Went to angelsey
SUPERDAN IS MY HERO
Went to Dans place
SUPERDAN IS MY HERO
went to cadwell
SUPERDAN IS MY HERO
Went up to Angelsey friday night with Nicky and Tom, didn't have a place for saturdays trackday with No Limits but thought it was worth a shot.
Woke saturday morning to a cold dry track but the sun was rising and the temp was picking up.Went to registration and was top of the reserve list. Nicky had overheard some guy saying his bike wouldn't start and wasn't sure what to do. I gave him my number and told him to ring if he couldn't get it going.
While watching the third session, I got the call I was praying for! and got sorted in time to get on track at the beginning of the 2nd session I was in inters which I was happy with as I started in inters at Cadwell.
Went out a little steady at first, my little off at Cadwell last monday has made me very wary of making sure tyres are warm! with 2-3 laps done the tyres were getting heat in them and I was able to get both knees down before the end of my first session, my lines were good and I was buzzing.
I've been having problems with my battery since I left my bike in the garage for 3 months !, I was having to jump start it off the van all day, I should have bought a new one but instead decided to go for charging mine. The fancy new Snap-on battery charger my bro just bought is supposed to restore dead batteries and while the display said it had worked it's magic, it plainly hadn't. As I was already booked at Cadwell for the monday I rang Superdan and asked a wee favour, could I borrow his battery for monday to save all the faffing about with jumpleads. I had also by this time lost half a session that was red flagged, my bike stalled in the pits and wouldn't restart. Superdan very kindly agreed and I said I'd call in on sunday eve on route to Cadwell.
The temperature was still rising slowly, sessions were going well and I was able to get more confident passing people, I always want to leave loads of room and the wide circuit at Angelsey afforded this. In the last 2 sessions I was only overtaken by 3 and 2 bikes respectively and they were flying!!. The session was red flagged (an all to frequent occurrence at this trackday ) and we returned to pit lane. after a short wait we were off, but before I even made it to the end of pitt lane a horrible "clackety clackety clack" noise came from the engine, clutch in noise stops, clutch out its there. I switch the engine off and push it back to my van. Clutch cover off and its not looking good, 2 of the clutch spring bolts have come off and made right mess, cracking the outer clutch casing and mangling the clutch pressure plate. Day over for me but I'm only missing the last 10 mins of last session so I can cope with that. But what am I gonna do about Cadwell on monday.....
I rang superdan again asking a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGE favour. Could I rape his bike for parts, "yeah mate no worries" !! ! I was astounded at his generosity.
We camped at Angelsey again sat night after some beers. Sunday Morning I drive to Portishead to drop of Nicky and Tom (who both had good days, but I'm self involved and want to talk about me !). Then turn straight around and drive up to Superdans place. I arrived there just after 9pm. Dan had very kindly striped his bike of the parts and had them waiting for me, I set to work in the back of the van and with Superdans help it was all up and running, oil changed, screens cleaned inside 2 hrs. Dans generosity continued, offering me tea, toast, beer and the spare bed for the night!
I awoke Monday morning to a horrible sound, no it can't be, nooooo...... RAIN . More tea and toast and I got on my way and was at cadwell before 8 am. Got signed in, fast was all that was available which to be honest I was wary of. I only have Mich pilot power tyres on my bike and while they are pretty good, They had loads of excess rubber balled up on them from Angelsey.
Went out at the back of the fast group, very carefully at first but gradually picking up. I was getting a full on tank slapper at about 100MPH (no speedo so not sure) along the start finish straight, caused by water across the track.
I returned to the pits happy to have got around in one piece. I checked my tyres and noticed I had cleaned most the loose rubber off them which I was surprised about.
It was in the pit lane for the 2nd session I noticed EVERY other bike in my group was on wets ! none the less I started picking up a bit more speed but was still being overtaken by most people and I figured I may as well us the slower pace to really start to use the markers, I was also trying out the mountain in the rain, not sure if my rear was cooked but every time I gave it a bit over the mountain I'd loose the back end. Must have looked awesome one time as I ended up wheelieing over the mountain sideways, crossed up and while I'd like to say it was skill to do that I'd be lying. I didn't repeat the trick ! !.
In the fourth session after my customary wobble on the start finish straight as I turned into the uphill left hander, the bike felt weird. "no, you'r imagining it" I told my self, dropped the pace just a little on the right hander and realised "There is definitely something wrong with this bike". I went down to snails pace and raised my left hand in the air to warn others, a quick look around showed the rear tyre was flat! I nursed to an escape lane. Back at the van I could see the problem
I fitted my other rear wheel which had a new mich on and was thank full I didn't pay £245 for the wets offered by the tyre guy I would have been savage if that had happened top a new wet rear!, I was out in time for the next session. Still working on lines and picking up speed, couple of small slides bedding the tyre in but nothing to worry too much about, at the end of the session my tyre looked like this
I was pretty pleased with that much lean angle in the wet especially as I'd been hanging off the bike to keep it more upright.
I went out for one more session but it was still raining (as it had all day) I made the most of it but decided it should be my last, my fingers were freezingly painfull by the time I got back to pit lane. So the bike went back in the van and I set off home, via Nickys for a curry !
A good weekend away all in all, thanks in no small part to Superdan. Top bloke, my hero {swoon}.
