My first Cadwell experience (longish)

Many will recall that I was looking for a bit of advanced assessment
and instruction. During the course of my search, someone mentioned
Hopp Rider Training who also do "instructed" track days at Cadwell.

Though not what I was initially looking for, it looked like an ideal
way to get to learn Cadwell under controlled conditions especially as
I'm even more of a wuss at the moment following my Silverstone crash.

As I was new to the circuit and the training, I was put into the 'C'
(novices) group. This was subdivided into five "sub-groups", with
number one being the fastest, and so on. I went into group two, and
off we went.

In the first session I found the pace faster than expected, but was
keeping up OK, although I was working harder than I had expected.

The second session, however, was faster still and though I was keeping
up, I wasn't enjoying it: I was having to resort to nailing it down
the straights just to keep up and I didn't have much in reserve to
concentrate on actually learning the lines.

I made this clear to the instructor and after one more nervous session
we agreed to drop me down a couple of groups.

In group four I initially found the pace almost too slow, but I was a
lot more comfortable and began to appreciate the very sinuous lines of
the circuit, though I found the fact that many bends are blind a bit
unnerving.

My riding style came in for criticism: I was turning late for most
corners, partly I think because they had cones marking the peel-in and
apex points, and I was tending to ride from cone to cone: sort of
joining up the dots rather than flowing with the circuit itself.

I was also criticized for keeping the bike too upright. This tallied
with what the next instructor said: for the speed I was doing I was
shifting my weight about too much. I disagree with his suggestion that
I was wasting concentration on shifting my weight though, I shift
around by habit and would have to concentrate *not* to. Personally I
don't think it's a problem.

The afternoon was "free" time to go out on track and practice (or just
have fun) in our main groups, rather like a conventional track day but
with overtaking done according to a set procedure. Some may not like
this, after all, racing is all about getting in front of the guy in
front, but if you just want to ride fast and safely on a great stretch
of tarmac then it's a pretty good system.

Just before my first afternoon session started, it started spitting
with rain but not enough to dampen the track significantly. It did
nothing for my confidence, though.

Given that on my last track day I was definitely one of the faster
riders in the novice group, my performance that afternoon was very
disappointing. I was passed by at least half a dozen riders but
overtook no one.

So how was it overall?

I'm having to come to terms with the fact that despite being a pretty
experienced rider with some racing experience, at the moment I am
really a piss-poor rider on a race track.

The last track day I did at Silverstone ended early and painfully but
I felt great about my riding. I came away with great pictures of me
with my knee on the tarmac and with a "thousand-yard stare" through
the corner. This time I came away just feeling very dissatisfied with
my lack of riding ability.

My tyres showed that I really wasn't going very fast, I've actually
scrubbed the rear to within a quarter of an inch of the edge of the
tread on the road and the track scrubbing was a quarter of an inch
less than this!

The day was well run and was very instructive. The aim basically is to
go fast with instruction but without the worry of having faster riders
diving up the inside, or the frustration of getting stuck behind a
slower rider. If you're a novice wanting to ease into track riding,
it's well worth a look.

I want to have another go, but it won't be for a month or two. There
are a few things that need doing to the bike and I still want to get
that road riding assessment.

 

I honestly thought this was the idea. As upright as possible, as fast as
possible.

 

that'll be why the *really* fast racers don't lean over at all, I
suppose.

 

Actually, that's not far off. Watch Rossi, battling with Sete last
week or whoever, and you'll see that he's often taking a slightly
different line and leaning the bike less. By doing so, he should be
able to get the power on earlier. Doesn't seem to do him any harm.

 

don't bring facts into the argument, you knobber.

 

Heh, That's not quite what I meant. Now, I'm in danger of confusing
myself here.

The idea is not to lean the bike over as much as possible but to keep the
corner as 'straight' as possible so as to require the minimum amount of
lean for the speed and the least amount of instability or excess force
through the machine.

The line A through a curve with as little lean results in a total speed
of 50mph with the power applied earlier. Whereas line B with loads of
lean results in 50mph and power applied slightly later because of
increased instability.

Line A with more lean results in a higher speed but line B can't go any
faster.

So, working on my theory of if I can keep the bike upright the machine is
less stressed, I've got more in hand, knowing I've got more in hand means
I can carry a lot more speed into the corners and not have to worry about
getting the engine spinning up again.

Errmmm, it doesn't make much sense but it works for me.

But basically can be summarised as:

It's not a case of not enough lean, its the wrong line or not enough
speed.

 

I'll buy that for a dollar.

 

I was told it was the wrong line and definitely not enough speed but
the instructor went on to say that the bike "wants" to lean further,
it's what they're built for.

I think he really what he was really getting at was "don't move your
weight so much", which is what the other guy was saying.

 

The stuff about corners and things I can understand, but how can you need to
nail a 1000cc bike 'just to keep up'? I've done Cadwell a few times, twice
on the FZR250, and on the times on the 250 I've still had some in
reserve.......[1]

Dave

[1] It's limited to 180kmh, so not much, but enough. I'd get to around 170
before braking on the back straight about 50 yards after everyone else....

 

I meant that I was having to resort to going faster than the rest of
the group down the straights to make up what I was losing on the
corners. The instructors weren't really going that fast down the
straights. I wasn't using all that the bike had to offer, if that's
what you thought I meant. Perhaps I could have expressed it better.

 

Perhaps, yes. Makes loads more sense now. When I've been to Cadwell on the
FZR it's held rather stupid corner speeds that I didn't feel comfortable
doing on a bigger bike as on the 250 its at max power with no chance of
getting the rear spinning, but on a thou', even in first doing those speeds
you'd still have a load more revs to lose traction with so the natural
instinct to back off kicks in... (Been there, still do it...)

In fact, you now remind me of myself on my GSXR750 the one time I took it to
Cadwell in 2000... Stupid fast on the straights and *so* not on the same
line every time round it was scary... But it kept the buggers behind me..


Dave