Trackday Report - Anglesea - International GP

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ReggieGasket · #1 Post by **ReggieGasket** » Mon May 10, 2010 7:10 pm

I took the Falco for its first track day on sunday. I'll put some video on YouTube shortly. Here's my report:

I was up at 5.45 and was on the road by 6.15. Blue skies; wonderful may morning, but cold - under 5 degres. I put my heated gillet on and blasted down the M6 from Preston. Cold hands and feet, but the Falco is now at it's best - 85mph and just eating those miles with ease. It's 150 miles from my house to Anglesea, so I trying to be there for 8.30. M6 - M56 - A55 all the way. Just watch out for those police on the A55. Stiopped for a pee near Chester and fill up with petrol near the circuit. I'm at the circuit at 8.30. Lots of people there already. Many people have track day bikes, trailers and aare well set up. I kind off like riding there. I'm meeting a friend who has an 05 Gixer 750 - it makes the Falco look BIG.

Phil has put me in the fast group, which maybe too much for me these days, but I'm aiming to push on as the Falco is well set up - I want to see how she goes. OZ wheels, Dunlop Sportmax GP, 520 chain, 15T front, 42T rear, Ohlins rear, Maxton forks (sprung too hard though), PFM disks, PCII. All put on by the previous owner, exept the wheels and gearing.

The first session is encouraging. The Falco feels secure and the tyrs are very sticky. The bike feels good, but bulky on the turn in and slow corners. The bike also feels tricky at the apex as you wonder whether you can get it round the corner - ANglesea has some corners which appear to tighten. I'm taking the slow corners in 3rd as it's easier to go in an out that way, but I know it's not the fastest method. My right wrist is pumping up a bit as I move around under hard braking. I'm moving my bum more than usual as I'm concerned with ground clearance. More to follow.

ReggieGasket · #2 Post by **ReggieGasket** » Mon May 10, 2010 7:24 pm

Second session and I start to push on. The brakes are doing well and the bike pulls well. I'm sticking with many other bikes. I start to lean the bike over more on the tight right at the top of the hill. My foot hits the ground. Next time round I move my foot in and the peg goes down. There are no hero blobs and the bike is quite well over, it's not too bad. Knee down round all the right handers now. Phil knows a friend who teaches for that well known Clifornian bike school - forget theri name. He points out the suspension is not right - I agree. He noticed as I bounce on the bike seat in the pits. We soften the front preload and increase the compression on the rear - the bike now feels more balanced. This is helping the bike turn on the track, but it's still a bulky bike compare to the race bikes around me.

Third session I line up behind a Mille R. I have to axe one of these babies for the Forum

He's on slicks, but I'm on his tail. I'm not using tyre warmers unlike most people, so I have to be carefiul. He's eging away on the second lap, but I'm locked in now. For the first time I'm pusing down the straights too. I'm catching him. He can't really deal with the tight section at the top of the hill. I follw him for a few laps, then pass him on the brakes at the end of the back straight. Push on for a few laps and look behind - he's not there. Nice one. I'm still getting blitzed by the real quick guys though - their bikesare a lot quicker.

ReggieGasket · #3 Post by **ReggieGasket** » Mon May 10, 2010 7:38 pm

At lunch I listen to the F1 in my mate's car. I'm pleased with the Falco, it's doing respectable laps. But it's still a bit bulky and the clutch has spun up a few times in 3rd gear up the hill to the GP loop. There's no specific problems, you just can't get around the basic dimensions of the bike. I go after another Mille in the afternoon and beat him too. There was also a guy with one arm lapping quite well. I was still a significant amount slower than the quick guys, but the Falco was not the slowest bike in that group. In the last session I really push hard - not normally a good idea - as I'm passed by my friend who is surposed to be filming me. I find more time and realise I haven't been pushin the bike hard enough on the acceleration. There's more speed there.

In summary - the Falco can stay with many bikes in the fast group, but the real quick guys are much faster. They are on faster bikes with slicks though. I need to quicken up the steering to make it feel more nimble and to reduce anxiety mid corner. I'm concerned about the clutch, although I had no problems in the very fast last session. I just wonder whether this is the bike to have max fun on a track day. I think I may take my NSR250 next time there. I definately going to do the new SIverstone circuit though on the Falco. I think I just need to get more used to pushing such a big bike.

HisNibbs · #4 Post by **HisNibbs** » Mon May 10, 2010 9:53 pm

Sounds like you were having a ball. But from your report you are finding its agility lacking. Do you have the rear Ohlins ride height maxed out and have 5 or six rings showing through the top yoke?

