Silverstone Arena GP Circuit - A review

Ben probably does, but Ben didn't because Ben's bike is comfortable on
the road and he knows how it's going to behave. And that's where it
spends 99.9% of it's time.

He did have it set up there, and he did say it may quite a difference.

 

Followed by Woodcote.

Not that I bothered even trying to get my knee down. A lot of people did
though, and it seemed to make them awfully slow through corners.

 

Just adding some colour to the text, you po-faced motherfucker.

 

The first of which is a complete and total **** and I didn't get it
right once.

 

It certainly solved the slight squidginess and it seemed happier to
change direction. Particularly through Maggots and Becketts, which was
all about rapid change of direction.

For 40 quid it'd have been rude not to, particularly as he was charging
the Ixies 60 quid for the same thing at Cadwell.

 

There were about twice as many right-handers as left-handers.

They're just not something you really get the chance to practice on the
road so they can feel a bit less natural. Other than the odd motorway
junction, there aren't many tight fast lefthanders you can really let
rip on. Not compared to the number of roundabouts, anyway.

 

I always felt like I was going way too slow round that hairpin, but
realistically, I don't think I could have done it any faster. I did
get the hang of the one after that onto the straight to Brooklands
though. I liked that lefthander, you just kept gradually winding it
on in third all the way until the bike was almost upright, then pin it
to 13k rpm and notch into 4th for the straight. Which apparently is
about 160mph on a GSXR. Faster than I thought.

 

Copse was the one that annoyed me. I always went into it way too
slow, having braked down to 2nd. It was only on my last lap, I forced
myself to stay in third and use the full width of the track to
maintain my speed into Maggots and Becketts. So when through there a
lot faster in 3rd and got a good run out onto the Hanger Straight and
revved out 4th on there before the braking for Stowe.

 

The entry to Maggots was a great place for passing. I was braking all
the way through the first left and up to the entry to the first
right. Glorious fun.

 

I'm terrible for remembering what gear I'm in, not having an indicator
on the dash to remind me, but the most I saw down the straight [1]2 was
172 before braking [2] for Stowe. Which, if I remember correctly from my
sprint to Dover a couple of years ago, is nudging toward the redline in
5th.

[1] Not that I was looking, of course. That'd be dangerous or something.
[2] Quite urgently [3]
[3] Which gave me plenty of confidence for Stowe after that, given how
much speed I'd just carried round it.

 

You know what gear you're in? I never do, I just know if it's 1st gear,
the right gear or the wrong gear. On the gearing my CBR was running
it'd never get into 6th, so I knew I wasn't in that one, but anything
between 1st and 5th was anyone's guess.

Things will change once I've acquired some different sprockets - I'll
be able to add 6th to the list of gears I haven't a clue about

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Inter-Continental Hyperbolistic Missile , CBR600F-W racebike
in the making, TS250C, RD400F (somewhere)
BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite
they churn out)

 

Tell you what, i am *fucked* today, i feel like i used to do after a good
boxing session years ago. Every muscle aches like **** & my triceps are
rather pumped to say the least

--


Nige,

'That's shot the fox'

Eunos Roadster (for summer)
Grand Cherokee (for winter)

 

Ben, I used to be like that until I did a day at Oulton. Cascades is a
wonderful corner for breaking the left hand bend demon, it's followed
by Island which is almost as good. Some people say do Rockingham
because it's full of lefts, but I find it featureless and difficult to
find a good line through the series of three left corners in the
infield.


--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Inter-Continental Hyperbolistic Missile , CBR600F-W racebike
in the making, TS250C, RD400F (somewhere)
BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite
they churn out)

 

I found neutral on the way into Brooklands. Things got a bit hairy for a
moment there but I managed to hook second again and crank it over just
before I made intimate friendship with the gravel.

I'm sure the poor sod behind me lining up for an overtake got a bit of a
surprise when I ran uncharacteristically wide.

 

I'm mostly alright but my left arsecheek muscle [1] is unhappy. I'm
walking with a bit of a wobble.

Swung by FWR earlier and had my nice sticky tyres taken off and my
mostly-knackered ones put back on. I've never left a tyre place before
with tyres that are shittier than the ones I've gone in on. Well, except
that time I bought some Diablo Corsas, but that doesn't count.

[1] technical term

 

The K8 has a gear position indicator on the dash. I covered the
speedo, but left that as I find it useful.

 

My thighs are aching a bit.

But I'm off to walk up some mountains tomorrow so that should sort
them out.

 

Fitness freak

--


Nige,

'That's shot the fox'

Eunos Roadster (for summer)
Grand Cherokee (for winter)

 

I had a similar experience at the BMW off road venue in Wales the
weekend before last. Riding [1] a 1200GS down a very steep rocky path
I leaned back a bit further and knocked the bike into neutral.

I can't feel anything through my motocross boots and the first I knew
about it was when I started picking up speed.

[1] Well, more hanging on for grim death if I'm honest.

Kevin

 

I guess the clue is in the name, really.