It’s often said that it’s better to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow. This saying has pretty much become a cliche at this point, and for good reason. There’s something inherently fun about a bike that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and on top of that, these types of bikes are excellent platforms to learn the ropes on – especially when it comes to track riding.
Hitting the track is tons of fun, but it goes without saying that it requires a lot of direction. Simply heading over to your local track day without any knowledge whatsoever isn’t really a good idea. Luckily, there are lots of beginner-friendly track day organizers out there, one of the newest of which is SoCal-based Compact Octane.
As their name suggests, Compact Octane is all about keeping things small and simple. By that, I mean motorcycles with engines 400cc and below. Compact Octane is a firm believer that big fun doesn’t require a big bike, and indeed, it’s precisely for learning the fundamentals that bikes like the Yamaha YZF-R3 and Kawasaki Ninja 400 were made. That being said, Compact Octane is all about keeping track riding safe, fun, and engaging for everyone, and it has quite an interesting story as to why it’s focusing on smaller bikes.
The organization explained that during one track day in Southern California, some of their founders were riding their sub-400cc bikes along with riders on bigger bikes. Given the fact that they were considerably skilled riders, they were able to pass some of the riders on bigger bikes on the corners. This resulted in a little scuffle where one of the riders on a bigger bike felt determined to pass the riders on the smaller bikes. Unfortunately, they didn’t possess the skills to do so safely, and ended up hitting the rider on the smaller bike while passing them at a turn.
Because of this, Compact Octane was born, and it’s dedicated to making track days accessible and fun to beginners. The organization specifically provides support to newer riders to ensure that they’re welcomed into the community, and not intimidated by riders who are more experienced riding bigger bikes. They also offer gear rentals for beginners who have yet to purchase their own set of track gear, further making the sport accessible.
On August 19, 2023, Compact Octane will head to the Streets of Willow and the Willow Springs International Raceway for their first official event. The track day will be extremely organized and structured, allowing riders of all types of bikes to hit the track. There will be three groups in total, with Group A catering to advanced riders on bikes under 400cc. Meanwhile, Group B will be for novice and beginner track riders on small bikes, as well. Lastly, Group O will be an open category, allowing seasoned riders on bigger, more powerful bikes to join in on the fun, as well.
