Spa trackday, Germany write up.. Belgian tour

The ride down was just an epic ball ache, beyond all words. Waterproofs should be set on fire and I now know how a boil in the bag chicken tikka feels. But we made it to Malmedy, mostly dry, mostly tired.

Spa, is massive, as youd expect in guess, but I had forgotten how steep it is.

The day started with rain, lots of rain. So much rain that I bought a set of wets, took an hour awaiting to get them on wheels adnd then fit them again, I was sweating,m hot and it wasn't raining. By the time it was my session it was bone dry. Oh my word, the Super duke is bad bad bad on wets in the dry, handled all over the place. But, Spa as great, really really great. It then stayed dry, sok wheels out again,'back to road rubber, another hour, all good. It then walloped down, proper monsoon! I was very very unhappy!
Anyway, skipped next session of wet and it then dried up for two of the most amazing sessions in existence. Its fast, fast beyond fast, scary, amaziung. Pinning it, nailing it and chasing my mate. Simply epic fun! Managed a 3min 29 lap, which I was happy with.

Long ride to Cochem after track anbd out on beers. Its all a little surreal as I'm writing this, but it seems so long ago it cannot actually be this year.

Next day, we're ouyt on the roads, oh my word, its sweeper after sweeper of track grade tarmac, sweeper, straight, hairpinh, bend, straight, bend. I am working the bike so so hard, limiter, red line and full throtlke everywhere, god its hard work. This continues on and off for the next 7 hours, stopping for fuel and food. I've taken my comfort zone and corner speed to whole new levels and I'm just riding my socks off. The next day is the same, corner after corner after pinned throttle.

Out of time as its breakfast now, then 7 hours more epic riding. The bikes are all working well, the Conti motions are brilliant and I NEED another 50 horse power so so badly it hurts!


next

Getting back on story, the roads round here are glorious, billiard table smooth 90-100mph sweepers, knee kissing the tarmac for hoiurs at a time. Its like being at Cadwell for 50 miles but with mountain views.

I'm finding the bike excellent to ride but its a struggle over 115mph, which seems too arrive on the clocks more often than you may think it would. But, I'm not sure personally I want too be doing much more and that often lol.

Riding with these lads has brought my riding join 100% took a new level, well, an old level I guess, more the 'me' of 10 years back, for that alone I owe them beers! I'm cornering harder, faster and better every time we go out.

yesterday we're doiinbg 90mpoh down the Mosel river and it felt like walking speed. Best thing is, this was in thge rain on drenched roads, hysterical

TSo, a little final update etc.

Spa is just the greatest track ever... the rises, the drops, the speed, the bends, curves and sheer size and history of the place makes it just something that should be on everyones Bucket List.

As for the German roads... well they're as good, smooth, quick and scary as Spa was LOL. We found 2 amazing roads the lads have not seen before on 6 previous trips. They remind me of how i percieve Alpine passes, hairpin, straight, sweeper, tight one, straight, hairpin..... for something like 40km !!!! it's just mind blowing riding that hard and that fast for hours and hours, all bloody day. Every time you make a turn, the next road is better !!! What on earth !! LOL.

Cochem is a lovely riverside town, with generic German foods and remarkably friendly people.

2014 will be a trip to Spa.... Well, assuming i've paid off the wets and the rectifier.

Completely jealous, glad you had fun and made it back safe.

Sounds like you had an awesome trip. I'd love to do something like that.

Spending an hour on the roads on both a Panigale and an RSV4 certainly enrichened the trip too.

We spent a few hours watching racing at the Nurburgring too which was great.

Oh, loads of apple strudel too!

And quite a bit of beer!

I guess i should write a little about the Superduke.

The ride down was an epic ballache on the Superduke, as to an extent was the ride back... it's 3+ hours of pure motorway, pure 100mph wet, dreary and bloody awful motorway... the wind blast only changes if you're RIGHT on the tank... which means the tank-bag has to come off and be fitted to the seat like a tailpack instead. If i end up next year doing this riding and not in a van, then i need the Superduke screen fitting without a doubt.

On the roads around there though the Superduke comes into it's own (for me). Although like all big twins, the 1st gear hairpins are a bit of an indecision, do i take in first... neutral, or 2nd... all are wrong and you end up sometimes in all of them. And boy are the a LOT of hairpins LOL. But it's the 40-70mph corners it loved... the 90-100 ones too... they're just brilliant. You can push yourself and the bike harder and faster and harder... braking later, then later... then later and harder.. Walloping on the power with a massive handful of throttle time and time again, up to the rev limiter time and time again and again, up through the gears... then repeat on the next corner.

If we're being critical and picky, it does wallow a bit, especially when on/off the throttle and sometimes when powering out of a corner, it's a bit of a Bronco bucking away underneath you. But it soon settles.

On track .... Jeez it's good... but DAMN i want some more bhp at times. Although i was seeing 133mph down the back straight on it before braking, i could have easily seen 150 if the bike had a few more ponies pushing it along. Some of the overtakes (Yes, i overtook people.... i know... it's RARE...) were made more difficult by the power differences between the 1000's and the Superduke... But overall... i couldn't have been on a better bike for ME... although it wasn't the most suitable bike for the overall trip i have to admit.

The Rectifier... well, it happens on Superdukes, like it does on many other bikes... but apart from that it performed faultlessly... it was great indeedy.

Pic from Spa to finish off the thread.

Great write up - infectious

So that's what it's like to live, not just exist.

Reading your post from a vicarious perspective has really made my day. Must make it a reality though. I can't wait to do something like this, I really can't.

Glad the trip was safe, the issues encountered justify your commitment and it sounds like it was worth every effort!

Nice one

Coincidentally, I was with a completely different bunch of lads doing Spa and Cochem the same as Weeksy. Mores to the point, we spotted something very rare, a Scouser putting a hand in his pocket and buying a drink. Cheers Weeksy, it tasted very very nice

great write up weeksy , been doing this sort of thing for a few years now and i am also pretty hooked , what was your total milage in the end?

This thread made me even more exciting for my own Spa - Nurburgring trip, thanks!

It's nice to read some details about the SD on Spa from someone else since last year I was the only one on the track with an SD.
What I noticed compared to the bikes in my group (fast group) was the SD's awesome braking towards the apex it made me do and the feel the front gave me as well as grip coming out of corners.

Now you've ridden at Spa, I think you'll agree it's a true 'big balls needed' track especially the awesome Au Rouge


I'll try to do a similar write-up when I get back, we have a little bigger group with around 30 guys/girls and almost the same amount of bikes