Brands Indy - 14th November - ?75

[White Noise]

[colin1]

this brings to mind that
on a recent thread siggi said somthing like

hot tyres hot track 100% traction
hot tyres cold track 50% traction
cold tyres hot track 50% traction
cold tyres cold track 0% traction
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[Adam_P]

Damn Bendy that sounds fookin scary. Quickest part of the track that bit...

Pleased you're ok though. Although, the bike does look a little bit worse for wear. Wil probably look a damn sight better after you've washed all the shit off it though!

Certainly sounds like you all had an eventful day anyway.
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Colin McRae MBE 1968 - 2007 RIP
Orwell Rolls in his Grave
God is imaginary

[msgander]

G mentioned a few offies last night but didnt realise some of you guys were involved!! (think he was tad tired lol)

Hope you lot are not too sore today.....Bend....entinox, yes very cool gear.......not available to my knowledge elsewhere but hospital.....shame...

That part of track is bad scary in a car, not tried it on a bike...yet.....take my lid off to you guys for staying on as long as you did on that track!!
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Always believe that your guardian angel flies a bit faster than you...............

[Mrs Kickstart]

Hi,

May I offer Bendy much sympathy for the pain you must be in today, I hope it does not last too long.

I vote for a clangers paint scheme

Regards
Charlotte

[G]

Gees Report...


I hadn't actually booked the trackday, doing some off-roading on Saturday I thought it may be prudent to leave booking until I was sure all my bones would still be in connected after the dirty fun - Especially as I don't have any motocross kit, so we're talking my one piece race leathers and gloves.
Bendy requested that I didn't wash my leathers before the trackday, I agreed on the provisio that she cleaned them in double quick time at the track if they complained. Never being one to miss an opportunity to avoid cleaning, I hastily agreed!

As I hadn't managed a great night's sleep on Saturday night, I set my Alarm for 6:32 - which was slightly pushing the likelihood of getting there on time.
I had mentioned on IRC that I would have to pray to the traffic gods. It seems to have worked, despite having to stop at a garage and leaving Reading just before 7, I managed to get there, via the M4,M3 and M25 in rush hour in about an hour and forty minutes - only one small delay on the M25 and that was from Rubber neckers.
Got into the briefing just after it started and got the last fast group place.

I seem to have had a few issues, leading to some people suggesting it is 'cursed' for me. First time I went there the bike died after the first session, had a trackday booked, but it was cancelled because of snow that wasn't there. Next time I crashed on everyday of my three day race weekend.
Managed a trackday on the GP circuit without incident, then highsided on my race weekend.

So, I was hoping to 'conquer' it and get some decent lap times.
I missed half of the first session, but got out for the restart. Decided to try the new second SV I've got that I hadn't ridden yet for the second session.
My tyres are still fairly cold and a KR1S gets past me, but it holding me up a bit a lap later. I over take on the left on short lower straight, giving them plenty of room. Sadly I forget that this significantly changes Surtees, which can be taken more as a kink if you go from the outside to hit both apexs - my turn in point is now at the first apex. I tap on the front brake is too much for my still fairly cold tyres and the front wheel starts sliding, first with the left side going down, then I think it catches for a sec and flips me off to the other side.
I slide for a bit, making sure I keep my arms in, give a thumbs up to the marshals and run to the bike, get it up and out of the way. Sadly they keep the red flags out, despite the fact that my bike is back in the pit area before all the other bikes are in.
I note the front brake lever has broken off, but only find the rear has broken off when I try to stop after riding off - after using my feet to stop at the gate for the entrance to the pits I realise I can use the kill switch as a fairly effective brake.

Get my wrist bands back and my helmet checked over - luckily only a small scuff on the visor means I won't need a replacement for racing.

I swap to my other bike for the next session. After the session I realise my rear tyre is pretty knackered, so stick the rear supercorsa pro from my now crashed bike onto it, adding the front after Lunch.

I won't recount Bendy's incident again in detail, as it's been gone through a fair bit as it is. Saw a bike opposite our pit as I was working on that bike 'hmm, I recognise that' I think - Bendy's up by then and wandering around.

Having been told that if I crash again that's it for the day, I'm taking it fairly easy, not making much of the 'conquering' brands bit.
At one point a load of faster riders get past me into Druids. An orange GSXR (tribal racing) is around the outside of me.
Not sure exactly what happened, but it seems that maybe while I was starting to sit the bike up coming out of the corner, he was still turning.
The front of my bike touched the rear of his, we both stay on, but it was fairly close. I see him shaking his hand down the straight, not sure if it's saying sorry or anger.
I was a bit annoyed, but I expect people to make mistakes - pretty sure I'm in the right, especially on a trackday the rules is to overtake safely, getting half past then cutting across the other riders line does not count as very safe to me, especially considering this was a mixed fast/inters group.

