Buell Experience - my mutterings
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 11:17 am
First of all, what a right cracking day! I started out a little nervous, I am a relative noob to bikes and this was my first trackday.
So, I arrive and was welcomed by the Buell girls who were V helpful, made me feel welcome and presented with a wrist band and a lunch voucher followed by a few forms to fill in. 5 mins later I am enjoying lunch in the Cadwell canteen.
A small group of us are called over (about 15 all in) and we are split into two groups, the first get their briefing and away they go to have a 20 min session at "sighting speeds" this allowed those who have never been on circuit to find out where it goes, and most of all where someone will be in the event you bin it we watched on as the first group went round on a drying track, I was starting to get a tad giddy in readiness for our session.
In they came and it was out turn for the briefing, concise and to the point, all aspects relating to having a good time safely. Right, lid on, gloves on, errr how do you start this wombles thing? the key is hidden round the side of the clocks right where you wouldn't look finally got the thing going and it rattled and farted like a good un, 3K rpm and things seemed to wobble less, we are out the trap and away, me grinning like a stupid man but with my concentrating head on. I took it nice n easy on the first few laps before whacking the throttle open down the start finish straight, I think I touched 100 before backing off for copice. My first time on a naked bike and I felt wind battered, round the back of the circuit and down through the gooseneck, yours truly was having a reet ol laugh! i was quite surprised how well they handled.
In we came, swapped bikes and back out for another session, confidence growing, skill not growing, I managed to up the pace somewhat and tip it into the corners are a decent rate.
We were ushered over to the off road section where we took a 10 min journt over the grass and through some shitty surfaces, riding stood up on the pegs took some getting used to especially with the back end sliding round like a good un, I manage to get round the course without any mishaps and was quite surpriese how well it did, I certainly would not have managed it on the firestorm without the odd fall.
Next was a quick blast round the roads of Cadwell, nothing silly but a chance to feel how they performed on road, it was clear to me how shite my firestorm front end feels compared to these bikes, relatively happy we came back in for the cones slow speed session, perfectly demonstrated by the instructor, we all think, yeah we can manage it, first guy out, drops it going over the raised section, bent brake lever and bike swap later we all had a go, and a laugh at each other as we all fail miserably. One bloke had about 4 dabs whichwas the best of the day.
Finally we had a go out on the track again, this time on the new 1125, this was more up my street compared to the naked's we had been on earlier. Off we go and down the start/finish, I top 125 before braking for copice, this feels more planted than the naked bikes and has far more feel than the storm through the bends, up through park straight I hit the limiter in 4th and 5th before hard on the front end, tip it in and steady round chris curve and down through the gooseneck, I'm feeling confident and start to push a little harder, getting the completely wrong line into the mountain, I nearly ended up on the grass but managed to sort mi'sen out. Head down butt up, I managed to string together a good set of laps, managed to pass a few folk and was scared half to death when former BSB rider Matt Lewellyn came past me at warp factor 10 into the chicane before the mountain.
In we came, de-biref and a chance to buy some pics of the day, yours truly knackerdbut chuffed to bits.
Roll on Spain in November for 4 more trackdays, this time on my own steed.
Some pics http://www.flickr.com/photos/adycooney/ ... 5731/show/
So, I arrive and was welcomed by the Buell girls who were V helpful, made me feel welcome and presented with a wrist band and a lunch voucher followed by a few forms to fill in. 5 mins later I am enjoying lunch in the Cadwell canteen.
A small group of us are called over (about 15 all in) and we are split into two groups, the first get their briefing and away they go to have a 20 min session at "sighting speeds" this allowed those who have never been on circuit to find out where it goes, and most of all where someone will be in the event you bin it we watched on as the first group went round on a drying track, I was starting to get a tad giddy in readiness for our session.
In they came and it was out turn for the briefing, concise and to the point, all aspects relating to having a good time safely. Right, lid on, gloves on, errr how do you start this wombles thing? the key is hidden round the side of the clocks right where you wouldn't look finally got the thing going and it rattled and farted like a good un, 3K rpm and things seemed to wobble less, we are out the trap and away, me grinning like a stupid man but with my concentrating head on. I took it nice n easy on the first few laps before whacking the throttle open down the start finish straight, I think I touched 100 before backing off for copice. My first time on a naked bike and I felt wind battered, round the back of the circuit and down through the gooseneck, yours truly was having a reet ol laugh! i was quite surprised how well they handled.
In we came, swapped bikes and back out for another session, confidence growing, skill not growing, I managed to up the pace somewhat and tip it into the corners are a decent rate.
We were ushered over to the off road section where we took a 10 min journt over the grass and through some shitty surfaces, riding stood up on the pegs took some getting used to especially with the back end sliding round like a good un, I manage to get round the course without any mishaps and was quite surpriese how well it did, I certainly would not have managed it on the firestorm without the odd fall.
Next was a quick blast round the roads of Cadwell, nothing silly but a chance to feel how they performed on road, it was clear to me how shite my firestorm front end feels compared to these bikes, relatively happy we came back in for the cones slow speed session, perfectly demonstrated by the instructor, we all think, yeah we can manage it, first guy out, drops it going over the raised section, bent brake lever and bike swap later we all had a go, and a laugh at each other as we all fail miserably. One bloke had about 4 dabs whichwas the best of the day.
Finally we had a go out on the track again, this time on the new 1125, this was more up my street compared to the naked's we had been on earlier. Off we go and down the start/finish, I top 125 before braking for copice, this feels more planted than the naked bikes and has far more feel than the storm through the bends, up through park straight I hit the limiter in 4th and 5th before hard on the front end, tip it in and steady round chris curve and down through the gooseneck, I'm feeling confident and start to push a little harder, getting the completely wrong line into the mountain, I nearly ended up on the grass but managed to sort mi'sen out. Head down butt up, I managed to string together a good set of laps, managed to pass a few folk and was scared half to death when former BSB rider Matt Lewellyn came past me at warp factor 10 into the chicane before the mountain.
In we came, de-biref and a chance to buy some pics of the day, yours truly knackerdbut chuffed to bits.
Roll on Spain in November for 4 more trackdays, this time on my own steed.
Some pics http://www.flickr.com/photos/adycooney/ ... 5731/show/
.
Sounds like you had a cracking time.
Dont know what they're missing. Totally different to most big Jap 1000's-but great fun!