Page 89 - 2022-08-01 RiDE

ü Lack of other road
traffic means you can
really concentrate on
your riding

THREE

THINGS I

LEARNED…

Circuits for safety
There are huge advantages to learning road
1 craft in a sterile environment like a race
track. It offers a chance to push harder than you
would on a public road, learn your bike’s limits, and
practice with repeatability so the lessons sink in.
Riding the 130-ish miles home afterwards was a
joy, as I found I wasn’t thinking about things like
body positioning as much — it all felt more natural.
I’m also more confident in my brakes, having given
them a VERY good squeeze on track but also
learning to apply them more smoothly while riding.

A diverse day out p It wasn’t just

I’d worried my sports bike might be sportsbikes on the
2 somewhat unusual in this scenario but day but every kind of
there were Fireblades, Panigales and more, parked bike... and rider
alongside tourers like the ubiquitous BMW
R1250RT and adventure bikes like Triumph’s Tiger
900. There were bikes of nearly every type and the
people were just as diverse, with a wide range of
backgrounds, ages and abilities. The only things
everybody I met had in common were a thirst to
learn and a friendly, ego-free demeanour, and
those two things really added to the day.

Thrilling Thruxton
I’m no stranger to a racing circuit but this
3 one’s truly special; particularly on an R7
with only 72bhp and lithe handling. A few of the
corners require no brakes at all once you’re up to
speed and feeling confident — simply roll off and tip
in. It’s also very well sighted with hardly any
elevation change, so you can spot an apex and p Thruxton is the
commit to it. I left feeling in absolute awe of the UK’s fastest circuit
BSB riders racing there on really fast machinery.
That must be a serious assault on the senses… THE SCORES

Value for money . . . . . . . . . . 9
Enjoyment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Organisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Total score 26/30

As a training day in its own right, I
learned a lot that was directly
transferable to my road riding —
I’m more confident in my bike’s
ability to manoeuvre me out of
trouble. I’ve chalked it up as a very
valuable exercise that costs less
than your average trackday.
GARETH EVANS

SEPTEMBER 2022 89