The Nurburgring for a change..

[Tim in Belgium]

Well after moving house Monday/Tuesday I decided I was due a reward so took myself off to the Nurburgring. I trailed the bike which tows smoothly at 75+ mph behind the Pug, although I kept the speed down due to traffic jams, saving fuel and avoiding fines from the dutch politie and the german polizei. After a 5hr drive I got to my B&B with a bit of rain about, found my room then hit the sack.

The track didn't open until 10 am, giving it some time to dry out and me to get the bike of the trailer. As soon as the track opened for bikes I headed, quite a few closures but plenty of nice weather. I managed 16.5 laps in on Saturday and am now starting to get in the flow on the GSXR. Another 6.5 laps on Sunday between rain and track closures. Had some fun with a guy called Clint on an 08 Blade, hopefully should get some footage off him when I manage to find him on facebook.

A tentative lap after the track had been opened after multiple crashes and fluid spills (4 bikes had gone down in different spots :shock: ) :

http://inlinethumb56.webshots.com/43383/2903799590084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2903799590084392296lXvetu)

BAck in the groove:

http://inlinethumb59.webshots.com/43450/2577362520084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2577362520084392296SqQTeV)

The last corner of the Hatzenbach complex:

http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/19154/2575633110084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2575633110084392296LPIUiN)

Not quite sure where but laying down a faint black line:

http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/45101/2827921490084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2827921490084392296KnnvRO)

Followed these two round for half a lap before getting passed them in some traffic:

http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/19133/2531870900084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2531870900084392296CqycXI)

Looks like it could could be anywhere! :

http://inlinethumb35.webshots.com/43170/2257745350084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2257745350084392296XqsnDz)

Sparking the knee sliders for the camera on the final corner:

http://inlinethumb16.webshots.com/43279/2409484720084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2409484720084392296BAmPHW)

In the Karussel:

http://inlinethumb51.webshots.com/42482/2851049970084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2851049970084392296LAdlGY)

The corner before the kleiner Karussel:

http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/43597/2790817700084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2790817700084392296kIzviQ)

It was then a case of loading the bike up Sunday evening and heading back, a little quicker at 3 3/4hrs with no traffic jams to hold me up. Another good weekend, the BT-016s are holding up nicely, looking forward to being back in two weeks time but will need some new front pads by then. I put the bike on Fast bike's fast road/track settings and it has helped the front end out a lot under braking, really enjoying it. I just need to work on my bravery now to up the speed a little.

[Jamiebridges123]

Very nice mate! Looks like you enjoyed yourself. Gotta love titanium sliders hahaha.

How's the track surface btw?

You certainly look on the ball. :)

[Richie]

Cool Photos Tim, I bet you were grinning from ear to ear...

[simesb]

Cool photos - you enjoying the gixxer then?

Would it not be easier to move closer, cut down on the commute a little? :D

[chasey]

I love looking at your 'ring photo's. :shock:.

Hoping to get out there myself sometime next year.

[imaleon]

What was your best time for the lap?

[nik_nunez]

some nice pics there tim, how much faster was the gixxer around than your old sv?

[rob13]

Tim, if I was you i'd be booking CSS. I think something is obviously limiting you from going up to that next level, maybe its just something small but ive heard CSS do wonders for fast riding. Maybe its your seating position? Are you sitting right back on the bike and when switching from left to right, rather than rolling around the tank, are you just hanging straight off the bike? I remember reading something which mentioned this a fundamental basic in the CSS theory.

[mister c]

Some nice pics Tim, Looks like you enjoyed yourself :)

[Tim in Belgium]

Rob, I've got a Ring course booked in earlyish June, so hopefully I'll get some pointers then. I've also got a few guys at the Ring to start giving me tips, we were just starting a few observed laps when the marshal who was watching me had to pull over for an accident, so hopefully they'll be able to give me some pointers to my riding style. A bit spent up on courses/TDs/year's pass and trailer, so CSS may have to wait for another year, although I think that or something similar would be a good idea.

I found a series of shots going into Breidscheid, quite nice ;) :

http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/44147/2364090460084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2364090460084392296cxChZM)

http://inlinethumb26.webshots.com/8153/2720107040084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2720107040084392296OPlonw)

http://inlinethumb21.webshots.com/44244/2937305430084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2937305430084392296LRizVS)

http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/19538/2854812100084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2854812100084392296EtpKsU)

And one more sparker!

http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/26277/2221900090084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2221900090084392296awvDdN)

Nik, the GSXR is a fair bit faster than the SV, in a straight line obviously, but it also changes direction a lot easier at speed and has way more ground clearance, not 100% sure of my lap times, but I think they're sub 9mins, as I was riding at one stage with a guy who was timing himself and kept having to ease off to let him catch up again.

The GSXR's great and the track surface is fine in the dry, they've done some resurfacing over winter in places... although I still won't touch it on a bike in the wet.

[lukemillar]

Cool pics! The one with the sparky slider is surely a keeper?

[imaleon]

Nik, the GSXR is a fair bit faster than the SV, in a straight line obviously, but it also changes direction a lot easier at speed and has way more ground clearance, not 100% sure of my lap times, but I think they're sub 9mins, as I was riding at one stage with a guy who was timing himself and kept having to ease off to let him catch up again.

The GSXR's great and the track surface is fine in the dry, they've done some resurfacing over winter in places... although I still won't touch it on a bike in the wet.

Nice work, sub 9mins is a good time. Which settings do you have your suspension on? do you find any parts particularly bumpy?

[Tim in Belgium]

I set up the rider sag then put in the fast bike magazine fast road & track settings, basically a little more compression damping at the front and rear, and a little less rear rebound IIRC (I can dig them out if anyone wants specific details), they seem fine to me so I'll be leaving it as is for a while and concentrate on my riding.

The only real bit that I find slightly bumpy is the ride down to the foxhole, especially the first section straight after Aremberg corner (the tight right hander after Schwadenkreuz). Apart from this the rest feels pretty fine.

[Richie]

You'll be changing your Avatar next.... ;-)

[Tim in Belgium]

Nah, the old SV avatar stays, don't want to loose my roots :D

[shonadoll]

Great pics!

[mart]

very nice tim do you use the brakes more with the gsxr. iirc you hardly used them on the sv. did you find the noise restrictions strict on the ring

[Tim in Belgium]

Yeah I probably use the brakes a little more on the GSXR, less engine braking and a higher approach speed.

As for noise testing they tested me in April when I first went with the GSXR, they definitely seem to be getting stricter. I run a standard can for precisely this reason.