RTTL : Pembrey trackday extravaganza 2021. August 20/21/22.

[MingtheMerciless]

2021-08-21_11-14-44 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode LITE


He was just tired and wanted a lie down.

Aren’t you supposed to stay attached to the bike going round corners?

[Yorick]

Did anyone take cheese triangles for @Trinity765 ?

[Noggin]

2021-08-21_11-14-44 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode LITE


He was just tired and wanted a lie down.

Oops. Not too much damage I hope?

Only to his pride.

Wow! If that's the 390, I didn't think they did that!! I mean, I tried REALLY hard and failed!!

Glad he's ok

[weeksy]

Did anyone take cheese triangles for @Trinity765 ?

No but I took her 765 out to play on! Was impressed. Really good, if a little flighty on the front end ! Cornered well, braked well, pulled well and had a great mini battle with one of the Wiltshire boys. Epic fun!

[weeksy]

The whole day went really well though. All the newbies got lots of time on circuit and every one of them loved it!

Seeing all their reactions after it makes it worth the effort.

My day on track was a bit meh. Missed the first 2 sessions as wet, then got out for the next on singlesmans old R1. I learned my legs don't bend and I can't ride sports bikes! I'll let him tell you himself later what I learned.

After that was on the XSR which was great but I do think needs a little TLC in the bouncy bits as in some turns it gets way more unsettled than the 765 for example.

Doesn't detract from the riding or fun, but could be better I think.

I was trying, but Inters is a tough place for me, I pass very few riders and spend most my time hanging on. But hey, that's just where I am with trackdays.

I really need to think about my leathers as I can't move about enough in them, but some of that is down to knee issues I'm struggling with at the moment.

All good, off out for curry shortly after a bath.

[Trinity765]

Morning

How's your heads?

I slept like a log, woke up at dawn in Wales with nothing planned. The air is still and the sky is blue so I'm about to plan a route to some of my favourite welsh places - life doesn't get any better!!!

What a day yesterday! Thank you so much everyone.

@Welsh Muffin Thank you for all the great advice, and looking after me.
@Bigyin Thank you for being my buddy on track.
@weeksy Thank you for the pocket money and the opportunity, I have your email.
@Alan PBTD Shhhhhh

I hope you all have a good day today and get back home safe xxx

[weeksy]

Eeeek. Day 4 begins and once again we drive to Pembrey. Yawn! Sunny and nice though.

[Horse]

In case those affected hadn't noticed, M4 J14-13 is showing as open (although still closed around Slough).

[weeksy]

2021-08-22_08-14-14 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode LITE


Another day begins. Day 4.

[MingtheMerciless]

Enjoy, hope it stays dry.

[weeksy]

Enjoy, hope it stays dry.

No rain today, dry and sunny, that's why she stayed

[weeksy]

2021-08-22_09-13-30 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode LITE


Not bothered buying any yet. Pembrey pics not up yet, so just Silverstone

[weeksy]

Pembrey pics will appear here in next few days

http://www.edpphoto.com/phil-bevan-track-day/

[singlesman]

