R1 track bike

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Glad you and that Roy Bloke are ok.

Now, that witches hat from your first outing has got to be the biggest bloody witches hat I?ve ever seen!
 
Track day report.


This was to be the final track day of the year for me, plan was so this one and concentrate on getting the bike ready for next season, because of the damage to the clock bracket and fairings I didn’t want to cause further damage.


The usual start to the day, 4am alarm call, 5pm along to work then set off at 6pm. It was a slow drive, stopped a few times to check the straps (paranoid) and got there at roughly 7:40.....what struck me was how busy it was, I was expecting to be the first or a select few but there were loads there, it was a nightmare as the SMRC are racing at Knockhill tomorrow and they had already arrived and were set up in the paddock, so parking was very limited.


Anyway, all the gear set up, warmers on then it’s just a matter of waiting. It was funny during the briefing, the guy was like “anyone done a day on the new track”.....Dougie says “aye of course at least 30 days this year”.....”well it’s was done 10 days ago”..... :shock: I wasn’t expecting that. They resurfaced the bottom of Duffus/Leslie’s along to McIntyres.....


Tbh, it wasn’t that bad but they obviously wanted us to be made aware of this, I never noticed a difference in terms of grip but visually it was a bit disconcerting at first, but after a few laps it was a case of “just crack on”.


Session 1 was just the usual, take it relatively easy for 2-4 laps then push on, everything was going well, I think my best time in session 1 was 59 something. Session 2 was much better, I started firing in 57’s but couldn’t get under my PB of 57.82! Session 3 was my best yet, quite a few 57’s and almost got into the 56’s, 57.02 was my best with a close 57.22 as my second best. I’ll attach the link for the video showing my 2 best laps.


Session 4 was a bit slower with traffic, steady 58-59s laps, lots of fun though, thoroughly enjoyed it. I sat behind a fella for a good few laps purely for the fact that I was struggling to pass, plus I thought it would make for some decent footage, I told him about it so I’ve stuck that up on YouTube as well. Because I’m not overly quick I struggle to get by folk that are maybe a tad slower on the approach to corners, I don’t feel comfortable diving up he inside, with that being said this fella was getting unbelievable drive out of the hairpin, just everywhere else I was getting held up.


Only pic i took......







This is at home, I usually go straight to work and unload everything but today I went home first, couldn’t be arsed plus I got the missus to follow me to work to help me unload everything.







Another cracking day, weather was fantastic albeit very cold in the morning, but the temps soon got up and made for a very good day. It’s been a fantastic season on track with the R1, I’m glad I purchased the bike and since August 3rd I’ve managed 4 track days, 3 on the R1 and one with the S1krr.....I’ll maybe do a few days next year on the Bimmer but from the word go I plan to be on track with the R1, have fun but also try and get better and faster and get to that overall goal of 55s laps, that’s the end goal. Quickly I’d like to get to the 56’s, so damn close, one slightly braking later in one of the turns is all it would have taken, on the gas slightly sooner.........I’LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT!
 
+1, hope you?re alright and that the bike hasn?t sustained too much damage?
 
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I ended up in hospital with suspected issues with my shoulder, 6hr waiting time. “Fook that” so went home. Ruby was with us and at that time at night I wasn’t waiting that long, and that was just to be seen. The plan was to go back in on the Tuesday afternoon but as the morning went on it got better. It’s still sore but we got the bike back up and running and ready for the Endurance race at Knockhill tomorrow, we’re heading through shortly to set up
 
Before it went tits up


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I ended up in hospital with suspected issues with my shoulder, 6hr waiting time. “Fook that” so went home. Ruby was with us and at that time at night I wasn’t waiting that long, and that was just to be seen. The plan was to go back in on the Tuesday afternoon but as the morning went on it got better. It’s still sore but we got the bike back up and running and ready for the Endurance race at Knockhill tomorrow, we’re heading through shortly to set up

Best of luck for the endurance race :) Glad you're okay after the off, high-sides can go so much worse...
 
Reasons to love modern electronics...

Its exactly that I avoided at Donny.

Glad you're not too beaten up

- Alex
 
Reasons to love modern electronics...

Its exactly that I avoided at Donny.

