Friday's practice - another brilliant sun-shining day. It was a bit chillier than the previous days, but it was dry and sunny all around the course. The day started with the usual few hours prep on the bikes... checking bolts, refastening fairing dzus bolts, checking tyres, chain, taping up scraped belly-pans, checking and refuelling, cleaning etc...
The BAMF on the Mountain - thanks Northline Photography
Got out on Suzy V first. Started pushing from Union Mills onwards. Feeling good and getting a nice flowing rhythm going. Making good time... thru Ballacraine, Kirk Michael, ramsey then up the mountain. Started to get a good flow up the Mountain... I love the Mountain section and normally make up time on other riders up there. Mountain Mile and Suzy is at full chat... white needle in the rev counter vibrating like mad around the 10k mark. Into Mountain Box... carrying a bit more speed than usual... I tip in... knee out and half way to the apex the front starts sliding. Ooooooooh shiiiiiit!
'Suzy V'
I push the front for what seemed an eternity... wire fence and nothingness then the Mountain Box skimming past my peripheral vision. The tyres grips after I've pushed it about 1 foot off-line and I scoot through the rest of the double left-lander in one big arc. Shit! That was scary!
I back it off a rung or two as I think through what just happened. I think back to the tyres... hmmmm... I did Silverstone Desmo Due with these boots back in May on the Wee Monster. And the the Snetterton test... and this was the 7th lap on them around here... they're probably past their prime. Yup... probably. I fly through for another lap... taking it just a bit easier through any corner where I am asking a lot of the front end, but still getting a wriggle on everywhere else. 2 good laps 100.2 and 99.7 were the result. I'm happy!
Clear and sunny going over the Mountain towards Ramsey - across the sea you can see the mountains of the Peak District - first time I've ever seen 'Across' (a local word for mainland UK) from the Isle
I get back to the pits. Gloves off, helmet off. Start the Aprilia to get her a bit warmed up. Mash a banana through me teeth... a quick drink of Lucozade. Helmet on, gloves on and move into line to take off down Glencrutchery road. To get up onto Glencrutchery road, there is a steep ramp. this sloshes all the fuel to the back of the tank... some dribbles out onto my crotch and the rest pisses out the overflow... the overflow bottle soon fills up and I've got fuel spewing into the belly-pan. Third time this had happened. Another mechanic notices this and points it out... but none of the officials see it this time so I just nod and shout "It's OK!".
First lap of practice - take it easy for the first few miles through Braddan Bridge on cold tyres - thanks Northline Photography
The previous two occasions meant me stopping, siphoning the extra fuel out and mopping up the belly-pan. I'm fed up with doing this so just line her up and blast off from the start line, taking a bit of extra care in case fuel spills onto the front tyre under braking... but with the 140mph wind down Bray Hill I think it had all evaporated long before I hit the brakes at Quarterbridge. Through Union Mills and all's well.
The tyre situation is on my mind as I count this lap as the 9th on these tyres. The rear was looking really worn and raggedy... but it's the front that I put my faith in... so I just take it that much easier whenever there is a lot of load on the front. I only brought one set of new tyres for each bike, not expecting to get so many good days practice in and didn't want to put too much mileage on them before the race. Next time... I'll bring two sets.
The BAMF rear tyre... a bit shagged out and way past it's prime
Feeling good on the BAMF, but still too much stop/start. I go very fast, get a bit scared so brake hard for the next bend, killing my corner-speed. But learning more sections a a faster speed. Before I know it I'm blasting down Glencrutchery Road again for my flying lap... the last of the evening.
Another good lap. Push a little bit more in each corner... and learning what happens at the next corner once you add 3mph corner speed to the one before. Learn, learn, learn. 104.9 and 106.3mph were the two laps. Improving. Sulby Straight through the traps is only 150mph... way down on the top guys who are pulling 170 mph thru there. This old Aprilia is way down on horsepower compared to the 2010 GSXR 750's that have been tuned to the moon that those guys are on. Suzy V however gets 138.9mph... good enough for the top ten Ultra Lightweight! :-)
'Suzy V' on the Mountain - thanks Northline Photography
A great evening practice.
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