Post by x27 on Feb 25, 2009 6:45:01 GMT -5
I hope you guys enjoyed your weekend fundays, yep I missed the Frasers test thingy, I missed the EC track day and I missed out on vengeance on the Ivan the Terrible ride.
Where was I you might ask?
Well I went to Phillip Island for a combined Family holiday and 2 back to back track days in the middle of the combined WSS/WSBK test.
Phillip Island is a wonderful place in February, not to many people, can be hot one day cool the next.
Seal, penguins and all sorts of native wildlife to keep the kids happy.....actually missed the penguins but hey WTF....right.
So I might have missed the good stuff here, I did get two outstanding track days at Phillip Island. The WSS/WSBK teams were testing, When I arrived at Smiths Beach on a Tuesday, I could hear bikes on the track so I unloaded the 1098S and headed down the road 2 minutes and low and behold there was a test session on. I had know idea. So the big day arrives and get to the track find my reserved garage is next to the factory kawasaki team, some of whom I'd met the night before in Cowes, they recognised me and Invited/let me in to check it the scene, what can i say...Impressive. Next to the Kawasaki team were the Apriller Team, A guy I was with for the track day crashed in the first session of the first day, the Apriler team thought the RVF400 was an RC45 so they hung out in our pit for 2 days checking it out before the were told it wasn't a RC45.
Pirelli were there as expected, I met one of the tyre fitters whom Invited me down to there garage, I got to see them fit the 16.5' tyres to rims, a fully fitted font felt like it weighed in at 2kg.....very light.
The teams have about 6 fronts and 6 rears, about $30k worth in rims alone...probably more?
One of Stiggy's bikes was stripped to the frame with the forks and all the electronic sensors and TC dash combo it was worth about $70k in electronics and suspension alone.
I had a good conversation with all the riders I met, even Davido Tardozzi was willing to talk which surprised me. The best part of the track day was when I was talking to David Tardozzi I had to leave to do session on track. So I asked if i could park my bike infront of his pit and take a photo, he generously agreed. After the session I pulled up to the Ducati Corse Garage, David was observing his crew rebuild the F09's. He saw me pull up and came out for the photo, I didnt want to jerk him around so i had my camera in my leathers ready to go, Instead of lining up for the photo Tardozzi stralls out to my bike and starts to inspect it, I couldent believe it, Tardozzi was actually checking out my bike? He stuck a finger into the hot front slick testing it i guess, he put his hands on the grips and squeezed them seeing if the tie wire was tight enough or the softness of the grips, he moved around to the right of the bike to sus out the clutch and the Termi race system. He moved around to the back and checked out the rear slick, stuck another fingernail into that, has another look at the Termi end cans. Then he move to the left side if the bike going over it all before giving me the “nod” and say “good” with a smile.
I could have died right there, it was a surreal trip. Then he called out the girl working on Nori's bike to take the photo. I still cant believe It, Ill never ever forget that.
Just as cool was earlier in the day when I was heading out for a session, I was riding down pit lane to line up with all the other rider in my group when coincidently the Ducati Corse team had arrived and were setting up. They opened the pit garage doors as I was riding by, about 4 or 5 of them seen me and all cheered as I rode by, I seen them open the door but wasnt paying any attention as I was speeding up and slowing down to warm up the brakes, I realised they were cheering my so I stopped the bike, put my hands up and cheered back, that made everyone laugh, the best part was that there were all of the jap bike riders in the group were lining up to be let out on track seen it go down, that was SWEET. I didnt see Honda or Suzuki cheering there patrons.
And the track OMG the track is awsome, EC is nuts compared to Phillip Island. Its very flowing, easy to go fast cus of the nature of the tack. I had soooo much fun, my best lap was a 1:48, that came from following a faster dude on a gsxr1000. Apperantly Steve Martin was on track hired by A D16RR owner for coaching. I was run off track by a D16RR rider at MG, The D16RR rider came into MG way too hot and went long sending me onto the rumble strip as he went by, at the time I noticed it was a different set of leatghers on the Desmo than before, maybe I was shafted by Steve Martin himself???
I was looking for him on both days for a photo but i never came across him.
