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Post by mekon on Jul 6, 2023 9:58:06 GMT
Like totally on your own. Not even your wife turning up in the car to laugh at your puny kneedown efforts.
I was going to book a trackday with my mate who said he could borrow a van. First the van borrowing fell through and now the mate going has fallen through due to excuses, blah blah, work etc. This means I'd be off to Cadwell (about 90 miles) on my bike with zero back up if I have an off and fuck either the bike or myself.
Would you go or leave it for another day?
I did think about the raceschool option but those cunts are charging £500 for a day with bike rental!!! (and it's only a fucking wanky r7)
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Post by neilf on Jul 6, 2023 10:07:24 GMT
I've done a trackday on my own plenty of times! If you're worried, get a refund!
I reckon that you'd end up having a lot of fun on the new R7, especially around Cadwell.
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Post by mekon on Jul 6, 2023 10:13:03 GMT
Rode there and bike on the bike you took on track?
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Post by neilf on Jul 6, 2023 11:18:45 GMT
Rode there and bike on the bike you took on track? Yep! |
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Post by Diego the toe clipper on Jul 6, 2023 19:51:32 GMT
I've been doing that for the last two years.
Ruck sack with water, snacks, basic tools and flip flops.
Ride to track, remove rear numberplate holder and indicators, remove mirrors, remove headlight fuse, stick on headlight cover, drop the tyre pressures. Ready to go!
Try not to crash
Repeat in reverse and ride home.
To be honest, the worst thing about it not having a chair to sit on! My wife won't waste a day of her weekend coming to watch me be a twat, and to be honest I can't blame her.
I did sometimes wonder what I'd do if I crashed and couldn't ride it home, but I guess I've been lucky. When I first did track days years ago, I did crash at one and had to ride home, but it was no big deal as everything was functional.
Anyway, I blagged myself the free use of a trailer for this year, so it's all just a distant memory.
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Post by no66 on Jul 20, 2023 8:18:08 GMT
I remember taking my roadracing licence.
Used the compay truck, a 7.5 tonne flatbed. Two guys tured up one their bikes and no support.
Both went down and I gave them and their bikes a lift home :-)
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Post by beefus on Jul 20, 2023 11:34:08 GMT
Me and a mate went to Spain from the UK in 2006 (ferry to Santander, across the Pyrenees and down to Circuit Catalunya). So our 3rd day of the trip was a track-day at Catalunya. We both said "let's take it easy" but as soon as you get going you forget all that!!. Saw a couple of local hoons going off on track prepped R1's, luckily we had no issues. First time I got my knee down on a bike, thought I was really hanging off but I have a pic of it somewhere and I'm hardly hanging off at all.....perception and reality!..
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Post by neilf on Jul 20, 2023 12:57:44 GMT
Next year, there has been talk of Farside Sportsbiking returning to Nogaro for 3 days as part of their 25th anniversary celebrations, because this was the first track that the club visited way back in 1999. One of the options might be a 3 day road trip to the circuit from Caen, 3 days on track, then 3 days riding back to the port! Unless I get another bike for the track (or convert my K5 750 to a track bike and buy another road bike), I am going to be fooking knackered!
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Post by neilf on Jul 20, 2023 13:02:57 GMT
Me and a mate went to Spain from the UK in 2006 (ferry to Santander, across the Pyrenees and down to Circuit Catalunya). So our 3rd day of the trip was a track-day at Catalunya. We both said "let's take it easy" but as soon as you get going you forget all that!!. Saw a couple of local hoons going off on track prepped R1's, luckily we had no issues. First time I got my knee down on a bike, thought I was really hanging off but I have a pic of it somewhere and I'm hardly hanging off at all.....perception and reality!.. I was meant to do Catalunya with Farside in 2003, with a trip very similar to yours; 3 days riding in France, 1 day on track, then 3 days riding back up through France. Unfortunately the circuit double booked us with the Ferrari F1 test team, so guess who got preference? What i think happened was that Ferrari said, "We are coming to test at your circuit, so you can tell those British bikers to fuck off!" |
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Post by mekon on Jul 23, 2023 21:07:42 GMT
Right, got Cadwell booked for tomorrow evening. It better not rain! Only about 15c so not going to be mega grippy.
