1200GS at Brands Hatch

[Peter Reilly]

I took my 1200GS to the Brands Hatch Indy circuit for a track day last week. Despite being surrounded by pukka sports bikes, the GS was not out of its league. I managed to get the RH peg down and the high point was outbraking a Ducati 999 going into paddock hill bend.
Tyres were Tourance - no problems with grip, thanks for the advice from an earlier thread.
The GS is great fun on a twisty circuit like this but would probably be less fun at somewhere very fast like Silverstone.

 

[alecmuffett]

never having done a track day, can i please ask: why reverse the mirrors ?

 

[birdseye]

So the bikes in front can see him coming , of course.

 

[Bateman]

why reverse the mirrors ?

To stop you worrying who is coming up behond you all the time and instead keep you focused on concentrating where you are going

 

[Peter Reilly]

Track day rules are that mirrors should be removed or folded away. The principle is to concentrate on what lies ahead, not to worry about what the rider behind is doing.
I was too lazy to take them off, so I turned them round.

 

[JayGee]

I'm doing my first track day at Mallory (it's a BMW club event) do I need to do anything to prepare the bike (except possibly remove the mirrors). I've got part worn Dunlop D607s on (only about 2000 miles left in them) am I likely to wear them out before the end of the track day?
These may seem stupid questions but being a track day virgin I don't have a clue (worrying isn't

 

[Peter Reilly]

Apart from removing the mirrors, the most important thing is tyre pressure. As a general rule, use lower pressures than normal when taking your bike on the track.
I asked the tyre technician at Brands what he recommended for a R1200GS (not a question he had been asked before!) and he suggested 32psi at each end. I actually ran with 33. Lower pressures give a larger contact patch but also mean the tyres run hotter, so put your pressure back to standard afterwards.
Other than checking the oil level and that my Ohlins suspension was on the recommended settings, that was it. Enjoy!

 

[degsy]

good on you great picture by the way

 

[Chris Terry]

Track day rules are that mirrors should be removed or folded away. The principle is to concentrate on what lies ahead, not to worry about what the rider behind is doing.
I was too lazy to take them off, so I turned them round.

You must of taken them off to swap them... if you just turn them around they would lean in together in front of you?????

 

[Mouse]

He turned the ends round on the stalks, rather than turning the stalks round

 

[Chris Terry]

He turned the ends round on the stalks, rather than turning the stalks round

Cheers Mouse,......... and I thought I was being smart !:goof