It might seem kind of strange to you, but until last weekend, I'd never done a track day on a motorcycle before. Weird enough, I'd done them in cars, and I'd had a lot of fun and felt like I learned some things (both about the cars I was driving, as well as my own personal limits). But every vehicle is different, and every track is different, and no car is truly similar to riding a motorcycle.
It's not to say that there aren't track day opportunities in my area. Compared to Southern California, there aren't as many, but they do exist. That's where I'd attended some—as a spectator—in the past, but I hadn't really convinced myself that it was something I wanted to try.
For new riders (or even new track day riders) who want to improve their skills, the idea of doing a track day can be daunting for any number of reasons. One major factor is often the displacement wars, and who has the most horsepower/torque on tap. Compact Octane is like a pressure relief valve for that entire concept, though, and breaks down many of the common barriers of entry.
That went a long way in giving me the space to finally do a track day myself.
Small Displacement, Big Fun
As you may have inferred from its name, the showcase here is motorcycles that are 500cc and under. While there are Open and Open + classes for larger displacement machines and advanced track day riders to participate, the B (beginner and intermediate track day and new riders) and A (more advanced riders) classes are all sub-500cc machines.
That's not to say that the bikes can't go fast; they absolutely can, particularly in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing. This was my first-ever track day, as well as my first time riding an Aprilia RS 457, which is an experience I'll dive into in more detail in a separate piece. But as a first-time track day rider, I can tell you for a fact that I wasn't anywhere near approaching that bike's potential.
The cool thing about this event being a small-displacement-forward one is that it encourages skills development rather than thinking "More power is automatically going to make you a better rider." And leveling the playing field (and foregrounding motorcycles that are physically smaller) puts the whole thing much more in the reach of a wider cross-section of riders, a fact that I absolutely witnessed in the paddock at the Streets of Willow.
No Bike? No Problem!
If you think that trying out a track day situation might be for you, there are a few potential barriers to entry that may be standing between you and trying it out. The biggest one is probably having a bike you feel comfortable taking out on track. No one plans to crash, but things happen, and not everyone is going to be thrilled about low-siding their baby and sliding that bodywork across the track (never mind a collision or a high-side).
To be clear, Compact Octane isn't the only track day organization that has bikes available for rent that you can take out on track to participate. However, as I noted above, the entire focus are on bikes that are under 500cc. In keeping with that ethos, the 2025 season featured a selection of KTM 390s and sub-500cc CFMotos that riders could rent.
And if that's not cool enough, Piaggio Group Americas is one of Compact Octane's sponsors, so it showed up to events with a raft of Aprilias that Compact Octane track day attendees could sign up to test ride for free out on track.
Like I said, I was lucky enough to get to ride an Aprilia RS 457 on track, and I saw plenty of other folks rocking up to the brand's canopy for a test ride experience of their very own. From new riders to experienced riders, folks seemed stoked to have the chance to throw a leg over and take a bike out for an experience you definitely don't usually get when the demo truck rolls into your town.
And for those wondering, it wasn't only RS 457s available, either; they also had RS 660 and Tuono 660s available in the Open groups. Some of the big V4s were also around in the paddock to appreciate from afar, but not as part of the demo fleet.
No Gear? Also No Problem*
Another major barrier is having the right gear. Responsible track day organizations require you to have proper leathers (one or two-piece suits that zip all the way together), gauntlet gloves, proper boots that come up over the ankle, and DOT-approved full-face helmets at a bare minimum. Compact Octane requires a back protector, as well.
For a rider who's still figuring out whether a track day is for them or not, that's a lot of money to spend. If you don't know whether you're going to stick with it, it's even more, even if you can find gear that fits you on clearance, or if you're OK with the idea that you may just need to sell the gear later. With that in mind, Compact Octane partnered with Alpinestars to make a whole bunch of gear available to borrow for free at its track day events.
Sounds awesome, right? It is; if you're a guy.
Now, it's true that there are a lot of men who do track days, and also that there aren't usually as many women (though Compact Octane is definitely working to change this). But the gear at the Alpinestars' both is mainly men's gear, so it's important to know if you're a woman and you think you might want to borrow some gear.
