Deutsche VersionRacetrack index
Note: If you can read German, read the German reports. The English reports are often just short summaries.
 |
 |
| Sportfoto Trescher | My photos |
In short: My first two days on track. The TL is completely stock, much too
hard tyres. Regardless of that it was a whole lot of fun! I discover the
limits of the rear rotary damper and the tyres. I drive home with two fun
days in my mind and better tyres and a Wilbers shock on my shopping list.
Oh, and the rear mudguard was called "ugly" more than once...
Anneau du Rhin / France, 19./20. Mai 2004, Speer Racin
 |
 |
| Bernd and others | All photos |
I modded my TL for this year! The Wilbers shock proved good on street already.
The BOS mufflers reach 98dB of 98dB allowed. Moreover, the new BT014 tyres
and the raised forks perform very well. In short words: I've a new bike!
The mods turn out extremely well on track. The TL is a whole lot better than
last year. It enters corners like I want and shortly after the apex I'm on
full throttle again. BIG BIG fun!!
I drive home with positive experience. Steel braided lines are on the shopping
list. And soon a new BT014 rear.
Hockenheim / Germany, 1. September 2004, Speer Racing
My first track day on a GP circuit! I drove the 350km to Hockenheim to hockenheim
by motorbike of course. Using saddlebags for my luggage and a big backpack
for the Yoshimura mufflers I sold to a guy there. Quite scary at more than
180kph. Beer and barbeque in the pit at the evening.
Driver briefing in the morning. Many many people there! As on track later,
there was often too much traffic. At least over lunch there was some room on
track to drive some good laps. I almost crashed when I lost the front end in
the sharp left hand "Mercedes" corner, but could just rescue with the left
knee dragging. Our instructor was not so good unfortunately. Drove like an
idiot in the first lap and got stuck behind the slowest of the slow groups
after lap 2. Fortunately, the last two sessions were free, thus without instructor.
Yes!!! Full throttle through parabolica with up to 260kph, brake like hell
before hairpin and overtake tons of bikes. That was so much fun that I forgot
to watch the fuel level. So I was aligning for the last session when the fuel
lamp began to light. Lap 6 in parabolica, the engine began to stutter, 2/3
of the lap away from the pitlane. I somehow managed to get to the fuel station
where the engine finally died. I had to return to pit and back to the fuel
station by foot to search my purse. That all needed a lot of time and when
I finally returned to pit by motorbike my friends were already searching me
at the breakdown van :-)
 |
| Photos Wilhelm etc |
Hockenheim is a very fast track compared to Anneau du Rhin. I still had a lot
of respect of the fast corners. Shopping list: New helmet with dark visor (had
problems at high speed with the old one).