Last Puke Open Day of 2004

[Two Smoker]

Yep Hoon, definately need to get a new top fairing.... top effort to you for getting your bike back on the track.... It will be wicked to eventually be able to follow you guys.... Ive been processing what happened yesterday, and working out where i need to improve.... all i can say is, ive got alot of improving to do......

So when shall wee organise a Taupo Track Day????

[That Guy]

A good day. Chris thanks very much for the CD (thanks Cajun....where were you?) for the K4....most excellent.

Was a lotta bikes out there so getting in one clean lap wasn't really possible...but at least my RGV is sorted now, that has been a huge marathon getting it going. Was having fun following Bruno until he siezed, and then following Hoon until he crashed!

There was a bit of agro out there though; with so many bikes from 150s to 1000cc race bikes there was a huge difference in speeds and some riders lost their cool waiting to get past...I was waiting to get round a ZX6 dude (took about 3 corners), got by, only to have someone on a CBR thou riding past shaking his fist at me who was behind me! No patience some people. Wasn't a kiwibiker though.

Only other thing of concern was I stopped for the guy on the CBR250 who crashed - he was in a bad way and passed out on me twice (smashed wrist too). I was trying to help him right in a dangerous place. We were right on the edge of the track and some people where flying by at full nana only half a metre from us. One guy on a CBR even went by with his wheels skipping on the ripple strip with the throttle nailed. For all I knew at the time this guy could have been dying and having to worry about moving someone with possibly a broken neck etc because SOME riders wouldn't give us a safe berth was pretty dissapointing. I don't know who the culprits were (well I know the bikes) and once again not any kiwbikers I knew but if it was you -come on dudes - calm it down a bit! There are no marhsalls at those days so we need to take a bit of extra care....

[That Guy]

Oh yeah - big thanks to George for helping me with getting me RGVee fixed too!

[curious george]

Like Guy said, a bit more room for the guys on the side of the track would have been nice.
(Does anybody remember his name? Richard Orr or something...)
The guy had a serious head injury, which may have turned bad, and having a track full of riders not slow down AFTER MORE THAN 4 LAPS KINDA PISSED ME OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WTF!!!
Come on guys, yes people fall off at the most inconvient times and places, but after a few laps with not a lot of movement, you should be able to guess something is badly wrong.
SLOW THE FUCK DOWN!!!!
It's just the kind of distraction that could have caused another crash, with 5 people involved, instead of just the one.
/rant.

Besides that, and those who binned it, (sorry), I think most people had a pretty good day. Shame it'll be a while untill the next one.
Taupo anyone?
Good to put some faces to the names from here too.

[Quasievil]

Yeah good points above, I actually didnt stop I saw a few guys there already so thought best to keep going expecting a flag to go up and a ambo to come onto the track, it didnt. It was my first time on a track day and will say I agree and am a bit disappointed with the organiserts in this regard.

While Im at it, I think it was more about getting the dollars in for the organisers as opposed to giving a valued day out for those who pay, the track seemed to get busier and busier as the day wore on. Personally I think it should be toned down as to how many bikes are out there at once and or grouped to different capacities. Ie Up to 600cc and 600cc up ??
I was just chatting to Jared Love at Repco, he to was dissappointed with the lack of time on the track and the lack of track space to work and tune his Factory Honda. He says there arent many track opportunities to get out there and prepare the bike for the racing season, the point being it would be good if they speed grouped the day so guys like him can have a open track without dodging 1924 enfeilds etc.

after all that it was a good day I had a bloody good time out there

[Rick]

I agree totally. Some flag marshalls would've been very useful on the corners and with the amount of $$ the organisers collected they could've paid people to do it.

Thou apart from that it was the most fun I have had on a road bike....I couldn't believe how fast the 1000s were passing me on the back straight. Up until then I thought my bike was fast.

[Posh Tourer :P]

I'll upload them and/or make some 8x10's for the stars.

Now that would be cool!!

[k14]

Sounds like most people had oodles of fun. Good to hear everyone on here was alright, hope the guy that crashed the CBR is alright.

Think you guys should move down here. At ruapuna the track is open to anyone on tuesdays and fridays. I went out there a few fridays ago and paid my $50 for the morning session (9-1) and had the whole track to myself for 2 hours. Then some guy in his work suv (ford escape i think) showed up and we just had turns (about 5 to 7 laps each) then swapped. It was pretty cool, nothing to worry about apart from me and the oil on turn 4.

