Silverstone - 3rd August

[Binky]

Will be down there all day for a trackday.

If anyone's free and fancies popping down to look at some lovely bikes and see a tatty SV try and keep up, i'll be down there.

Blue and silver curvy BTW. Tall ginger bloke should be on or near it.

[Mr Speirs]

What a day!!!

Started off at 7 in the morning with Binky heading to my work to replace is absolutely knackered rear shock. I sat on it and it honestly felt like a pogo stick just softer.
Aim was to get it done and get him to silverstone for the 8am briefing. So at 9am he left my work

I then headed back to my house to see if I could fix my Ducati as one of the clutch springs had popped out and caused a bit of damage. Luckily once the springs were balanced up again everything worked as normal yay!!! I then got a phone call telling me I had the day off so I donned my bike gear and heading off to silverstone.

Got there and found Binky had made the first session and had had a good one. Got breakfast and then he headed out for the second session. Myself Plowsie and Luke headed off to Abbey Corner for a better view and get some pics of the man himself.

Plowsie said to me - 'Ah Ill get some pictures of Binky on that corner' and promptly positioned himself for some photo action.
5 mins went by and at exactly the same time Plowsie turned his head with a questioning look on his face and I shouted down to him 'I think we better get back'

Sure enough a van pulls up next to the car and out pops Binky steadying his bike in the back. He had gone down around Maggots I believe. He's not sure what happened really but he had a moment and a bit of a spill.

Binky was absolutely unhurt, the bike was not too bad either but needed some attention.
Broken Screen, bent clip on, master cylinder bracket snapped, rear brake tip snapped, exhaust hanger gone but worst of all the rearset hanger had bent causing what remained of the rear brake lever to jam against the frame.

We tried to bend it back and got it close to okay but thought we would try just a wee bit more and it snapped! So no footrest, no way to ride the bike, no way to get it back.

After an hour of contemplation a lovely fella from Diss came over to see what was going on. Explained our quandary and he went and rummaged and came back with a bolt with the same thread as the foot rest hanger hole and a foot peg with the same thread so he managed to make a foot rest which then made the bike rideable.

Binky then managed to get out the next 2 sessions although the second one was interrupted by a red flag but thankfully resumed. The annoying thing though was I was trying to give Binky a rough lap time but he only managed 4 laps during that session 2 outs and 2 ins.

Back home now and ready to tuck into a pizza mmm.

Glad Binky's ok. More battle scars for the poor bike!

Binky you Muppet Glad your ok fella Hope the bike's not too bad, you got 2 weeks

There is absolutely no way Im going anywhere near you at Cadwell

[Quiff Wichard]

glad you ok bink..

did the dress hinder your riding??

[Mr Speirs]

Ha funnily enough he was going to go out on track for a session in the dress to get a picture by those photographers but after all this happened it wasn't til we were leaving that he remembered.

Unlucky Binky, can you just add more tape

you muppet!!

I thought it was odd that I didnt get a reply to the txt I sent.

I seem to remember telling you to stay grimy side up!!

[Binky]

Only just got back after visiting friends down south. Phone died too so couldn't reply to texts...

Anyway, had a fantastic day despite coming off. I haven't ever ridden that fast before, yet it seemed more controlled and calmer than previous TD's.

The off was a funny one for me as i can't really be certain what caused it. Up until that point i was running smoothly and had not had any moments or slides. Then just as i was about the clip the apex of Beckets the back flicked out. I managed to catch it and although a bit shaky coming onto the apex i thought to myself 'blimey, that was close' then all seemed fine for about half a second and i just fell off the back/side of the bike. It was almost like i had resigned myself to crashing, then thought, 'ah well, i had better come off anyway'... The bike ended up on the inside of the corner weirdly, and i ended up lying on my back right on the racing line. Luckily i had a bit of space to the bike behind me, so was able to get up and get out of the way.


Skip to 3.16 for the moment i came off. I was doing about 60-70 at the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLj7Yd4mWUE

The pegs were grounding on most corners as they are still the stock ones and i think may have caught a bump or the like. I wasn't on the throttle at this point either, so...

Pegs on the left side. (I fell on the right though)

The tyres (Michelin Pilot Power 2CT's) were immense. They are a lot stickier on the sides than the Avons i had previously. Even touching them now it's like dabbing paper with a prit-stick and placing then removing your finger from the paper, they feel that soft.


Spiers has told much off the bodge job to get back out on track. Anyway, i managed to make the last two sessions, but thought it wise to pop down to Novice as i had uneven pegs, no rear brake and a slightly bent clip on. The ability difference between the two groups was phenominal. Even with a bodged bike it was possible to pass two, three or even four bikes into the first corner (about 70-80 on the SV). They really hate corners in Novice.

Anyway, the damage. Below.

Note Bodged footpeg, and remains of rearset cable tied to the pillion pegs as well as tarmac marks.


I have to say thanks to Plowsie for the company and help in the paddock, i owe you more than a few beers mate. Cheers.

Special thanks to Mr.Spiers for supplying shock, helping fit it, and again the company in the paddock. Oh, and not forgetting helping Plowsie snap my rearset. (It was FUBAR'd anyway) Few beers your way to.

Learnt a lot that day. Including that i want to do many more track days and maybe get into racing if i can get the money together in the future.

EDIT: R&G's are ****e for 'crash' protection. The ******* snapped straight away. Maybe if i'd have had Motosliders the damage would have been slightly less.

Also forgot to mention that Silverstone is a lovely track. Shame they used the mickey mouse chicane at Luffield/Woodcote though.

[Mr Speirs]

Originally Posted by Binky

I have to say thanks to Plowsie for the company and help in the paddock, i owe you more than a few beers mate. Cheers.

Special thanks to Mr.Spiers for supplying shock, helping fit it, and again the company in the paddock. Oh, and not forgetting helping Plowsie snap my rearset. (It was FUBAR'd anyway) Few beers your way to.

Learnt a lot that day. Including that i want to do many more track days and maybe get into racing if i can get the money together in the future.

Well if you ever need a trusty pair of pit technicians to help you break your bike better than you can throwing it down the track you know where to come.

Here are some of our catchy slogans.

Where ever people up and down the country are crashing their bikes, Speirs and Plowsie will always be there to make things worse.

Had an accident??? Can still ride your bike??? Then call Speirs and Plowsie.

Only a broken lever and a few scratches??? Call Speirs and Plowsie.

Speirs and Plowsie we are guna **** your bike up.