Shame your day got cancelled Creamy but at least you've got a full credit was a good day at Donny definitely saw a few from here in our group some more obvious than others Dibble & Simmyt, it was always gonna throw it down at some stage was a bit surprised bikes were being loaded up so quick but seeing as I'd took some wets it seemed daft not to swap wheels and give it a go, had a couple of moments at Mcleans but other than that it was fine, with only 90 odd horses on tap there's no problem being aggressive with the throttle and could almost brake as hard as in the dry. Was amusing having the complete track to myself and kept having a chuckle each lap cos I bet the track marshals were thinking "FFS when's he gonna f'ck off home like the rest of em" no chance I was definitely getting my money's worth Oh and loved Sams Purple Pani :Kiss:
I would love to ride quick in the wet, I just dont have the confidence. Do racing wets make a big difference?
That was my first time on full wets doubt I was exploring the limits of grip at all but definitely gave me a lot more confidence than the Supercorsas, and more than anything it's about what's going off in your head, before the full deluge some of the CSS guys were flying round on their standard Contis "Just follow us round for a wet sighting lap" they said oh yeah got to the old hairpin & they were going round Schwantz
It was you was it? I could hear you going round and was quite keen to have a go in the wet but I was on a hire bike and Cali bike school weren't for putting wets on a bike. As it was my first ever track day I felt I'd already pushed my luck a few times, caution got the better of me. I saw you going down the straight with a a lot of spray and thought hmmm, maybe not on the standard Conti's. I thought with all that space on the track it would be good training. I was with Bazzer who was not keen to risk his lovely 999r so I headed off with him. Good for you for sticking at it. I was jealous but if I'd come off...I wouldn't have been.
I've been out in heavy rain a while back on the Ron Haslam Hondas and the place gets very slippery. Fun though.
Wets are really impressive. You can get your knee down with them on in the corners and brake way later than you'd expect on them The only thing they can't change is the physics of snappy movement, so everything has to be progressive and a bit more controlled
Great to see a few familiar faces again and meet some new guys off here. Was a good day, despite the rain. I gave it a go for 2/3rds of a session in the pouring rain on my Metzeler M7RRs (awesome on wet roads I found) but my god it was like riding on a diesel spill! 5th gear wheel spins down the back straight before full throttle! A guy on wets flew past me into Redgate and pretty much popped his knee on the floor as I tootled round slipping and sliding at side stand levels of lean haha! Not a grippy place in the wet at all. Just popped a vid of my best lap onto the Tube, link below Sam
All in all a good day out, and like all these things, the people around you make a huge difference so enjoyed dinner with the WM Snells gang the night before and then the day with the boys from JHP and was well looked after. Only managed 2 1/2 sessions as the fuel pump relay packed up in session one, sorry about that guys, that was me that had you all back in for a bit, but the JHP boys got to it and swapped the lights relay with the fuel pump one and I was away again Was quite tentative session 2 having only been to Donny once before and then after that was having some fun, was getting out dragged a lot though by the newer stuff and the front slick had seen better days and it was getting hard to stop the thing !!! Over lunch (well whilst I ate lasagne) the JHP boys had the wheels out and new slicks fitted for the afternoon (that was hopeful) just before session 4 the rain started so the bike went back in the van, safe and ready for Brno at the end of the month. Managed to drop the bike on in the back of the van, hand slipped but no damage .... Was some lovely bikes there and Sammy your Pani was a favorite, was also great to see a couple of lovely 748 / 9** bikes out there as well. Standard of riding on the whole was good but there were some idiots, there always are but I've obviously mellowed as I couldn't be arsed to go find people and shout at them although the guy that thought threading it through the eye of a needle and placing himself six inches in front of me and then jumping on his brakes did almost get a visit .... but there was tea to be drunk and I guess we all make mistakes ..... I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Dibs
I'm in... New Silverstone; Kimbo (Dukeman) - Fast - White 899 Graeme4130 - Inters - 899 SimonT - Inters - 1199R Alistair (Cookster) - Inters - White 1198 Andy (Android853sp) - Inters -853/1098 Matt (mapper899) - Novice - Red 899 Mick (kingfixer) - Inters - Xerox 999 SimonV - Inters 1098S Phil - Novice - 1199 Mike - Novice -1200R Dave (razz) - Inters - 1299s Dom(Rusty) - Novice - 999s Andy - Novice - Red 899 Rich (Guzzisti57) - Novice - Red 899 Clive (Tobytyke) - Novice - Red 748E Dano - Fast - 1199 R Gary (Nelson) Inters - Contraption Donny Kimbo (Dukeman) - Fast - White 899 bradders - Fast - Multi Donkey - in the donkey group - on the donkey David (Boyband) Inters - 1199s DesmoDave Fast 1299 Bazzer 999 Sam1199S - Fast - Blue 1199s Clive (Tobytyke) - Novice - Red 748E Dibble - IntersI think - 999R Sam1199 - Novices Whele - Fast - 1198r Dano - Fast - 1199R Graeme4140 - Inters - 899
3 weeks to go and the summer might even turn up by then Silverstone GP Kimbo (Dukeman) - Fast - White 899 Graeme4130 - Fast - 899 SimonT - Inters - 1199R Alistair (Cookster) - Inters - White 1198 Andy (Android853sp) - Inters -853/1098 Matt (mapper899) - Novice - Red 899 Mick (kingfixer) - Inters - Xerox 999 SimonV - Inters 1098S Phil - Novice - 1199 Mike - Novice -1200R Dave (razz) - Inters - 1299s Dom(Rusty) - Novice - 999s Andy - Novice - Red 899 Rich (Guzzisti57) - Novice - Red 899 Clive (Tobytyke) - Novice - Red 748E Dano - Fast - 1199 R Gary (Nelson) Inters - Contraption Donny wet weather test day Kimbo (Dukeman) - Fast - White 899 bradders - Fast - Multi Donkey - in the donkey group - on the donkey David (Boyband) Inters - 1199s DesmoDave Fast 1299 Bazzer 999 Sam1199S - Fast - Blue 1199s Clive (Tobytyke) - Novice - Red 748E Dibble - IntersI think - 999R Sam1199 - Novices Whele - Fast - 1198r Dano - Fast - 1199R Graeme4140 - Fast - 899
Also, who had the best garage at Donny I was in the Bristol garage and I was the only one in there (not even anyone from Ducati Bristol) . Luckily the other half of the garage was Ducati Nottingham and they were good guys, so I chatted with them rather than twiddling my thumbs in the garage on my own