The Mountain?
 

Gotta confess I bottled it nearly every lap on the mountain!
Ordinarily I've got no problem lifting the front wheel (just ask Nick :devil: ) and, as I'd never ridden Cadwell before I was really looking forward to the mountain and goose neck sections. I spent most of the morning learning the lines without pushing too hard and was having a whale of a time through the gooseneck's positive camber turns down to the chicane but last session before lunch I went harder and coming over the mountain got the bars up to eye level, not a problem, but must have crested the hill at an angle, when the front end came down it was all crossed up and with my light grip the bars both got wrenched out of my hands. It settled down straight away as I always let the bike do it's "thing" in those situations so no harm, but even changing my line up the hill I had a repeat performance second time round. Needless to say after that I hardly got the front airborne again as my subconscious held me back from twisting that grip any further but every time I had the rear end getting "squirrelly" over the crest? I know how a bike handles and the affect of rider input but can't work out why that's happening? After lunch Geoff told me the "right" line, turn in late and aim for the edge of the change in tarmac but I was jiggered if I could get it right and I never had the confidence to blat it over that damned crest! How do you ride that section? :puzzled:

I have got the front up a few times over the Mountain, but unless you turn late and head back to the right a bit you find the track has gone off to the right after the crest and you are heading for the spectators by the bar!

It's the same as a lot or corners at Cadwell, take some practice. First time I was there it took me most half the day to get the hang of Charlies 2, because you can't see it and have to know where to head for.

Brilliant fun though eh?

I run to the left of the track up the hill and then hit the crest in the middle of the track. It enables you to keep the most power on over the mountain (all of it on the 675!) but leaves you a little far to the right heading for the first Hall bend. Not a problem, just requires a gentle swoop before the first right.

Having gone down the grass on the left hand side during a dd race I reckon overtaking over the left side of the mountain crest is for loonies!

Ali

"but every time I had the rear end getting "squirrelly" over the crest? I know how a bike handles and the affect of rider input but can't work out why that's happening?"

Don't forget that the Mountain has 2 crest's-the BSB boys get airborne off the first and land after the second. My ST4S was spinning up the back in the wet going up the mountain as the crest unloaded the rear suspension-now that did make it 'squirrelly'.:lol:

John

alas altho I got air a couple of times no pics:( felt like a couple of feet (yeah right!!) but would have been nice to see...

Got one pic from Picman with me wheelying over the mountain. What felt like about 12-18 inches was only about 6.

What does this tell me

1. I have no feel for how high the front is
2. I can't wheelie
3. I could hit the mountain faster :)
4. Maybe I'm leaning too far forward??

Just had a quick look at the video of me following you (which I'll extract this weekend), and we were travelling similar lines up the mountain, with only minor front wheel lift, so I guess it's a confidence thing for us both. Me from not being any good at wheelies, and you because of the incident of landing crossed up.

Shame we're so far away from cadwell we can't easily revisit and try again..

I find that the further to the left you are as you crest the mountain the less sharp it is, mind you I don't get my front wheel up, guess I am just a wimp:(



Chris:burn:

Here's one on the Mountain............

http://www.t20suzuki.com/t200/leajump.jpg

[Edited on 29-7-2005 by Spen]

There's something wrong with that pic???????

Oh yeah - the sun is shining!!! ;)

Mr Lea Gourley I presume???

Chris:burn: