Oulton, next Tuesday? (This is how it went...)
 

Anyone going to have a play there? I desperately need track time, so a mate and I will be going. I think it's with the circuit themselves, MSV I suppose. I haven't been to Oulton for a while. What the crack with noise control there these days. It is a noisy day. Anyone know?

Felix,

I'd love to join you but boss is away and I'm running the show for a week so can't get any time off :(

It'll be 105db I've yet to do a quiet day at Oulton in 5 years, if you're worried you have a few options, they test one the first session only (usually) so either miss the first session and then ignore them when you go through they'll assume you've already been tested ;) or when they ask you to rev it to x revs only rev to around 3K as they're behind you with the noise meter they can't see the rev counter..

Thanks, Jon. With the boss being away, I'd have thought it would be the perfect opportunity to skive.

Seriously, though, thanks for the advice. Do they have any noise metering on the track, like on the start-finish line? Do the "noise police go home" after the first session, or do they monitor the track all day.

At Croft last Monday, I was OK but suspect it's because the exhaust exit faces away from the pit wall. At Oulton it's the opposite.

Ah not the boss as in Claire, but the real boss in the office here unfortunately

There's no static noise testing like say Donington, it's all done in the holding area within the paddock, they do hang around for a bit if they know someone's failed and they're trying to botch something up to get them through but like I said the last 2 days I've done there it's been wet in the morning so I've missed the first session and just cruised by them without hesitation so I am guessing they assume I've been tested already.

Also there's no track side noise testing full stop at Oulton.

That should work then, cheers, Jon.

Not seen the noise police out on track as it were at Oulton or similar setup to Donny with a mike on the start finish straight.

Must admit the noise mularkey can be a bit of a lottery all sorts of factors outside yer control can affect the reading, proximity of buildings, background noise.

Who does the test? Circuit staff or local environmental bods from the council.

The MSA used to employ Noise officials who knew their stuff and had set guidelines to work to regarding the test, i.e. open area for so many metres around the test area, standard distance and angle from the exhaust outlet for noise meter to be held and so on but this was just for a static test.


A "drive by" test is a different ball game but only Donny and Goodwood are set up for this AFAIK. Other circuits rely on the MK1 ear drum out on the circuit to decide if a static test is called for if noise is a concern.

Ray.

Does anyone know if Oulton has a track side timing beacon, which side it's on, and whether they usually leave it on for trackdays? Cheers.

Pass.... I think there is but as I haven't got a laptimer etc I really don't know

Results from yesterday
 

Had a great time at Oulton and it stayed dry all day until the very end. There were some damp patches in the morning, but since I had Dunlop KR364 tyres on, I wasn't worried in the slightest.

I was last out for my first session due to setting up and kitting up. This proved a blessing (well somewhat at least) since it meant they would noise test me later. Bike again went very well and new softer fork springs made a big difference. Static sag was now correct and rebound damping was actually working now!

Got noise testing at beginning of second session and when asked to hold 5000 RPM, I held about 3500. This got me through and back out on track. However, after about 6 laps towards the end of the session, I was black flagged for excessive noise. This time, they were insistent on holding correct RPM and the meter showed 112 dB! Ouch!

The only thing to do was to fashion an impromptu noise baffle using a red bull can and jubilee clips. Off to another noise test which I passed at 101 dB. Out for another session and the can only lasted about 2 laps before if was blasted off. The bike ran like shiite with the baffle on. I finished the session but was cruising by the pitlane to keeep any hope alive of not getting black flagged again.

Next session, I used the same tactics but was pulled aside at the end of the session and was made aware of the fact the noise baffle had fallen off. That was the end of the day for me, sadly, and I didn't go out after lunch even after several discussions with the official, who wouldn't have any of it.

Fair enough, I suppose. Apparently, one could pin point my bike all the way around the track when stood in the paddock. I wasn't that gutted because the second test day for the new bike went very well and its performance is very, very promising even with the standard engine. As usual, there are a few things to sort, but only minor things, well except for the exhaust which needs a bit more "noise cancellation technology".;)

Good to hear the developement is going well and I look forward to seeing the bike up close, shame about the noise police but I suppose 112dB is a bit excessive.
Maybe for trackdays a Exup valve is needed in the exhaust connected to choke like lever on the bars

I understood it that as part and parcel of it being a track day there could be no timing allowed for insurance purposes.....:confused:

And your point is...??

And there is a difference between timing yourself to see if you can just go faster and faster, and timing yourself to see how changes to the bike (gearing/tyres/suspension/fuel loads etc) have effected things. The first option does mean trying to ride flat out the second requires the rider to be consistant in what they are doing.
This is why a lot of race teams in various forms of motorsport have test riders/drivers that are not as fast as those doing the racing.
Sadly there seems to be less race practice days around now than a few years ago with many of those days now been run as trackdays.

I have raced at Oulton twice now, once in 1998 when there was a practice day there on the Friday with racing on the Saturday and the second time was this year with the racing again on a Saturday but the Friday was a car trackday.
Its not that easy to set a bike up for Oulton by going to a ACU Wednesday afternoon practice at Mallory or a Friday track practice at Pembrey.

Shortly before the noise police nabbed me...

Just needs painting in Loud colours now so the Taste Police can nab you

Well you kind of got away with the noise issue although I guess 112db is pushing the boundaries a tad, I'd forgotten all about it sorry and it was a slow day in the office to boot :(

Paint is still near the bottom of the list. :lol: A few other things to sort first. I think it needs a bigger rad as it was running quite hot. Oh, and the exhaust needs quieting down bit. ;)

Before JPM says it, a calender works well for me:lol:

Works well for me on the road Shaun too ;)