THREE THINGS WE LIKED…
1 Carefree riding
Everything is taken care of for you on the day. Unlike a trackday, you never have to consider your tyre pressures, when you need to put fuel in or even when it’s your turn on track because the school does it for you. The novelty value of just jumping on a fully prepped S1000RR and heading out onto track with a racing legend doesn’t wear off all day; you feel like a factory racer yourself. £649 may sound like a lot of money, but when you consider the VIP treatment you get, it’s not bad. Once you include bike hire at California Superbike School, for example, you’d be looking at £940 for a day on Level 1.
2 The coaches
There’s no arguing with the racing credentials of the coaches on my day but what surprised me a little was their patience, eagerness to help and positive attitude in general. I genuinely felt as though they wanted me to improve as a rider and yet never felt under any pressure to push out of my comfort zone or speed up when I wasn’t comfortable. The phrase of the day was, “fast for you,” which helped drive the point home that we weren’t in a race. The coaching staff may well differ on your day but these are the ‘core team’ and BMW says any substitutions will be of comparable experience.
3 The setting
I’ve already said it but it’s worth mentioning again; Anglesey is spectacularly, jawdroppingly, achingly beautiful. The view out over the sea as you drop down the Corkscrew section of the circuit is mind-blowing. It’s a shame you’re negotiating a steep, downhill, off-camber chicane at the time so enjoy it at your own risk but, on your sighting and cool-down laps, just drink it in.