Ok get a brew, I havent written one of these in a very long time but its going to be long! Friday lunch time and I pop up to Bongos to borrow his warmers, as always a yarn and a look at the bike thats leading the hottrax 600 endurance series, and I leave armed with some additional tools that should help me get the wheels off the R6 Friday night. Friday night arrives I sign out at work just after half 5 with the plan to get home and prep the bike by removing all road going sticky out bits, remove the light fuses and disconnect the brake light so I dont piss off everyone behind me. As I walk out the door the words fancy a pint pop up fast forward past mates back garden, log burner, pizza, ale and chat and we arrive at 8 am sat morning. I set about doing all of the above and removing the wheels to get the road rubber off and the newly sourced track rubber (cheers Simon Gardner for last minute assistance and sending me a set of 15 lap old mich power ones) I figure out that the R6 does not have the same set up as the ZX6RR and enjoy the learning curve, wheels off and bike floating on paddock stands I nip around the corner to get the rubber changed, pop back at 2pm so off I go back home to remove the mirrors etc. Pick up the tyres and at the same time collect the van, camp beds, jenny, caravan hook up leads and off I go to fit the wheels and load the bike. 1830 and I shoot around to my non riding mates house who loves a good track day to relax and have a wife/childfree day. Pick him up and we are off, exactly 2 hours later and an Eminem album later and we pull into the paddock. I spot AndWs camper and decide thats a good spot to park, gary has the TDR flags flying, quick hello to yoda outside yoda towers which looks well trick as we proceed to head straight to the bar. Spot the crew in the corner and Gary in leather entail thought is he must have had an off and ran to the bar to drown his sorrows, anyhow beer first pints ordered we move over and I meet loads of new faces, old faces and forgotten ones. Fantastic to put cyber names to people, a great bunch I am filled in on Garys van, we suggest every option that they must have all done over the hours that had passed prior to us arriving and then proceed to have a couple of pints and relax. 11pm and we head to the van to unload the bike and get the beds set up, that done I relax and have a beer or two and decide its time for sleep. Fast forward a dodgy night of paddock snores, my 25 year old mate with the bladder of a 60 year old and I am up heading for the shower at 7:30. 0830 and I am at 100% with the bike getting a base setting, Colin knows these 6s well and immediately explains a problem that cant be dialled out of the front forks, he explains that a re valve is the only way to get rid of it, I explain I wont even notice as I am no racer, he said we will see . So a base setting dialled in and off I go. Sign on and briefing, the briefing was interesting as we all looked in toward the glass windows of Anglesey cafe with the F1 blasting out the telly, a weak voiced organiser tried to battle with that and idle chit chat, the room broke out into laughter as a 5 year old wondered around the grass outside the window in full leathers and lid acting like ET. Briefing over I pop to have a chat with the tog and book in with him, place a number on my bike and pay for a CD of images that will arrive in the days to come and I will whore those as soon as they do. So back out to jump into leathers, thanks Nicole for the coffee but I was later told jay had bacon butties, well jealous J. So the bike was on warmers and I knew the tog was sitting out the first session so I promised myself and jay I would ease back into this. I fire the bike up and head to the pit lane immediately the bike feels different I am not even in pit lane and its transformed. We ride out onto track and I tip in and no fight at all, in it goes around the corner I go and launch through the gear box thanks to the HM QS down the back straight and continue to pooter around the whole session. My knew sliders are not anymore and after 20 minutes I have re found my mojo and I love this bike I roll in straight to Colin for a warm oil setting/tweak and he asks for some feedback, I actually built up some points and feel all racer like as I explain what I mean and he confirms thats exactly what he hoped I would say, off I go happy with a few click adjustments front and back. Session two and Jay points out my body position is upright I go out but try to just feel my way around again before starting to play with shifting weight and changing my body position, another good session and the bike feels awesome its like its mine if that makes sense... Session 3 and I am 2 laps in I am coming through peel and down shift and bang the gear lever disappears I sit up immediately and I am on the grass I hold of the urge to pull a brake and get the bike under control I continue to roll down the hill past the marshal station on the right looking down at my lever that is hanging like a broken limb, immediately I think I have snapped my shift rod and I am filled with anger and frustration, the corkscrew is before me still clutch in freewheeling in Neutral, I am being shouted at to stand the bike against the tyres, no chance I think not with a paddock full of TDR members, I pull into pit lane jump off and push the bike back to camp. A quick look over it and the shift rod has come unscrewed from the HM QS, puzzled I lock tite the thread (thanks whomever that was that leant me that) and tighten it all back up, so and extra long lunch whilst I let that dry but at least it looks like I can get back out. Some food and a chat with Colin etc and I am ready for the 4th session, the one after lunch, I enjoy it I am improving the body position and feeling good the old braking markers are being achieved and the bikes feeling better than ever. I come in and relax, un eventful but progress non the less I am still buzzing. The 5th session is upon us in record time and off I go I say to myself its time to push a little harder and really work on hanging off the bike, I have all the corners boxed off except church (kept backing off or checking the brake) and the left before the corkscrew so I set out to get them right. Before