Up early again... getting the body used to rising early. At 08h30 we were at 'Tech' - 'skrootineering' in British speak. There I met the rest of the Ducati 'Squadra Alpina' - 4 top riders who share 20 PPIHC wins between them. Sponsored by Ducati they are the riders liasion guys and coaching us Rookies. A great new initiative.
It didn't take me long to damage the bike - I snapped the custom made screen off at the top while unloading :-(
Frankenstein repair job with some blood shed.
The bike and my kit sailed through Tech... by 09h00 we were done. Headed back to the cottage and got the wheels off the BRD - Travis took them up to his shop to fit some fresh Pirelli rubber.
Just the Tech stickers and we're done!
By 11h00 I was back at the Start line of the PPIHC course with the Squadra Alpina. We split into groups and my assigned coach, Carlin Dunne, took myself, Rob Barber (manx and TT rider form the UK - this year on an electric bike) and Bruno Marlin (Sidecar driver from France) for a giuded tour up the PPIHC course.
As with my tour with Travis the day before... there was a lot to learn. A lot of tips but mostly focussed around safety and which turns are likely to bite. I took a lot of notes. At the top we had a walk around... discussed more on the course and the same on the way back down. Feeling looked after as a Rookie in this unusual event.
Bruno Marlin and his monkey...
Kids on pogo sticks at 14 200 feet!
Back to to cottage and work on the bike a bit with Ant. Just final prep stuff and figuring out how the electronic suspension adjustments work. Pretty trick - one can adjust the pre-load, compression and rebound from buttons on the bars. No grovelling in the dirt with allen-keys... this is the future!
On the way up to the Park entrance...
Found a good beef jerky shop on the way into the Park. They got bison, venison and alligator jerky... and they're expensive. I'm glad to be in a jerky state!
We also switched the ABS off and backed off the traction control. I've never ridden with either rider aid... I don;t want to be going somewhere unfamilliar, but felt that with a fairly slick surface where everyone struggles for grip, a little bit of traction control for 150bhp is a good thing.
Man, it was hot... like 34 degrees in the shade. We work on the bike under a little car-port... sweated buckets.
Some crazy and cool cars... I love the Yanks!
At 17h00 we headed off to mandatory Drivers/Riders briefing at the Elegante hotel in Colorado Springs. An hour and forty-five minutes of briefings, instructions (mostly around safety) and questions. An engraved comemorative Henry repeater rifle was handed around for everyone to get thier finger-prints on it (these americans are crazy!). It'll go in the PPIHC museum. This year is the 100th anniversary of the event - and it's quite a big deal.
Something for the museum...
Meanwhile Travis had gotten back from Denver and fitted n lockwired the wheels with those sticky new Supercorsas. The Big Red Duck was good to go! An early night to be up super-early for optional practice on Tuesday.
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