3 BCF'ers, 2 days, 1 track - Le Mans!!!!!

[.Bishbash.]

So, 0l0dom0l0, Red Devil and myself had a little trip down to Le Mans for a two day track day back on the 20th and 21st August.

We took these toys to have a hoon around with;

Red Devil - 2006 R6
0l0dom0l0 - 2006 FZ6
Bishbash II - 2001 R1(But actually had to ride 2000 ZX6)

I met Red Devil at his home town of Newbury where he had his bike in his trusty steed the Dispatch van, borrowed a 2 bike trailer and we loaded up my R1 all ready to pick 0l0dom0l0 up in Fleet at 7am. This plan didn't quite go to plan as this happened

The bike fell off the trailer 10 miles down the road as the ratchet strap failed

My R1 turned quickly from this;
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/R1_zpsd40a82a4.jpg

To this;
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Bike%20stuff/r11_zpseedb7f58.jpg

and a few in between shots;

https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/944797_10153124584185058_1713579677_n.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/1150989_10153124584005058_1000406634_n.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/1001956_10153124450245058_1234476370_n.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/1095056_10153124450360058_2036502755_n.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/1174863_10153124450120058_1720425477_n.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/1146715_10153124450060058_915750918_n.jpg

Here are the 'throw away' parts, the rest of the broken bits are located on the round a bout at juntion 6 M3

https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Bike%20stuff/r12_zpsca04e222.jpg


I was not a happy bunny.

None the less, Red Devil offered me his race bike for the duration as he was the one driving like Michael Shumacher round the round a bouts

After that we went back and swapped the bikes and I stole the fuel that I put in my R1 into Jerry cans and we rebooked the train to a later date and we're off..... FINALLY!!!

Get to the tunnel and get to stretch our legs, but Red Devil and myself seem to be having a little disagreement over who's fault it was the my bike is a little scratched;

https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/r13_zpsbafa2ed9.jpg

We get on the train, and then realise that we bought absolutely nothing that the French law requires a road user to have on the vehicle, like a GB sticker, spare bulb, florescent bib, breathalyser test or warning triangle and number plate on the trailer, so we improvise on a a couple;

https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/532096_10153139260415058_360651591_n.jpg

and a couple of random train shots too;

Dom looking defensive;
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/557410_10153139260315058_1328405869_n.jpg

Red Devil still being a with the street attitude, I bet his mother wouldn't approve of that;
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/994907_10153139260165058_846312666_n.jpg

I think all his hostility has come from him giving up smoking and replacing it with this fake one, which always reminded me of that caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland;
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/602768_10153124584340058_423793435_n.jpg



https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/cater_zps61a3a559.jpg


We get to France, I switch on my borrowed sat nav and find the way, 4:03 mins Dom cries, not bad really I thought to myself. As this was a borrowed sat nav the settings were a bit off and it took us quite the scenic route and the time to get there kept creeping up. All three of us were getting annoyed with this as we were travelling in the right direction, but it was stating it was going to take longer and longer. Red Devil was about ready to horse the thing out the window and figure his own route, Dom was trying to figure it all out and I sat back and rolled a smoke.

An hour later, the time on the sat nav was up to 5:03, then, and only then we figured out that was the clock on the bloody thing! How silly we felt!

Fast forward the toll roads and wrong turns, we get to the hotel and straight to sleep for the fun ahead.

MORNING arrives, only I do not get woken by my 6am alarm, no, it's Red Devil.....

Matt: Neil, Neil, you awake???
Matt: Neil, you getting up????
Me: What?
Matt: Shall we get ready and go?
Me: No
Matt: Why? What's the time?
Me: 4am, the track isn't open, go to sleep.

So we get to the track....YIPPEEE!

From left to right - Matt(Red Devil), Me(Bishbash II) and Dom(0l0dom0l0)

https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/543130_10153139261575058_1529195828_n.jpg


After second glimpse at this photo, Matt's eagerness to get into it made me smile, see if you can spot why;

https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/971964_10153141299565058_705432799_n.jpg

That's right, his GO GO Gadget neck!! It's not human!

We get all set up, signed in and briefing done and on the track we go! All of us in the fast group, but Dom and myself soon realise were were rather out gunned, these guys are FAST, so we rearrange groups after lunch, much better. The weather could not be better 27 degrees, ooosssssshhhhhhhh!

Got used to the track again after 3 years away and start to pick my pace up and get in the mix.

