THREE THINGS I LEARNED…
Concentrate
1
on your markers
Most trackday riders are weak on the brakes because if you get this bit wrong, the next trip is into gravel. James’ top tip here is to pick a braking marker and focus on it as you approach a bend rather than looking at the corner. If you know 100% that when you hit that marker you can scrub off enough speed to make the bend, you can start to gradually move the marker to improve your braking whereas, if you look at the corner, your mind will always tell you to brake early and you will never improve. If you only move the marker by a meter at a time, the worst case is a slightly-missed apex.
Go high before the bend 2
Mallory has a really awkward long downhill left-hander called the Devil’s Elbow which is just after the slow Bus Stop chicane. The tendency here is to accelerate out of the chicane in second and then find yourself needing to shift up a gear mid-bend, which upsets a bike’s suspension. Kyle’s tip here was to shift up early and, although you might sacrifice a bit of speed and acceleration going into the Elbow, you will make it up as you power out and won’t have to change ratios mid-corner, reducing the chances of crashing on the bend itself.
Braking into bends 3
On the road, trail braking into a bend feels unnatural as it isn’t generally something you do but on track, it is very beneficial. By keeping a bit of pressure on the brakes, the forks remain slightly compressed as you tip in, keeping the bike settled and improving feel rather than them pogoing back up as you suddenly release the brakes. In a chicane such as Edwinas, Kyle recommended running in quite fast with a bit of brake and then using the flip-flop to slow the bike before applying the power at the second apex. This more-flowing line reduces the chances of a highside on exit.