The first Manfield Track day for 2009 was held today 10 January. Run by Central Districts. I thought it was a great day. (Even if I was the third slowest rider on the track.


A second Central Districts Track Day will be held on Sunday 19th April, 2009.

No option for me! Never done one (although have done a grand total of 4 laps of Manfield many moons ago on the RF)! Would consider taking the Honda on one at some stage although the idea does scare me a bit. Need some leather trou too, and someone to help me set up the bike....

Bollocks! The CBR250RR was all standard, if a bit squidgy and it was good fun! Unless you want to race-race then you might wanna
Take the connie out

I loved it, will definitely do it again. And the 2nd one is only round the corner

Then you would have to be the last option I guess (can't seem to edit poll).

I found it a mint day, helping with grid and recovery. I only managed to get 2 runs in with the slow group but missed the early sessions so was a bit behind. In the last slow run ( my second) they were going bloody fast, I was pulling a sedate 90mph down the straights and I still got lapped! And I still haven't redlined the bike yet.

I think I'd get too carried away on her and the tyres mighten last too long. A little secret: I still find the Connie easier to ride quickly than the Honda. Wider bars make it far easier to throw around and the brakes are so much better than the Honda's it's not funny - one of the things I don't like about the Honda...I'd also like to play with the suspension a bit but got no idea...

Don't worry about setting up your suspension too much unless you unhappy with the settings as they are anyway, as a rule if you set your bike up to go well at a track it's usually a real handful out in the real world, maybe you could just give it a turn or two of pre-load but I personally would go making too many radical changes just for the sake of a trackday.

I was told yesterday that cordura is ok as long as it has amour in it, that what I was told anyway.. (from a scrutineering view point at least).

Fair enough then
I agree with you about the brakes! I thought they were pretty shit when i test rode 2 different VTR's, and everyone i told thought i was making it up?!?!! *cough*TerminalAddict*Cough*
I thought they felt spongy as? Mabe it was old brake fluid or something, but i wasn't very impressed with them

Ive heard that the VTR suspension is a bit out-dated, but for me anything is better than the hyosungs suspension

For the CDMTC track day, if you didn't have leather you had to go in the 'slow' group, but they never mentioned kevlar, so mabe they dont mind?

condrua is fine in novice, med and fast groups. As long as it is in good nick.

BR- you should come out on sunday (yes - this sunday is the next one) I gonna be on Yod and sarge to come out to play. Nervous is good. I still get nervous lining up on the dummy grid wondering what the session has in store but by the time you are round the first corner you forget about all that and just get on with the job.


As for the poll. I dont know if I am addicted. I enjoy using the bike for the purpose it was designed for and giving it a bit of a blow out. I was having a heap of trouble under brakes yesterday so going to spend this week trying to sort out what the problem is there and will be back for next weekend.

Think I'd prefer to be in leather on the track.



The Connie's brakes are in a different league (whizz-bang-radial-dohickey-me-whatsits with ABS for back-up) but the Honda definitely has less "feel", slightly spongy and does lock up quite easily while not actually giving fantastic braking. (Cowboyz would have spotted me going a bit wide on a corner or 2 last weekend when I forgot what bike I was riding...)

As for handling, well I'm no demon and haven't ridden any modern sportsbikes butI think that it is ok. You have to be careful in the bumpy stuff as it is a light bike and can bump around. Also, I'm not after major mods to the suspension but think that it may be a little hard for the road and just would like a rough idea on what I may have to do to it for a day on the track...maybe it'd be fine like it is?

You tell me after your track day
That will help me decide if i really want a VTR afterall

honestly, BR. You would be happy as larry in the medium group criusing around. I dont change a hell of a lot going from the road to the track. Wind the shocks up a tad to make everything a little stiffer but thats about it. There are SHITLOADS of guys out there faster than me but no one is watching you with an evil eye. Its just all about having fun and going as fsat and you want to go. I want to see Yod on the track, I suspect that I would have trouble staying with him for the better part of it. Ya just got to make sure that the red mist stays at bay cause it can be really easy to start eyeing someone up and getting out of the comfort zone.
In saying that. There is always someone else around you on the track to pace yourself against. By the third session everyone sorts out where they belong and everyone kind finds there way out to the dummy grid in the order they go round the track in by default.

BTW. Its a buzz

Damn it! I'm getting twitchy. I really enjoyed my 4 laps years ago but was young & stoopid then. I think it will happen one day. Just nervous and don't wanna bend the bike or meself...

You'll be fine! It was my first trackday and i really enjoyed it! You'll get into a rhythm, and i don't think ive ridden with you before, but im guessing you know how to ride a bike fairly well

You think you were young and Stoopid! I hold the record for the 3rd to slowest (bummer). Only got out twice though and everyone else had sped up. heaps of riders there were as nervous as hell but there were only 3 actual bins all day. They were bloody stoopid ones. Everyone who finally said "I'm going out" got a huge buzz out of it and went out again.

I did nothing to my suspension and just worked on my cornering / handling at my pace. Was told last night to drop the tyre pressures down on the track to give more contact area, also as the tyres heat up so much. I remembered the lines from my car club days (was faster in the car). Must get the 280z ready for next summer.

If I ride in cordura at ridiculous speeds on the road then I must be safer in cordura on the track at the same speeds. I'm definately not a racer but will be out for another track day at some stage. Maybe next year in the medium group (180kph). Then I'll make sure I've got leathers. My High Speed Cornering Technique

There were connies out there, every road bike imaginable and surely you can't let some sheila on a NEW VMax show you up.

Note: CDMTC Track days are quite informal, but you get a lot of track time. I believe most of the others are slighty more regimented but highly recommended.

pic of matt's virgin track day

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