I’ve bought a cheap R6 and started getting in to doing more trackdays this year (6 booked - 3 down, 3 to go). I’ve done one or two a year in the past but always had years off, so not had too much opportunity to really progress beyond being comfortable in inters. I watched a video of Sylvain Guintoli giving some great commentary on an inters rider YouTube lap of Donington. Given Sylvain is a busy man I wondered if any of the resident fast group riders would care to pass comment on how I can gain a bit more speed? Video below is me following a fairly decent rider on a ‘Rat’ bike around Oulton - lap time is 1:59ish What am I doing good/ bad/ indifferently? How can I safely loose a few seconds and join the fast lads? Be as brutal as you like - my ego can take it This is my second day at Oulton, I’m riding a standard 2005 R6, RossoCorsa 2s.
It's about riding position & moving your weight correctly for the conditions at hand. Throwing your body off the side of the bike heeled over in the rain wouldn't be good. Have you bothered doing any race riding school tution? Ron haslem is a good craic but closing soonish
Suspension. Balls. Training. In that order Worth checking out motovudu channel on YouTube, some great short clips on what makes a rider fast and it’s free
Thanks - will have a watch. After Suspension setup, finding some more balls, and booking some training What kind of ball park lap time is fast group at Oulton? Had a google but couldn’t find much - would like to follow faster riders if possible to learn, but inters is such a mixed bag and I’m generally overtaking a lot more than being overtaken, but suspect I’m still too slow for fast group pace
Hello mate, Couple of quick observations; Mostly your lines are okay, but they feel to me a little '50 pencey' at times and turning in initially too early. You're squaring off some corners rather than running the corner speed which is crucial on a 6. Check your gearing, this is hugely important on a 600. You need to keep them on song! Your bike is too far down the rev range coming off of some bends. It sounds like your bike doesn't have a slipper clutch as the rear is locking/hopping on entry. Practice rev matching/blipping more efficiently (or invest in a slipper). Don't be afraid to use all of the track. (even more crucial on a 6). You need to be smooth and flowing. Join all of the corners together and keep momentum. When you hit the brakes, in an ideal world you'd be clicking down a gear almost simultaneously to really get the most out of your engine braking.. this might be a challenge with your current bike arrangement/rev matching but is definitely something to consider for the future. Nothing that's severe, you look like a good competent and safe rider
Hi Rapide, You can only tell so much by on bike footage as like others have said you cannot see body position. One area you can definitely improve and therefore gain speed is with your lines. On quite a high number of corners you are being drawn towards the apex during the approach therefore tightening the corners. If you look at a lap on Youtube of supersport 600 bsb riders lines around Oulton and Cadwell you will see they are using every inch of the track. This makes the corners bigger which means your corner speed and exit is higher which carries yoyr speed all the way down the next straight which can shave big chunks off your lap time.
What worked for me: I read the TWTW books, practiced on the road my body position (looking like a right twat but I wanted to improve so f*ck them all! ) and quick steering for a summer, went racing. Use all the track you dare: you paid for it. Look as far up the road as you can - peripheral vision is key. Actively counter steer into turns at speed Turn in far later than you think and apex later on almost every corner than you think Be on the gas by the apex Think exit not entry for speed
Fantastic feedback, thanks for taking the time to watch and reply. Loads to go at there and lots of it really cements things I’ve heard during the brief instruction I’ve had in the past, but hasn’t necessarily sunk in. Particularly the early turn in. Would love a slipper clutch, had them on previous bikes and that has made be a bit lazy with that skill. Thanks again
My only comment is that you seemed to be braking all the way to several apexes instead of getting your braking done then driving through the apexes with greater speed (= greater exit = faster next straight). Otherwise agree as per above. Clearly you're competent but you've definitely got areas you can improve on safely Maybe tape over your speedo too - its irrelevant and can be distracting.
When you go on your next track day if they’ve instructors/ riders there then ask them to follow you round for a couple laps and give pointers, And then you follow them and they’ll run at your pace but show you where to be tipping in etc? they used to do that at focused events days I used to do.
Seriously though. Practice practice practice. I'm booked on this is n September at Mallory https://www.jameswhitham.com/track-training#/