Being on Matt's ZX6 did have me a little worried, but it's without doubt the easiest bike I have ever ridden, set up SO well, Matt spent his money well on this little minx.



The day goes so quick as per normal, so we venture in town for a bite to eat where Matt decides to ignore most French road rules by jumping red light, stop signs and one way sytems and we have dinner.

Day 2 where the most fun was had.

Matt decides to jump down to inters with Dom and myself and we start to try get our elbows down on track, few sessions go by getting closer and close, and then it happens, I get it, followed by Matt.

My attempts;
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/1157414_10153139264075058_1525531624_n.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/971071_10153139263890058_1470763922_n.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/996916_10153139258230058_1515322951_n.jpg

Matts Attempts;

https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/elbow_zps40c1309f.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/1234262_10153139258780058_433340051_n.jpg

Never even dreamed of doing this on a bike, mega happy. doesn't make you any quicker but was fun to do none-the-less.

After the day wound down, Matt and myself snuck out in the Novice group as it was dead as a door nail and had a last hoon around the track, trying not to mess with anyone in the group.

After all that we had a grueling drive home which seemed to take forever and took it out of a certain group member;
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/r14_zps55f2695a.jpg



And here is a well crafted video of the highlights of the trip that Matt created;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDzHjjW7ScU&feature=youtu.be


And a few other shots of the trip too;
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/r1_zpsb3a45305.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/r12_zps273a497b.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/1151004_10153139265475058_367514612_n.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/1236886_10153139256915058_789644694_n.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/536788_10153139255675058_753569058_n.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/557084_10153139255430058_1388161318_n.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/1148798_10153139252810058_846589091_n.jpg
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Facebook/Le%20mans%20trip/1185653_10153124584770058_473534619_n.jpg

Should be getting some professional shots of the trip soon as well, so I will add them up as and when they turn up.

Hope you enjoyed the write up and I didn't dribble on too much
____________________
Current bike - GSX-R1000 k8

[Tungtvann]

Sucks about the bike taking a tumble! Cool pics though and looks like great fun.

[.Bishbash.]

Not to bothered to be honest, it's purely cosmetic and it really needed to be done anyway as the paint wasn't great, this has just given me an excuse to do it.
____________________
Current bike - GSX-R1000 k8

[P.]

[CarlosCBR]

Awesome write up, hopefully be able to do something similar when I do my Wales trip next month.
____________________
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OPv5mDPQ14

https://www.facebook.com/carl.simmonds.7

[shereen]

The awkward moment your bike falls off a trailer Happened to me with my first ever bike

Anyhoo, looks an awesome trip!!
____________________
"The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had"

[Clutchy]

Really good write up, will have to do a bike tour really soon
____________________
Malaguti F12 Phantom-Dead, Suzuki AY50- Dead, NRG power DD LQ, CBR125.
*33 BHP restriction up on 10/12/14* Current bikes/car: SV 650 S/ MKIV GOLF
Guide to pass your test with no lessons!

[.Bishbash.]

Cheers guys, what did you think of the video highlights?
____________________
Current bike - GSX-R1000 k8

[Gazza M]

Gave it a like, pretty awesome! I'd love to do that sometime when time (and money) permits...

you guys must all be pretty local to me too, I'm in Basingstoke when I'm not at uni
____________________
Past: '07 YBR125, '00 GPZ500S, '99 ZRX1100, '98 CBR600 track bike, '97 ZX9R
Present: '05 R6 track bike, 140 pit bike

[Tungtvann]

[Aff]

Video was good.
____________________
Current Bikes:Honda 929RR Fireblade, Honda CD200 Benly (Project), Stomp Z2 140
Electric Bike Project

[.Bishbash.]

[P.]

Just watched the video, shit you guys hang off

Nice work

[Tungtvann]

Great video, looks like so much fun. I must do a track day at some point.

[DrSnoosnoo]

Loved that video! Well done!
____________________
I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[.Bishbash.]

[Red Devil]

[.Bishbash.]

[Red Devil]

[Snorty]

Good thread, good read

First time my bike went on a trailer ratcheted up, my head never looked forward, haha.
____________________
Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[.Bishbash.]

[.Bishbash.]

A pro shot of each of us around Le mans;

https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Lemans_zps4adad827.jpg

https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/dom_zps0b6811b4.jpg

https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/matt_zps7191c215.jpg


____________________
Current bike - GSX-R1000 k8

[P.]

Matt is wearing el cheapo LS2 lid, good man

[Red Devil]

[P.]

I use LS2, they fit superb Wasn't a dig