Massive thanks to ‘team Weeks’ for setting up what was a couple of epic days at Pembrey.
So nice to meet up with some of the people behind the forum usernames, and what a lovely bunch you all are.
Must say, was a little apprehensive on the way down, as much as I love the circuit, in days gone by a visit to Pembrey almost always resulted in an enforced stay at Carmarthen general hospital!!!
As Weeksy mentioned above, just fantastic to see the improvement in everyone’s riding, despite the changeable weather conditions, most notably for me was 2xtwins,(Kev?) who seemed surprised when I pointed out he was grinding down the ‘hero blobs’ on his pegs, took them off as it’s a bit disconcerting to have metalwork in contact with the track, and then proceeds to grind away the end of his foot pegs
Also the chap on the big Yam sports tourer, dodgyknees? Think someone said it was Paul, anyway, just looked smooth and fast everywhere, despite what looked like acres of front end suspension dive on the brakes.
As he mentioned above, Weeksy took my R1 out for a spin in the rain as it had the wet tyres in, ( one of six wheel changes over the two days!) when he came back in he very diplomatically informed me, in his opinion, the brakes were not the best, as in, ‘kin shite!!!
Funny thing is, although the bike was new to me at the end of last year I’ve done 5 trackdays on it this year and just sort of accepted that’s how they’re meant to be. Goldfren pads out, sbs race pads in and Jesus! What a difference. ( Thanks Steve)
Just to cement my reputation as a complete mechanical incompetent, had been getting the racers clutch slip excuse in at every opportunity. Now back home just about to pull the clutch casing off and noticed no free play in the cable, in fact it’s actually under tension, what a plonker
Finished the day on Saturday chasing around With Tricky, trying to recapture our old club racing days, he loved it, scared the bejesus out of me and was glad to be loading the bike up in one piece and bypassing Carmarthen General on the way home.
Thanks all, bring on the next one.
Paul.

[Dodgy69]

Another fantastic extravaganza, nice one weeksy. Really was great to catch up with the like-minded folk I know but also some new faces to me. GP brought down some more of Wiltshires finest and what a great bunch they were. Ian b's bmw was a very smart looking thing for a 16yo. Doug soon got in the swing of things and was making the most of his new tyre's and the Ducati boys were all smiling.

Great to meet Trinity765, the Triumph was going very well, however it was making some unusual noises and I'd be sending it back, trading for a Yamaha maybe, Also great meeting Kev and Singlesman and enjoyed meeting up with Bigyin again, 350 mile each way,

Big thanks to Tricky for refuelling and also for showing us mere mortals how it's all done. Ceri and Izzy, both great company again, with plenty of top comedy thrown in. James is a great lad and is very comfortable mixing with us oldys. Nobby, I'd never met before and was a top bloke, he knew his way around for sure.

All in all, another fantastic Pembrey weekender, mucho thanks to Weeksy, top man.

[weeksy]

Until my full report, I have to admit it was fabulous seeing my boy grow into a man. No, not that one. Seeing @IanB going out in front of me and being unable to catch and pass him!!! Sure, being faster than me isn't that tough, but IanB hasn't been on the pace of me and GP on track previously, he's struggled compared to his road ability. So it was fab to see him mixing it.

[Bigyin]

What a thoroughly enjoyable weekend in the company of like minded individuals who enjoy going round in circles

Ride over Friday from the Norfolk coast in decent weather and settle into the pub with the mad welsh barman Anthony and soon joined by Dodgy Knees and the Weeks clan as well as Alan and his wife Helen. Nice meal, good chatty evening and a few beers with the likes of Tricky as well as his brother Kev and Nobby who i had never met before

Saturday morning started at about 4AM with rain battering off the hotel room window and left on the bike leading Dodgy and Nobby to the track and into the first roundabout and meet a puddle about 6 inches deep and create a bow wave In all honesty i thought the day would be a write off but when we got to the circuit the rain eased and i had already decided i was going out no matter what the weather to see what grip there was. Got introduced to Trinity and turns out we have met before many years ago so showed her about a bit and where she needed to be and kept her right with each call to the track. Met up with GP, IanB and the Wiltshire posse and all their mates new to trackdays who were nervous/excited but really got into it as the day progressed.

