It didn’t go how I expected at all. There weather was warm but fine, if a little windy. I didn’t crash and that was an excellent result. I also made it up to 195kmh and I am confident that the bike could go a lot faster, I wasn’t very good at fully opening the throttle as quick as I could.
But I hated it.
I was terrified the whole time. Not so much about the possibility of crashing or even of getting hurt so much.
I think I was terrified that my bike would be damaged.
I felt a lot of pressure from the other riders and I know that was only perceived pressure, not actual pressure and that didn’t help.
I kind of feel that it was a combination of all of the things I don’t like about group rides and the only positive was the lack of things to run into.
There were a couple of small niggles about my bike that could have been hurting my confidence, but if it had been a ride out the Putty or something they wouldn’t have bothered me so I don’t think they were a big factor, certainly apart from a single moment in one turn the bike was flawless.
But coming down the main straight at 190kmh looking at the turn that others were taking at probably 180kmh I was terrified, slowing ages before the turn to I guess something like 100kmh.
It’s even got me to the point that I am considering changing bikes – getting a VFR or something rather than having a supersport. I do miss the VFR terribly (yes silly I know, it’s just a bike).
Do I try a track day again? I’m not sure. If I did I would want to fix those couple of things and they’re easy fixes.
See how we go.