I was going to use the SV as Cadwell seems a bit more v-twinish to me but I've just noise tested the fucker and it's potentially too loud. GSXR with baffle it is then. I'll test it outside of my garage to see if that makes a difference but looking likely it's GSXR time. Suspension is a bit soft on the SV but I guess if I use it I won't be going mental.
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Post by mekon on Jul 24, 2023 21:34:33 GMT
Well I didn't die. Went better than I expected tbh. Was up to half decent speed quickly and didn't get too mullered and did some mullering myself once I'd got into it.
I was fasted on the first half, 1st corner in particular and quite strong on the brakes which surprised me. Lost most of my time on the slow stuff.
Only problem is my neck is fucked now. A cold ride home and no neck warmer has fucked it. G09ng to be crippled tomorrow.
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Post by mekon on Aug 25, 2023 8:13:58 GMT
Got another one at Cadwell on Tuesday. Full day this time. Also got a bike trailer so I should be a bit fresher and don't have to worry about riding home. Tbh thnking about it you'd have to be pretty fast to go past the limits of your tyres on a trackday so realistically you're in no danger of crashing at all unless you run on in a corner. Aiming to drop 10s from my times.
It's my mate's first trackday and he's bricking it as he's worried it's like a race. He's on a RC390 so I just told him that he'll probably get smoked on the 2 straights and within 2 laps everyone will be past and he can just enjoy the track after that.
I'm not sure if I'm taking the SV or the Gixxer. The SV has got more pickup but outright isn't as fast but also has shit brakes compared to the Gixxer and I was quite strong on the brakes last time. Fuck knows.
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Post by neilf on Aug 25, 2023 9:02:15 GMT
Got another one at Cadwell on Tuesday. Full day this time. Also got a bike trailer so I should be a bit fresher and don't have to worry about riding home. Tbh thnking about it you'd have to be pretty fast to go past the limits of your tyres on a trackday so realistically you're in no danger of crashing at all unless you run on in a corner. Aiming to drop 10s from my times. It's my mate's first trackday and he's bricking it as he's worried it's like a race. He's on a RC390 so I just told him that he'll probably get smoked on the 2 straights and within 2 laps everyone will be past and he can just enjoy the track after that. I'm not sure if I'm taking the SV or the Gixxer. The SV has got more pickup but outright isn't as fast but also has shit brakes compared to the Gixxer and I was quite strong on the brakes last time. Fuck knows. Most errors are due to bricking it, being tense and nervous! If it's open pitlane, stick with your mate and show him the ropes; I've done similar with friends in the past and it acts as a bit of a comfort blanket if you're following them! |
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Post by mekon on Aug 29, 2023 19:45:44 GMT
Well that went ok on the sv. Got a bit pissed off with its lack of straight line speed but I was holding my own against 1000cc bikes and even getting past them eventually. If I had a 750 or 1000 I'd probably move up to inters as nobody would have got past me in novice.
This dude I was hanging with around the lap on 2018 blade asked me if I was on a sv1000, he was quite surprised ans said I was going well for a 650.
Managed to iron out some of my shit zones and even did some wheelies over the mountain.
Sadly my mate didn't ride and so I gave him my PRO camera and lens and the fucker barely took a single picture in focus and about 50% of them were complete shit. I can figure out how he managed to take such shit pics with gear like that. I've give it to a monkey next time.
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Post by neilf on Sept 1, 2023 19:45:44 GMT
This dude I was hanging with around the lap on 2018 blade asked me if I was on a sv1000, he was quite surprised ans said I was going well for a 650. Sounds like my first trackday at RAF Wittering with Max Wilson (Mad Miller Max). I went with a couple of mates, one of which raced in the Supertwins on an SV650 with NGRR. He was keeping up and passing 1000s in the corners. After lunch, a couple of the 1000 riders can up to us and also said to my mate was going well on the SV1000; when he corrected them, they didn't believe him until they saw the engine size which is embossed into the engine casting. They walked away looking very sheepish and didn't say a word! |
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