D-Rider · #5 Post by **D-Rider** » Mon May 10, 2010 10:08 pm

Yeah, mine was slow to turn until I sorted out the rear and front ride height. OZ wheels helped a lot too (see you've got them) and tyre choice can make a big difference (those that remember .... think of those original fit MEZ3 things .... then we'll remember how hard it was to get them to turn ...)

I'd not claim that it can be as sharp as an R6 or something but now, for a big bike, I think it's pretty agile.

ReggieGasket · #6 Post by **ReggieGasket** » Tue May 11, 2010 6:10 am

No I haven't done that yet, so that's the next step. I don't normally like a bike to be tipped forward as I find it less comfortable on the road, but for the track it's necessary for the Falco. Also, I usually prefer a slower steering bike as I like stability. There's also a psychological barrier there for me - the new generation of sports bikes are tiny. The Falco looks big and old fashioned in the pits next to these bikes. Also, I'm not used to rinding a big bike on track days. I just need more time on track. There's no doubt that I was the weak link on sunday. A quick rider would manage a very respectable lap time with the Falco. So for the next one I'll max out the rear, raise the forks more and also change the pads up front (they lack bite towards the end). I may consider changing the front brake master cylinder. Ground clerarance was an issue too, but not bad. If I raise the rear and perhaps change the peg style it will be reasonable. I suspect the exhaust is very close and that would be a problem. I think the main point is it's very close to a Mille on track once set up correctly.

wayno · #7 Post by **wayno** » Tue May 11, 2010 9:11 am

Sounds like you had a good day then

Let's be honest the Falco is never going to be the fastest bike out there, it was built to do everything pretty damn well, you can't have everything perfect though. If you want to be the fastest man on the track you'd be riding a BMW S1000 but we either can't afford to or choose not too (personally I prefer the BMW HP2 sport anyway).

By the way, a massive bravo on stuffing the Milles

Always good to beat someone on a faster bike on their turf.

So when's your next one??

gavhowe · #8 Post by **gavhowe** » Tue May 11, 2010 11:22 am

Looking good ReggieGasket I had a look though your pics from the trackday, you where really pushing the lean angle.

I was looking to see how far off the ground your exhausts were. This is my worry as I also have dragged pegs with no hero blod on trackdays, with aftermarket cans. But I have a trackday coming up at Bedford autodrome and because of the noise limits I will have to fit std cans and really worried about groundclearance. As looking from the back of the bike, I think the cans will touch before the pegs, think I am going to put the hero blobs back on.

wayno · #9 Post by **wayno** » Tue May 11, 2010 1:55 pm

Where are the pics posted, I'd love to see them.

Gavhowe, when's your trackday at bedford? Where do you get the information about dates for this, I couldn't find anything

gavhowe · #10 Post by **gavhowe** » Tue May 11, 2010 2:52 pm

The pics from the trackday he went on is at the following link:

http://trackdaydigitalimages.com/090510fro/

The track day is on the following link:

http://www.clubmsv.com/bike-home.aspx

MSV run there own trackdays have done one at Bedford before but not on the Falco, was a good circuit

wayno · #11 Post by **wayno** » Tue May 11, 2010 3:37 pm

Looking good sir, pushing hard there!!

ReggieGasket · #12 Post by **ReggieGasket** » Tue May 11, 2010 4:18 pm

haven't seen the piccies yet thanks

robertorolfo · #13 Post by **robertorolfo** » Wed May 12, 2010 1:49 pm

gavhowe wrote: I was looking to see how far off the ground your exhausts were. This is my worry as I also have dragged pegs with no hero blod on trackdays, with aftermarket cans. But I have a trackday coming up at Bedford autodrome and because of the noise limits I will have to fit std cans and really worried about groundclearance. As looking from the back of the bike, I think the cans will touch before the pegs, think I am going to put the hero blobs back on.

In my experience the standard cans will touch down, and generally about the same time as the pegs (without blobs).

This is with the standard purple shock, and the front forks showing 3 lines (with most of the pre-load taken out):

gavhowe · #14 Post by **gavhowe** » Wed May 12, 2010 3:23 pm

Thanks robertorolfo, that is nice to know. I am in the process of modifying the standard cans with a large hammer to give more clearance. And re-drilling the mounting hole to angle the cans slighty more upwards. I run a Fox twinclicker rear shock with added ride height, but also have the forks dropped a couple rings. I think it will be okay but its better to be safe than sorry.