So I popped my cherry! Finally got comfortable on the bike at Cadwell but still very green so should have been taking it a little more slowly! Overconfidence at how the bike seemed to take everything I could throw at it finally caught up with me - got a great drive out of Barn for once which meant I hit the end of the main straight a fair bit faster than previously - didn’t quite hit the apex which was essential as I had just banged it down a gear without braking and was doing about 150 - ran out of lean angle, ran out of grip, ran out of talent. Not necessarily in that order!. Left the circuit on my back halfway to Charlies - think I was actually laughing at myself before I came to a halt! I’m fine - the bike got a little battered but the crash protection took most of it - it’s still in the van so need to get it out and inspect it properly. Lock stops are broken - ironically the lock stop protectors I ordered are in the post! Screen is broken and top fairing are a bit bashed about - clock bracket looks bent too. Worst bit I could see at a glance is that the steering damper mounting bolt has broken off in the headstock so that will be a pain to remove. Overall it could have been a lot worse and it was bound to happen sooner or later! Just need to get it sorted for Donington next week!
It’s good that you’re so philosophical about it It’s a fast off there but reasonably safe. Bet you went for miles after the rain. Good you’re in one piece
It had to happen sooner or late like you say. I was chasing a pro along the straight and nearly did what happened to you but I bailed out at the last minute and went grass tracking..... Shit that grass is bumpy Better look at Donny pal
Nice soft grass! - the bike seems to have eaten quite a bit of it - on both sides so at some point it must have flipped over - luckily most of the speed was scrubbed off quickly as I was heading uphill.
I love that corner normally and happily barrel through it at high speed clipping the curb with my knee - never felt so much as a twitch from the bike. I think the extra speed meant my line was off - and suddenly I was way wider than I should have been - tried to lean the bike over too far for the available grip and that was all she wrote! Not sure if I could have stood it up and rode out of it - too be fair it all happened so fast I never had the chance to consider my options!
Any crash that you walk away unhurt is a good crash. The bike doesn't look bad at all from the photos.
Welcome to the club. Imagine how much worse if it had been heavier Hardly any damage by the look of that pic, wash and go
I came off at Goodwood back in the 90’s. Been raining all morning. First afternoon session and was spinning on my back right into a tyre wall. Laughed like a nutter all the way to the wall. Got a lift on back of Paul Dennings GSXR750RR as he’d organised the track day when he was running Crescent Suzuki shop and came to find out where I’d got too! Fun times.
No - the 2nd - but to be fair I didn’t get many sessions in on either day - 4th full session overall I think. Had got a few distracting niggles out of the way and had just got comfortable - the Rapidbike had started to improve the power delivery and everything was starting to feel good..... I think I apexed too early for the pace I was carrying- pretty much close to max speed for that bike through coppice - normally I would have had room for the mistake but at that pace it threw me too far out to the right of the track and I ran out of grip trying to keep it on! Hopefully I will live and learn!
Reason I asked and funny you mentioned about the rapidbike, Last week my first outing since this covet shit with bigger exhaust and rapidbike really getting a handle on the mid and topend mumbo and with my CF wheels my judgement was way off a couple of times that really caught me out. Glad your OK mate.
Was back at Cadwell yesterday no incidents this time! Despite an ongoing electrical issue i’m struggling to trace that occasionally seems to be messing up communication to the black box, and the quickshifter playing up, I had a great day. I’m still far too unfit and start to make mistakes as I get tired but i’m slowly improving. Put the camera on the bike for the 1st session after lunch and It was a cracking one! Because a rider got punted off his bike in the staging area I ended up getting put near the back of the pack giving plenty of overtaking opportunities and I caught up with an R6 that was going well and gave me a challenge to get past. Full session uploaded here - I catch up with the R6 at around 9.30 into the video. Not quite quick enough for advanced group pace yet but difficult to gauge exactly how i’m doing as it seemed to be a slow inters group overall.
Looking and sounding good! Had a quick look at the clock on a couple of laps and you’re probably 5-10 seconds off the fast group starting pace, about 1’45-1’50 ime most days is about the back of fast group but that’s still 15 secs off the fast fast guys . Pre race weekend it’s a bit quicker. You d seemed about early to mid 1’50’s
