How good does it get? Last week the Cup Weekend with over 2200 kms travelled. Now, back home, a new set of rubber, bike freshly serviced, one week later and a ride day at The Island.
Weather perfect: slightly overcast in the morning followed by sunshine in the arvo; no wind in the morning and a slight breeze after lunch.
One very minor crash for the day. Luckily it was not one of us. Paul kindly brought down his BBQ to cook some sangas for lunch and I supplied the bread. It was fantastic for all involved.
“Iron Butt” award goes to Misho and Pina
for coming down to the
Dave Ward, Honda CBR1000RR. New bike, goes very well, now has 3,500 kms on the odometer and will soon be traded in. Just joking!
Paul Southwell, Honda CBR1000RR. Mr Consistent. Can go around a race track with the best of them and man, that bike of his, high kays, still goes very well. This bike is the real proof of reliability with it being ridden, raced, and redlined, not to mention spending time upside down. It just keeps on going.
Misho
Zrakic, Honda CBR1000RR. For a guy that has only ridden at Phillip Island
twice and only once in the dry, he rode very well with times well under the 2 minute
mark, always smiley and able to take a joke or two. Ask him about
Mirko Strasser, Honda CBR929. Talk about keen, he was there before the sun was up. Always interested to learn and certainly improved from the first session to the last. Now that we know he is a chef, he has been voted cook on the next ride day. He test rode the new Blade and loved it. Will he get one?
Pina Garasi, Yamaha R6. Wasn’t going to ride but after being persuaded by all of us, she went for it. She has bad memories of this place but after a few sessions her tyres were cooked which she was rapped about. A huge improvement over the day.
Jacinta Thomas, Honda CBR919. She kept quiet all day but came over to say hello when possible. I saw her tearing down the main straight with the throttle wide open. Her bike still sounds great. Maybe on the hunt for a new toy.
Eric
Makin, Honda CBR600RR. Great to see Eric again after being beaten up after
a couple of crashes. He has a new 600RR which he is enjoying with only 600 kms
on the clock. Always happy to chat, he took it very steadily until the bike
gets worked over! He was joined by Josh riding a ‘99 model R1 which would be the
cleanest R1 I have ever seen. It was also Josh’s first time at the
Tony
Fabris, car, ex club member, supporting his girlfriend Lyn Honda CBR 600
F4i. Tony didn’t ride due to no tyre on his bike. His partner Lyn, first time
at the
Great day was had by all. I can’t wait for the next ride day on 13th December. Dave Ward
Email from Pina: I was so busy blah-blahhing with the “Blade Boys” that every time I was due on
for my turn on the track, I was just about the last one off; so I never really
saw Jacinta riding around, although we did see each other off the track and had
some nice, friendly chatting. She was sticking
with a couple of friends from Macedon Ulysses when not riding on the track.
I
ran into a woman called Rachael who came riding with us about 10 months ago on
a Spada 250. I was rear riding and she never came back for another MSR
ride. Today she was there riding a Honda
CBR600 and she requested me not to “carve” her up on the track... AS IF! What sort of reputation do I have?
Being
on the track was such a positive experience as it was the last of three “demons”
I had to face, having crashed there a few years ago. Experiencing the mighty
speed on the back of Fireblade with Misho was absolutely awesome. I enjoyed myself immensely.