First session was soaking wet and had to laugh looking around in novice assembly at track bikes with various TD/ Race scrutineering stickers on them and full wets fitted next to me and Trinity on our daily bikes with our Sports/Touring Pirelli Angel GT2 tyres . Every group gives a difference in levels of kit from the top to the bottom

Things got better during the day weather wise and was good to see all the beaming smiles from the Wiltshire newbies who got faster as the day went on and Trinity who was nervous as hell to start but finished looking forward to each session by the end and also got quicker and smoother as the day went on as i could see while following her for a bit each session. My riding was better than last year but still need to sort the long left hander out as that was my weakest area of the track. I did consider moving up to Inters for the afternoon but felt i would learn more where i was watching lads/lasses a bit faster than me and trying to stay with them for a few corners rather than getting in faster peoples way and them fucking off instantly. One thing i did notice on the big Multi was i could get away with murder on the brakes into the hairpin and was actually catching faster riders and being harder and later on the brakes quite a few times. They were just better all the rest of the way round the lap

Good to have a natter with nobby about common mates from Bemsee days and introduced to singlesman at the end of the day. I think we will see the Wiltshire contingent back again as they all seem hooked

Cracking curry again last night and an earlier night to bed as knackered. I thought i was having a nice ride home in the sunshine but about 80 miles from home hit various torrential showers with standing water in places followed by sunshine then more rain etc etc. Bike is filthy, i am knackered and its time to catch up with BSB and WSB recorded over the weekend

Thanks to Weeksy and Ceri for the organisation, Alan for being accommodating as ever at the circuit and in the run up to it with our bookings and you lot who turned up. Its those who turn up, get involved and have a laugh that made the weekend what it is and remind me why i make the trip each year and why its so worthwhile.

Try it sometime, you might end up hooked like the others

[Nordboy]

Keep the weekend reports coming, liking them.

And I really need to sort out getting my bike sorted or getting a new one. I HAVE to do this one year!!!

[weeksy]

Morning

How's your heads?

I slept like a log, woke up at dawn in Wales with nothing planned. The air is still and the sky is blue so I'm about to plan a route to some of my favourite welsh places - life doesn't get any better!!!

What a day yesterday! Thank you so much everyone.

@Welsh Muffin Thank you for all the great advice, and looking after me.
@Bigyin Thank you for being my buddy on track.
@weeksy Thank you for the pocket money and the opportunity, I have your email.
@Alan PBTD Shhhhhh

I hope you all have a good day today and get back home safe xxx

Morning, not sure if you have my work one, which isn't my PayPal account.

[Nobby]

I hadn’t ridden the Bike since October, so last weekend it was out for a 5 mile run as a check followed by an oil change and chain lube. Yep. That should do it.
The Sat nav predicted the Friday journey as 5 hours 35. Blimey. That’s an hour and a half more than expected , so I was quite pleased with the 3hr 45.
The ride with Yin and Dodgy to the Track in the morning was , er , dodgy. It would seem the tide was in , luckily I was following in Bigyins wake as was able to take alternative lines. Today was goin to be wet.
Decided not to go out in the 1st session. Manned up for the second but just did 3 laps. I wasn’t happy coming on throttle out of the hairpin. It seemed to be running on 2 then chiming in on 2.
Tricky suggested a full carb and engine rebuild. I thought it might clear itself.
It did.
Now with a dry line I realised that the problem was just bad carburisation coming off pilot. Something I’d not noticed in the dry.
Before my 3rd session, I ask my mechanic to check over the tyre pressures as I thought the front needed a couple more pounds to help on turn in. I was right. 9 of them had escaped since October.Don’t know where they went and I’ll probably never find out.
Got my act together sort of and the Track was dry. Well when I say sort of , I thought I was doing ok until some youngster on a KTM handed me my arse. Bloody kids.
Came in early from the session as I was starting to make mistakes. In the past I’ve used race shift when on the track and road shift on the road. Two or three times a lap I was starting to change up when it should have beef down , and as a consequence was all over the place on corner entry.
My last session the first 4 or 5 laps were fine but then the gear mistakes kicked in. I pulled in and had a talk to myself. The talk may appear in another post in another forum section. We’ll see.
So a big thanks to Weeksy for arranging.
Good to meet all and some new folks.
Sorry for the quick departure, I said my goodbyes to a few who were around but I had to get over the Track between sessions.
May post more thoughts up later but I’ve got to do some work.