Make sure you do lots of stretching exercises before, during and (most?) importantly when you have finished for the day. It will pay you off in bucket loads.
Is it a four day gig? Believe me, you’ll have more track time available to you than you’ll ever need. Don’t think you have to do every session. Miss a session or two. Get out the leathers and have an extended lunch break. Especially if it’s roasting. Go to the café and watch all the mad cvnts outbraking themselves and running onto the gravel. It’s ace
Yep, 4 days. I dont know the track either. Ive watched vids. But reality is the teacher. I'll be taking it easy for the first sessions learning the track, finding braking points and avoiding disaster. Thats if sleazy jet doesnt cancel on us....
You may well have seen this. It’s superb. But bear in mind it’s definitely fast group stuff. Dial safety into brake markers. Maybe watch it again before day 4. It makes sense when you suss the track layout.
1299 has chucked an inertail sensor error on the des. Anyone got amy ideas? Its bleeding cleared now. Hot?
Could be heat related, yes. Is it knocking out other stuff? TC, ABS etc? Putting you in limp mode? I had a gear selection sensor go on the V4 and it knocked everything off. Bike was almost unrideable. FYI there’s a Ducati dealership in Almeria. Or there was…
If you have really used your muscles (or discovered ones you didn't know you had!) take an Aspirin that night... really helps. I used to be in agony after playing squash tournaments over several days, and this was a good technique to help the muscles recover for the following day.
It didn’t knock anything else and cleared and never reappeared phew. 1299 is awesome here. Esp with ebc=1. I’m just beginning to string the corners together now. Never fully understood line dependant before. I do now. On road you treat each corner as they come but here the exit determines your next entry. Its a tricky track to learn. Plus the fast blind entries to the chicane and the triple right hander takes some bollocks to fully commit. Ive just been taking a little more each time. Its day 3 to start this morning. Hopefully ill be finally stringing it all together. I watched crafars vid last eve too and it all makes sense. I’m addicted now. This euro track thing is my new expensive hobby. I fucking love it. Everyone is respectful. Esp of me day 1 wobbling around scared as fuck. Great event. watching the sunrise
Ha ha, yep, only one place to play with a motorbike and that's on a race track. Road riding started to bore me (and scare me) after a few track days. I tried reigniting my road riding with a KTM SDR last year but nah, too much traffic, too much technology to fuck you up and too much road side furniture like walls, trees and lamp posts. I'm not 23 any more... Yes, it is tricky to learn is Almeria. But great when you do. Turns 4, 5 and 6- I just lob it into 4 as fast as I dare. No brakes just a closed throttle then get to the far kerb before lobbing it into 6. It's dead easy to mess this up and balls up turn 7. Like you say, tricky. No drama, just take your time through this section. That over the hill section left hander (before the chicane). Crafar says keep it gassed if your tyre is good. Yeah, right. My brain over rides me every time and I roll off momentarily before the crest.... Safety first and all that Enjoy. And start to think about rearranging your finances PS Keep an eye on your brake pads...
I’m track speccing this bastard. It’s all the bike I’ll ever need. Wish I’d run slicks tho with warmers. Mates with michelin power cup 2 are smoking me. The supercorsas are great on road but I've found their limit. I like the blind into chicane but im struggling a wee bit with the horse shoe section and i need to be braver into the triple right hander. But i absolutely love this. Love it. Im buzzing. Road riding? Thats it for me. 916 will be fine for that. But twelvey is getting track specced and wilfs getting a visit re sudpension. Ill spend my savings on this. Fuck me it grunts up the back straight. Beer.
yes road spec. 30/28 but i just dont feel confident on them at max lean but tbh it could just be im a slow twat. Its taken me a wee while to adjust to track riding. There was also a part if my brain telling me to be careful and dont bin it as its an expensive bike. Ive decided to bin that thought as its getting tracked. But ive had so much fun. Met some really nice new friends and had an absolute blast. Shouldve done this yrs ago. I also need to work on my core strength. To learn to relax and to just fucking shove the fucker on its side as the tyres are better than me. Tbh, its prob the ‘dont bin it’ thats preventing me from committing. Which when i consider what i do in the alps is absurd. Track virgin anxiety probably. But isnt it s hoot?
Glad you enjoyed it. Nothing wrong with SC tyres, just stick warmers on the, so it’s knee down first corner.
I think my V4S came with SC’s. Rather than bin them I used them at Donington (with warmers) and they were great!! I didn’t get the same exit drive as I do with KR108’s/Moto2’s but more than enough grip for my level…
I'm back and I had the most fabulous time. Made lots of great new friends and have now become addicted to EU track days. I cant wait to return. Its a tricky track to learn and it took me to day two afternoon sessions to learn. I did my own thing and kept out of everyones way. But everyone was so respectful. By day 4 I'd gotten over my reflex action of looking over my shoulder. That was a habit that was hard to break. Day 1 I had some moments on the front into 3 El Curvon, which dented my confidence but it turns out I was on the dirty part of the track. Once I found the right line, they were fine. I was still slow mind. Almendros (S7) took some balls to finally commit (a bit) and treat as one long sweeper. But I got it eventually. S10 I kept turning in too early which slowed my S11. The best part for me was S12 and into the chicane. I loved that bit from the off. Still too early onto back straight and I need a quick action as i wasnt using the full twist until day 3. Plus I need to go race shift. So, a new one piece and track bodywork beckons. Anyone who was a nervous as I was about the whole thing, just do it. Its fine. Ive now got a new hobby and understand why you guys love doing it. Its fucking awesome. Road riding? Not even close.
Fave bike there. Alans lovely Gixxer. Him and his Bro Richard, nice people. His bike is bloody gorgeous.
