After Reading Dunno's reply to a question about track days in the Off Topic thread I thought it was too good a post to lose, and it might be an idea to start a thread for any useful links, pricing info, track conditions, and any other useful info related to track days.
So here goes...lol.
Mallala..
I've only done one track day on the FZ6, but I'll give my impressions from that awesome day out.
Prep your bike the night before (ie. taping up or removing your lights, and indicators, and getting rid of the mirrors). I took off the pillion pegs also. Good idea to get rid of the side stand also, so don't forget to load your race stand in the trailer.
Get there nice and early. This will mean less of a line-up, and means you can get in and pick your favourite spot to set up. It also gives you a bit of time to get your bike and you in your leathers (with helmet) over to scrutineering, and hopefully beat the rush...lol...Take everything over when you go to pay, and do it in one trip is your best bet. This is when you choose your group. Don't worry...you can change if you find you are too fast or slow for the group you are in.
There was then a brief given, and the noobs group stay behind for a little more instruction.
When your group is called, or if you pay attention to the cycle you can get there early you head on over to the gate, and line up, and feel the adrenalin start to flow...lol.
A lot of people I noticed tended to scrub in tyres at the track....a lot of people came off that day too. I pre-scrubbed in my tyres, and would recommend doing the same, especially in the cooler months.
Head on out and do your warm up laps. I wouldn't recommend going for any PB's until the track and tyres are well warmed up, as there is a lot of drifting, on the track, leaving coolant etc. behind, and on a cooler day it might take a bit to get the heat into the tyres. (25 people came off before lunch on the day I was there).
Turn 1. RH. There is a dip in the apex of turn 1 that can upset your bike a little, and the best way to avoid it is to be close to the inner edge of the track at the apex. Then follow it out wide to the left side of the track, and stay on the inside line for turn 2.
Turn 2. LH. Turn 2 is pretty well flat, until you get out a little wide, at which point it gets off camber, so stay in close, and don't bother trying to straighten out the corner...well, unless you're trying to get your little FZ6 past a dawdling R1, and then you'll need all the corner speed you can muster. Then follows a short straight past the pits, up to turn 3.
Turn 3. RH. This is a bit of a hairpin, but has great camber going in, just try to stay inside on the exit, as it again goes off camber if you get out wide on the exit, then on the gas, pretty much flat knacker, through the kink.
The Kink. RH. This is a pretty much b@lls out run. A stock FZ6 with -2 on the front sprocket, will get you around 190km/h but You can get through here at 230-240km/h but need to break hard for turn 4.
Turn4. RH. Turn 4, is a hair pin. You will need to get your breaking point right for this one (this is the most common place for people to "run off", but most folk just get back on the track) but you can hit it pretty hard as it has great camber. Then head on up to Pacific.
Pacific. LH. This sweeper is pretty straight forward, and I found it a great place to overtake around the outside. Not sure why but a lot of folk seemed to have trouble getting through there nearly as quickly as they should have, and another short straight, down to turn 6.
Turn 6 and Turn 7, make up the "esses". Turn 6. RH. It is fairly sharp with good camber, then back on the gas for turn 7. Turn 7 LH. is a lot more open, but don't push too hard, or you will see how hard the wall looks at turn 8.
Turn 8. RH. Again there is a dip in the apex, and watch your traction here. A lot of folk get too hard on the gas here, setting themselves up for the straight, and lose the rear. Not a good idea, as this is about the only place at Mallala that has no runoff. Take it out wide onto the ripple strip, and wait for the front to pop, coming over the start/finish line.
Now I'm just a track noob, but for what it's worth, this is what I remember of the track, and getting set up.
They run 2 types of track days at Mallala. The Champions Ride Days (which I did) and the Cafe Racers day that I've been to as pit crew for Wolfman. Organisation-wise, I think I would have preferred the Cafe Racer's day, as I did notice on my day that I could look at the faces of some of the other riders in front of me in their mirrors, as I watched them hit the brakes, 'cause their lights weren't covered. Scrutineering was a little casual for my tastes.
There were also 41 people in my group to start off with (there were only 7 left standing by the last session) which made it pretty heavy traffic on such a small track. However with 7 people only on the track at the end, it was pure bliss, and I am sooo happy I headed out there for the day:rockon:.
Can't find a link for the Cafe Racer's days, but here's one for the Champions Ride Days. SA Tracks - Champion's Ride Days
They hire leathers, bikes, and tyre warmers I beleive.
Map of the rack and facilities...
View attachment 33941
So post up any experiences, and help out your fellow nutter:BLAA:.
