Got to Brands well early as wanted to sort out emptying the van and making sure that I was ready. Wasn’t allowed in but I suppose rules are rules.
Anyway, got in just before 16:00, unpacked my SV650 as the weather was dry. Tools out, tyre warmers on. Petrol at the ready. Paddock stands etc. Right little operation. Had plenty of people investigating my garage, especially after I had started and run up the SV.
There were lots of people going from the Boxhill gang, all did the obligatory prep work to the bikes. I managed to acquire a guy on an R6, V&M paint job and a machine in very good order. It was his first track day and he was cacking himself to say the least. Prepared his bike with him and talked him through it a bit. I also had a colleague come down from work on his 04 Blade, he took someones place as he could not do the track day due to his wife having her cast removed from her leg and his mother dying.
Off to pit lane for the briefing, what a farce it was. Focussed Events were running three track days elsewhere, it was so obvious that they had over committed. No yellow jackets. Usual story of ‘we don’t have red flags’, well there were loads this day. First for some numpty who threw his 125 off as he exited Graham Hill Bend on the second sighting lap, theres always at least one pillock isn’t there? Virtually no one from Focussed Events company etc. In fact, they had no instructor to start with, he turned up just as the first group were about to go out. I had even offered to take out the sighting laps but because he had eventually turned up they said no. They could have done with splitting it all up.
I was told I was going out first, turned out I was not but I went anyway, noone stopped me. Went round with a first timer (Justine) trying to help with lines and then rode shotgun to stop corner overtaking while she was getting used to it. Some dude on a 250 binned it early on coming out of Graham Hill bend. We lined back up in pit lane but they rumbled me and so I was not allowed back out in that group.
Off I went in the correct group, 3 sighting laps apparently. Well the instructor, and there was only one, may as well not have been there. I had a mate behind me, I was trying to do the racing line but the guy in front of me on a TRX 850 had some of the most interesting lines I have come across on the Indy circuit.
Mayhem commenced anyway, carved my way through the traffic in my usual fasion, knees eating tarmac both sides. Traffic was a pain but it was good practice for me on the overtaking front. Good session had although it got red flagged once when someone went off at clearways.
Next session, went a little harder, more death defying overtaking, bike so far over on clearways a few times that the bodywork is now all scraped up. Had the tyre breaking loose a few times, only just and perfectly controlable. Great session had again. There were a few 400’s out there and I managed to do them all. Went underneath one on clearways, sparks coming from his peg but I still got underneath. He came and found me and said how impressed he was. Asked what the bike was, got rather a shock when I told him I can tell you. What I can say is, there were some people in the expert group who should have been in novices, they were a little on the dangerous side. Know it’s a track day but they just were not on the pace of the majority.
Anyway, session 3, again another blast until red flagged. After the stoppage I went out at the back, four laps before chequered and I had managed to do 16 people in that time. Had a blast, suicide overtaking at times but no real incidents to report, well not that I know of. I have been told that someone I had overtaken on a litre bike was trying to do me going into Graham Hill Bend but unfortunately for him, the SV turns better. I never knew he was there but apparently I nearly cut his nose off. According to someone watching he went back from me very rapidly at that point.
In between my sessions I did manage to see some of the rest of the Boxhillers going around, and looking damn fine at it as well. All to be highly commended on their stirling efforts and flying the flag for the forum.
A special thanks goes to my pit crew, Slaphead Bandit. He made my life so much easier on the day it was untrue. You can do a repeat performance anytime you like mate.
Things I really learnt from the track day, gearing wrong on the bike for Brands Indy Circuit, 14/46 is too low, need to go up a tooth on the front. An oil breather blew off sometime, burning oil on an engine stinks and is also a tad worrying as to whether its getting onto the back wheel. I now have to strip half the bike apart to make sure the problem is resolved and to clean the blasted oil off it. Need to get the exhaust pipes reworked so that I can narrow down bodywork slightly to stop it scraping the ground. Got to have the brakes checked out, they were massively overheating and this caused me a few issues when trying to out brake people or then carrying too much speed in corners causing the wrong exit line. But I had a blast. Only the fourth time I have been out on the bike. Was running 58 second laps according to supporter, despite traffic and wrong gears and not a lot of brake. So I am confident that there is more to come. The bikes brakes will be rebuilt fast, it will be dyno’d over the winter as I am allowed 72 hp and its 70 max at the moment. I hope I entertained those that watched, probably shat the life out of a few out on the track but that’s life for you. Roll on the next track day.