Glad you're not too beaten up

- Alex

I know, only downside to the older R1. Just need to have better throttle control. The exit of the hairpin can be hit or miss, there’s a small bump there, but still 100% my own fault
 
I know, only downside to the older R1. Just need to have better throttle control. The exit of the hairpin can be hit or miss, there’s a small bump there, but still 100% my own fault

Punishment does not fit the crime - didn't sound like you were hard on the gas
 
Well that?s the Endurance race over and done with. To say I?m sitting here exhausted and sore would be an understatement, I?m glad I made the race, I?m glad I didn?t let Pedro down but I?m regretting it. The shoulder is so sore, I?m so stiff, stiff all over.


Anyway, a brief race report. Arrived Saturday and set up, that was a chore as always, doing stuff like that seems to hurt my shoulder the most but a few were helping which made it that little bit easier. Got the bikes through technical inspection then relax, we?ll it should have been but I realised I had left my bag at home with my clothes, base layers and transponder. So Pedro went and got his car and we met the sister in-law in Crieff. After that we could relax.


The schedule on Sunday was 15 minute practise for rider 1, then rider 2, then 15 min qualifying for rider 1 and then rider 2. Combined times for qualifying results then for the Endurance race it would be a Le Mans start and then 100 laps. Minimum 3 pit stops and each rider can?t complete more than 30 laps at a time. Also, each pit stop has to last at least 3 minutes starting from the point where the rider coming in crosses the pit entry line as you come in.


The track was damp but drying, Pedro went out and put in a 57s something lap, I went out and managed a 59 something, tbh I was struggling, the off on Monday was playing on my mind especially at the hairpin. To be fair, I wasn?t too bad everywhere else but at the hairpin I was noticeably slower and my exit speed was so slow, very slow getting on the power.


Then the rain came, wets on! When Pedro went out it was starting to dry and he managed a 60s lap, when he came in he said it was 50/50, I had wets on and wasn?t going to change. I?ve never ridden a big bike on track in the wet, only the CB500, so was a bit worried but knew I?d just be cautious and it would be fine. Lining up to head out there were a mixture of tyre choices, wet front dry rear, dry front and rear and some on full wets like me. On the out lap it pissed down. Full wets were the correct choice.


I was shite though, I could only manage a 1:04.4 and with our combined Q time we qualified 21st out of 26.


For the start of the Endurance race everyone went out on wets, but it was drying, I put the dry wheels on as I knew it would be dry by the time my stint came round. Our plan was to do 25 laps each, it wouldn?t be a full 100 laps anyway as the leaders would be so far ahead, sharing the track with the likes of Rory Skinner, Sam Munro and the likes we knew they?d be ridiculously fast. Disaster from the word go, as Pedro set off for his warm up laps before the Le Mans style start he realised he hadn?t checked his pressures, and the bike felt terrible. So he came in which meant pit lane start, so dead last from the word go.


Away they went and it got red flagged after 6 laps, in he came, I got ready to go out but this wouldn?t be classed as one of the 3 pit stops but that didn?t matter, 94 laps to go and we were going to have 2 warm up laps then a grid start. I?ve never launched the big bike, great! Row 6 far right, bike wouldn?t idle so had to hold the throttle and away we went, I got swamped and was dead last, I didn?t care, after I settled in I got the head down and cracked on, I was starting to feel good but couldn?t get the hairpin like I used to, just taking it far too easy. My braking marker etc was the same but I was just to cautious with my turn in and mid corner and exit. So slow to get on the gas. I did 27 laps then came in, I think we were in 12th position at this point.


Away Pedro went and he fired in roughly 25 laps banging in 56s laps, I was doing 58s laps consistently so it was decent considering, when Pedro came in we were in 6th position.


My plan was to try for 20 ish laps allowing Pedro to finish it off, away I went and was banging in 58?s all day long, it?s as if I was programmed to do so, my lap timer would give me my predictive time which was always decent but then after the hairpin it would go much higher. Not to worry, kept it upright which is the main thing. I managed roughly 20-22 laps then came in and Pedro headed out and finished it.


We finished in 13th out of 26 teams, I think there were 23 teams that finished so not a bad result considering. Pedro has managed a 55.3s during his last stint but consistently banging in 56s.


Overall I?m pleased, glad I did it, would have liked to have went faster but considering what?s happened I think that was asking a bit much.




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