freakonaleashh
Pack Dog
Its not really a trip report or about adventure riding but I would like to share my experience nonetheless.
For anyone who has never attended a trackday, be it with the club or organised by any other company, it is more than likely daunting due to rumours and fear of the unknown.
So i decided that it was time that I go and see for myself "well maybe i had a little help". Everyone may think that i have been on tracks many times and done hundreds of laps, indeed I have, but never before one that wasnt made up out of dirt, so lets start from the begining.
The first trackday, which was earlier this year, that I ever attened was also the first time I ventured out onto the Kilarney racetrack. More specifically on a recent trackday organised by the BMW Club a few months ago. Grand total of laps completed on said day = 7 on a bike I had never ridden before.
The day before I had handed the keys to the bike I would have been riding to a person whose own bike, which was thier only transport, had broken down. That afternoon as I walked up to my little CB400 Honda, which happened to be standing at work, I stopped looked at her, looked at the keys, looked at the oil pouring out of the front fork seals and I told myself ride home easy the brakes are metal to metal as well.
Nevertheless the next day I rode her down to Kilarney, hid her far away from the pits and joined the buzz and excitement in pitlane. I am not a good spectator and although nervous I really wanted to ride, it was just not possible.
After about an hour, I was getting fidgety and eyeing escape routes, Dreamer was with me and could see my growing frustration. Ray Wilson walked past and asked "what you riding?" - I just shrugged and smiled. He stuck his hand in his pocket, brought out a key tossed it at me then pointed at a nearly brand new (only 700km on the clock), red F800S turned and walked away. Staring at the key in my hand unsure of what to do I went after him.
The conversation went something like this:
"Mr Wilson what do you want me to do?"
"Ride it"
"Never been out there on a bike before, I am a dirt racer, what if I bin it?"
"Then we will sort it out, go out there and have some fun, lets see if everything they say about how you ride is true"
Awestruck, nervous and excited I kit up and get ready to go out. Just as I am ready to go onto the track I see Wayne Fritz about start off, I run up to him and show him the key "follow me" he says.
We head out and I follow him around the track, watching every move and following his lines, his racebike is more stable and pulls strongly out of the turns but he plays nicely and I do my best to shadow him. Heading towards the end of the 2nd lap he waves me past on the back straight, now I am on my own, the parameters have shifted.
The open track lies in front of me and I start pushing a little harder foremost in my thoughts "this is not my bike" suddenly everthing feels really strange. One lap later things start to settle down and now I am feeling focused. The F800S even though not this particular machine is a bike I have spent alot of time on and then the Freak comes out!
For 7 laps I RIDE, RACE, PLAY! I see nothing but the track - the bike and I become one, this is my happy place.
Towards the end I start sliding and backing in, under braking and too suddenly the session ends. I parked the 800 and hand back the key to Ray. "Thank you it was amazing"
2hrs later I was still sitting on my ass so I left to go and play somewhere on my own with my little Honda.
All in all it was an incredible experience but as they say you had to be there. During the months that followed there were many changes in my life, I resigned from BMW and moved to Biketique it's all new, uncharted territory, I commute 100km per day - I work and I am loving it! I got to know Ray Wilson - Fair, Focused, Passionate, Intellegent and Astute. I give it my all - I watch, I work, I learn.
On Thursday afternoon, after closing shop, I was asked "If you could choose, which of the bikes standing here would you pick?"
25 bikes, 1 decision based on reality, fact and sensibility - I turn and point "That one" so there she stands sleek, beautiful and not a BMW enter the Honda VFR800 VTEC Interceptor
For anyone who has never attended a trackday, be it with the club or organised by any other company, it is more than likely daunting due to rumours and fear of the unknown.
So i decided that it was time that I go and see for myself "well maybe i had a little help". Everyone may think that i have been on tracks many times and done hundreds of laps, indeed I have, but never before one that wasnt made up out of dirt, so lets start from the begining.
The first trackday, which was earlier this year, that I ever attened was also the first time I ventured out onto the Kilarney racetrack. More specifically on a recent trackday organised by the BMW Club a few months ago. Grand total of laps completed on said day = 7 on a bike I had never ridden before.
The day before I had handed the keys to the bike I would have been riding to a person whose own bike, which was thier only transport, had broken down. That afternoon as I walked up to my little CB400 Honda, which happened to be standing at work, I stopped looked at her, looked at the keys, looked at the oil pouring out of the front fork seals and I told myself ride home easy the brakes are metal to metal as well.
Nevertheless the next day I rode her down to Kilarney, hid her far away from the pits and joined the buzz and excitement in pitlane. I am not a good spectator and although nervous I really wanted to ride, it was just not possible.
After about an hour, I was getting fidgety and eyeing escape routes, Dreamer was with me and could see my growing frustration. Ray Wilson walked past and asked "what you riding?" - I just shrugged and smiled. He stuck his hand in his pocket, brought out a key tossed it at me then pointed at a nearly brand new (only 700km on the clock), red F800S turned and walked away. Staring at the key in my hand unsure of what to do I went after him.
The conversation went something like this:
"Mr Wilson what do you want me to do?"
"Ride it"
"Never been out there on a bike before, I am a dirt racer, what if I bin it?"
"Then we will sort it out, go out there and have some fun, lets see if everything they say about how you ride is true"
Awestruck, nervous and excited I kit up and get ready to go out. Just as I am ready to go onto the track I see Wayne Fritz about start off, I run up to him and show him the key "follow me" he says.
We head out and I follow him around the track, watching every move and following his lines, his racebike is more stable and pulls strongly out of the turns but he plays nicely and I do my best to shadow him. Heading towards the end of the 2nd lap he waves me past on the back straight, now I am on my own, the parameters have shifted.
The open track lies in front of me and I start pushing a little harder foremost in my thoughts "this is not my bike" suddenly everthing feels really strange. One lap later things start to settle down and now I am feeling focused. The F800S even though not this particular machine is a bike I have spent alot of time on and then the Freak comes out!
For 7 laps I RIDE, RACE, PLAY! I see nothing but the track - the bike and I become one, this is my happy place.
Towards the end I start sliding and backing in, under braking and too suddenly the session ends. I parked the 800 and hand back the key to Ray. "Thank you it was amazing"
2hrs later I was still sitting on my ass so I left to go and play somewhere on my own with my little Honda.
All in all it was an incredible experience but as they say you had to be there. During the months that followed there were many changes in my life, I resigned from BMW and moved to Biketique it's all new, uncharted territory, I commute 100km per day - I work and I am loving it! I got to know Ray Wilson - Fair, Focused, Passionate, Intellegent and Astute. I give it my all - I watch, I work, I learn.
On Thursday afternoon, after closing shop, I was asked "If you could choose, which of the bikes standing here would you pick?"
25 bikes, 1 decision based on reality, fact and sensibility - I turn and point "That one" so there she stands sleek, beautiful and not a BMW enter the Honda VFR800 VTEC Interceptor
