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| #41  27-Mar-2005, 14:02 | ||||
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| What sort of times were the DD bikes putting in around the Indy? Don't have the name names, but I'm there in a couple of weeks and would like an idea as to what standard is being set. Tim   |
| #42 27-Mar-2005, 18:30 | ||||
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| Well here's my report ... and thanks to Psychlist for his beautiful recollection of my off ... Well ... the day started early, left home at 5:30 to meet Mike and Lizzie at Brands. Jason Boswell was pretty chuffed to be at my place so early, or maybe he wasn't .... He scared the *****e out of me in the morning when I was walking out of my side gate and he just appeared behind the van. Jason in stealth mode ... So we get to Brands at 6:30 and the guy wasn't letting us in the gate and all the BSB trucks were backed up waiting to get in as well. The guy on the gate decides to let us in to unload in the carpark so Mike and I can go and get our Monsters (my van had my 996 and Jason's 996 in it, no room for the monsters). We start unloading and get everything out (although starting to cut through one of my ratchet straps which couldn't be undone) and the guy walks over to say we can go down to the garages now  So we nab a garage after loading up and unloading again and Mike and I went and picked up the monsters. We made it back to only miss one session, got briefed and we were ready to roll. Went out in the first session thinking I'll just get used to the bike and see how I get on. My first time running reverse pattern shift, first time at Brands, first time on the monster with the suspension sorted, new brake pads and hadn't ridden a bike in anger since October ... First session was interesting, I had two trips on the grass and Rally went down (hope you're feeling better mate, made me feel a bit sick seeing your bike there knowing you were in hospital). The first trip on the grass was trying to avoid a nice gentleman who decided to cut right back in on me just before entering graham hill bend. I was bedding in new pads and just didn't feel as comfortable really nailing the brakes and I was going to go into the back off him so I just ran up the grass and rolled around back on to the track (I made that sounds so calm and colected didn't I!). The second one was exiting druids and I was just too wide and didn't quite have my head together yet. I ended up running over the rumble strip onto the grass and then back onto the track. Wasn't greatest session on track. I really wasn't comfortable on the bike either, couldn't get my feet where I wanted them etc etc. I thought I'd just leave them for the next session and start playing after that. Next session, (I'll get to the end in a minute, just hang on ...) went out not feeling so good about everything but just took it easy and started to increase the pace a little when I started moving myself around the bike a bit more. Then I caught up to these two guys on 600's, a blue R6 and a yellow CBR I think. I kept going around them at Clearways and Paddock Hill but they kept coming past me on the straights. This went on for about 3-4 laps when I was a bit more forceful and went around the CBR at Surtee's, then back outside to go around the R6 at Clearways, so far so good, but in the end I was too wide and headed for the yellow line so I stood it up and jumped on the brakes, ended up dropping it in the gravel hard enough to bend the bars. I also punched a hole in my leathers and have quite a nice bruise to show for it. In the end it was really a minor off but I did spend some time kicking gravel around and generally yelling at myself for being a %£*& before I picked the bike up, got it going and got myself out of the gravel. I put it down to frustration and impatience. Thank you to Dave Harris, Ali, Mutters, Neil Spalding, Uncle Dunnie and everyone else who helped out (Neil wasn't actually there but was thoughtful enough to have some other handle bars so I could swap them over) and got the bars swapped over. Gave the bike and my gear a good clean, moved the footpegs a bit lower and to the rear and went back out next session. Well I went to go out and the guy wouldn't let me on track, wanted me to go and get my tyres cleaned. I was riding back to the garage and saw the BSB boys cleaning their trucks with a pressure hose so I got them to clean off the tyres  thanks guys - whoever you are! Next session was much better. Felt better on the bike, started to feel more comfortable going a bit quicker. The rest of the day I spent getting quicker and just generally moving my footpegs and bars around trying to make everything fit. I settled down on the bike after the mornings excitement and just felt good. Ran at a pace that wasn't pushing it but I felt I was learning and getting used to everything again. Once I found myself getting my feet on the pegs better I was grinding the front of my boot off! I'll have to figure out something there to stop that from happening! Lowlight of the day - Rally crashing. Closely followed by my own crash, and seeing Dickie stranded on the grass at the inside of Clearways after being punted off the track by some KNOB Saffa on an R1. Highlight of the day - the first session after lunch when I went out later than everyone else after getting my tyres cleaned. I thought I'd just take it easy for two to three laps and then get on with it. My first lap I was in clearways when Ali goes around the outside of me on Dave Harris' monster with his knee on the ground. I bit my lip and though, fair play ... basteward. So I just kept going until Dickie cam around me, then I thought "Stuff the 2- 3 laps, that's not on". I put my head down and went after Dickie. Finally caught up to him in Surtee's and went round the outside of him at Clearways. I was laughing so hard in my helmet I nearly cried. He must have sat right on my tail because when I got balked trying to go around another rider at graham hill bend he went back underneath me. So I tucked in behind him and followed him and went to go underneath him into Paddock Hill when another bike appeared from nowhere and scared the bejeesus out of me, I missed out then but when we got up to Druids I went underneath on the brakes. It was a great laugh and a lot of fun. I hope we get to do this sort of stuff in Desmo Due because it was really what I signed up for. I was grinning like an idiot when I came in from that session. It was a great day topped off by a lovely meal and good company. I'm really looking forward to next weekend and two days at Almeria WOOHOO!!! |
| #44 27-Mar-2005, 20:34 | |||
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| Good report TP  |
| #45 27-Mar-2005, 21:06 | ||||
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Thanks. I've only got one 996, I took it to Brands so Dibble could pick it up and take it up to Nelly's for me. Top fella. |
| #46 27-Mar-2005, 21:28 | |||
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Why don't you first post your cadwell times, then, eh? |
| #47 29-Mar-2005, 13:18 | |||
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| sorry its taken so long but the intenett access at home is so slow. Firstly thanks tony for helping us get 3 bikes home friday night. Now on to the important bit, The monster is huge fun to ride, like the others I could not believe the number of bikes with at least twice the horspower we were overtaking, the tyres are far better than I expected with only a few tiny movements from the front. I need more power! the 620s were pulling 25-50 metres on me along the start finish straight on the other hand my ultra low clip ons seemed to give me a really good feel from the front. My footrests need spacing out as the exhausts force my feet out to far, the forks need raising in the yokes and possibly slightly more oil. the single disc worked ok, well enough to have the back moving around into druids during an overambitious overtake attempt. even If I am a total failure at racing I have regained a lot of my lost confidence from the sessions at brands on friday (Although I was deliberately taking it easy on the 998r I was able to hold tighter lines and carry more corner speed than I have since 2002). High light of the day for me was running up the inside of 4 bikes aproaching druids and being able to get past them and hold a tight line all the way round and still out drive them down to graham hill bend (ive always been crap at druids!!) the lowest point was a twonk on a yam highsiding at clearways and although I tightened my line to avoid him I still managed to clip him with my left foot! never mind itwas only his head. also following dickie on the 998 into surtees and watching with horror as this ***hole on a r1 rode into the side of his bike, dickie did welll to stay on!! It was an excellent day with a lot of old faces (not just mine  ) and meeting some new faces and a late and decent meal at the end, roll on spain next weekend.dave |
| #49 29-Mar-2005, 13:23 | ||||
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LOL 
skidlids
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