Meantime, I'll rip off a copy of Dunno's post and wack it in this thread:thumbup:.
So here goes...lol.
Mallala..
I've only done one track day on the FZ6, but I'll give my impressions from that awesome day out.
Prep your bike the night before (ie. taping up or removing your lights, and indicators, and getting rid of the mirrors). I took off the pillion pegs also. Good idea to get rid of the side stand also, so don't forget to load your race stand in the trailer.
Get there nice and early. This will mean less of a line-up, and means you can get in and pick your favourite spot to set up. It also gives you a bit of time to get your bike and you in your leathers (with helmet) over to scrutineering, and hopefully beat the rush...lol...Take everything over when you go to pay, and do it in one trip is your best bet. This is when you choose your group. Don't worry...you can change if you find you are too fast or slow for the group you are in.
There was then a brief given, and the noobs group stay behind for a little more instruction.
When your group is called, or if you pay attention to the cycle you can get there early you head on over to the gate, and line up, and feel the adrenalin start to flow...lol.
A lot of people I noticed tended to scrub in tyres at the track....a lot of people came off that day too. I pre-scrubbed in my tyres, and would recommend doing the same, especially in the cooler months.
Head on out and do your warm up laps. I wouldn't recommend going for any PB's until the track and tyres are well warmed up, as there is a lot of drifting, on the track, leaving coolant etc. behind, and on a cooler day it might take a bit to get the heat into the tyres. (25 people came off before lunch on the day I was there).
Turn 1. RH. There is a dip in the apex of turn 1 that can upset your bike a little, and the best way to avoid it is to be close to the inner edge of the track at the apex. Then follow it out wide to the left side of the track, and stay on the inside line for turn 2.
Turn 2. LH. Turn 2 is pretty well flat, until you get out a little wide, at which point it gets off camber, so stay in close, and don't bother trying to straighten out the corner...well, unless you're trying to get your little FZ6 past a dawdling R1, and then you'll need all the corner speed you can muster. Then follows a short straight past the pits, up to turn 3.
Turn 3. RH. This is a bit of a hairpin, but has great camber going in, just try to stay inside on the exit, as it again goes off camber if you get out wide on the exit, then on the gas, pretty much flat knacker, through the kink.
The Kink. RH. This is a pretty much b@lls out run. A stock FZ6 with -2 on the front sprocket, will get you around 190km/h but You can get through here at 230-240km/h but need to break hard for turn 4.
Turn4. RH. Turn 4, is a hair pin. You will need to get your breaking point right for this one (this is the most common place for people to "run off", but most folk just get back on the track) but you can hit it pretty hard as it has great camber. Then head on up to Pacific.
Pacific. LH. This sweeper is pretty straight forward, and I found it a great place to overtake around the outside. Not sure why but a lot of folk seemed to have trouble getting through there nearly as quickly as they should have, and another short straight, down to turn 6.
Turn 6 and Turn 7, make up the "esses". Turn 6. RH. It is fairly sharp with good camber, then back on the gas for turn 7. Turn 7 LH. is a lot more open, but don't push too hard, or you will see how hard the wall looks at turn 8.
Turn 8. RH. Again there is a dip in the apex, and watch your traction here. A lot of folk get too hard on the gas here, setting themselves up for the straight, and lose the rear. Not a good idea, as this is about the only place at Mallala that has no runoff. Take it out wide onto the ripple strip, and wait for the front to pop, coming over the start/finish line.
Now I'm just a track noob, but for what it's worth, this is what I remember of the track, and getting set up.
They run 2 types of track days at Mallala. The Champions Ride Days (which I did) and the Cafe Racers day that I've been to as pit crew for Wolfman. Organisation-wise, I think I would have preferred the Cafe Racer's day, as I did notice on my day that I could look at the faces of some of the other riders in front of me in their mirrors, as I watched them hit the brakes, 'cause their lights weren't covered. Scrutineering was a little casual for my tastes.
There were also 41 people in my group to start off with (there were only 7 left standing by the last session) which made it pretty heavy traffic on such a small track. However with 7 people only on the track at the end, it was pure bliss, and I am sooo happy I headed out there for the day:rockon:.
Can't find a link for the Cafe Racer's days, but here's one for the Champions Ride Days. SA Tracks - Champion's Ride Days
They hire leathers, bikes, and tyre warmers I beleive.
Map of the rack and facilities...
View attachment 33941
So post up any experiences, and help out your fellow nutter:BLAA:.
Meantime, I'll rip off a copy of Dunno's post and wack it in this thread:thumbup:.
