Track Day virgin to lose cherry!

[AndyAshworth]

Hello,

Now that I've pulled my TRX out of the nettles, given it a bit of a wash and got it through its MOT, it's time to start riding it. I gave it a bit of a blast out on Sunday but the roads were packed with cars which were seemingly intent on spoiling any fun. To make amends, I've booked myself onto a track day at Cadwell on the 27th and must confess that I've not tried one before. It's a 'novice only' day but as I believe I'd have to be in the novice group anyway, it seemed fine to me. I don't mind spending a day getting used to being on a track before trying to up the pace.

(It's not actually my first time on track with a bike as I once took part in a 125cc 24 hour race at Croft. This was a charity type thing which was back in 1997 but the rules were so relaxed, it was unbelievable. I raced in my rigger boots and jeans as I only had a leather jacket at the time!)

I don't really know what to expect at Cadwell but I'll take things as they come. Does anyone have any advice on set-up or perhaps the track itself? Does anyone else want to come along?

One thing I'll probably need to sort out is either a DB killer, or a different silencer. My Akra is bordering on anti-social despite being repacked about 500 miles ago. Are the plug-in baffles any good or do they strangle the engine, as well as the noise?

I do have a bit of a motive behind doing this track day (and a few others) as I'm looking quite seriously into the possibility of racing. The lawnmowers aren't quite doing it for me anymore and I'm after a different challenge. The obvious series is probably Thunderbikes but I haven't decided on anything yet. I'd certainly like to turn the TRX into a race bike as it's not exactly mint but still works very well. I'm a bit of a backyard engineer anyway so the flexibility in the series would suit me down to the ground.

Ultimately of course, it may all prove to be pie in the sky but unless I give it a shot, I'll never know.

Cheers,
Andy.

[Silver]

Andy, Cadwell is very good for the TRX, its good fun up over the mountain and through the twisties.
They do test for noise there. I have fitted db killers when needed, they dont make that much difference to power that i would notice although i am sure some will say they do. However you might need something to get through the test. I think mine got about 96-98db with db killers fitted, depends what the limit is for the day. Not sure if they would let me on a novice day and i would be on a vfr400 anyway now. I actually think i can get round Cadwell quicker on that than i ever did on the trx. Hope the weather stays good for you, be a bit cautious around the hairpin and barn as that area can trap damp patches long after the rest of the track dries out. You will be amazed how fast you can tip into coppice.
Have a great day.
Dave

[trixynut]

You will enjoy it. Cadwell is great for the trx cos theres no big straights.
On the set up, dont change anything from road set up, just check tyre pressures and chain etc.
Cadwell is more forgiving on noise on twins than on fours, but may be wortbh some db killers else youmay have a wasted trip. They wont affect performance.
Take your time for the first session or two.

[Dan 850]

Who's that with ? I may book on for the day. I'm at mallory park for my first time this Sunday. Cadwell is about 25 miles from my house. If money allows I'd like to try get cadwell and donnington before the end of year

[AndyAshworth]

It's with MSV and here's a link.....

http://www.clubmsv.com/bike-home/event- ... uctid=1539

It's only £75.00 which isn't too bad at all.

[Dan 850]

Makes it even better I have £50 vouchers with msv too. Will see how I get on Sunday. I presume I'll get the bug, first time I'll of been on track on tarmac with the big bike. Used to race motocross, and pitbike supermoto in British championship, hopefully get on ok.

[AndyAshworth]

Thanks all for the tips!

A Db killer has been duly purchased from a well known online auction site. I may even throw some fresh oil at it this weekend .

One slight bummer is that I remembered that my 2-piece leathers don't zip together too well. Ebay came to the rescue once more and I now have a set of second hand leathers on their way. As long as they fit, they should be a bargain.

There is a point to all this which goes beyond just having a bit of fun on a track. I'm viewing this as a trial run to see if I want to go racing next year. I'm pretty convinced that I do but I want to see how I feel on a track before taking the plunge. It's something that I've wanted to do all my life but never really had the money up until now. I actually thought that at 41, I'd probably be too old but having seen the exploits of Ted Fenwick, as well as Robin and Annette Daykin, that really can't be an issue.

As you'd probably expect from a TRX owner, I've been looking long and hard at the Thunderbikes and think that it would suit me down to the ground. I love the whole power to weight ratio approach as I'm a life-long mechanical tinkerer. It also seems a very friendly bunch of people who don't see novice racers as mobile chicanes. The prospect of lining up on the grid certainly makes me nervous but that's got to be a good thing. I learned a few hard and very painful lessons while racing lawnmowers so hopefully, I won't be making the same mistakes again!

Cheers,
Andy.

[winder]

Hi Andy, good luck on the trackday, I can heartily recommend Thunderbikes as I raced the last two seasons with them on a TRX which proved very competetive after a lot of modifying, even leading the championship at one point. I am moving up to the 848 Challenge next season and have to sell my race bike (sorry for the shameless plug). If you need any info on modding your bike or are interested in this bike give me a call at work (Westcountry Windings).

[AndyAshworth]

Hello Winder (Steve, isn't it?), (EDIT........oops, sorry - I mean Mike )

It's a shame you're moving on to race those Italian TRX copies. Who on earth do Ducati they think they are? Stealing the idea of a big twin in a lattice frame!?

I'm pretty sure I saw your bike in PB some time ago and it sort of set the ball rolling for me and my TRX. As much as I'd love to own yours, a large part of this whole exercise will be to develop not only myself but also my bike. I think that's why I find the Thunderbike series so interesting.

Assuming all goes to plan, I'll be starting off with a few basic mods over winter and leaving the engine standard (I'll be setting the valves and replacing the camchain as a matter of course). I'll even be running with standard suspension to start off with, although some decent fork springs and fresh oil is a must. I've already got a pair of bluespots to fit and I'll keep my eyes open for a master cylinder and a set of braided hoses to go with them. Elsewhere, I'll just be removing as much weight as I can get away with.

All I need now is to find a cheap source of race plastics. I originally wanted to keep it TRX shaped but it's probably not practical. I'm probably better off fitting race fairings from a more modern machine as I'm more likely to pick up a used set to start off with. My budget is sufficient but not huge!

The best part of all this is that I am giving up smoking. I worked out that what I was spending on fags in a year was about the same as I'd spend on a season of racing. That really clinched it for me and is a huge motivation to stay off them.

Cheers,
Andy.

[winder]

Hi Andy, sounds like you are going to get yourself another addiction. The original race fairing I used was a WCM replica from SDC Performance but I changed this season for the R7 bodywork to look the part in the Golden Era Superbike Championship. I will be at Brands on the 29th for the final BEMSEE round riding a TR750 Suzuki in the classic parades on Saturday and will have the bike with me if you want to have a look at anything.

[AndyAshworth]

I'll be there!