Ron Haslam Race School

[SOILZX]

Attended the Ron Haslam race school on Wednesday. Wow what a day, very highly recomended. Granted its not cheap, but bloody good fun none the less.

[RedexRobB]

Cool, what did you learn there?

[SOILZX]

Mainly body positioning for cornering. Managed to get both knees down (not at the same time!), before could only do the right one, no left handed roundabouts round here. But also they marked braking points, turn in points and apexs, to get abetter idea of racing lines, otherwise i think iwould of been all over the place!

[Jamz]

Spooky! I was looking on their website at the time you must have been going round!

I take it you did the 600's? Think it was £270 for the day?

I think that's the trackday I'll be booking if I get chance this year, because Donington seems like an interesting circuit and I'd much rather drop their bike than my own!

How long did it take you to get used to riding their bike (assuming it's different to yours)? That's my only worry, really...

[deviant]

I think that's the trackday I'll be booking if I get chance this year, because Donington seems like an interesting circuit and I'd much rather drop their bike than my own!

There is another option of course - do a trackday and don't drop your bike.

Not that difficult. I've done three this year, and the only time the bike's been on the floor was due to some senile old fool who backed his car into it in the paddock at Cadwell, knocking it off the stand.


[edited for nonsense]

[Jamz]

I think that's the trackday I'll be booking if I get chance this year, because Donington seems like an interesting circuit and I'd much rather drop their bike than my own!

There is another option of course - do a trackday and don't drop your bike.

Not that difficult. I've done three this year, and the only time the bike's been on the floor was due to some senile old fool who backed his car into it in the paddock at Cadwell, knocking it off the stand.


[edited for nonsense]

Not an option for me. My bike is my only transport and I can't afford to replace it - and I certainly can't afford to replace all my kit! You get to borrow the lot from Ron.

[deviant]

I'm sorry, why is "not crashing" not an option?

Or rather, why are you assuming that riding on a very wide, grippy, one way road with no cars, lorries, diesel or mud is inevitably going to result in you slinging a motorcycle into the scenery?

[superman]

your insured for that thoe in most cases.

[deviant]

your insured for that thoe in most cases.

I'm only TPFT. Dunno about Jamz.

What I'm getting at is that if you crash on a trackday, it is almost guaranteed to be your own fault, and bearing in mind the good grip, lack of obstacles, etc, you really have to be trying quite hard/think you're a hero/whatever in order to crash.

If you don't want to crash on a trackday, it's perfectly within your power to ensure you don't.

On the road, anything could happen.

[SOILZX]

Ye did the 600 course. Didnt take long to used to the bike, preety much straight away. My group was not the first lot out so all up to tempurature.
You jump on the bike as someone gets off it. Theres absolutly no pressure at all. I did it for the same reason, wasnt sure bout using my own, mainly due to selling it. Recomended to anyone of all abilities.

[zimm]

your insured for that thoe in most cases.

I'm only TPFT. Dunno about Jamz.

What I'm getting at is that if you crash on a trackday, it is almost guaranteed to be your own fault, and bearing in mind the good grip, lack of obstacles, etc, you really have to be trying quite hard/think you're a hero/whatever in order to crash.

If you don't want to crash on a trackday, it's perfectly within your power to ensure you don't.

On the road, anything could happen.

+1 i've never really come close to crashing on a track despite riding far harder than i'd even try to on the road.

[superman]

oh yea i know what you mean thoe, you got far less chance of crashing on the track plus if you do i guess its goin to be less damaging.
do other riders get in your way much thoe.

[SOILZX]

The instructor sticks his left arm out when someone faster is coming and you just move over to the left. I was quite worried at first, but it was actually very easy when i got on track, no one got in my way and i didnt get in anyone elses way either. Quite dis heatening though when you think your flat out when Billy McConnel comes up the inside, knee down hand out to acknoledge you geeting out the way!

[deviant]

do other riders get in your way much thoe.

depends how fast you are, what group you are in and who else has turned up to play. Oh and what track you're at and what bike you're riding.

I was getting held up at Cadwell last week, but then it's quite a narrow track and being on a 400 I couldn't blast past people down the straight. But I got round that by making sure I was first in the line to go out each session - so I at least got the first half of the session before I had to overtake loads of people. At Anglesey it wasn't a problem because the track there is at least twice the width of Cadwell, and there's several lines through most corners (plus it was my first time on track so I wasn't overtaking many people).

The simple solution is that if people are getting in your way all the time, book on in a faster group. I'll be running in inters rather than novices next time I do a trackday - let everyone else worry about overtaking me rather than the other way round

[zimm]

you'll like the inter's mate ..

i moved up from novice after 2 sessions on my first track day (mallory) as i just felt it was dangerous with people taking all kinds of weird lines, never knew where or when they were going to turn in, and found myself hanging back and giving people a wide berth..

inters things were a bit more predictable and i was able to hang on to some of the quicker riders and improve my lines even if i didnt make as many passes .. but its a track day not a race so the number of passes is irrelevant .. that said, it was immensely satisfying outbraking an arrogant guy on a track prepped gsxr600 into edwina's on a stock 400 knowing his mrs was watching..

went in the inters at pembrey too .. pretty much same story .. if i go there again, i'll be in the fast group to try and improve my lines.

as long as you dont wander across the track for no reason, you'll be fine even if you are on the slowest bike there.