My Phillip Island track day

[Masterchop]

Well it all started when my wife wanted to go to Melbourne for her birthday,I wasnt that keen to spend a week shopping,so I thought I better sweeten the deal for myself.
Well bugger me what did I find? There was a trackday on at Phillip Island while we were over there. I signed up and then broke the news to her.

She took it very well considering that the Trackday was actually on the same day as her birthday.

When we arrived at Phillip Island a day early the first stop was the track,It was a perfect,clear and calm day, and there was a car race day on.I was getting quite fevered up by now.

Trackday comes,wake up when the alarm goes off at 6.30am,look out the window to see heavy rain,Fuck.
Still no stopping me now,and no refunds for rain anyhow,so Im going.
Got to the track on time at 7.45.
You cant even get through the gate at track security without the right paper work,QUITE different to NZ tracks.

Got through sign in and got my gear and bike allocated.
There it was sitting there on the Pit Lane at the Phillip Island GP Circuit,A near new K7 Gixxer 600 complete with race fairings, It looked the shit, I nearly got barred up, but I saved that for later.

First session,rain has stopped and the sky is clearing,but still freezing cold.Track is wet with some areas starting to dry,take easy for first lap just to see the track,I already new the layout but when you get out there it is very wide and smooth and very disceiving as to your speed.
Second lap turn up the pace, but getting very twitchy through the hayshed and turn twelve,gets better through this session.
Got of the bike and couldnt stop smiling,this track is the most amazing track,beyond comparionson with anything I have ridden on in NZ, I have raced on every track in NZ but nothing comes close(as we all new anyhow)

Session 2 and 3. Track now dry but still cold. I now am pushing the bike quite hard,getting the hang of the track, Turn One is so hard to get right, as you come over the rise on Gardiner Straight your mind says close throttle but infact there is still about 3 hundred meters to go to to the corner, getting better lap by lap. Also entry to Lukey Heights very hard to pick the right entry.
Came in from this session really buzzing,cause speed is good now.Looked over the bike and checked condition of tyres,noted the front tyre badly worn,mensioned it to the wife,then forgot about it,to fizzed up.FIRST BIG MISTAKE.

Session 4. weather the same.Freezing cold.Said to the wife that I would try to get out on track first because I was being held up alot,SHE QUITE RIGHTLY reminded me that it was a track day not a race day.so I went out mid field again.
Felt good and although the switchyness of the bike was gone the front often felt vauge,I put this down to the worn Dunlop Qualifer and the very cold track.Still, here I was on this track where all the Moto Gp and SBK stars hang out,keep going.SECOND BIG MISTAKE.
Fifteen minutes into 20 minute session coming through turn eleven,front feels bad,slide,Fuck,its going,FUCK ITS GONE. SLIDE ON ARSE.
Slid along way,then the usual bounce as you hit the gravel trap.Meanwhile bike is cartwheeling through the gravel,destroying itself as it goes.
Pick myself up unhurt,thats always good.looked at bike,oh shit.

Bike is a mess possibly a write off,quoted out at approx $7500 AUD. Bent subframe,bent rear wheel, maybe frame,entire fairing.Lucky only have to pay excess,$3500 AUD.BUGGER.

The crash aside,it was the most amazing track and totally recommended to everyone, the speeds are very deceiving because it is so smooth,and the whole event is very well run and very proffesional.

Sorry if I got a little carried away with this report and if you are still awake thanks for reading it.

PS.The sky opened just after this,and we had heavey rain the rest of the day,
so I didnt miss much riding.

[cowpoos]

bastard!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kendog]

That sounds awesome (excluding the crash and bill)

[bistard]

Hey Dean,I was really jealous,right up untill the "Biff"
Wow $3500.00 Aussie dollars,that alot of feeking money,just lucky you are rolling in it,right??
All jokes aside,I would love to ride Phillip Island

[kickingzebra]

I are jealous.... What sort of tires they have on the bike? and what is the whole package worth? Hireage of bike, bond, tires, and the track day?

[Masterchop]

Well Bistard I was rolling in it untill I threw away my life savings on an insurance excess at Phillip Island, I laughed about the excess before going over thinking it would never happen.
The guys running the trackday told me about a couple of guys on the same day that totalled 2 bikes each so had to $7000AUD EACH for one days riding.

Kickingzebra the day isnt priced to badly it was about $550.00 for everything
including Bike hire,and gear and track time.
If I was doing it again I would take my own leathers as they have a $500.00 excess on them.
Luckily the leathers they gave me were allready scuffed so I got out of that $500.
Dunlop Qualifers Yuk,and I was warned about those before I went.

[HDTboy]

Fuck me I'm jealous.
Was that with the Superbike school?

Jono, Superbike school you'd want to set aside $2k for the day, you do get some of that back as a bond. I looked into it in January, I think that's what I worked out

[Masterchop]

Fuck me I'm jealous.
Was that with the Superbike school?

Jono, Superbike school you'd want to set aside $2k for the day, you do get some of that back as a bond. I looked into it in January, I think that's what I worked out

Yes it was run by the California Super Bike School but it was a track day I did not the school.
They had some of their tutors there for pointers and advice for first time riders at Phillip Island at no extra cost.

[Clivoris]

Whaark mate. Talk about mixed emotions. It reads like you're still smiling tho. My wife would be stoked if I spent that much money impressing her on her birthday. I might suggest it after a few more wines.
If you mentioned the worn front, did they have anything to say?

[Marknz]

Good on ya mate, and at least you came out of the crash to talk about it. I've done the Island and Eastern Creek with that mob and they ar easily the best ride day company in the world... nothing comes close to how they run the day, and you get to ride on two of the best tracks around. In fact, now you've got me thinking about it again, I might just go look for a session at the island before or after the MotoGP race

[Leong]

Respect for finding a way to sweeten the Melbourne trip, and having your wife spend her birthday at the track instead of shoppping by herself on a day when you had $3.5k of unplanned spending.

AS someone else said, sounds like you still enjoyed the trip, and really at $550 including insurance it is good value!! What would it cost if you were 18?

And whats their thought on tyres.... do they just negotiate the cheapest deal(must go thru a lot) or the get the best deal on one's with the most feedback........ Did all the hire bikes have the same tyres?

[Marknz]

for anyone that might be interested.

http://www.phillipislandridedays.com.au/

http://www.easterncreekridedays.com.au/

http://www.superbikeschool.com.au/

[Masterchop]

Whaark mate. Talk about mixed emotions. It reads like you're still smiling tho. My wife would be stoked if I spent that much money impressing her on her birthday. I might suggest it after a few more wines.
If you mentioned the worn front, did they have anything to say?

That was my mistake,although I noticed the tyre I only told my wife then totally forgot about it, Im sure if I had mentioned it they would of changed it,they had been fitting new tyres to some of the other hire bikes earlier in the day.
After the crash I pointed it out to them and they just said "to late your problem".

[Tim 39]

that sounds like an awesome experience! (not the crash, the riding part) and that's suprisingly cheap for what you get. they must make a lot of insurance claims by the sound of it! why do they use qualifiers instead of proper race tyres do you know?

[Cleve]

I wanna go... I wanna go...I wanna go...