Best motorcycle trackday essentials

It doesn’t matter what bike you ride and how you ride it; you may be a courier, a commuter, a recreational chip-hunter with your mates or a motorcycle trackday addict. Somewhere along the line, you are going to fancy the idea of something different and this is where we can help.

If you like the slower things in life and getting dirty, then you may have a fancy for heading off-road. A nimble dirt bike, a sunny day and hopefully, a dry stretch of off-road byway or greenlane – it’s a great way to escape the urban jungle.

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Or you may decide you want to venture farther afield and embark on a long, multi-day tour to visit a region you haven’t been to before; the Napoléon way winding through France perhaps or a mega-journey to Nordkapp.

Or, if you have the slightest affinity for speed, then a track day could be for you. The chance to exploit your bike and your abilities in the safety of a closed environment, with marshalls on every corner, no farm traffic or HGVs around the next bend and the opportunity to gain some tuition from professionals at the same time.

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I’ve done a couple of track days (more planned when my project is finished) and really enjoyed them both. One was at Lydden Hill in Kent and the other, at Rockingham just before it ceased operating as a racetrack.

Very different circuits, very different days but the same enjoyment and the same grin on my face. I feel both helped my road riding – not to increase my speed or get my knee down on the B660 but a better appreciation of grip and how the bike behaves.

What do I need for a track day motorcycle?

From what to expect to the kit you need, from key skills to how it can help your road riding, Bradley also introduces some if the UK’s most iconic circuits. It gets good reviews on Amazon and at just £3.48, is a sure-fire start point for anyone interested in hitting the circuit.

It is designed for the racing tuck that is adopted on sportsbikes, where the head is canted forwards and the rider tends to look up and out of the helmet and features plenty of space around the mouth for breathing.

It has six intake and six exhaust vents for cooling air and the aerodynamic rear spoiler helps with high-speed stability. Dark visors are available for track use and of course, it is ACU (Auto Cycle Union, motorcycle racing’s governing body) approved for use on circuits and in racing.

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It comes with level-1 armour in the shoulders, elbows, knees and hips and there is also additional external TPU protection at the shoulder. Knee sliders are not supplied but there are hook and loop panels for riders to fit their own choice and the back features an aerodynamic hump.

But the ace up its (tight) sleeve is the In&Motion-powered airbag that is built into the suit. The system has a race profile so it knows when the rider is on circuit and monitors the conditions for signs of a circuit accident, as opposed to a road one, deploying the airbag in around 50ms if necessary.

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They are made from goat skin and cow leather and feature hard knuckle armour as well as vented TPU panels over the fingers. The third and fourth fingers are bridged to prevent injuries in a tumble and the long cuff is also padded for protection.

On the inside, there is a rubberised panel across the palm for grip while there are also several Superfabric panels in the landing zones to protect the hand, on the heel of the palm, the outside of the hand’s edge and on the base of the thumb. There are vents and perforations to help keep the hand cool and in use, they work exceptionally well.

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There is a side zip to get them on and off with a ratchet buckle at the calf to make sure they fit properly. There is a TPU shin-armour panel and a hefty heel cup as well as bracing around the toe and a replaceable toe slider. They also feature a ventilation panel on the side to allow cooling air in, essential in the heat of a track day.

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With riding equipment, fuel and a line-up of track-prepped bikes including Yamaha R6, R1 and Niken models all thrown in, all you need to do is turn up and turn in.

Available at historic circuits including Brands Hatch and Silverstone, this package is perfect for newcomers and more experienced riders alike.

It's not cheap but likely to be a very memorable day riding some top machines.

The construction is fairly stiff to give excellent response to rider inputs and both the front and rear use multiple compounds, for grip while cornering but water clearance and wear-resistance when upright.

The edges of the tyre are slick for ultimate grip at high lean angles and in use, they deliver excellent performance and can be used on the road on your way to and from the track day.

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This one from BMW (it isn’t just for BMW owners) has an on-paper capacity of 30 litres but it expands and has two separate compartments, so you can keep waterproofs in one, for example, and your other essentials in the other – spare visor, glasses, etc.

Even though it looks large, it’s comfortable to wear, is stacked full of clever features – you can fix it to the bike like a tailbag, for example – and is expandable to accept a helmet when off the bike. It’s also waterproof so it will keep your sandwiches and crisps dry ready for the lunch break.

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It has both evening and full-day events throughout the spring, summer and into autumn and visits most of the UK’s circuits, from classics such as Cadwell Park and Donington to the purpose-built Bedford Autodrome and the diminutive Lydden Hill.

It also hosts events at foreign circuits, including Portimao in Portugal, Spa in Belgium, Aragon in Spain and the world-famous Le Mans in France. The company also has several instructors – former or current racers usually – at each event to help riders develop their skills.

Motorcycle track day guide

There are track days available at most UK circuits, predominantly from spring until autumn, to make the most of the daylight hours and most work in the same way. There will be several groups divided into riding ability; novice, intermediate and advanced. If you haven’t done one before, then definitely start in the novice category – you can usually move up a group but if you start too high, it can be overwhelming.

Related: MCN's guide to your first track day

Generally, each group will be on-track on its own for perhaps 15 minutes at a time, every hour. This means that you potentially get six sessions in a day with plenty of downtime to watch other riders’ techniques, relax, catch your breath or even debrief with one of the instructors who may be on hand.

There are days for pure road bikes (some ride to and from the circuit as well) while others also allow full track-spec bikes, that arrive in vans and plug into tyre-warmers the moment they hit the ground. The key is to start slow and build up from there. And have fun!

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