Just Some Write Up

[justsomeguy]

Woohoo my first track day!!!! Here’s how it went.

WARNING LONG BORING SERIES OF POINTLESS RANTS

Well I got My Buell over in Bugjuice’s van, where I was kindly put up for the night too. Big thanks mate!! Without you I would never have been able to have this day. Three cheers for Bugjuice Hip Hip ______ !!

Got up bright and early Bugjuice, his belle and I set off, just missed the cage convoy at the Papakura Auto Bahn by a few minutes. Since we were out of NOS we couldn’t speed. So managed a steady 100 –120 until we reached the place. No dramas or oh feck moments.

Got there to see that all you early birds were already lined up for scrutinizing. So BJ and me quickly found a park and got our bikes out and headed over to get given the OK by Frosty and Doug. Seemed like a few of us had forgotten our coffees, as Frosty had to shout a lot (meaning more than he normal shouts) to keep the line moving.

Finally it was my turn and I failed immediately as my broken front tyre guard had a few jagged edges and I hadn’t signed the yesyoumaykillmeindemnity form, no arguments here, it was my fault. Swanmann kindly duct taped all the sharp edges, thanks Swanny and I managed to fill in the form. Next time round I passed in 2 mins, I was also the last sheep to be checked.

Then Frosty announced that riders briefing was going to be held in the next 5 mins. Everyone promptly assembled in 10-15 mins next to an understandably impatient still shouting Frosty. The riders briefing was professional and to the point with Frosty explaining why men have nipples and him flashing us ~~~>>

[justsomeguy]

OK time for the slow laps. These all went rather well. 4 laps I believe they were. The track was still a bit damp and there was a little debris scattered around. Now it was time for the slow guys to go around….. Funnily I found my self starting beside an R1, he usually reached the end of the straight by the time I reached the start of it.

I asked Zapf to time me just to see how I was at first and he said I did a lap of about 1.01, hmm.

Kept pestering MotoRacer, Frosty, Doug, Zapf, Sulav, Two Smoker and AJ Turbo for information on the best lines through corners and got quite a few answers….. thanks for all your advice guys, it helped heaps!!!

The next session was a lot better. Still was going wiiiiiiide in the hairpin and kept mucking up the sweeper. Also had a bit of a moment when some guy in a VFR was right next to me at the end of the straight and we both braked pretty much reaching the same spot. I didn’t blip the throttle changing down and the back wheel locked up and did a little wiggle. Big thanks to Frosty and MotoRacer for personally guiding me through the lines. Spoke to the guys a bit more and got more info on how to take those lines. Heard some guy on a silver Voxan had come off. Sorry mate, hope it’s all good. Saw you riding in the pits later so I guess nothings broken.

[justsomeguy]

Lunch time….. forgot the bloody Subway order but I brought some lunch anyway… so I was ok.This was the time they changed the rules to allow overtaking pretty much every where, cept the hairclip. Bloody good decision Frosty!!! :

Then it was wheelie time...... bloody good show. With the crown going to surprise, suprise, Death, and newbie award going to Bugjuice, must be something to do with the colour of their bikes...check out the pic in FEINT'S thread

Asked BJ to time me this time. Found I was usually in too high a gear leaving the sweeper but felt I was slowing down too much if I changed down any lower while ‘in’ the sweeper….. more practice needed.

Also I was not able to find a good point to shift up through the right-left-right turns after exiting the hairpin. I was shifting up on exiting the hairpin and redlining it till around half way through the first right corner before I shifted up to take the next left and changed up again passing the flag marshall, until it came time to change down for the sweeper.

Somewhere on this session in the intermediate group the wall/road rose up and hit KawaKid(I think that’s who he was), took a chunk of his tail fairing off, I thought he had been attacked by a shark when I first saw it……

Motoracer then took my bike for a ride in the intermediate group and did 52’s consistently while looking as though he had fallen asleep…… Thanks for all the feedback about my bike and how to ride it and helping with the tyre pressures, etc Sudeep.

[justsomeguy]

In the next session I almost got taken out by Paparazzi in the first right hand corner. I was just starting to straighten up when I saw this white sports bike almost on top of me…… I had to give way so did a little detour on the grass. Managed not to hit anything, reached the pit exit in one piece.


Did a quick over the shoulder check and decided to rejoin the pack….. Forgot I was standing still… gave the throttle a big twist and did a half-clutch up shift. OHH FECKKK big hairy moment as the bike literally bucked like a horse. Anyway by kicking the air really hard and swearing even harder I managed to keep the rubber side down took off wobbling all over the place, managed to get the sweeper perfect and was ecstatic at having survided two off’s in a row, when I saw the red flag……..

Day over. Noooooo

Found out I was now doing 58’s, through BJ.


As I was leaving His Highness, The Most Respectable Frosty Sir walked up to the van and complemented me on my efforts after apologising for failing me first time, when it was clearly my fault, what a top bloke . Thanks Frosty I really ENJOYED myself!!! He said he had noted certain things I was doing wrong and said he could knock two seconds off my times ……. So 58 –2 = 56. Hahaaaa. Frosty I want to target 55……(why not aim high).

See you'll next time

[bugjuice]

no worries mate, glad you enjoyed it and we managed to get both bikes home in the state we left in!

[ajturbo]

Kept pestering MotoRacer, Frosty, Doug, Zapf, Sulav, Two Smoker and AJ Turbo for information on the best lines through corners and got quite a few answers….. thanks for all your advice guys, it helped heaps!!!

.

putting me in with these guys
you are my NEW best friend... sorry Karen....
and you stayied on the track.....

honestly though i think all i said was.....

"over there is the line for the bike check!!!"

[erik]

Neat writeup

I take it the bike no longer leaks?

[Motoracer]

Good to see you give it a go on the track man. It'll help your road riding shit loads as well!

Nice write up too.

[Two Smoker]

Nice write up mate glad i could help, and glad you had a wicked time!!!

[BNZ]

How one person can remember so much detail puzzles me

Main thing I remember is how my braking point at the end of the straight got later and harder everytime, and somehow I managed to ring the fuck out of my bike for 15 minutes steady at a time without one brown trowser moment I had an awesome time, and was thrilled with how the little 250 held up. I have never been in any great rush to buy a bigger bike, and yesterday helped that even more! Thanks Frosty for the whole day, and thankyou to everyone who game me advice, or head swelling comments

[Zed]

Day over. Noooooo



See you'll next time

Sounds like you had quite an exciting day man - good on you!

I reckon a track day is one of the greatest adrenalin rushes out there, and especially if you're riding with some familiar faces!

Thanks for the lengthy write-up, you set the scene well. I should see you at the next one.

[StoneChucker]

Was good to ride with you. Since you mentioned times, I got VTWIN to time me on my last session. My best was 52 seconds, which I'm pretty happy with, all things considering. I know full well that if I get my cornering and lines ability up, that will drop quite a bit

By the end of the day, I had clearly learnt what it means for tires to warm up. It's amazing how the grip changes. Now, I must just trust the tires on the next track day

[FROSTY:Me]

good onya dude. Fantastic write up.