Track Training
Added on Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor
Track Training
No matter if you’re enjoying your first year of biking, or your twenty-first, there’s always room for improvement in your riding skills. Where better to learn faster cornering, better braking and increase your confidence at speed, than on the racetrack? Kevin Harris-James went along to the Mick Boddice Training School, at Darley Moor, Derbyshire.
I thought I knew it all, having ridden my R6 for the better part of 18,000 miles over the last 18 months – how wrong I was. The Mick Boddice Track Training School, held at the Darley Moor race circuit, certainly opened my eyes to how little I really knew about my Yamaha R6.
The setting was perfect – a hot August day ( yep, there were a few in 2002 ), clear blue sky, and even by 9 a.m. the temperature was beginning to cook me in my leathers.
In one corner of the pit area stood twelve Yamaha R6 machines eager to be ridden – and gathered at the other end of the pit lane 12 equally eager ( if not somewhat naive ) “students” being briefed by 3 very experienced “tutors”.
The training begins with the standard safety briefing and then an overview of the itinery. Big Dave Luscombe is Chief Instructor and one damn good rider – he is ably assisted by the equally proficient Chris and Matt - respect is due and delivered. The pep talk is informative, emphasising the need for safe riding at all times, but also reminding us that we are all here to have some fun and learn. The message is that the day is about improving riding skills, not racing – this is not for testosterone junkies.
The R6 machines are allocated to each rider and we begin with a familiarization session of the circuit.
Darley Moor is certainly unlike any circuit I have tried before. We leave the pit lane in single file and almost immediately have to tackle some rather demanding Esses. A flick right, followed by a fairly hard flick left and we are through, then accelerating to Park corner – a 110 degree bend – pretty severe even for the more experienced. Out of Park and on with the gas up the short straight, picking the pace up nicely. More Esses to negotiate, only this time, less harsh.
Flick it through, as tidy as you can, maintaining constant throttle throughout, and onto the hairpin. The term hairpin is used here in its most generous sense. This is a hairpin like no other – a hairpin to hell. Even tackling it in second gear, the hairpin is conspiring to throw you onto the outer verge. Having navigated the treacherous hairpin, it is then onto the long straight, hard on the throttle, watching for your braking marker, before you bank hard right into a long, fast and sweeping corner Paddock, which is where we started from.
So having familiarized ourselves with the circuit, much in the same way as a seal familiarizes itself with a great white shark, it is back to the classroom.
On then the perplexing topic of counter-steering, the logic of which has forever eluded me, given my natural survival instincts which tell me turning the wheel in the opposite direction of the corner cannot be right – wrong. Dave manages to help me see the light in a 5 minute conversation, followed by some cone exercises on the track. Twenty minutes later and I am counter-steering’s number one fan.
Back to the classroom to discuss braking – which begins with a detailed look at tyres. Again Dave delivers his preachings in a very understanding manner, taking time to field the many questions being thrown at him. Fifteen minutes later and we are back out on the track practising braking to a stop – 6000 revs and nicely does it; 8000 revs and just a little hairy as the back wheel lifts slightly; 10,000 revs and OH MY GOD I’M GOING TO DIE…but no, the R6 copes remarkably well and I bring it to a pinpoint standstill. God bless you Dave, now I really know what my brakes can do – quite astonishing.
Without realizing, time has crept upon us – three hours has flown by and lunch is served. There are no primadonnas here; all the instructors, staff and students enjoy the tucker and talk bikes, biking and tales of glory ( and woe ).
