MotoTT, Saturday 20th June, Track 5

[obstacle]

Awesome day! thanks to Discotex for getting me there. I'll be back as often as possible. Really liked the track layout except for the bump in the back straight chicane, was just a bit hard to get used to. The hornet performed flawlessly this time round (didn't start last time) and I have 2mm of chicken strips left on the back (down from about 10-15mm before track day).

Thanks to kiwifruit for the line tips - worked a treat.

I'm hooked!

[erik]

Here's my brief report:

Sessions one and two I had my footpegs set too high and too bar back (bolting the second set of rearset plates on didn't work so good on the track) and my knees were getting too sore. Also in the first session I had a waterproof jacket on to keep warm and a windproof neck warmer, but they proved to be too warm and I was overheating. Anyway, I was getting sore knees, wasn't comfortable on the bike and wasn't very happy with my riding, getting stuck behind people and being passed too much.

For session 3 I removed the second set of rearset plates, so the footpegs were at the standard height but back 50mm and also lost the windproof jacket and switched to a less warm neck warmer. The difference was like night and day, going from not enjoying it much and being unhappy with my riding, to feeling in tune with the bike and happy on the track.

After session 2 I still didn't 'get' the changes to the track, but session 3 on I was enjoying them. Accelerate around T8, brake at the end of the ripple strip and change down 2 gears, hard right then left, trying to stay tight on the exit and change up 1 while accelerating through the right hander, over the bump onto the main track. I felt like I was starting to take that chickane quite well and really enjoying it.

The kink in the back straight was interesting. The bump on the entry of the right hander feels like it'll get you airborne if you take it fast enough (I didn't). The bump on the exit while turning from right to left and accelerating made my front wheel skip and wiggle a few times. I'm not very confident going through there, but it's fun/interesting.

Track 5 gets thumbs up from me , it is a nice change to have available along with tracks 1 and 2.

Here's some video, first is the entire 2nd session of group 2, sped up 4 times. I find it amusing and if you turn the sound off (which I recommend) it kind of seems quite flowing.




Next is some footage starting half way through session 5 (groups 1 and 2 combined) where a cbr (I think?) passed me and I had fun trying to keep up.



Thanks MotoTT!

[discotex]

Pics are up

[lunatic]

As always motoTT crew has got their Man up there, sorting out the weather. No complaints there.

But the track?
Mixed feelings. As much as I liked the T9-T10-T11 addition for providing the oh-so-needed physical workout, it was breaking the flow due to a really slow left hander, and no appropriate gear to approach T9. The guy with the broken pelvis probably shares my opinion - get well, bro!. But with the careful right hand, and enough strength to flick your bike right-left in a very quick succession, it was sort of fun.

However, I am not so impressed about the chicane on the back straight.

As an idea not at all bad - although riding the 1098 I obviously prefer to pass the guys on the "proper" back straight that I otherwise could not have passed through the twisties .

But just as I was afraid, the bumps were really a bit of a problem. Under the braking one was still OK. But the one under acceleration, while coming back out onto the back straight, was a bigger issue. Throttle had to be applied with caution, otherwise the front would go airborne, and could send you towards the cones and the green behind it...

On the positive note, the chicane was safe, wide, with plenty of place to recover if you screw up. Unlike the exit to the back straight on the short track configuration, which is narrow and unsafe, if two riders get a bit overexcited...

Also positive is the grippy patch applied on the right hander, before the front straight. It worked well for me.

At the end of the day, it was quite cool to break out the boredom with the new layout - definitely prefer it to the short track. If it was not for the bumps on the chicane, I would not need to nurture my bruise from hitting the petrol tank 50 times on the same spot, while hanging off the bike - minor nuisance compared to heaps of fun I had!

Oh ,yes: talk to your Man up there, and organise a few degrees higher air temperature next time - the rear was shredding, struggling to reach anything like the temperature it should have, even using tire warmers...

Cheers motoTT! And thanks for the free track day! About bloody time!

[prettybillie]

Yet another awesome MotoTT Track Day. I totally love track 5 - hope we are doing it again

Thanks so much to Kiwifruit for taking me two up - you scared the hell out of me but made me remember the bike will hold on the track.

Big big big thanks to Puddy for towing my bike at the last minute and storing overnight Saturday when I was too lazy to pick it up and convoying down with me at 5am - YOUR ROCK!!!! For that I won't tell anyone what you had for breakfast

Already registered for the 24th!!!!

[Sue VFR]

As always motoTT crew has got their Man up there, sorting out the weather. No complaints there.

But the track?
Mixed feelings. As much as I liked the T9-T10-T11 addition for providing the oh-so-needed physical workout, it was breaking the flow due to a really slow left hander, and no appropriate gear to approach T9. The guy with the broken pelvis probably shares my opinion - get well, bro!. But with the careful right hand, and enough strength to flick your bike right-left in a very quick succession, it was sort of fun.

Cheers motoTT! And thanks for the free track day! About bloody time!

Thanks for your feed back Lunatic. Dave was xrayed and discharged with no broken bones, thankfully. He has sore muscles though.
Glad you won a free track day as I can't recall a day without you being there!

[Cheshire Cat]

Thanks for more peg scraping fun guys!