CSS1 - Rockingham

Have been doing CSS1 at Rockingham today. What a blinder of a day!!!

Stopped overnight at a B&B in Middleton, a few miles away - didn't want to have to ride from Shrewsbury first thing. Can recommend the place, Valley View.

I've never done a trackday or any of this sort of training so I didn't know what to expect. Started with a brief intro, then split up into groups - I was in green group. Bit of talk about what makes the bike stable - correct throttle control and the importance of it. Then out on track, first for 2 familiarisation laps, then 25 mins of riding round in 3rd or 4th with no brakes. Not as easy as it sounds... Then another classroom session on the correct turning point. By this time they'd marked what they thought was the correct turn point for all the corners with a big yellow X, so the aim was to hit the X and turn. I had about half of them right in the first session, but some of the cormers at Rockingham aren't quite so obvious - those who know the circuit will know that slow right hander that goes uphill - I found that very tricky, trickier than the hairpin

Then another classroom session, on turning the bike quick, and the importance of relaxed posture. Then out on track for 25 mins to practise it. I got stopped for having my arms too straight but it ain't easy on a 675 with your ar$e in the air, almost higher than your head. Then more on looking and turning, look first then turn, more practice.

I learned a lot, just gotta practise lots now. I do find it hard to ride with a completely relaxed posture, but I'm working on it I gotta find Neio's Welsh roads - they're not too far from me. I've still got chicken strips but they're looking much more respectable now, about 1cm on the right and slightly more on the left. It makes such a difference having high quality grippy tarmac, and it was so warm today (about 26C there) that the tyres were properly warmed through too - quite a feat for Supercorsas.

Three bikes got binned - didn't see the first, the second was a ZX6R with lots of superficial damage but no obvious frame damage that I could see, and the third was a fairly spectacular slide on the first corner on one of the School's R6s. All three riders walked away. Bloke on the School bike will have lost his £500 deposit.

Lots of crack in between times with all the other people there - about 60 I'd guess, some doing levels 2, 3 and 4. Lots of fruit, cakes, water etc. Had my suspension looked at by an expert but it was just a quick teaser to get it set up properly - trip down to London, and £290 - yow!!!

Then a slow ride the 100 miles home, I was spent.

All in all - a good day but at £379 you'd expect it to be.

Very pleased with myself for (a) not falling off (b) not being the slowest bike on the track and (c) getting progressively faster

[Balky001]

Glad you had a good day Ed, I did CSS1 at Rockingham a couple of years ago, awesome track although I loved that right hander if it's the one at the back of the track after the fast rights. Loads of overtaking.

The apex on the hairpin is so late! I thought I was going OK until someone flew past me like I was standing still at the chicane bit after the first corner - it was Thomas Luthi who was racing MOTO125 at the time now on 250s! He uses CSS for technical advice.

So, any teddy bear braking going on in the first 2 sessions??

£290 for a set up is an awful lot unless that includes all new internals in which case really cheap. Front spring & oil change plus set up is usually £125 - £175

Fantastic

I've got this booked for next month.I can only dream of getting the weather you did! £379 is a lot of money for a wet trackday!

Nope no comfort braking!!! Dizz, you'll have a ball!!! It was actually too hot, leathers were very uncomfortable. When I got home I had to peel em off, and my boxers were - er disgusting I don't understand people who sit out in the sun all day - several peeps had removed as much as poss and were standing around with no cream on.

I shall get a ribbing for posting this pic of my back tyre but before you do, do remember that (a) someone recently suggested that I ride on roman roads so this is a considerable improvement, and (b) these tyres have a very aggressive and steep profile and it's damn hard to get them to the rims. The chicken strip is about 1cm.

It's melted at the edges. Good enough for me

Any advice for the day?
Think you'll go back at some point to do level 2? (Ebike offer a discount on your insurance for this)

Originally Posted by gettin2dizzy

It's melted at the edges. Good enough for me

Any advice for the day?
Think you'll go back at some point to do level 2? (Ebike offer a discount on your insurance for this)

Advice - get there early!!!! Deflate your tyres to track pressures (30/32) and fill up at the Jet station down the road on your way in (the track has a pump but it's only open at lunchtime, £1.20/l yesterday). Don't leave arriving till the last minute, there are 60 or 70 others registering, and they assign you to a group, check your drivers licence, the indemnity form (if you haven't completed it in advance you have to go fill one in - and to the back of the line) and they check your bike to see that it's safe, and also they check your kit. Get there at 7!!! - it all takes quite a while. And then you can load up on coffee and cakes and soak up the atmosphere. The classroom sessions start at 8, so there isn't much time.

Otherwise - relax, they emphasise safety and that it's a training day and not a race. If you pass too close you'll get black flagged. It happened a few times yesterday...

Level 2? I dunno - maybe, but not this year, I can't afford it.

Originally Posted by Ed

Deflate your tyres to track pressures (30/32)

Is that 30F/32R or 30R/32F

As G2D said, what do you get for your £290 suspension tuning? Just someone twiddling the twiddles, or re-sprung to your exact weight etc? If it is the former, then they are having a laugh

Good to see you had an ace day

I did mine 32 front, 30 rear. Did I do it wrong?

As re suspension stuff - bloke said it would take about 4.5 hours and that I'd need to be there to sit on the bike, and so that they could teach me how to maintain it. Whatever, £290 (plus VAT I guess) is more than I can afford and I can't be arsed to ride to sarf London anyway

Originally Posted by Ed

I did mine 32 front, 30 rear. Did I do it wrong?

As re suspension stuff - bloke said it would take about 4.5 hours and that I'd need to be there to sit on the bike, and so that they could teach me how to maintain it. Whatever, £290 (plus VAT I guess) is more than I can afford and I can't be arsed to ride to sarf London anyway

32F/30R is fine, 30F/32R isn't ideal ... on the track you need more in the front than the rear, on the road we tend to have more in the rear, so it can be confusing, just wonders how you interpreted those numbers

£290+vat/4.5hrs = £75/hr ... even for a pro, that is steep ... I'd want a tug-job from a 'lovely' whilst I wait for that sort of cash!!

But seriously, there is no reason you can't DIY your setup. There are plenty of guide out there to tell you what parameters to use ... go-star racing is a good one!!

I actually believe that no one can set your suspension up for you as it is so much personal preference* ...


*remember even the pro racers - although not physically twiddling the knobs - are setting their own bikes up!!

£290?? What else do you get with the suspension set up?

If you do a track day, there is often someone there who can do a suspension setup for around £50.

My hubby had his ZX6R done at Brands/Focused Events last week, they reduced the rear sag and tweaked the preload & rebound, plus showed him how to make the adjustments. You can then go back for further adjustments throughout the day. It's made a huge difference, well worth the £50.