He might be smiling now

[kwacky]

But I bet he wasn't so relaxed when the bike went down

https://kwacky.blogspot.com/uploaded_images/DSCF0019-753460.JPG

Nice to meet you mate. I'll let you know the other track days I'm doing this year.

[skiptonmanor]

Cheers mate, thanks for the souvenir photo. Hope it's a while before you take the next one though.

[skiptonmanor]

Cheers mate, thanks for the souvenir photo. Hope it's a while before you take the next one though.

[kwacky]

got a larger size if you want?

[kwacky]

My report:

I spent most of the week watching the weather. Friday was a good day with one heavy shower in the afternoon. I could put up with that on the Saturday.

Saturday morning and I as I wearily munched through my weetabix, I browsed the web for weather reports. All said that Leicester would be dry.

I had already dusted down my old one piece leathers and putting them one highlighted just how much weight I had put on in the last 6 months. I will go on that diet, honest. I had my new summer gloves in the bag with associated snacks and gaffer tape. I was in two minds whether or not to throw in the wet one piece to go over the leathers. They take up a lot of room and it was going to be dry. Once I stepped outside I realised it was cold, so I put the foul weather suit on over my leathers and donned my winter gloves.

Off I poottled down the road and stopped to get some petrol. As I left the garage it began to piss it down. Not a shower or a drizzle, but full on cats and dogs. Good job I was kitted up.

The journey to Mallory was uneventful and upon arrival I found Stevethorpe in the paddock thinking about putting his bike together. I parked up next to Bones' CBR600 and waddled off to sign in where I found Sarah and Dave getting stuck into brekkie sarnies.

I had booked in Inters but found I was in Novice. No worries. A decent briefing and out we went for 3 sighting laps. It was dry but the circuit was damp, cold and greasy.

Once the first session got under way for real I ambled around the circuit trying to remember where I could put the hammer down and reminding myself that I tend to take about 27 different lines around the hairpin. Midway through the session I was building up some speed and the 14/47 gearing really suited the bike and the track.

I came out of Edwinas and through the Lake Esses , as I came close to the kerb on the left side the front slid but recovered. Time to back off.

The Inters went out next but a series of crashes seriously limited the amount of morning track time.

During the Interlude Martin from bikechatforums introdced himself and a while later Andy from Daytona600.org came to say hello. Nice of him to come down to the circuit to meet up. Us D600 riders are a rare breed

My session before lunch was a bit poor. The bike was giving off a lot of vibration which I put down to the BT014s which have been ridden through the winter - I think they're squaring off. Plus the back was sliding a bit out of the hairpin even though i was doing no more than 5 mph []

At lunch I finally remembered I had no money so off I went in search of cash and fuel. I got one, but not the other. So it was the packed bananas and chocolate for me all day.

After lunch I had my best session. The brakes were once again outstanding and I'm sure much better riders were getting pissed off with their inability to outbreak me [^]. I was getting great drive out of the Elbow and down the straight but I was going way too slow around Gerrards. I really do need to stop riding so far inside my comfort zone and push things a little. I know the bike is up to it but I need to tell my head that.

As Bones switched wheels more times than Joan Collins has had face lifts, I nicked his tools and put on the GPR Steering Damper. Final session with the damper gave me a more sure footed bike, although I almost forgot about it as I came out of Edwinas and wondered why the kerb came up so close [:I]

I've got some race plastics on order and once they're painted I'll put them on the bike and start to push it. No excuses. The first thing I have to do is sort out my body postion and learn to hang off. I know I can do it, I've got the sliders from a Rockingham track day to prove it and the lack of chicken strips proves the bike is over far enough.

Anyway, it was great to see Bones, Sarah and Steve from Sportsbiker and good to meet Andy and Martin.

As a side note, Martin binned his R1 in a low side but luck was on his side as all he lost was a crash bung. Once dusted down both rider and bike were good to go.