear brake reservoir. Fresh brake fluid is nearly colourless or slightly yellowish: if it is dark or brown, it needs replacing before the track day, not in the pits on the morning of the event. Visually inspect all fittings and lines for leaks or micro-cracks.
Arrive with a full or nearly full tank. On track the engine runs at higher revs and consumption increases noticeably: a full track day with multiple sessions can use two or three times as much fuel as the equivalent distance on the road.
You do not need track tyres to participate in a track day. Road tyres in good condition work perfectly well to start, especially in beginner sessions where the pace is controlled. What matters is that they are in good condition and correctly inflated.
On track, tyres warm up much faster than on the road. Start with a pressure of about 0.1 or 0.2 bar lower than the road-recommended pressure. After the first session, measure the pressures again with the tyre warm and adjust based on the feel you had. With experience you will learn to recognise the right pressure for your tyres and your riding style.
Do a visual inspection of both tyres before you leave. Look for cuts, bulges, abnormally worn tread blocks or flat spots caused by hard braking. Any visible defect on the carcass is a reason not to go out on track.
Brakes work much harder on track than on the road. Higher temperatures, harder stops, more frequent use. Before every track day it is essential that they are in optimal condition.
Visually check the thickness of the friction material. If you are near the wear limit, replace them before the event, not in the pits on the morning. New brake pads require a progressive bedding-in phase: better to do it in the first sessions than to find yourself with nearly exhausted pads halfway through the day.
Inspect the discs for deep grooves, cracks or warping. A disc with cracks radiating from the centre outwards must be replaced.
The travel should be correct, with no excessive play at first contact and a progressive, decisive response. If the front lever goes almost to the handlebar before you feel the braking, there is air in the hydraulic circuit and it needs bleeding.
Cold brakes have reduced stopping power compared to brakes at operating temperature. In the first two or three laps of the first session, brake progressively and earlier than usual, without leaning on the full system. Give the discs and pads time to reach temperature before using them with force.
It must be correctly lubricated and at the right tension. A chain that is too tight can snap or damage the sprocket. A chain that is too slack can jump or slap against the casing. Check the tension with the bike loaded following the manual's instructions.
Do a quick visual scan of the bike checking for no loose or missing bolts, especially in the fairing area, swingarm, brake brackets and footpeg mounts. A bolt that falls on track is a hazard for everyone.
Before loading the bike onto the van, put it on the stand and look underneath. If there is a patch of oil, brake fluid or fuel, find the source before you leave. A leak that seems small can worsen during transport or with the heat of the track.
If you are transporting the bike on a van or trailer, use the straps on the fork legs. Do not attach them to the handlebar, stands or fairings. The forks are the correct anchor point: they do not deform anything and keep the bike stable. Keep the forks slightly compressed by the strap to further stabilise the bike during transit.
These are the problems that come up most often with riders bringing their bike to the track for the first time. Reading them takes two minutes. Avoiding them saves many more.
Thirty minutes of preparation the evening before are worth far more than an hour of stress in the pits the next morning.
If you are not sure your bike is ready, do not wait until track day. Message us on WhatsApp before the event: we will tell you what to check.