What a fantastic time, The wife kids had a ball as well, cant wait to do it again, I hope the WSBK calender doesn't change nor the PI ride days, cus the family and i want to go back next year and do it all over again
Where was I you might ask?
Well I went to Phillip Island for a combined Family holiday and 2 back to back track days in the middle of the combined WSS/WSBK test.Phillip Island is a wonderful place in February, not to many people, can be hot one day cool the next.
Seal, penguins and all sorts of native wildlife to keep the kids happy.....actually missed the penguins but hey WTF....right.
So I might have missed the good stuff here, I did get two outstanding track days at Phillip Island. The WSS/WSBK teams were testing, When I arrived at Smiths Beach on a Tuesday, I could hear bikes on the track so I unloaded the 1098S and headed down the road 2 minutes and low and behold there was a test session on. I had know idea. So the big day arrives and get to the track find my reserved garage is next to the factory kawasaki team, some of whom I'd met the night before in Cowes, they recognised me and Invited/let me in to check it the scene, what can i say...Impressive. Next to the Kawasaki team were the Apriller Team, A guy I was with for the track day crashed in the first session of the first day, the Apriler team thought the RVF400 was an RC45 so they hung out in our pit for 2 days checking it out before the were told it wasn't a RC45.
Pirelli were there as expected, I met one of the tyre fitters whom Invited me down to there garage, I got to see them fit the 16.5' tyres to rims, a fully fitted font felt like it weighed in at 2kg.....very light.
The teams have about 6 fronts and 6 rears, about $30k worth in rims alone...probably more?
One of Stiggy's bikes was stripped to the frame with the forks and all the electronic sensors and TC dash combo it was worth about $70k in electronics and suspension alone.
I had a good conversation with all the riders I met, even Davido Tardozzi was willing to talk which surprised me. The best part of the track day was when I was talking to David Tardozzi I had to leave to do session on track. So I asked if i could park my bike infront of his pit and take a photo, he generously agreed. After the session I pulled up to the Ducati Corse Garage, David was observing his crew rebuild the F09's. He saw me pull up and came out for the photo, I didnt want to jerk him around so i had my camera in my leathers ready to go, Instead of lining up for the photo Tardozzi stralls out to my bike and starts to inspect it, I couldent believe it, Tardozzi was actually checking out my bike?
He stuck a finger into the hot front slick testing it i guess, he put his hands on the grips and squeezed them seeing if the tie wire was tight enough or the softness of the grips, he moved around to the right of the bike to sus out the clutch and the Termi race system. He moved around to the back and checked out the rear slick, stuck another fingernail into that, has another look at the Termi end cans. Then he move to the left side if the bike going over it all before giving me the “nod” and say “good” with a smile.I could have died right there, it was a surreal trip. Then he called out the girl working on Nori's bike to take the photo. I still cant believe It, Ill never ever forget that.
Just as cool was earlier in the day when I was heading out for a session, I was riding down pit lane to line up with all the other rider in my group when coincidently the Ducati Corse team had arrived and were setting up. They opened the pit garage doors as I was riding by, about 4 or 5 of them seen me and all cheered as I rode by, I seen them open the door but wasnt paying any attention as I was speeding up and slowing down to warm up the brakes, I realised they were cheering my so I stopped the bike, put my hands up and cheered back, that made everyone laugh, the best part was that there were all of the jap bike riders in the group were lining up to be let out on track seen it go down, that was SWEET. I didnt see Honda or Suzuki cheering there patrons.
And the track OMG the track is awsome, EC is nuts compared to Phillip Island. Its very flowing, easy to go fast cus of the nature of the tack. I had soooo much fun, my best lap was a 1:48, that came from following a faster dude on a gsxr1000. Apperantly Steve Martin was on track hired by A D16RR owner for coaching. I was run off track by a D16RR rider at MG, The D16RR rider came into MG way too hot and went long sending me onto the rumble strip as he went by, at the time I noticed it was a different set of leatghers on the Desmo than before, maybe I was shafted by Steve Martin himself???
I was looking for him on both days for a photo but i never came across him.
What a fantastic time, The wife kids had a ball as well, cant wait to do it again, I hope the WSBK calender doesn't change nor the PI ride days, cus the family and i want to go back next year and do it all over again
, adds to the clubs credibillity I reckon...and that you raced is just as good