FAQ - frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions and answers
Can a beginner attend a race training?
Of course! Everybody has to start sometime. You should be able to handle your bike confidently and be able to perform basic riding manoeuvres. If so, then there is nothing stopping you from getting your first experience on the racetrack. Our experienced instructors will show you everything you need to know. So you will have fun and learn right from the start.
Read more about our groups.
Do professional riders get their money's worth if they come to your race training?
Sure! We have a special group for the real professionals. We also have a group between professionals and beginners, in case you have misjudged your ability! In the professional group you'll always find fast boys (and girls!). Read more about our groups.
What about accomodation and food during the training?
You can enjoy the full paddock feeling by camping directly at the track. This is possible at all the tracks we offer trainings at (apart from the 1 day events at the Salzburgring). If possible you should stay in the paddock. We often see sad faces if people have to leave for their hotel rooms in the evening. The atmosphere in or in front of the box in the evening is nearly as important as the riding during the day, isn't it? However, if you prefer your home comforts, then there are all kinds of accomodation (from B & B's to luxury hotels) available near the racetracks. We are always happy to assist with tips but would ask that you book these by yourself.
During the training days you have to sort your own meals out. All racetracks have good and inexpensive options (restaurants and bars). We supply coffee and refreshments. Sometimes, depending on the circumstances we may also offer snacks.
What service can I expect at the track?
Our experienced team of mechanics are always with us at the track, to repair the major problems and to supply you with fresh tyres. (If possible, please order your tyres with us beforehand). However, please accept that we can't perform miracles. Our track "workshop" is naturally not as extensive as a normal workshop. It should also be obvious that you should prepare your bike for the track. A fresh set of tyres and a service beforehand should be the minimum of preparation. This is for your own safety, and for the safety of the other riders riding with you. For mechanical problems which might suddenly occur at the track, our MM (Mani Münzinger) is always willing to help where he can (and he has managed to help a lot of riders up to now). A little thank you now and again would no doubt be appreciated.
We also have a small selection of accessories at each track day. However, due to the limited transport capacity, you may have to accept that we may not have your urgently required item with us. You can see what we have to offer here. Best to order beforehand.
How do I get to the track?
You can ride. However, this uses up your tyres and is tiring, which is probably not the best preparation for the hard work ahead on the track. It could also leave you with an awkward problem if your bike is no longer rideable for the return journey! Therefore, most use either a trailer or a van. We can also help with arranging shared travel with others. We can also offer transport for 6 or more through our partner company Ab-durch-die-mitte
What make/kind of bike am I allowed to use?
Even though we are supported by KawaMotor, it makes no difference what make of bike you turn up with! The range of manufacturers makes for an interesting mix at the track. Engine size and power is also not important. We have 1000s battling with 600s, and SuperMotos battling with race bikes. As always, "It's the rider, not the bike" ;-).
Does my bike need to be street legal and registered?
No. As we ride on closed racetracks, there is no requirement for the bike to be road-legal. The machine must be technically OK, and you have to respect the decibel limit of the various tracks (DB-Killers can help at the Salzburgring). For safety reasons, all glass pieces on your bike should be protected against breakage. Mirrors and indicators should be removed (or at least taped-up if this is not possible), and headlight and brakelight should be taped-up. For transporting the bike over the border to non-EU countries, the bike needs to be registered. If you don't have this, you must obtain a Carnet ATA in your home town beforehand (best bet is to ask at the IHK). Warning! Red number plates for cars or motorbikes are not allowed over the border (e.g. Rijeka). If you are bring your kids, also check how old your childrens passport can be, and if a photo is required.
Do I need slicks?
No, not necessarily. For beginners we definately wouldn't recommend slicks. A fresh set of treaded-tyres with a racing compound is fine, but no normal road-tyres please. We can happily recommend a set for your bike. Please don't turn up with worn-out tyres claiming "I only need the tread on the side on the track". Whoever tells you this hasn't a clue! The tyre must handle the forces from braking, transfer acceleration from machine to the tarmac and have grip in the corners. This is not the place to be saving money, and savings here will often lead to expensive and sometimes painful consequences.
How am I insured during the training?
Each rider must have health cover for abroad. A private accident insurance is also not a bad idea, but check that "racing risks" are not explicitly excluded by your insurer! This is unfortunately the case with most insurers. If this can't be changed, we can offer you something better. We can always offer an accident insurance for participants for the specific training. If you have fully comprehensive insurance, please check beforehand whether your insurer excludes race track or rider trainings from cover.
What happens if I have an accident?
At the track, the marshalls are responsible for the immediate care. If necessary, ambulances, medics and doctors are there and included in our package. Therefore we have the best-available cover at the track. Additionally, the local hospitals can take care of the injured in the best way possible, as they are trained for these kinds of accidents due to them being near to a race track. If transport home is required, then this needs to be covered by your health or accident insurance, which you need to take care of yourself.
Why is a transponder mandatory?
How else can an organiser best organise people into groups of similar ability and speed? How else can an organiser prevent people from overcalculating their own ability, and the safety risks this causes?
There may be several solutions to this problem, but there is no "perfect" solution. Our solution is the following:
As we and our instructors can't possibly watch and assess everyone over the whole track, EVERY participant must rent a transponder.
At the end of the first day we get a list of participants and their times for the day from the timekeeper. The list is separated into the Green (beginners), Yellow (middle) and Red (fast) groups. In the evening of day one, the Red and Yellow groups are reorganised based on these times. The instructor groups in the Green group are also reorganised based on the times (manily from the free riding in the afternoon). This helps to keep the instructor groups nicely balanced, and avoids one rider cruising along with one hand on the bar behind the instructor, while the next in the group is at the limit trying to keep up. (Otherwise, as we have learnt from experience, reorganisation of the instructor groups takes too long, as many are not really honest to the instructor or themself.) Without transponders we would only really be able to reorganise the really extreme differences. However, an early reorganisation leads to more fun and success for everyone.
As our trainings are mainly fully booked (luckily), it is not normally possible to move people from the Red or Yellow groups into the Green group. However, exceptions are sometimes possible.
To clarify: If the Green group is fully booked, then X instructors are booked, and each instructor has Y participants with them. Therefore its not so easy to pack in one or two more. However, as we always have at least one or two reserve instructors, sometimes we can manage this.
A positive side-effect of transponders:
When transponders are mandatory, we don't charge for
- a. instructors for the beginners group
- b. race participation
this means:
- For beginners the transponder doesn't really cost extra. In fact, the opposite is true, as both the cost of the instructor as well as the cost of registering for the race are not charged.
- Race participants also have no extra cost for the transponder. The transponder would be required anyway for the race, and with our system you save the race registration cost. This is also the reason why people with their own transponders have to pay EUR 10.
- All participants, who are neither beginners nor wish to race, obviously don't get these benefits. They should still be aware that from a correct grouping of the participants, everyone benfits.
- And finally don't forget: It is interesting for each participant to see how they have improved over the sessions. Each hour a list is put up with the best time of the day so far for each participant and each participant can also ask the timekeeper for a full printout of their days times.
Why is the organiser or their team sometimes "unfriendly" to the participants?
Unlike most other track-day organisers, we make our box available to all participants. From 7.00 in the morning until late at night we have coffee, drinks, free beer, etc in sufficient quantities. However, this means that we don't have a private box for work where we really have to concentrate, which every "normal" organiser will have.
Therefore, please don't be upset with us if the answer to your question is: "Not now, I am busy". This is only when we have a job to do which requires our full concentration, and a slight mistake could have bad consequences for the quality of the training as a whole.
