Hi guys,

Just bought the brand new r6 and am very happy. I am a novice rider and was wondering how long i should wait before getting out on a track to improve my skills. Have seen some guys total their bikes on track days so am a bit worried about that also having just spent a large amount of money on the bike.

Also would like to learn a few tricks on the bike. What is the best way to do this without causing most damage to the bike. probably a stupid question as trying tricks is likely to cause damage to the bike should it go wrong but really what is the point of having a superbike if you cant pull of any impressive tricks :)

Cheers guys

I think its all about having confidence then you can start jumping on ur bike, tricky with stunts on that bike quite heavy

I don't know where you are Immy, so I don't know if you're in the States or across the pond. Here in the States there are many track day sponsors that have well put together plans to help novice riders. The group that I control ride for, Team ProMotion (http://www.teampromotion.com), is very good about determining what type of rider you are and keeping you in a group with like minded riders.

Nothing blows a noobs confidence like having someone scream passed them on the inside of a corner. And your track day sponsor shouldn't allow such this to happen.

Riding at the race track is quite possibly one of the best things you can do as a newer rider, provided the conditions are controlled. When you get to ride without having to think about soccer moms in mini vans, gravel around the next bend, cops, on-coming traffic, or any other hazard we encounter on real roads then you have nothing else to do but focus on your riding. At an average track day as a newer rider you should be getting around 100 miles of riding or more. Now my home track, Summit Point Raceway (www.summitpoint-raceway.com), is a 10 turn 2.2 mile track so if you put in a 100 mile day you would get around 45 laps. 45 attempts at the same set of corners, 45 attempts at the same exits, shifts, and scenarios. After a day of riding you get pretty comfortable with those turns, your fear reduces, you can push harder and learn.

As far as people binning their bikes, those are generally seasoned riders that are pushing to the absolute limits or noobs that didn't listen to the advice given by the sponsors or the control riders. As a track marshall and control rider I would rather have a day without crashes. They take up valuable time from everybody else as we clean up debris on the track and ensure there are no slippery fluid remaining. I want everybody to come in, ride hard, and go home. This is supposed to be fun.

For tricks and stunts, it's hard to prevent crashes while learning. These can be dangerous positions and should be kept off the street, I'm not saying I've never done a wheelie down the highway but looking back it may not have been my brightest moments. There are schools out there that can help, do a goolge search for "wheelie school" and you can find outfits like Keith Code's On One Wheel (www.ononewheel.com). Keith Code is a well accomplished racer and develops fantastic learning environments.