interesting read about going fast
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chrisjpitt
interesting read about going fast
Mike,
Interesting article, it is certainly worth doing a race school, or track day if you can, just to get some idea of what a circuit is like from the racers point of view. I did a few trackdays at our local circuit up in Norfolk, here in the UK http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/snetterton/ and it was a real eye-opener. Firstly, how big and wide circuits are compared to roads, and how slow your roadbike seems on the huge straights (Snetterton has a monster back straight into a chicane). After the pre-circuit chat and warnings about crashing and death etc, it's out for a follow-me-leader to get an idea of the circuit. As the day progresses, it all speeds up and by the afternoon we were charging as hard as we dare (but not "racing" - of course).
My reality check came when I was out on the track at the same time as the Kawasaki BSB team were doing some testing, (it was a Kawasaki riders club day - but I was a guest on my 907). During one flat-out charge down the start-finish straight, hiding behind the solid screen as best I could, two of the KBSB team riders sailed past, sitting up, making hand gestures to each other. We were approaching Riches corner (huge wide corner, where you cannot see the apex from the turn-in point - so very easy to go wide and crash - also fast about 80mph), they were way off line, far too tight if I were there, but they just tipped over and disappeared round the corner out of sight - they weren’t even trying - how sad did my attempts then feel?
I was not too disheartened, just made me try a little harder
The 907 was good fun, even though it lacked outright power down the straights and the 750-1000 sports pulled a hundred yards or so before the tight (invisible) chicane at the Esses. But that's where you can make back some ground on the 907 - you are not going so fast as the litre boys and the brakes are pretty good. I could see them sit up well before the 300 yard marker, so I would keep flat out till the last moment before hitting the brakes, getting the back wheel light and tipping into the Esses. This way I would catch back up with a few of the 600s and maybe one or two 750s who were not that keen. I did have a CBR1100RR Blackbird come sailing past as I was holding out till the last moment down the straight - I thought "what breaks have you got mate?" He obviously underestimated his capabilities, as I hit my breaking point, he could not slow for the turn-in and carried straight on into the runoff - which was tarmac luckily for him.
A whole pile of fun - but the downside was several crashes, a hold up in events as both ambulances were away taking people to hospital (luckily only minor injuries) and half a dozen scraped, bent and totalled bikes "Do you have alternative transport home" was asked by the instructor at the start - I now know why.
Do it if you can, you will have a day to remember - you can tell I did
Interesting article, it is certainly worth doing a race school, or track day if you can, just to get some idea of what a circuit is like from the racers point of view. I did a few trackdays at our local circuit up in Norfolk, here in the UK http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/snetterton/ and it was a real eye-opener. Firstly, how big and wide circuits are compared to roads, and how slow your roadbike seems on the huge straights (Snetterton has a monster back straight into a chicane). After the pre-circuit chat and warnings about crashing and death etc, it's out for a follow-me-leader to get an idea of the circuit. As the day progresses, it all speeds up and by the afternoon we were charging as hard as we dare (but not "racing" - of course).
My reality check came when I was out on the track at the same time as the Kawasaki BSB team were doing some testing, (it was a Kawasaki riders club day - but I was a guest on my 907). During one flat-out charge down the start-finish straight, hiding behind the solid screen as best I could, two of the KBSB team riders sailed past, sitting up, making hand gestures to each other. We were approaching Riches corner (huge wide corner, where you cannot see the apex from the turn-in point - so very easy to go wide and crash - also fast about 80mph), they were way off line, far too tight if I were there, but they just tipped over and disappeared round the corner out of sight - they weren’t even trying - how sad did my attempts then feel?
I was not too disheartened, just made me try a little harder
The 907 was good fun, even though it lacked outright power down the straights and the 750-1000 sports pulled a hundred yards or so before the tight (invisible) chicane at the Esses. But that's where you can make back some ground on the 907 - you are not going so fast as the litre boys and the brakes are pretty good. I could see them sit up well before the 300 yard marker, so I would keep flat out till the last moment before hitting the brakes, getting the back wheel light and tipping into the Esses. This way I would catch back up with a few of the 600s and maybe one or two 750s who were not that keen. I did have a CBR1100RR Blackbird come sailing past as I was holding out till the last moment down the straight - I thought "what breaks have you got mate?" He obviously underestimated his capabilities, as I hit my breaking point, he could not slow for the turn-in and carried straight on into the runoff - which was tarmac luckily for him.A whole pile of fun - but the downside was several crashes, a hold up in events as both ambulances were away taking people to hospital (luckily only minor injuries) and half a dozen scraped, bent and totalled bikes "Do you have alternative transport home" was asked by the instructor at the start - I now know why.
Do it if you can, you will have a day to remember - you can tell I did