Post Portimao Notes:
Last year I managed a 2:07.6 (
https://s1000rrforum.co.uk/showthre...Nov-10-13-2017&p=103757&viewfull=1#post103757)
I actually smashed in a 2:06 with my first flying lap so I was already up whatever happened.
Overall my goal was 2:05.xx
This year I managed a 2:04.24...with the promise of more, which was both frustrating and pleasing.
The AIM Solo DL told me I had a 2:03 done if I'd merged strong sectors of my 2x 2:04 laps.
Hilariously it also thinks I had the sectors for a 1:54 hahaha NFI how it's making that. Of course it can't tell where a sector was really quick *because* I ruined the sector before.
Anyway, enough of pure times.
The track is so difficult. It's a real challenge. Sacrificing one corner to take another better and win more time overall. Uphill, through compression's, lent over squeezing the throttle , braking on the brow of a hill, driving over another with the front clawing the air. And there are the bumps from T4-T5 you go from the wheelie control trying to keep the front down under acceleration to the rear coming up on a bump under braking...it really tests the suspension and the electronics.
The bike performed perfectly. Despite the rider...
The V02's completely threw me, midday of Day 2 on. Having been on D212's for many track days before, I had to get my head around them and it kinda blew day 3, I was way off my own pace. The SLICK ABS thing (see weaving under braking thread) and the V02's different characteristics made me over cautious and I dropped buckets of time, it's a confidence game/track and mine is easily lost.
I was getting pretty ****** off. My frustrations peaked before session 6 of Day 3...couldn't get my suit back on (straws and camels) and had a bit of a strop. It was the catalyst for change...I'd listened to the advice of Phil, Simon and Keith (Bananaman) who I was there with and it was all good advice but I just wasn't doing it. They left the pit for session 6 and I took a min to get my head back in the game...took a moment to focus on what I needed to execute. 4 seconds faster on my first flying lap show how far I'd dropped and how stopping and hitting the reset is needed now and again. It wasted a day but I guess I learned some lessons. The next day I stopped being a dick and chopped off another second into the 2:05's then the next session saw a 2:04.24...3.4seconds faster than 2017. I came away happy but was a stressy **** in the middle - always helps to have good/faster people with you, to help. Their video evidence is hard to argue!
The VO2's are, or at least felt, more front biased than the D212's. They need to be run into the corner harder which is a weakness of mine, they also didn't seem to have the drive grip of the D212's. But ultimately I managed my quickest dozen laps on them with more to come with more time. Fresh 212's would have gone quicker too of course but the VO2's forced me to work on a weakness in my riding and not rely on a strength (corner exit).
Whilst the bike was spot on, same can't be said for the new camera I took. Nikon KeyMission 360. This is a sample, from the sighting laps, before the battery died and refused to charge.
https://youtu.be/uQzHB6g6XQI
Despite the F up the camera shows a lot of potential and it was 'only' ?189.
All reads a bit negative but learning things doesn't always come easy. Looking to book something for April/May now...