Kyle's Round 5! Found some speed!
Kyle Hammond
#13 Moto Academy
Criused on up with Glen aka Sketchy (Chur) on the thursday night. Talked some shit in the garage and had a early one.
Woke up too some sweet weather for the test day. Got too the track unloaded with everyone, and went out for the first session. Had a nice clear head.
Criused around playing with different things and generally building my confidence, as i had still barely ridden it since i high sided it.
Steve set up a good little training exercise with Luke and I. Setting up the bikes for 3 laps off Fully hard dampering and fully soft and a De brief afterwards. It was really interesting to feel the differences with the two. Soft trying to chuck me wide everywhere but good rear grip and hard well it just felt like a brick.
Was interesting to see afterwards that Luke prefered it harder and I prefered it a bit soft.
Steve suggested that this was possibly due to the fact that Luke rides mainly tarmac based bikes and I do alot of dirt bike riding.
Steve then set up us up for another 3 laps with Luke's bike being a bit harder and mine softer.
I found my comfort zone with a softer setting and started building confidence. Noticed it was lifting the front out of a couple turns (shouldn't be happening its a 125 man!) so came in and set it slightly harder at the back and also changed the gearing one tooth up. What ended up being pretty much perfect as i was hitting near the top rev range just before coming into the sweeper.
Had a session or two more, going around at a moderate speed somewhere around the 1:20's.
Had heaps of confidence! However unfortantely the bike's overflow can filled up quite quickly in the last session.
Came in the asap, Looked to be a cracked head but it seemed ok.
Cylinder was inspected and Steve found a suspect, so the cylinder was replaced.
Awesome day overall and built heaps of confidence.
Saturday Qualifing
Went out there happy about things and with a clear head but some new found knowledge and understanding about the bike. And a good right hand as it was fairly damp.
Criused around a couple laps and on the thrid the overflow can once again bursted it bubble and spulted coolant in my visor.
Wasn't at all happy and thought i wouldn't of qualified any good.
Steve inspected the cylinder head once again and discovered a rather large crack undetectable yesterday due to the funky angle you had to look at it at.
Replaced it with a stock head. Tested it, Fixed!
Managed to qualify 3rd on the grid. 1:26.
What was good because i knew i wasn't too flash at starts, so at least they had to move 10m before overtaking me. Therefore putting me not so behind.
Race One
Got a shocker off a start. Really gotta work on these, i think im possibly over revving it. Hold it at 10K next time and full throttle it when i begin to slip the clutch is my plan!.
Dived down the inside off a couple bikes ending up somewhere behind Luke. Chucked it down the inside coming into the hairpin, got the drive out and pissed off after kirk. Got kirk around the outside of the sweeper. Outbraked myself into turn one, went wide. Kirk went on the inside. Made it up coming into the hairpin. Slipped streamed him to higgins, he outbraked me. Got the drive out of there though and was right on his rear end coming into the sweeper. Went around the outside off him again. Went wide again at turn 1. Followed him again, chucked it down the inside into higgins. Held it, realised my mistake's coming into turn 1, braked earlier for turn one the following lap and never saw him again.
Catchin Alistar near the end, less than a corner ahead of me by the final lap, but couldn't get there.
Stoked that i got under 20's with a best off 1:19.5XX and the awesome battle at the start off the race. New PB.
Race 2.0
Had a shocking start but chucked it down the inside off alot of people into too turn one, picked alistar off quickly this time and was sitting in fourth, looking at a possible 3rd, as i was much quicker than Jayden in place's. Red flag. Bugger avalon went down(Heal up girl!). Petrol was hitting my face as the overflow hose came undone.
Got steve to clean my visor in between the restart.
Restart Race 2.
Cocked up the start again (notice something?). Got held up by luke for a lap, but was happy to see him doing a bit better. Got past by Alistar and Kirk around the outside and inside at the same time when following luke through turn one.
Past luke going into splash and went hunting.
Got rid off alistar rather quickly and had a awesome battle with Kirk, that man is seriously crazy on the brakes. Got him around the outside off the sweeper on the 2nd to last lap. Block them both off by lapping Jono around the outside off splash, touching him in the process. But well worth it as i managed to gain a good lead between alistar and kirk. Last lap, just tried to make it stick. Sitting in 3rd postion. Coming up too the sweeper, sore two motards and decided too go around the outside, got held up a bit and kirk chucked it down the inside off me beating me by 0.075.
Hit the high 1:18's twice that race. Awesome.
Final Race
Being only 6 laps, i needed to get a good start too have a chance at a podium and too beat kirk for the weekend. 1-1 at the time.
Got a shocking start, kirk buggered off. I managed to catch up too alistar, followed him around for two laps. Almost bugggering my chance's in turn one on the last lap.
Looked up the inside off him into higgins. Backed off as i knew he was definetely slower through the sweeper. Got an ok drive out of higgins right on his arse down the back straight, chucked it around the outside off him going through the sweeper. Beat him by 0.073. Best time 1:18:700 and more importantly two 18's in the race.
Awesome racing all weekend, thanks to kirk for the good couple of battles we had. Bloody crazy on the brakes that man, yet still get's good drive.
Things too Improve on.
Turn 3 braking and Entry.
Turn 1 All off it.
Sweeper, tighten up on the apex and miss the rough stuff.
Braking into all the corners, without losing the mid corner speed and drive.
Huge thanks to
Moto Academy - Steve Bagshaw and Mike for all their help and mentoring. I'll get my starts right soon enough. (awesome work!)
Alpinestars
Arai
Fuchs Silkolene Lubricants (Check out the stand in the Moto Academy pits next round. There are some really cool products not just oil too!)
SBS Brake pads (They stop good!)
RK Racing Chains
NGK Spark Plugs
Tyrewarmers.co.nz
AFAM Sprockets
GJH Fibreglass
Evolution Panel and Paint
The Marshalls for all their awesome work out there!
and of course!
The Boys, Glen, Paddy and Luke
-Kyle.
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Originally Posted by wharfy
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