Eastern Creek Track day 19/02/10

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Wow! What a day!

Best track day I've ever done! I got to ride 4 different bikes and all were great...

Summary:

The KTM: powerful, fun, comfortable, but not so comfy on the track as the front was very light and wanted to slide out (just ask Loafie about that)

The Aprillia RS250: Great track bike. Engine wasn't running 100%, but it was the bike that got me the fastest lap times I managed... it feels like a race-bred bike. Chassis, shocks, brakes... all come together to give you confidence to try anything on a race track. I loved it!

The RGV250: Awesome bike! Like the Aprillia but more of a road bike with all the bits removed than a pure race bike; probably because it has less fancy bits than the RS250. Was quicker out of corners and down the straight than the Aprillia, had more mid-range, but probably because of gearing and RS250 motor being tempremental.

The big-bore 1441 Busa: words cannot describe it! Sooooooooooooo much torque that it was great on the track. I called it the most "Honest" bike I've ever ridden (and the most powerful/fastest). It goes where you point it, accelerates as much as you dare to turn the throttle, lifts the front wheel on command, tips in to corners beautifully and is very stable, brakes almost as well as the Aprillia, but the low footpegs (for comfort) limited how much tilt we could get out of it on the track.

Thanks so much to Blackzook and Heidi for letting me try their bikes all day, and to 09sydrd as well for hanging out with us, even if he rode too fast and didn't wait for me!

Here are a selection of pics...


Heidi tore up the tyres on the RGV!








Getting the bikes home

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Big bore beast
Behind this helmet is a grin 10 miles wide



The good


The bad(ass)


...and the ugly (but I could've easily enjoyed riding it all day!)