I borrowed some gloves (I'd brought gloves that I realized too late were not quite the right choice; more on that in a separate piece) that fit OK. But that's a far cry from trying to borrow a jacket, pants, a one-piece suit, or even boots and expecting them to fit. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I'm very short, I most definitely have hips, and my feet are pretty small. There might be some men who also fit that description, but they aren't usually well-represented in terms of random gear.
For the people who can use the Alpinestars' gear, it's a fantastic and very encouraging service, and even cooler that it won't cost you anything extra to borrow! Just be aware that you do have to let them hold on to your driver's license while you're borrowing it as collateral.
New Rider Orientation and Classroom Sessions Are Included In Your B-Group New Rider Signup
In my opinion, this might be the most exciting thing of all the thoughtful features of Compact Octane's structure. If you sign up for a B-group track day, they have dedicated coaches who are there to help new riders get acclimated to doing track days, both in a general way, as well as offering a tailored approach to your riding.
There's a Rider Meeting first thing in the morning that all riders who will be going out on track must attend to get all the dos and don'ts, as well as important stuff like flag meanings, marshals, track layout, and so on. Experienced riders can peace out to their places in the paddock after that, but new riders can stick around for some really beneficial classroom sessions to introduce, reinforce, and build up their knowledge.
There are multiple sessions held throughout each morning of the weekend, and each is held right after the B group has its 20 minutes of track time. If you head back to the classroom area, that's when you'll have a chance to hear feedback about how the group did, as well as what to look for in the next session.
During the first B group session of the day out on track, the group is broken into smaller clusters, each following a coach for a lead-follow exercise to familiarize yourself with the track. Sessions after that are spent on important skills like keeping your eyes up and looking ahead, seeing braking points, turn-in points, and corner apexes, as well as noting how different track characteristics are going to affect how you want to treat a given segment.
What does heavy banking do? What do double apexes do? How should you respond?
Proper On-track Etiquette Is Also Essential
In B group, because you're a beginner/intermediate rider, inside passing isn't permitted. In fact, at the beginning of the day, no passing is permitted. Later on, respectful outside passing will probably happen, as riders get more comfortable with their bikes, the track, and sharing that track with other riders and bikes.
But if someone's gooning around, the marshals and coaches will have a word with them, and won't let them be a menace to other riders who are still getting the hang of things. If you've ever seen bad behavior allowed to flourish at other track days (naming no names, just commenting generally), then you'll probably appreciate this.
More advanced riders have more leeway to pass, but you'll also notice how well folks ride and respect each other's space in the groups you're not riding in (especially if you're in the beginner group). It's almost balletic, because everyone's out there working to improve their skills and stretch their bikes' legs, but it's also not a race.
Sometimes, people do go off into the kitty litter or go down. And then, marshals jump into action quickly, wave the appropriate flags, and get the riders out on track to safely get around whatever's happened and/or get off track entirely if necessary. That's why it's essential to learn what the flags mean and how they'll be used, so you're always ready to behave appropriately and look out for your fellow riders.
Compact Octane Makes Putting The Pieces Together Encouraging
Everyone's there to have fun, get better, encourage new riders to experience and understand why track days can be awesome, and generally have a chill time. It's hard not to admire, especially if you have the chance to experience it for yourself; the vibe is truly immaculate.
And the attendees I saw at the Streets of Willow weekend I attended were the most encouraging thing of all. So many different types of riders, on so many different bikes! For all that the motorcycle industry likes to talk about wanting to attract newer, younger riders and/or women riders, folks, I have to tell you that Compact Octane's new rider group had so many riders who fit those descriptors.
Some folks (like myself) have been riding on the street for years, but had never done a track day before. Some were there with their friends; others came alone. Others had just started to get into riding in general, but wanted to see what track days were all about. And Compact Octane seemed like the ideal way to do exactly that.
There were more experienced riders there as well, of course; there always are. And some also had bigger bikes. Those are welcome, too, in the appropriate categories. But everyone had plenty of track time.
The 2025 Compact Octane Season Is Over, But 2026 Is Just Around The Corner
If you're track day curious and you're looking for a really encouraging, awesome environment to dip a toe in the waters and try it out, then I highly suggest that you keep an eye on the Compact Octane website for whenever its 2026 calendar dates and tracks are announced. I'd heard about what these folks were trying to do some time ago, and I'm really pleased to say that it seems like they're as awesome an organization as I'd hoped.
Now, if only they existed outside of SoCal...
