Tank Slap - Motorcycle Forum

Just got back from a great day at Oulton Park with Andy.

Had an absolute ball. Sun was shining, Oulton was stunning, knee's were kissing tarmac what more could I ask for.

The ten is an absolute riot on track. Had the TC kicking in, bars wagging and the front lifting all in a controlled manor but boy is the big girl an exciting ride (completely opposite to my Blade) but equally impressive just in a different way.

Anyway will write more later as starving and my curry take away should be here any minute so going to open a beer and chill out whilst I wait for some well earned energy replacing nutrition

Forgot to say cheers for joining me today Andy was great a day and was good to see you buddy

Look forward to hearing your review.

Bikes like your ZX10 are made for the track first and then tuned down a little for the road.

I do miss the occasional trackday.

This really made me laugh

He was a lovely lad too.

Same guy also made me laugh when we were talking about this other guys gloves that cost £260 and the bean can baffle kid piped up thats more than half what my bike cost

He was still knee down on most corners so just shows doesn't matter what the bike the rider has the talent

The student end of the paddock

And the other slightly more expensive end

Can't wait to get my bike on track bet it was a riot to ride
Look forward to the write up

That Akra can is bloody ugly

Blade wrote:The student end of the paddock

You having a dig Mr Blade, I happen to be very fond of my NC23.
It may not be quite as tidy as the one you saw at Oulton, but it's exactly the same year/colour/spec etc...


Great to hear that you had good time, & managed to keep her shiny side up. Was Andy on track too, or just viewing.?

Yeah had a brilliant day. I cannot speak highly enough of Oulton Park, I love the place. Just the right mix of terrifying and fun.
StMarks you'd have been impressed with the number of 675's there, the things were everywhere! Including a lad on a fairly trick Draytona who learned to ride a bike with gears 6 weeks ago. I'd fallen out of love with mine a bit but I definitely gelled with it again today.
The weather was perfect but it was a shame someone managed to dump oil all over one of the chicanes in the first sessions! Not screwing up your sump bolt should be a punishable offence!
Wonder what the weather forecast for next week is lol...
Edit cheers Blade, great idea!

Oulton Park is my favourite track day track. Glad you guys had a blast

Sounds like you both had a great day and totally gutted I could not join you. The fog over here in the morning was bad I did get up in time and sort things out to just ride over to see if they could fit me in. But when I got out side it would have been suicide to try and ride over with no lights. The 10 sounds like a real blast

StMarks wrote:

Blade wrote:The student end of the paddock

You having a dig Mr Blade, I happen to be very fond of my NC23.
It may not be quite as tidy as the one you saw at Oulton, but it's exactly the same year/colour/spec etc...


Great to hear that you had good time, & managed to keep her shiny side up. Was Andy on track too, or just viewing.?

Never It's a Honda so its always going to be amazing

The comment was between the exhausts. One the latest and greatest full carbon exhaust. The other was an old bewolf with a beaked bean can jubilee clipped in place

Even the noise tester have home a big smile and a thumbs up for his efforts

Glad you had a great day Blade, I'll look forward to seeing your full write up and some more pics later on.

That little 400 is great, I was chatting with another trackdays goer at my customers yesterday and the thing we both loved about trackdays is the camaraderie and the help in a garage, regardless of what you ride it's still the same. Have to say I do miss that aspect of it.

Totally agree Deegee always found good camaraderie on a TD.

I can't believe I've not been on track this year

I ll do the good first

Met up with Andy and got ourselves set up in a garage before heading off to the briefing. The day was run by circuit owners MSV and I have to say the briefing was extremely thorough and comprehensive and carried out in the comfort of Chequers restuarant with a nice cup of char, always a good start to any day

Actually scratch doing the good, I will have to do the bad as that started now.

