This will be short and sweet because I’ve forgotten most of it as it’s taken me a week to do this write up.  It’s been a hectic time. I’ve been running around organising way too much to concentrate on any one thing, thank God it’s almost all over and I can get on with the season.  

I’ve just had a fantastic weekend which was a reunion of the 2006 Feisty Race team for Radka and Bully’s wedding in the Czech Republic. It was just like the good old days and has reminded me what this racing malarkey is all about. Congrats to Radka and bully on their marriage, Kat and Chris on their rather large bump and Susie and David on the [snip - ED]. Love all you guys.

So, onto the riding. Hmmm I actually remember why I don’t like writing these things, especially when I feel it didn’t go so well.  The opening day of the Yamaha R6 cup was scheduled for Monday, so I booked Susie and I on the Saturday and Sunday for a trackday weekend, with racing combined. Pannonia is a track I rode a fair bit last year and I was hoping to get down to the at least the same times I was doing last year.

It seems this was optimistic. I was doing 2.10s on Saturday, which I was pleased with. I hoped to find a lot more on Sunday as it was feeling like I could. There was a miscommunication (OK assumption by me) about tyres which left me lacking in them, so I took the opportunity to get happy with the rear spinning up, but I only found another second on Sunday, which left me quietly disappointed.

Although, as always, I am reasonably fit. That bike fitness you get only from riding on track was lacking, either that or I’m getting old. Sunday night saw me feeling very physically sorry for myself.
 
Monday arrived, Susie and David had left the evening before, and so I quite happily set up for the day by myself. I’ve done it a hundred times before so no problems.  All competitors got together for a big photo shoot before the track opened with all 40 odd R6s lined up (all except mine because I still hadn’t received my blue fairing) It was a very impressive sight. I rushed off from this to get out in the 1st session still on the old rubber.
The very nice Dunlop people said I could have their display rear so I promptly got this fitted after the 1st session. I was having some problems with front-end judder, so was directed towards the suspension expert who changed my settings for the race. I’m definitely not suspension expert,  but had been making minor adjustments from stock over the last few times out and I know enough to know major adjustment is a bad thing, but still for some reason went with a rear preload adjustment from 4  off to all the way off and compression damping from 14 off to 24 off.  

I’d been doing 2.11s all day and managed 2.09 in the race, but I can honestly say, I’ve never had such extreme handling problems. Settings are now back to where I began Monday and we’ll see what happens in testing in Misano. I though I knew where I needed to go and had someone else from Yamaha confirm this after the race, so we’ll see.

It was a long way off the 2.06s I got down to last year, but I have promised myself I will not be beating myself up in the same way I did last year. Anyone that knows me I think will agree it was not a good year for me last year in this respect.

I hope to leave for Misano today (Tuesday) and make the most of the beach and some rest but will have to see how work goes.  Either way, I am really looking forward to the first race.