Did my first ever track day at Donington on Wednesday. Despite the constant days of rain before Wednesday, God must ride a Firestorm because the rain held of until halfway through session 7 and ensured that I slowed down.
I had felt a little intimidated initially with everyone else on much more sporting tackle, but the Storm more than held its own and I was circulating faster than most in the Intermediate group. The main area where I seemed to make up most ground was on the brakes. It was also easier to get on the power earlier on the Storm than most were managing which helped to make up for the speed defecit down the straights.
Great fun and no where near as scary as I had anticipated. I managed to lock the front up once and spin the back while banked over in Mcleans. These were both buttock clenching moments but not too dramatic and didn't threaten a visit to the kitty litter.
The Storm performed really well and I am sure a few of the R1, GSXR, 996 pilots must have questioned why they had spent so much on race replicas when a standard Firestorm with mirrors, indicators and numberplate was easily passing them.
The only glitch was a missfire which developed on the way out of the Melbourne Hairpin. It seemed to be a fuel starvation problem. This was the only place on the track that it happened and I thought it might have been caused by the float bowls being empty after the flat out blast down the straight and then the G force of the extreme braking forcing one of the floats up and not allowing enough fuel into the bowl. 20 yards after the hairpin and it would be sweet again. If there was traffic that stopped me braking so late the problem would not occur. Has anyone else come across this before ?
I have booked my next trackday at Donington on July 21 if any other Stormers fancy a blast.
Track Day
Track Day
My mate did a track day at Donnington, I went along to watch and it looked like a good laugh (even though he binned his GSXR). I need to sort my poorly Storm out before I can think about a track day (See flat spot post...Help). By the way I also live in Loughborough so we could maybe gether and go for a scrath. 
Where is the fabled Del when I need him?????
Don't bike problems just do your head in!
Did anyone go to BMF at the weekend? It was my first time I went with the lads from work on Sunday afternoon we had a good laugh but it was packed. Some good VTR bits around though.
The weekend is here........................God bless the weekend!
Where is the fabled Del when I need him?????
Don't bike problems just do your head in!Did anyone go to BMF at the weekend? It was my first time I went with the lads from work on Sunday afternoon we had a good laugh but it was packed. Some good VTR bits around though.
The weekend is here........................God bless the weekend!
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Stormin Ben
- Posts: 1234
- Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2002 12:23 am
- Location: Birmingham
Track day
Hi Loopy did my 2nd track day at Dono on thursday, God wasn't riding a storm that day mate the rain god might have been. We still had a fabulous day some dry sessions, some damp and yes some wet. It's amazing what you can do in the wet though. I have also started hitting false neutrals between gears 4,5 &6, any ideas boys? Sounds a similar day to what i had Loopy, getting our asses whipped down the straights by the R1s and gixer thou's but getting our own back on the brakes and corners, and also as you said being able to get the gas on a lot earlier than the 4 pot boys. Nail Mackenzie was on his gixer thou out and about giving people advice and a severe ass kicking on the track, coming down the start finish sraight on the back wheel, fantastic to watch him come past you out on the track!! My mate highsided his ZX7R track bike out of Redgate, Not good!! First bin in 17 years of riding, not a happy bear, pride dented more than bike i think. Anyway i'm now debating selling the storm as the girlfriend is going from a 20k a year job into nursing, so finances will be tight as a ducks ass for the next couple of years, lifes a bitch hey!!
Sorry Mate, working Monday. Maybe we can pick a nice evening now weathers picking up, I work shifts so it can be awkward although it feels good to be out on my bike when everone else is at work and the sun is out.
Got to strip my carbs out as bike is not running properly (flat spot) Del suggested checking Jets, needles and general well being. Have you checked your breather tubes ec as suggested? is your bike standard so I can compare performance
?
Got to strip my carbs out as bike is not running properly (flat spot) Del suggested checking Jets, needles and general well being. Have you checked your breather tubes ec as suggested? is your bike standard so I can compare performance
?
The fix really is as simple as that - Had the same thing myself and the this fixed it.Loopy wrote:Ben. Thanks for that. I will have a look for that post. It would please me if the fix was as simple as that. It sounds like a distinct possibility becasuse itwas only happening under extreme conditions.
Fluxxy. Do you fancy a blast on Monday afternoon? Snake Pass, Cat & Fiddle etc ?
Donny is a good track for the Storm - I could run mine in the top 25% of the fast group even in std trim with some 207GP's fitted.
Happy Days
I could not find the article about the breather tubes but I have had a look on the bike and found the breathers strapped together between the mounting plates. I have seperated them and routed them downwars as suggested. I really will be a happy bunny if it as simple as that to fix!! I wont know until I am back at Donington on July 21, as it has never happend on the road. It was just a slight hesitation after the Fogarty Esses and a bigger hesitation after the Melbourne Hairpin. Unless I ride it like a complete tw*t along the Cat and Fiddle I will never know on the road. Even then, if the hesitation did not occur I would not know if that was because I had fixed it or because the Cat and Fiddle is not like a race track !!(hard to believe I know)
Fluxy. Mine is a bog standard 9000 mile 1999 apart from Scorpion cans on standard jets and of course, re-routed float chamber breather pipes !!! Give me a shout when yours is sorted and we will run them back to back.
Fluxy. Mine is a bog standard 9000 mile 1999 apart from Scorpion cans on standard jets and of course, re-routed float chamber breather pipes !!! Give me a shout when yours is sorted and we will run them back to back.
LOOPY