I know whats happening I am behind ChrisR I see his camera and think that I will tag him and get some footage, a red flag comes out and we head into the pitts, I run over and explain that was great trying to follow him and he was doing a good job of keeping me behind him, he said he didnt know I was there but I reckon he did lol, so we are back out after a 2 minute wait for someone to be cleared up off track and now he knows I am there. I am pushing trying to stick with him I have two bikes between us and church is approaching I am in 4th after getting good drive out of the banking and I am shouting at myself to turn in later and stay on the gas I do and I go round the outside of both guys have the bike upright and am in 6th I clip the apex of the fast right kink and let the bike run over the green rumble strip on the way to rocket, chris is as good as me here and we are both late on the brakes, I let off earlier and carry good speed but he gets ahead he runs wide over the dirt but keeps it pined I get stones all over me but he gets back on track and over for the right in front of me, we chase each other down to the left before the cork screw I get that right and carry great speed I clip the cone at the top of the corkscrew but wait this is faster than normal shiiiiit, I tip in fast and hang off the bike as Chris gets good drive out and lean like mad to keep it in and my elbow touches, I flip it over and I am a bike length away from him as we go over the start finish straight, we hammer it and I get the same line at rocket I brake even later and get the inside line he trys but he cant and I am through and heading off I know he is there but lead around to the chequered flag and into the pitts, a great session and we are both grinning and buzzing. Jay asks what was different in that session and I explain I was after Chris, he said I transformed and was tucked in, hanging off and for a fat bloke looking good, cheers mate! 6th and last session and it appears half the paddock is sitting it out, I missed one with the shift rod issue so set out on my own to do it Rawly is lined up a few bikes back, I decide that I will chase whom ever is in front and I will aim to treat them all like Chris, well I am a lap in and I have passed everyone that was in front of me and I am only passed by a couple of ZX10s down the back straight, I manage to re pass a 10 through rocket and dont see him again, I can see a group ahead about 3 turns away I continue to go smooth and get set for each corner hang off and I catch the group after a lap I pass the tail ender of this group (ZX10) around the outside through the left after the start finish straight just for jay who kept saying how awesome some guys are that do that . The rest of the them I pass through church now I dont brake and I fire down the back straight and the thous I passed dont even come past to my surprise I see the brake lights of a road R1 ahead and chase him all the way around to rocket where I keep with him down the back straight and do him into rocket as well I do another lap on my own and then as I exit rocket the fuel light come on so I head in on that lap, job done. Jay runs over shouting that was awesome I feel great and really like I want another day here right now as I can just keep going quicker. Pack up stop at the golden arches half way home after a van race with steelie and arrive home at 7pm. Awesome weekend, great to meet everyone and here is to the next one!!
lol... it was a great battle... I have a slightly different point of view though ... hehe (I'm in work, so can't stay on here long - will write more later) I was clean and fast all through the session (session 5) - I was trying lots of different lines -going in late and trying to get the power down early - under taking on corner exit etc.. I was fecking loving it! When the red flag was called I pulled into the pits and Richie came over with a big smile on his face.. (I really didn't know you were there - we were passing everyone, so I figured I was alone) When the accident had been cleared and we left the pits, I knew Richie was behind me and the pressure was well and truely on me... I gave it my all and then some.. I came into rocket way too hot and banked the bike over to make an attempt at getting around the corner, but my speed made me run wide and I went through the dirt - quick shoulder check and I had space to get back on - coming around the corner, I was conscious that I may have shit on my tyres after running though the crap - I didn't get the power down as quick as usual and Richie came around the outside... for the next two laps, he held me off - I ran up on him a few times and was hugging his back wheel (front video will follow), but was too gentlemanly to attempt an iffy pass... Came back in after the session laughing in my helmet - the best session of the day! Can't wait to get out again now!
LOL its funny how ya remeber it but i agree you didnt know i was tehre until teh red flag i can tell that after all yr riding changed when you knew i was about lolo, now get those vids up do you have my elbow touching just as we come in at the end of that session i literally touched it down and then threw the bike down pt lane lol
First part (pre red flag) is on facebook now.. for some reason the second part isnt working lol Will put the rest on later today / tonight!
cool, i remember being closer for longer than that camera shows i really get hung up with those two riders, defo dropping one on the fron and adding some teeth on the back your drive out the corners is far better than mine on standard gearing
I'm not doubting that I get more drive - but if you watch my lines, you'll see I take a much wider entrance into most of the corners, meaning I can get out of the turn quicker and start to get on the gas... I know for a fact I couldn't catch you on the straight! The front video from part 2 is now on facebook - some close riding going on.. lol
yep spotted that and mentioned it on FB i was hugging everything and really turning in early which is a twat lol, would have been great for you to come out in the last session no one passed me and i caught bunch after bunch by simply tipping in later and breaking later hit 1.19's off the phone at pitside in last session