Met a guy in our garage who had a tricked up R1 track bike that would'nt start so I went over to ask if I could help. I suggested we start with checking the battery as it didn't sound like much power was turning it over. Immediately he told me it wasn't the battery. I asked if he had, had a voltmeter across it and got the answer NO I can tell its turning over correctly as it sounds right (It didnt ). He then went on to add it started last night getting it out of the shed so has to be the loom is shagged At that point I walked away thinking I could nt help any more. Remember this guy as he comes into play later. we can call him Mr Dick

Next was the first crash of the day which was in pit lane. A guy on a brand new tyre gave it a hand full on a cold tyre and high sided in pit lane after travelling all of 6 feet. This set the tone of the day as it quickly became demolish derby with people launching themselves at the scenery in every session before lunch. To cut a long story short we had 2 morning sessions red flagged and so did fast group and all groups rarely got a full session and the timing went completely out of the window. Remember the crash at pit lane exit earlier well some one tried to UP him and crashed in pit lane entry this time good style with his bike wrapped in the armco and in a 1000 shards across the pit lane entry road. It didn't end there next somebody dropped oil all over the exit of Foulston's chicane but this was nothing to the work of Mr Dick, remember him from earlier.

Apparently he condemned the R1 on his technical opinion the loom is shagged it doesn't sound right and put it back in his van and got bike No.2 out. First session on bike No.2 in the braking zone coming down Hill Top his sump plug comes out drops oil all the way through the braking zone and right through Hizzys Chicane on the racing line, at both apex's, What a DICK

This ruined the day to a large extent as there was only a 12" wide line through the chicane all day and the queuing to get through started single file in the braking zone due to oil dropped there as well. Have to say all the Marshalls got cement dust on it quickly but they could have done more. I expected it to get a good clean up at lunch time and it didn't despite later seeing an industrial road cleaner polishing the paddock

Chatted with a guy in the fast group in our garage at dinner time about the oil at Hizzys chicane and he was really annoyed as he said it ruined his day, spoilt the whole rhythm of the lap and he had paid £140 and taken a day of work for the privilege. Worst thing is straight after dinner this same guy got forced onto the oil at Hizzy's and crashed I was genuinely gutted for him.

Next two sessions after lunch and we are flying especially Andy but I must point out no matter how nice Steak and ale pie and roast potatoes is at lunch time it really isn't as nice the next 3 times you eat in your helmet at 3 figure speeds must have cost me a second a lap too

The big TEN ran perfectly and Oulton is amazing. The bike is seriously quick and I really only used 2nd and 3rd gears most of the circuit with the occasional blip into 4th near the end of the straight but seeing as 3rd is good for 135 mph it wasn't really needed Rosso Corsa's were good but as the pace warmed up I could feel them moving around a little and the TC was definitely earning its keep. I had the dash in Track mode which replaces the speedo read out with a huge gear indicator and is a nice touch, thanks Mr Kawasaki. The only negative with the bike is it needs a quick shifter for track. Between Hizzy's exit and Knickerbrook I really needed to go from 2nd to 3rd and as your going from left to right very quickly its difficult to get the time to shut off, pull the clutch in, engage the next gear, let out the clutch and open the throttle. It would be so much easier just to toe it up another cog at full throttle, 2016 ZX10R definitely needs a QS.

Overall it was a great day and my pace, confidence and ability grew through out the day as I planned to start slow and build gradually as its been 4 years since I was last on track and glad to say it all went according to plan and much fun was had which is what its all about.

On a more disappointing note only got 2 sessions after lunch as the last sessions were all cancelled due to a serious accident at Denton's. Don't know the details but the instructors refused to comment when asked, the Circuit Manager was called to pits, 2 riders (assume friends of the injured chap) were called to race control and finally the Air ambulance arrived which is never good.

They have a full medical suite at Oulton Park as well as a road ambulance on site during TD's (I know I've been in both twice ) so the fact the Air Ambulance was called did not sound good at all and I genuinely hope the guy is OK. He went there for fun and definitely not for a ride in a whirly bird.

It's a shame when people have taken time off work and paid good money that a day gets ruined by the actions of others. But I guess that's the risk of track days.

Which group where you in?