MotoTT trackday, friday 4th April

[sinfull]

A few more !! Mmmm wonder if ive doubled up here lol !

[Aero165]

HEEEEY! Those last 3 photos are of me!

Now to learn how to BP wheelie...

Thanks sinfull!

[enigma51]

Cheers everyone it was a good day

[discotex]

anyone got some more pics/vids? I'd be keen to see one of my spectacular wheelies down the back straight

I just watched the video I took from the session where I dropped it. Had the wrong card in so only got 5mins. Just waiting to go on the track and the two warm-up laps.

I could have been world famous on youboob.

[R6_kid:Me]

I was more than a bit anxious heading down to this trackday. It's been over a year since i rode my own bike on a track, and I've only ridden a handful of times on bikes with more than 30hp in the time since my last track outing. The bike i was riding (GSXR1000K3) has only just finished being put back together and it owes me a bit of money - no prizes for binning it!

I flogged off work early on Thursday arvo and got my bike loaded, picked up my ever helpful girlfriend Lisa and then went around to get Chrislost and his bike. We managed to leave Auckland 'on time' but rush hour traffic meant it was never going to be a quick trip. Thankfully the trip down was uneventful with only one real tosser (other than myself) out on the road.

We rocked up at Aaron and Jasmines (aero165 and Meeky Mouse) place around 10.30/11 and put the bikes in the garage before proceeding to talk shit for a while before getting some much needed rest for the next day.

I had no leathers, but thankfully Quasi came to the party and loaned me his own two piece set, aswell as gloves and a back protector... thanks very much to that man! (this gear was great, and had a feeling of being high quality and also had awesome armour etc - was hi racer 9 suit)... unfortunately I've eaten more pies than quasi in the last year or two, so they were a little snug.

Sign in/scrutineering went through nice and easy as is the norm at MotoTT trackdays - now it was time to ride!

First session had me feeling like a n00b, really uneasy on the bike, hesitant on the gas, and more than a little cautious on the brakes. As the conti raceAttacks got up to heat things became a lot easier and my confidence grew - then the checkered flag was waved.

Checked my tire pressures, and they were both about 4psi below what i wanted them to be (this should have been checked before hand!). Also took the chance to put the camera on the back of the bike to do a bit of movie making in the next two sessions.

Second session was much better, a lot smoother, and more consistent but still a couple of moments from not thinking (thinking too much?) about what i was doing. The bike still felt a bit wierd, wasnt sure if it was the bike or just me not being used to the 1000cc.. after the session i got Shaun to do some measurements and found the rear preload was WAAAAY too soft - cranked it to max for session three.

My third outing was my best effort for the day. Was feeling really good, the bike was handling far better than the last session and I felt a lot more in control coming in to corners and getting on the gas earlier on the way out. Even managed a half decent wheelie for the checkered flag too!

Next time out i had Lisa on the back for the first time, which was also pretty much her first time on anything over 250cc, and her first time out on a track. The grin on her face at the end of 5 laps said it all

Session four i moved up into group 2 and had Raj/YamahaR64life following me for most of the time, i was sitting on a comfortable pace just working on getting my lines right. He pulled a nice wheelie down the back straight and did a few laps up in front before the session ended. Again I was really pleased with myself, and pretty stoked at how the session had gone.

After getting some more gas, it was time for Lisa to jump on the back again. This time i upped the pace a bit over each of the first few laps, in her own words it went from being 'a bit scary' to 'feeling really cool' to 'why are these people going so slow, why don't they get out of the way?'. It was in the slow group, but it always feels good being the burglar - especially with a pillion.

The last session I went out in I was way too tired and just wasn't concentrating at all. I couldn't get anything right and the only part i was enjoying was the was the turn 2 - turn 3 section but was just holding people up every where else. I read the writing on the wall and threw in the towel, time to get packed up.

Overall a hugely successful day. Was awesome to be back out there doing it, and I've come home knowing what i want to work on next time i hit the track!

Huge thanks go out to (in no particular order):
Quasi for hooking me up with some leathers so i could get out on the track. The Stranger for all his help getting the bike ready.
Jas/Aaron + parents for putting us up for the night and providing breakfast in the morning, and for generally being entertaining!
The MotoTT crew for putting on a superb day (as per usual).
Shaun Harris for helping me setup my suspension - and allowing me to bang my own knuckles while setting the preload on the shock! (smart man!)
All the good c00nts out on the track for making it a bit more interesting.
"The Crew" (boomer, gixser, mr fruit, mr random etc etc) for talking shit and being good c00nts.
And last but not least, Lisa - for remembering everything I forgot, stopping me from stressing out, buying me food + drink all the time, helping out all the time, and just generally being an awesome girlfriend!

That is all.

[discotex]

The damage isn't worth an insurance claim, which the man from Star who I'd been talking to in pit lane immediately before that session will be quite pleased about, I'm sure.

Bound to be Have to get some quotes for mine but can't see it being worth a claim either.

Also, my Quasi jacket and pants did a sterling job during the surprisingly-violent sky, ground, sky, ground sequence along the track before I came to rest on the grass. No injuries apart from a bit of a bruise on my left leg where I landed. I was quite comfortable throughout.

Ditto for my Rev'it gear. Bloody glad I had Quasi's back protector on! (Will ride it down to the Tron for ya mate.. Didn't see you were packing up).

Binning left me feeling a bit tentative, and I didn't really come back on cam until the last session of the day, unfortunately. Dumpty has some tank cam footage of my first lap after I went back out, it'll be interesting to see if my riding looks as tiptoey as it felt.

I only got one more session out in group 4 but I really lost the confidence in the front end. Didn't help that the brake lever from the 1000 was like having the quick adjust on max. Was glad I got back out though. Made riding home WAY easier.

[westie]

Awesome day motott. No major events and did the ambulance even get to see any action at all?

Really well run track day.

Well my bucket of shit ($500 fury) has finally died after several track days and a race meeting of losing power. So now is off to the to get some new bits in the twirly loud thing.

[sinfull]

Couple more shots

[Cr1MiNaL]

cant wait for the official photos to come out. when does this happen anyway?

[Aero165]

Woo! Go Chris!

(Silver VFR in the first photo)

[enigma51]

Wait thats me in one of those photos YEAH BABY

[boomer]

Wait thats me in one of those photos YEAH BABY

yeah its a good 'en as well....!!! nice work!!! come on.. post Natalies up!!!

[moT]

I rode so hard out yesterday that i crossed over into the Drift Dimention where its impossible to ride staright

[R6_kid:Me]

I rode so hard out yesterday that i crossed over into the Drift Dimention where its impossible to ride staright

Really. I heard Chris passed you up the inside of the hairpin doing a wheelie on the vtec boost of the 5th stage octagonal super lift cam gear full floating power valve sprocket drive actuator.

[mark247]

Really. I heard Chris passed you up the inside of the hairpin doing a wheelie on the vtec boost of the 5th stage octagonal super lift cam gear full floating power valve sprocket drive actuator.

This is all absolutely and utterly correct.