Time for some whoring…
I’ve had the Fireblade since new. I bought it in late 2008 to replace the Daytona 600.
A fantastic bike that did everything well. Too well really. Bags of power. Fantastic acceleration. Great handling and an absolutely awesome amount of mid range power. But after 4 years and 26,000 miles on her I was ready for a change.
So there I was driving to a friends in York when I decided to nip into a showroom I had earlier noticed.
One particular bike had attracted my attention ever since its release in 2010. The news was that the 2012 version was even better.
I booked my test ride and returned the following day. She was in the front car park waiting for me.
I provided the showroom with my licence and told them I’d be half an hour or so. The guy raised his eyebrow and told me to take it out for as long as I liked.
A full tank and two hours later I returned with the grin of a Cheshire cat sprawled across my face.
I quickly called 'her who must be obeyed' and after making numerous promises I had no intention of keeping and begging as though for my very life she said “Do what the fuck you like”.
I signed on the dotted line that day and went home with that lovely warm feeling buying a new bike gives you. I would be picking up my bike the following Saturday. The bike would have heated grips, dynamic traction control, quick shifter and Race ABS.
It wasn’t until I got home and was speaking to the missus that I remembered I was booked into a track day at Cadwell on the 31st March. It would give me just 5 days after collecting the bike to do the necessary 500miles run in and get it serviced. I needn’t have worried.
I picked the bike up on a fantastic, warm and sunny day.
By the following day I had covered over 500 miles.
Friday night before the Saturday trackday arrived and I was toying with the idea of cancelling. Fearful my bike would sustain damage through my fault or even someone else’s. I decided instead to MTFU.
I arrived at Cadwell for my first ever trackday on a brandnew BMW S1000RR. I was noise tested, subjected to 2 safety briefings, given my novice group wrist band and sent out onto the track on a cold damp Saturday morning.
I learnt that I am no Rossi. But for a total of 3 hours track time on that day I sure felt like him. In my mind I was the greatest rider ever to have lived for them few precious 20 minute sessions.
Why oh why have I never done a track day before? An absolutely fantastic experience.
I promise to try getting off the side of the bike a little on my next track day
I’ve had the Fireblade since new. I bought it in late 2008 to replace the Daytona 600.
A fantastic bike that did everything well. Too well really. Bags of power. Fantastic acceleration. Great handling and an absolutely awesome amount of mid range power. But after 4 years and 26,000 miles on her I was ready for a change.
So there I was driving to a friends in York when I decided to nip into a showroom I had earlier noticed.
One particular bike had attracted my attention ever since its release in 2010. The news was that the 2012 version was even better.
I booked my test ride and returned the following day. She was in the front car park waiting for me.
I provided the showroom with my licence and told them I’d be half an hour or so. The guy raised his eyebrow and told me to take it out for as long as I liked.
A full tank and two hours later I returned with the grin of a Cheshire cat sprawled across my face.
I quickly called 'her who must be obeyed' and after making numerous promises I had no intention of keeping and begging as though for my very life she said “Do what the fuck you like”.
I signed on the dotted line that day and went home with that lovely warm feeling buying a new bike gives you. I would be picking up my bike the following Saturday. The bike would have heated grips, dynamic traction control, quick shifter and Race ABS.
It wasn’t until I got home and was speaking to the missus that I remembered I was booked into a track day at Cadwell on the 31st March. It would give me just 5 days after collecting the bike to do the necessary 500miles run in and get it serviced. I needn’t have worried.
I picked the bike up on a fantastic, warm and sunny day.
By the following day I had covered over 500 miles.
Friday night before the Saturday trackday arrived and I was toying with the idea of cancelling. Fearful my bike would sustain damage through my fault or even someone else’s. I decided instead to MTFU.
I arrived at Cadwell for my first ever trackday on a brandnew BMW S1000RR. I was noise tested, subjected to 2 safety briefings, given my novice group wrist band and sent out onto the track on a cold damp Saturday morning.
I learnt that I am no Rossi. But for a total of 3 hours track time on that day I sure felt like him. In my mind I was the greatest rider ever to have lived for them few precious 20 minute sessions.
Why oh why have I never done a track day before? An absolutely fantastic experience.
I promise to try getting off the side of the bike a little on my next track day
