Protection on track days?

[RMD80]

Hello all,

I’ve doing more track days this year, and I’m really enjoying developing my skills on track, but the thought of throwing my £20k bike into the dirt is always in the back of my mind.

For those of you that regularly use your bike at track days, do you insure your bikes? Will you actually see a decent pay out?

If not, what can you do to mitigate the potential damage should you come off? I have gb racing engine covers, evotech fork spindle bobbins and swing arms bobbins, but what else could I add? Are carbon frame covers and swing arm covers worth the investment?

Thanks!

Ross

 

[MrSmooth]

You can buy specialist Track Day insurance. Adrian Flux are a track day motorcycle and car insurance specialist you can do a Google search for "Motorcycle Track Day Insurance". I've never purchased it and like you I did a track day at cold wet Croft circuit with my heart in my mouth about dropping the bike at the back of the slowest group....

 

[RMD80]

Thanks mate. I was looking at Bemoto insurance which costs around £320 per day, I’ll also look at Adrian Flux; but that soon mounts up if you’re doing 5-6 track days per year (although I think you can get discount for booking several days rather than one). I just feel like I’m not riding as well as I could (which is still pretty crap ) as the fear of dropping the bike is always in the back of my mind.

 

[alex]

I think you have to accept, panel damage may happen, buy spares.

I use;
GB Engine covers
Evotech frame sliders & bar ends/lever guards
Alpha chassis and swing arm covers.
Solid pegs (Bonamici rearsets) they take a lot of the hit.

Beyond that its all risk. If the bike flips and tears itself apart I am pretty f***ed

 

[TheGodfather]

Also a rad guard.

The single event track insurance wasn't for me with the amount of days I do.
You can get annual cover but there was no point when I looked at getting it. There's a heavy excess of £1500 that made small spills no point claiming. And in the event if you totalled it they would on payout 60'/. of the bike value.

 

[RickS1K]

I can't speak for the RR, but I can say from experience that the GB Racing secondary clutch cover for the R does not do its job in a slow low side (bottom edge of the clutch was destroyed even if the main part was protected by the cover). I don't recall anyone complaining about the RR so I assume it is better. There are of course limits to what they will take, but for a very basic off, I expected better for the price of them. Mine was replaced as part of the insurance claim but I it's a chocolate teapot as far as I'm concerned.

 

[MrSmooth]

Ross,

1. If you're not riding your bike 'as well as you should' then perhaps you might first consider some track training. I previously did Californian Superbike School I did level 1 on my own bike, learned a huge, huge amount about my riding position and getting a motorcycle efficiently and quicker through corners and really enjoyed it too. Also consider Rapid Training who have a great reputation too as they do both road and track training individually designed to help you achieve your goals.
2. Search this site for posts from who have bought replacement body kits which they fit prior to track days and have had them detailed and painted in their choice of colours and lettering - there are some great tips of where to buy them and brilliant examples of finished kits too. Some here are fortunate enough to have track-only bikes and they leave those body kits on all the time.
3. Also consider doing advanced rider road training, many of us on this site have completed our advanced riding training with IAM or ROSPA I don't consider myself a better rider than anyone else, but I can ride safely and sometimes much faster when the road conditions allow..... Also, I might think I am VR46 in my head, but my really puny lean angles don't support that hypothesis, not one little bit <grin>.

If you're based in Southern England and want to go out on a road ride together to learn and have some fun, there's a few of us who'll join you to help you with more practice.

Send me a PM and we'll chat about it some more.

Steve

 

[RMD80]

Thanks Steve (and everyone else that has replied). Really appreciate the advice and info. I’ll make sure to look into the California Superbike School. I’ve done a couple of BMW performance academy track days this past year and felt that really brought me on (and getting to use their bikes was good peace of mind!). Chasing behind Kyle Ryde was also quite the experience!

 

[Robbie_62]

I done 2 track days on my gen 3 then bought a cbr600 track bike instead!
I couldn't run the risk of wrecking the RR

Now I have no fear on a trackday I can just concentrate on improving my technique.

 

[RMD80]

I thought about the same! In fact I’ve been looking on eBay today Just don’t have the room really for another bike (we have two in the garage as my wife rides as well) and I’d also have to figure out the means to transport it to the track!

 

[Robbie_62]

Yeah it's a bit more work but definitely worth it for peace of mind.
I've seen a few bikes get completly wrecked even from low speed spills.

 

[Mellorp23]

I done 2 track days on my gen 3 then bought a cbr600 track bike instead!
I couldn't run the risk of wrecking the RR

Now I have no fear on a trackday I can just concentrate on improving my technique.

Agreed. I have a couple of cheaper bikes I use as track bikes. R1 4XV, RC8 KTM and some cheap easy to fix 2 strokes. All very analogue to ride so you don't get to trust the electronic rider aides as there aren't any, just your own ability !!! Having said that riding the S1000RR with a few things still switched on and laying black lines everywhere is good fun, even if you don't realise you are doing it.

 

[bananaman]

Ive always used my RR, it's what I know and what I'd like to learn more about. Did the CSS school way back which I thought was a good insight but then did a 1-1 coaching day (and another later) and learnt a helluva lot more than with CSS. Having done both I would recommend the 1-1 all day. I used 'NemoMoto' an ex CSS instructor who left because he felt pupils weren't getting their moneys worth