Plateaus in speed and skill are some of the most hated parts of our track journey. Especially when all the corners seem so alike and the track seemingly blends into one with us clueless about where we can gain speed.
I had this issue and I learned after the futile effort of blindly pushing harder and aggressively from my racing mentor who taught me the specific way to improve your lap times no matter your skill or riding style. So let's get right into how to improve lap times!
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How to Improve Lap Times
The first step in improving your lap times is fixing the specific area where you are weak at which we can find out through the following questions. Find out which question is a yes for you and you'll be a speed demon on the track in no time
Do you find yourself carrying too little speed into a corner or feel like you could go much faster into one?
While turning into a corner does it feel like you are dragging or forcing the motorcycle to turn?
Do your lap times constantly fluctuate and do you feel that your performance in the same corner keeps varying?
Do you feel out of control or pushed to the edge, especially in corners feeling like you're giving everything you've got?
Or do none of the above apply and you are comfortably managing the track yet you are unable to shave your lap times?
Now let's see what the particular weakness you have based on which questions you responded a yes to
For the first question if yes, it is your braking that needs improvement
For the second, it is your lines
For the third, it is your reference markers
For the fourth, it is your vision
Lastly, the fifth is not setting measurable goals
Now let's tackle each issue individually in a simple way for you to implement immediately on the track.
Improve Your Braking
if this is your issue just like it was my first, the great news is that just a few tweaks can make you see major speed gains in no time!
Don't slowly and gradually brake as if you were riding on a public road, brake hard on the front tire but gradually enough that it is not a jerk
Don't brake too early, brake later but before you turn into the corner
If you have tried the above two yet aren't carrying enough speed, try proper trail braking (which I've covered in depth here)
Practice your braking on the easiest corner of the track and if you feel an improvement move on to the next.
Improve Your Lines
Forcing the bike means that either you have too much speed or too little speed for that particular line you are on and you could very much crash which is what happened with me.
The bike naturally wants to keep itself vertical so it chooses a line based on your speed which you should not force. Don't try to fight the motorcycle and move with it.
A wide entry point( closer to the outer edge) allows for more speed and a tighter entry point( in the middle of the track or closer to the inner part of the track) limits speed requiring you to slow down more, so go for a wide line and let the bike naturally hit the apex( innermost part of the corner) and it's totally fine if you miss it, you will get there with time and then exit wide as well.
Practice on an easier corner like large ones before heading to more difficult ones such as hairpins
Improve Your Vision
Remember the golden rule of motorcycle track riding: where you look is where you go
look ahead at your entry point and before you reach it smoothly shift your gaze to the apex and as you approach that smoothly shift to the exit. the key is to be smooth and not abruptly or shifting your gaze when you are right on the point.
do not have tunnel vision on any point or even other rider's motorcycles nor should you target fixate.
Improve Your Reference Markers
Reference markers are points on the track where you perform an action such as the brake point where you start braking or the apex or the entry point of a corner. It could be anything like a specific curb, a patch on the track, or a particular tire in a tire wall. I blindly pushed harder without learning the basics of reference markers which is why I couldn't improve my lap times initially
Having the same reference markers consistently for each corner of the track allows you to easily gauge if you did better or worse.
Focus on the simple Brake-Downshift-Entry-Apex-Exit approach for all corners which I've covered step by step here
It's absolutely fine if you are unable to follow the approach perfectly on the first go, you will get it just like hitting the apex. focus on one corner and choose clearly visible objects as reference markers
Improve Your Goals And Go Further
The fact that the entire track feels comfortable and easy to you means that you have mastered that level of speed and it is time to move up higher
At each of your reference markers increase what you do normally such as carry a bit more speed at the entry point or shift your reference markers just a little bit such as braking a bit later and turning a bit later
it is normal to find a bit of fear when you push beyond your usual level and is a good sign that you are moving to the next level of speed and skill. however do not push too aggressively, push just a bit outside your comfort zone
For more advanced riders with more experience on the track, I suggest you implement the techniques I've covered down below in a detailed way and I can guarantee those lap times will keep shrinking and all in the paddock will drop their jaws!
Conclusion
Improving your lap times is not merely pushing harder or riding more aggressively but is a problem-solution process that requires you to fix the area where you are weakest and then move on to the next and you'll see how other riders are astonished about how you magically seem to keep removing seconds out of seemingly nowhere
On the track, we make progress by making mistakes and then learning from them and this is how we improve our skills and make track days more and more fun but there is a mistake that we can avoid and that is not preparing for a track day correctly which is particularly key since many of us can't visit the track often which is why I made the Ultimate Track Day Guide an Ebook that teaches you A to Z about track days including tips on what to bring, what to eat for peak performance on the track and secret tips from pro racers and more that you can grab for free!
Let me know in the comments down below if you have got any doubts on anything track days or racing or topics you'd like me to cover next and Ill see you guys tomorrow!
Faster. Better. Safer.
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