[That Guy]

I think I'd rather pay $85 and get some marshalls than go through yesterday again. We probably didn't need more people to stop, we just needed an ambulance and a bit more of a safety margin from (some of) the other bikes (as some of them weren't able to apply self control and give us a wide berth). I was waving like a mad bugger at the crowd watching to try and get some attention to get St John over but I just got a lot of dumb stares back at me. In the end (after 4 laps or so) Darryboy went off to get some help as none was coming. He shouldn't of had to really.

In the end the guy did not have life threatening injuries but if had, it would be a different story today I think.....4 laps before anyone arrived? Why....law suits etc yuk..

I reckon there was at least 100 vehicles there yesterday - $8000. Pay 5 marshalls $200 each for the day and keep $7000 is still ok for them I would've thought.

[That Guy]

Sounds like most people had oodles of fun. Good to hear everyone on here was alright, hope the guy that crashed the CBR is alright.

Think you guys should move down here. At ruapuna the track is open to anyone on tuesdays and fridays. I went out there a few fridays ago and paid my $50 for the morning session (9-1) and had the whole track to myself for 2 hours. Then some guy in his work suv (ford escape i think) showed up and we just had turns (about 5 to 7 laps each) then swapped. It was pretty cool, nothing to worry about apart from me and the oil on turn 4.

Definately. You guys have a proper track, decent prices, nice city.....oh bum dorkland!

[k14]

Definately. You guys have a proper track, decent prices, nice city.....oh bum dorkland!

Yeah I know, it was a perfect day aswell, high teens and just a little cloudy, the track was mint as. Have arranged my lectures for next year so that I have fridays free for some "test" sessions can't wait, although it could start to get expensive after a while.

[manuboy]

Yeah I know, it was a perfect day aswell, high teens and just a little cloudy, the track was mint as. Have arranged my lectures for next year so that I have fridays free for some "test" sessions can't wait, although it could start to get expensive after a while.

Riding round ruapuna by yaself for a couple of hours on okay weather? that ain't fun. Im not keen....... ahem....fridays you say? Apart from the no insurance factor tho...what happens if you can it bigtime? Anybody there to pick you up???

[Shade]

First up -

Just wanna say a big thanks to KK - Was awesome of him to let me have a go on his race bike while my Dad used my road bike. Since my parents are moving over seas to America in Feb, was my first and probably last time to ride along side my Dad. Cheers dude, those memories will be around for a long time. - Not to mention going to all the trouble of packing his van full of tools / bike / gas / etc etc just to get the thing there, as well as picking up Ck's and TS's bikes on the way. Legend mate!! While I'm at it, the countless times you have fixed my bike when its stuffed, picked me up from out in the wops when i had a puncture, etc. So thanks man!!

Also, was awesome catching up with Hoon as always - Always a good chat and a good laugh to be had. Definatley one of the good guys and a real quiet achiever too. Legend dude.

Good to catch up with CK, Sudeep, TS etc. Cheers guys, good seeing you again eh!

A compliment has to be paid to all of KB in the pits (most of all i didnt catch your name, but had a chat to all of you) - Dad reckons your all a bunch wicked dudes, very friendly aye, so thats a bonus!

Thanks alot guys, was wicked fun, will be sure to do it again!

[k14]

Riding round ruapuna by yaself for a couple of hours on okay weather? that ain't fun. Im not keen....... ahem....fridays you say? Apart from the no insurance factor tho...what happens if you can it bigtime? Anybody there to pick you up???

It's mandatory to have a "spotter" so when you crash they have to clean all your body parts off the track. You have to leave the track in the "same" way it was when you arrived. If you pic the right day it is definately worth it. Not sure how much it is for a full day. Kickaha was out there with some guys and their sidecar, they showed up late so I had the track to myself till they arrived.

[Drunken Monkey]

.... I was waving like a mad bugger at the crowd watching to try and get some attention to get St John over but I just got a lot of dumb stares back at me. In the end (after 4 laps or so) Darryboy went off to get some help as none was coming. He shouldn't of had to really...

I didn't realise that was you! - I was the one who stopped first and helped you get his bike out of the way. When you were waving and no-one was respnding, I got back on my bike and went round to the pits to tell Gary what was happening.
On foot you also realise how dangerous it is on that corner - people were zooming past at well over 100 only a few feet away. I would have felt more comfortable if there was a Marshal waving a big yellow flag for people going into Castrol.