Any interst fellas?

Haven't been there for a few years but recall fairly sketchy tarmac surface on north bend. Do you know if they've done any work on that or is it still crumbling away?

I don't think the track surface has been redone for years.
There are repairs in places but it's not bad, better than Mallory was for sure.

The thing about it is, while the surface rides nice and smooth, it's a heavily pitted tarmac. So when they run rally x etc the dirt sits "IN" the surface. I can remember following stupid Luke on a warm up lap on a nice dry morning and it looked like he was throwing up water - it was dirt from the surface.

Given that the grip can be a little unpredictable - especially off line and in the morning, and there is so little run off I always try and ride with a bit of extra caution. That has gone outta the window a few times, one day we did there in summer 09 being a case - I was on it all day.

Tempted to take the 520 down

Any late takers for the warmest Saturday of the year so far?

very very tempting Pete. Trying to save pennies though so I'll have to pass

Didn't manage to get the bike sorted, but maybe the next one.
It looks like it's going to be a nice day for it too!

I'm in Canterbury so 10 mins away but bike is poorly

Anyway my hands would get cold: Twisted Jester hasnt bought any more gloves yet

Luke, those 2 blokes on the trumpets have a bit of bike repair to do.

Fuller report later.

I spoke to Richard, one of the trumpet riders, apparently the other guy, also Pete, let's call him TrumPete, ended up with 3 broken bones although bike not too bad apparently, race fairings so just bit of fibreglass repair and the usual footrest, and lever issues.

He was saying the guy that t-boned TrumPete came over with some guy shouting his mouth off that he was an independant witness to the Lydden guys Richard was talking to and then proceeded to say, my mate tim here showed him a wheel, yeah, really independant, there was an exchange of words about that and even when another actual independant witness came over the guy still denied it was his fault, even after he was told nobody was suing anybody for it he still wouldn't man up and admit his mistake.

From what I understand the guy drove straight into the side of TrumPete at the left hander, if he was as he said actually showing him a wheel then how the hell would anyone be able to get their bike from alongside him with visibility of his front wheel to sideways on in front of his wheel.

Of course I wasn't actually there, just my pereception on the information I have.

Richards bike just a new crash bung, footrest and lever, although a couple of the regular guys still remember the last time he was there with me and we both crashed TrumPetes bike so there was some ribbing for that one.

He said you were really flying Pete.

The following report was typed today in the office, without seeing TJ's post above. The Triumph crash doesn't really match up!

Arrived about 0745 and found the paddock to be fairly empty.
They decided to run 3 not 4 groups and go with 20 minutes sessions.

While I was getting sorted out Bob Collins came up and said hello. I’d not seen Bob in the flesh for a few years although I’d been on the phone to him at FWR tyres a few times. Bob won the National superstock cup a few years ago on a FWR entered GSXR1000, he always loved to show off so I thought the day would be entertaining.

Briefing was brief, and with the sun already out we started promptly with us fast groupers at 0900Hrs.

I had endured another very shitty night’s sleep and didn’t push very hard at all at the start of the day. The pattern for the day was pretty much set in that session. Pass several riders in the first 5 laps or so and then riding round on my own, slowly gaining on guys ahead with Bob and another 2 guys who were really rapid coming past sometime in the session. There were a few guys I was lapping.

Bob came past into the top hairpin backing it in and leaving a huge darkie which made me smile.

Sometime in the morning I managed to fook up big time. During my getting ready process I got distracted and I somehow ended up starting to ride off with my rear tyre warmer! I knew I was tired!

I stopped and removed the item and went straight out. On my return I found the cable had been yanked out the top and there was a small rupture in the fabric at the top of the element. That was thrown in the car and I put my spare on. The damaged one is up at HWW now being repaired.

Although there was a lot of loose shit being thrown up from tyres – especially in the early sessions, grip was pretty good. The few damp patches that started the day were gone completely by the 3rd session. The most annoying thing riding wise was I found I was struggling to turn the throttle right to the stop while still off the right side of the bike coming out from the Drift session of the circuit. (The long right hander at the far end.) I ended up over gripping to try and sort it out.
I think the quick action throttle cam isn’t quick enough!

I’d decided the 6th session at 1500 would be my last of the day. This was stopped after 7 minutes when a black Triumph binned it about half way ‘round the drift. I suspect he’d gone over the crest there cranked over and lost the front – I’m always careful to keep the bike balanced with the throttle over that crest.

After 5 minutes we were back out. The restart lasted only 3 laps though. The red flag was raised as I entered the drift and after backing off I emerged from the other side to find another rider and a mainly yellow triumph on the grass on the outside about half way up to the lefthander.

I’m not 100% sure what happened but did overhear a story that he got caught up in 2 other riders incident. It sounded as though 1 had been on a wide line out of the drift and another had been on a tight line. Of course these lines cross at the exit and they had touched. Triumph man was behind and had to take avoiding action. The bike was wankered.

Earlier in the day I’d been on a tighter line there and realised the rider I was about to drive underneath couldn’t see me. I’d decided to roll off a bit. Seeing the carnage after this crash I was glad I did.

I packed up and was at home for tea nice and early.
I caught the sun on my face and head while relaxing in my comfortable chair.
Altogether a nice little day, apart from the tyre warmer thing that added to the expense.

Obviously the bike wasn't as bad as it looked once he'd washed all the crap off of it.

He said there was a guy there that was superfast and just having fun with it that must have been your mate bob.

I think you might have got your bike colours mixed up, Richard rides a yellow triumph and binned it at chessums where you said followed later in the session by the incident with trumpete on the left hander, but tbh I don't know what colours pete was running as he's got more than one bike and fairings.

As for the tirewarmers that's exactly the kind of thing I would do and then curse repeatedly, at least they're HWWs so you know they'll be repaired properly.

How was your bike though, you must be pretty familiar with lydden so I was figuring it's a good place for you to bench mark it.

Do you know I was thinking the same about the throttle last year as to whether the next cam up might actually be an option, I think it might have been millar that also had the quicker 025 cam with his throttle, might be worth sending him a message to see if he used it in the end, you have to cut/dremel out the plastic tabs on the inside of the throttle housing to make it fit but that's all that's required.

I think the 050 cams we have reduce turn by 10% or something and the 025 was maybe double that.