If you're like me and you like to do a ton of research before you do most things, then I'm guessing that you're thinking about doing your first motorcycle track day right now. And I'm here to encourage you, both in doing that and also in doing as much research as your little heart desires to make yourself feel prepared before you go.
Should you ride your bike to the track, bring plenty of tape and safety wire, and then ride home afterward? Should you camp at the track, assuming it's a facility that allows camping? Should you rent a bike trailer, toss your bike in the back of your own (or a friend's) truck, or maybe consider staying at a hotel?
This isn't a piece about those choices; those are up to you, and for other pieces to cover.
Instead, what this piece is about is the small things. What do I mean by that? I'm talking about the things that you may not even think about, and that may seem obvious and/or second nature if you've been attending lots of track days, but that might not be so obvious to a total newcomer. One of them is a rather painful and specific mistake that I personally made, and that I don't want to see anyone else make, so I'm writing about it (but sparing you photos, because ew).
Bring plenty of your favorite snacks and beverages.
This one might seem like an easy and obvious one, but it's still worth mentioning. If you're going with friends, then maybe you can make a plan between all of you for who's going to bring what. But the last thing you (and any of your friends) want while going out on track is to be hangry and/or thirsty.
That's especially true if you'll be doing a track day when it's very hot and/or humid outside. If you like electrolytes, think about bringing some of those tablets, sticks, or even the ones that come in capsule form to help you stay on top of your game. Heat and dehydration headaches suck!
For those of you reading this who have special dietary needs, you're probably already used to doing this anyway. But for everyone else, it's a very good idea to come prepared. Most track day events are held in places that aren't heavily populated, and there may or may not be good options for things you'll enjoy at the track. Having snacks and beverages you like at the ready is just one way to make the experience go more smoothly for you.
Bring a cooler, and plan to bring some kind of lunch with you.
Again, if you're going with friends (or will be meeting friends at the track), you might be able to share cooler space with someone else, and can figure out in advance who's bringing what. Just like snacks and drinks, since you may not know what's going to be available to eat at the track, it's always a good idea to bring a lunch you'll want to eat with you. Even if it's just a PB&J sandwich (Ed. Note: Uncrustables are GOAT) or a ready-made salad with chicken or another protein of choice from a grocery store, it can make a massive difference.
Track days can take a lot out of you, so it's incredibly important to make sure you stay properly fueled throughout the experience. That goes double if it's extra hot and humid out; hydration isn't the only thing that's important when you're subjecting your body to stresses that you don't normally undergo every day.
Bring a casual change of clothes for the paddock, not just your leathers and base layers.
You'll want this for when you're roaming around the paddock; trust me. Some folks with totally well-broken-in leathers are totally happy to roam around in their leathers for hours on end, but if you're brand-new to the experience, that's probably not you. And your shiny, new leathers aren't anywhere near broken in enough yet (ask me how I know).
Also, I know most motorcyclists are used to checking the weather all the time, like we're used to breathing, but check the weather at the track where you'll be, as well as how it's forecast to change over the course of the day. Depending on where and when you attend your first track day, there may be absolutely wild temperature swings you'll need to dress for.
You might, for example, find yourself wrapped up in a big, oversized hoodie and sweatpants in the morning, and maybe even wearing a hat on your head to keep warm as you make your way to the rider's meeting before everyone gets ready to go out on track. And then, later on in the afternoon, you might find yourself in a tank top and shorts, and slathering on all the sunscreen when you're not suiting up to go out on track. It's up to you to keep yourself comfortable in both situations!
Definitely bring sunscreen and/or UPF layers, both for on the track and in the paddock.
Even if it's an overcast day, you're planning to spend the entire day outside. Good sun protection is important, and will help keep you more comfortable so you can go out and learn tons and do your best.
A good hat and sunglasses are always a good idea, too. Lots of folks in the paddock will have pop-up canopies; maybe you and/or your friends will, too. Finding shade is always helpful when it's super sunny out, and you can't be sure that there will be a ton of ready shade available at a lot of tracks (especially since the sun moves over the course of the day).
If you like taking pictures, bring your favorite camera(s) for when you're not out on track.
Now, you may just like taking photos with your phone, and that's totally cool! But if you're a person who also likes using a camera (any camera), bring it along with you to the track if you have room. You may just find cool stuff to get shots of in your downtime. It could be bikes, it could be people, it could be the track, it could be the landscape; it could be a lot of things, honestly.
Since the track is presumably not a place you go every day, you may encounter different kinds of shot scenarios than you might otherwise see. Don't miss them!
Bring comfy shoes, not just your track boots.
Even if you ride directly to the track and plan to ride home, pack yourself a pair of comfortable shoes for walking around the paddock in. Unless you've totally broken in your leathers AND your boots ahead of time, and you know for a fact that you'll be comfortable walking around in them for hours. If that's you, then disregard this section and do what you want.
For everyone else, though, do not make the same mistake I did on my first day, and think you'll be just fine wandering around in your boots and leather pants. (For the record, I had shoes with me; they were just in the car, and I ended up parking kind of far away, so it was a pretty decent hike to go back and get them once I realized my mistake.)
Wearing the correct socks to work with your boots, base layers, and leathers is extremely important.
By far, the most painful mistake I made during my first track day was a combination of wearing the wrong socks, then trying to run across the paddock in leather pants and boots that weren't broken in. I'm now mostly recovered, but I still have some bad scrapes that look worse than they feel on both of my ankles. Good thing I'm not planning to wear sandals any time soon!
What happened? I made the mistake of wearing ankle socks that slid down into my boots, leaving my bare ankles exposed. My leather pants, worn over my base layer, were tucked into my boots. Trying to run across the paddock repeatedly with this combination of things basically meant that the inside of my boots created friction that totally chewed up my ankles.
I learned a very painful, very specific lesson that day, and one that I am telling you about so you can hopefully avoid it for yourself. Socks might not seem like they matter all that much, but please choose yours carefully!
It's not nearly as daunting as you've made it out to be in your head.
Having talked to a bunch of folks who've been through it, and now having been through it myself very recently, I'm here to tell you that you're going to be fine. You're going to be nervous as hell, maybe want to puke, maybe be psyching yourself out (instead of up) right until you go out on that track for the first time.
That is totally cool and normal. In fact, it might be the most normal reaction. Now, my telling you that won't help, and neither will anyone else telling you that. It's something that every rider has to go through for themselves, and then hopefully come out the other side on. I'm here to tell you that I was totally freaked out before I went out on track the first time, to the point where I wasn't completely sure I could do it. Yes, even while I was all geared up and sitting in the saddle on my bike.
There was a very brief moment where I wondered if I could really, truly go out there, do some laps, and not totally mess it up. I'm here to tell you that it's okay to hesitate; it's okay to question yourself. It's a big step you're taking!
But I'm also here to say that I hope you'll push through it. Because if you do, you'll more than likely find that it's not nearly as big and scary a thing as you may have built it up to be in your head. Some more experienced folks will tell you that if you're used to riding on the street, it's like a really good road with no intersections, so you can spend more of your attention concentrating on things like brake markers, turn apexes, and body positioning. And you also don't have to worry so much about speed limits, because this is a track (and not the street).
And I'm also here to tell you that, if you do get through that first-ever-lap anxiety successfully, the exhilaration that follows is totally worth it. Push yourself as far as you feel comfortable (not too far, though), keep the shiny side up, and have yourself a truly rad time.