When I come in later I find that he seems rather angry with me. Says 'what the fuck were you doing' - from what I can work out he seems to think he got past me, I then presumably accelerated midcorner and rammed into the back of him. I'm told "I'm not having this" and something about "that shit heap of a bike you're riding" - well, I'm sorry, I'm not going to put my best bodywork on when there's people like that about.
I go up to talk to the organiser, wouldn't have been too bothered, but for the attitude. Also ask about Bendy, who we were told was taken to the medical centre, but haven't heard from since.
A marshall from the post near the incident (who is a bemsee Marshall and seems to know the people) suggests that it was 'half and half' as far as blame goes, though the track organiser seems to fully agree with my point of view.
The Marshall says he's going to have a word with the other people anyway.

In hindsight, I probably could have kept turning if I had reacted in time, but this is a trackday, I wasn't expecting somebody to cut right in front of my line mid-corner.

In the afternoon, I start to get some confidence back and am worried less about crashing and getting chucked out. Start by tagging onto Korn and Jon, only losing them when I get caught behind other riders. On the penultimate session I'm following Jon and Korn until Korn suddenly slows down, as mentioned above. Spend the rest of the session in an enjoyable tussle with Jon. Still feel there's plenty I can improve on, even braking into Druids which I seem to be doing fairly well others are still doing a bit better.

For the next session I decide to join Korn with the offer of a free ride on a K1200.
I was warned about the long through gear lever and do get caught out a few times. Keep in one gear for a couple of laps, by the time I'm out of the corners then engine gets into it's stride and easily makes up for the distance lost in the corners.
The bike feels suprising neutral and very refined. I'm not pushing it as much as I've seen other people do earlier, but it happily takes any of the abuse I give it.
The engine reminds me of a turbine (not that I've ever ridden a turbine based bike) - it starts quite sedately but as the revs and noise smoothly ride the power comes in very strongly up to the 11k redline.
The fuel injection doesn't seem to like being run on a close throttle - leading to some juddering mid-corner, not that I should have been on a close throttle mid corner!
At one point I see a Jon shaped shadow appear to my right coming onto the start finish straight, open up the throttle and disappear off effortlessly.

As usual, we're the last to leave. The new shelves in my van seem to be doing their job and I manage to get three bikes across the van without too much hassle.

Not quite the day I was hoping for, but interesting none the less.

The Brands Curse lives on (and seems to be infectious!) And I'm still yet to 'conquer' the track.

[MarJay]

Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

My fingers hurt just thinking about this!

Glad you're OK Bendy, and I hope you heal up soon!
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Bendy]

Just took a snap of these in their full muddy glory.

[Jon]

Interesting day

Most has been said above about the days events.

Briefly;

bloody cold
didn't enjoy the morning but got into it in the afternoon
marshals were a little annoyed with me missing 1 or 2 flags lol
thoughs bmw's shift on the straights only took serveral laps to finally get past

Thanks to the pit bitches

[Wave2k]

and you played dominoes several times with Gs bike

and Davo and bendy Rasberry Fools
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Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[Davo]

Well I suppose a couple of photos from me are needed.

[White Noise]

see what you mean about the sub frame !
WN
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Riding Tip #86: See God, then back off a bit: Problem is i haven't seen god yet, just a close up of tarmac on revett straight

[Shaun]

I think I might just skip BCF trackdays next year and go alone!

[White Noise]

[-Savage-]

bad luck with the off bendy, glad you came out of it relativly unscathed

bet you wish you had kept that nose fairing now
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My Bikes - - - Royal Enfield 500 with sidecar, VFR800, CBR600FX,
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[Deano]

Bloody excellent reading, sort of gets me hyped up. I hope I can get everything sorted for next year at least to join in the fun.

though reading what happened to bendy puts me off a bit though.

[G]

[Bendy]

Don't be daft Deano, it's a damn finger. Folk hurt themselves more than that falling off a push bike, let alone what you managed to do to yourself on the road!

[Deano]

I just dont ever want to have to go through what I've been through ever again.
I'm determined to go even if I end up beeing the slowest person out there.

[Bendy]

You can never make biking 100% safe, but if you're going to have an accident the track is by far the best place to do it.

If you bin, there's not that much to hit. The place is designed to give you room to slide, to not have nasty things to abruptly stop you.

There are marshalls who'll warn everyone else what's just happened. All the other riders are there for the same purpose and should be switched on to everything that's around them (unlike road users).

And if you do hurt yourself, you'll have paramedics on top of you far faster than you could ever get anywhere else.

Yup, a fairly long list of BCF people have fallen off on trackdays but none of them have seriously hurt themselves (touch wood). The equivalent list for road accidents is a catalogue of horrible injuries. Come on a day next year when the weather's good, ride for yourself and no-one else and I'm sure it'll do your confidence the world of good.

[Davo]

[Silver]

[swaffs]

Hmmmmm
Looks like I'm doing the first BCF Brands session of 2006 !! 21/01/06

And with my history anything could happen!
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