Hey!

Just wanted to say hi, just sold my first bike (a GS500F) and have bought my first real bike, a 2001 F4i! It's been a little 'preloved', and I'm in the market for some new fairings down the track, but right now everything mechanically is tight and I'm having fun!

My Fiancee has a Blackbird and we're fixing his '99KTM LC4 which died on the track when a water impellor crapped itself, but with the new honda we haven't gotten around to putting the engine back in yet!

I've got my first track day on this Sunday, and then in 3 weeks, Australian Superbike School (like CSS)!

I'm 26, live in Sydney, Australia, hmmn... like long walks on the beach? I got the F4i becuase I do a fair amount of long days/weekend trips, and wanted something a little upright (plus, I commute in notorious sydney traffic every day) and comfortable, but still entertaining in the twisties.

Cheers,

Christie.

 

Welcome Christie.

Lots to see & do here,enjoy your stay.

 

It's only a matter of time until our resident Aussie shows up. Welcome to the family, Christie. I like how you refer to your Honda as your first real bike. Cheers.

 

Hi and [sm=welcomesign.gif]Christie!
Be sure to post pics of you "new" bike, we luv pics
I'm sure Classic will be posting shortly........

 

Hi welcome abroad dude!! post up some pics and tell us hows the track day.

 

Here's what I wrote on my local forum:

"My First Track Day, A short story by Christie Brown.

So in one of those moments at work that has brought me customised plates and bolt sets from the UK, I found myself bored at work again, and figured booking a track day would provide some release. A few days later and Ivan and I spend Saturday night repairing damage sustained to littlewing from riding 100 k's of dirt over new years, rinising the mud out of the radiator, and fixing my fender with which the crapppy brazillian silicone job had failed, only to have me drop it and crack the hours of epoxying work... Anyway, we rise and shine at 6am, have breakfast, don the leathers and go. I convince Ivan to put 2 camping chairs in his ventura bag, which was an awesome move.

Rolling into Eastern Creek with a full tank of fuel I start feeling nervous. Everything I've been told makes me think I'm going to go spinning off turn 1 in a ball of flame becuase riding on the track is synonamous with binning your bike.

(the next bit - or perhaps the whole thread is for the newbies)

I roll up and sign an indemnity at the gate. Ride in, and there is a dude calling out for scrutineering, we haven't even gotten off the bikes yet. But, we pull straight in, I think they are going to get calipers and check my brakepads, all they do is squish the front forks with the brakes on, then put tape on my mirrors. I assume that's so that when you're out on the track you don't look in the mirror and think that you've seen god.

I jump back on the bike, and start looking for a pit. unfortunately they are full of Duc's on trackstands with cute little tyre blankets, and I roll up pit lane till I find a garage with a bit of room in the back. I politely ask if it's ok, and they welcome me in. Then Ivan rolls over and it's time for briefing.

The briefing was short, they just go over flags and stuff, tell you not to crash. Then a guy from superbike school called Al tells us to get our gear on, the slow group is up. He does 2 "slow" laps, points out flag points and shows us a "qualifying line". I'm directly behind him. As soon as he's off the track I have every single bike go past in a roar and I tell myself to simmer down. As part of my superbike school homework I read twist of the wrist and remember Keith saying that Tracks are designed to fool you, so rather than trying to keep up with the slow group (HA!) I cruise around and learn the course. Before I know it, the session is over!

I pull in and Ivan heads out. I didn't seem to excited, and I think he was disapointed, but to be honest I was concentrating more on being sensible that getting littlewing to the stops on the straight. He introduces me to the guys we're sharing a pit with, and I spend the rest of the day chatting with them, tops dudes, 3 of them are in my group, and somehow it's reassuring when they go past.

After the first session Al takes the newbies aside and we talk about the circuit. He explains the need to keep 2 tight, and I ask about 9 which I have issues with. Second session starts and I'm feeling like I'm going to spend the whole session being inconviently slow for everyone else. This time, I know the track a bit better and start applying what Al told us. Finishing 2 tight, powering out of 7 etc. I start to get comfortable. The last lap actually felt good. This session was visually tough, to be going into a corner with 6 moving bikes in front of you, and tell yourself not to take their line but just follow your own plan. I had to remind myself that there was nothing stopping me from copying a crap rider, so I better just do my own thing.

I come off the track again, happy with the last lap, but still a little overwhelmed.

In chatting to the dudes in my pit I meet Bruce, evidently a "suspension guru". Again, in a place so full of testosterone something I took with a grain of salt, but when I saw a daggy oldish dude without personalised numberplates I figured I'd give him a shot with littlewing. He winds up my front forks and I go out again.

Session 3 was when it came together. I knew the track, knew where I wanted to be, and started giving it some between turns. The difference in my bike was huge too, it didn't dive under brakes anymore, and I started going into corners a little faster. I came off that session grinning. Less bikes passed me, and when they did I seemed to stay with them for the next couple of turns (at least till 9!)

Ivan jumped on littlewing for his 3rd session, and whilst he looked stupid, the guys in the pits kept commenting on how quick he was, it was pretty funny to see him screaming through 1 on a mini bike.

The rest of the afternoon went well, and sessions 4 and 5 were just plain fun. Ivan warned me as I went to session 5 that this was when all the accidents happened. We'd already had 2 crashes. In session 5 i finally over took someone, and played cat and mouse for a few laps. I wasn't so much racing him as taking opportuinities when they arose to overtake. On the next lap he went past on corner 1, I thought he was going to fast into 2 (the slowest corner, a hairpin), so I backed off and let him go. I then practiced my positive object fixiation as I didn't watch him crash. Glad I didn't get sucked into trying to keep up.

Session 5 was the best session as I'd really gotten my head around the track and was feeling comfortable. My lap times were 20 seconds faster from session 3, so something must have clicked!

All in all, an awesome day, I learnt so much more about my bike, doing things that i would never do on a corner on the road. I was only nervous gearing up the first time, having a 'pace' bike for the first 2 laps of the slow group i think really helped with settling in. I got buzzed about 3 times, but generally bikes going past weren't an issue, plus you could hear them coming. There was something good about hearing them close behind you out of the last turn, and dropping them on the straight (only to be passed on turn 2 ) I can't see any reason why you'd be more likely to crash on the track than the old road. It's such a well controlled environment I think it's the safest place to learn to ride at pace.

So I'm going again as soon as i can, and I think anyone that's thought about doing it should too.

Oh, and I'm now totally in love with littlewing!"

 

Meh, didn't think it was worth a new thread, and I'd already gone to the effort of writing it

 

Great post Christie,thats what trackdays are all about![sm=smiley20.gif]