Well, maybe that's not the right place as it's not about the SDR, but then again maybe it is...

Last wk, i had my first ever race, not on the SDR though.
I raced the RC8

In the first place, i wanted to try the SDR, but i wanted to service my shock first and i did not have the time.

So, i went for the RC that was race ready

I 've only rode the RC on track a month ago and was really impressed by how easy it is to ride. The power difference is significant compared to the SDR, but still it is really easy and comfy to ride on track.

Best personal lap time on our local track (on the SDR) was 1:32,05.
After 2 days on the RC, where i have to say i was a bit conservative, best lap was 1:33,1. Not bad actually considering i 've never rode a Superbike before on track.

To cut the long story short, on Saturday, i had some problems getting the correct temperature on my tyres (Superbike slicks), but hopefully by the evening, i had it worked out.

On Sunday morning we had the qualifying session. From a Saturday low of 1:33,2, wearing a fresh pair of slicks, i got a flying 1:29,7 on the RC.

I 've always thought that the RC would be a difficult bike to ride compared to the SDR, but that is sooo untrue. The bike is awesome and it's easily compared to the rideability of the SuperDuke.

...

Hey - thats the way

How did the race go ?

any pics from the race ?

Well, once i achieved the 1:29, i ended my qualification session in order to save the tyres from wearing and myself as well. That was just a friendly club race, so that lap time got me 2nd on the grid, which was more than enough for me.

Waiting for the race to come, i tried to set my strategy plan. Reading through the free practice and qualifying numbers, we identified my competitors.
I only wanted to be able to keep an eye on the guy who was first on the grid and stay there until 5-6 laps before the end of the race. Then i would try to pass...

So, we lined up at the grid...

Thats a great picture and with you in "almost" pole position, well done

Where is your umbrella lady ?? - look like the pole position guy have it sorted out pretty well - but number 5 is a little funny - a semi nacked guy in leathers as umbrella guy

I guess its hot in Greece now ?

result to come in next post I guess ??????????

Everything was perfect, but there was one thing we forgot to test.
I am not at all experienced in drag races. To be frank, i 've never tried to get a good launch of my RC. If it was the SDR, i would be far more familiar, but the RC gives you a good wheelie every time you open the throttle....

So, by the time the lights went off, i opened the throttle, let the clutch go, but it seems that that was a bit too harsh... or i do not know what... All i know is that the bike did not start and went off.

That got me turning at K1 almost last

very sweet bike.... great job.

Totally frustrated i set off chasing almost everybody...

First 3 laps i was trying to put my pieces back together, stuck behind slower riders. But then hopefully, i found a good pace and started overtaking

By entering the final lap, i could only see 4 riders in front of me. The first one in front was 2 sec away based on the results i got later on...

I was already in a race mode and have developed a pace i am now scared of even recalling it... I was entering corners faster than i have ever done again, being far from gentle and still the bike felt perfectly stable...

That is a photo taken some corners before the end of the race...

Aaauuuch - thats pretty dangerous to have a stalled engine in the front row of a race start

Glad that nothing happend except for your pride to take a hit

You are looking good at the picture ! can see that you found the full attack mode. !!

Tell us more - what was your final result, what was the laptimes ?

3 corners before the end i close my eyes, say all my prayers and dive into one of the quickest corners of the track carrying around 165 km/h and feeling the bike down to its limits in terms of lean angle (far away from the riders limits... ). Overtaking a gixxer 750 round the outside and managing to keep the rubber side up, i chase the last guy, the R1 seen above...

Hitting the apex of the last turn i was just behind him and opened the throttle as quickly as i could... Helmet was touching the tank and i was just peeping to see if the R1 is going to open up... Hopefully the RC worked perfectly and embarrassed the R1 overtaking it just before the end of teh race. It must have been 30cm or smt like that

I was sooooo happy... Leaving the start out of the picture, my first race was quite a blast and i enjoyed it to the max...

It was only when i returned to the pits, that i realised i finished second

So that was the first of the RC and it got a podium finish !!!

Shame about the start Leonidas but at least you had a good run once going and pictures look good.

There's always next time.

Spoke too soon, you posted at the same time.

That's an excellent effort, top notch, imagine if you'd got a good start too and rode like that, but then I guess if you'd had a good start then perhaps you wouldn't have pushed as hard, trick now is to keep that pace going and be comfortable with it.

I know that here we love our SuperDukes,

but i 've got to dedicate this one to the RC8.

Leo - what a fantastic story. Thanks for sharing.

Maybe (as Twisted also is saying) you actually got a better race because of your bad start ??? - its a completely different race starting from behind and "eat" the others one by one compared to defend your 1st or 2nd position.

You look really good and fast on the last picture !! - could be fun to race together some day - but unfortunately not realistic with 4000 km apart

What will happend to your sad SDR now ? (I guess, just like me your love affair is over ?). And a new one have begin, ha ha

have nice day Leo !!

Temperature was around 34 C... Hopefully lower than the 36C of Saturday...

My umbrella girl left me as she had an invitation to join the pace car. It was her chance to have an inside look at all those K's she has been listening to for such a long time...

Well, i think that if i had a decent start, i would have a great race chasing the guy in front. His lap times at the first rounds were quite fast and i think that we would both improve our lap times playing cat and mouse.