Well, where to start, Hmmm, weather was ok when we got to Donnington at midday, signed on etc, used there leathers & boots, but did not like the Suomy helmet so out to the car & got mine.
Did the briefing etc, got paired up with a lad who had never done a track day, so the instructer(Nigel, no not boswell although he was instructing) said he would see how the first session went. Out on track, I was behind the instructor & the other pupil was behind me, the instructor had to keep slowing down to allow him to catch up, mind you we had to keep pulling over to allow the Elite class lads to thrash past as well, the instructors had a hard job on there hands, a, watching us in his mirrors plus watching out for faster groups & to get us to pull over for them. after the first session it was a dynamics session in the garage, all about hanging off the bike, position etc, picked up a couple of tips about angles etc.
Next track session I was with Nigel the instructor but with a different pupil to the first one, out we went, instuctor, new pupil then me, not much faster than the first session really, felt a tad frustrated as we were not going fast enough to turn & flow etc, as we went into the Melbourne loop for the 3rd time, we went in slower for some reason , the instructor sounded his horn & gesticulated to 3 instructors sat on their bikes just off the track at the Melbourne Loop, we then went slowley up to Goddards & slowly down towards Redgate, then an instructor cames past pointing at me & tapping his seat unit for me to follow him.
So off we go hairing off into Redgate, through Holywood, down Craners etc twice as fast as before, big smile was loving it, through Shwanz, turned into Mcleans hit the apex & the bike just shot out from under me, damn i was more than supprised, totaly gobsmacked!!!,( was not off the throttle, infact was just turning the throttle from part to on) kept on me back (thankgod I was in there leathers) ended up well into the gravel trap, Honda 600rr no seat unit, screen & a mashed fairing, boll*cks, there goes my day, back in the van, quick check in the med centre, just a graze on my forearm just infront of the elbow, point of first impact I guess, then a debrief, I believed that the front had let go as I did not feel the back give way, when I checked the tyre after I got to my feet, the front was only warm & the back no hotter than after a trip on the road, strange(Bridgstones, not sure what type), after clerk of the course had checked the CCTV tape, he reckoned the back went first then the front almost as soon as the back went, commented that maybe I was not hanging far enough off the bike??, but as only he is allowed to view the tape, have to take onboard what he said.
Anyway, more gutted for Cathy & the girls( who went with me) as it was Cathy`s present to me for my 50th birtday, sorry love.
Chris.
