RWYB Santa Pod 24th Sept

[Guzzirider]

Weather permitting, Mal and myself are riding down to Santa Pod next Saturday to thrash our V11s down the drag strip.

 

Not expecting any fast times but its great fun.

 

Its only £15 for unlimited runs.

 

Here's the details if anyone fancies having a go themselves:

 

http://www.santapod.co.uk/e_2wheels.php

 

Guy

[Mal]

I've put new spark plugs in and balanced the TBs...... should see me ripping down the straight in about an hour or two, may even wash the bike which will make it even quicker, am thinking of bricks in the tankbag to tame those wild wheelies .Hope Santa Pod has its hour glasses polished and ready.

 

I'm looking forward to it, anyone else fancy it ?(we've even persuaded a mate/monkey with a Le Mans 5 to give it a go).

 

Mal

[Guzzirider]

I'm waxing my Agostini rack and my Tekno pannier frames so they just cut through the air!

 

Apparently anyone going down the strip on a Guzzi has to have a man walking in front of you waving a red flag just like in the good ol' days.

 

Guy

[Martin Barrett]

I had hoped to sneak out today, and pop along. But I have unselfishly let Debs go out for the day instead. So far this morning I've baked chocolate muffins with my two smallest children.

 

The weather looks good and the slightly cooler day should make for good power

 

Hope you have a great time and be sure to post some pictures etc.

[Guzzirider]

Shame you missed it Martin- it would have been good to meet up.

 

Just got back from Santa Pod. It was blooming freezing this morning at 7am as Mal and myself left Huddersfield to meet "Monkey Boy" Magnus (LM V) at Woolley Edge services on the M1.

 

The Motorway was nice and quiet at that time of the morning and conveniently my GPS led us straight to the strip at Santa Pod which is not signposted anywhere and is in the middle of nowhere.

 

It began to warm up as we arrived and signed on- ideal conditions with not a cloud in the sky.

 

Magnus decided after seeing some runs that he just wanted to spectate. Everyone else seemed to have nitrous oxide fed Hayabusas or turbocharged ZX12Rs with wheelie bars- Mal and myself looked a little out of place on our Guzzis with our luggage racks and pannier frames. Our only concession to speed was to fold our mirrors back.

 

First run: I got a great launch but lost some time when I hit the rev limiter in second. I posted 12.8 and Mal posted 13.2 on his first ever run up the strip.

 

Second run: I fluffed the start and Mal got off the line quicker but I managed to reel him in and overtake before the line. My time 12.6, Mal again 13.2.

 

Third run: I slipped the clutch a little too much but again managed a 12.6 with Mal improving to a healthy 12.8.

 

We decided to call it day after that- our clutches were beginning to smell a bit (as were our crotches).

 

There was one other Guzzi there- a guy on a Cali EV with screen etc- obviously a game fellow. There was half a dozen Harley V Rods- most tweaked, some standard- all were very impressive posting times in the 9s or 10s.

 

A top day out for not much money (£25 for unlimited runs)- much harder than you think because to get a great time you need to combine a quick reaction time, get a good launch then have a smooth run up the strip- and to get all three on the same run is hard. Bike magazine managed a best time on a V11 of 13.1 seconds but I have seen an American mag post a time in the low 12s and I reckon if we stripped off the luggage stuff and got a perfect run a low 12 would be achievable. In the event, I was pleased to beat my previous Guzzi best of 12.9.

 

Magnus took some pics- will post them as soon as they arrive.

 

Guy

[Guzzirider]

Some pics at last- the close up action pics will be a week or so. I am in red on a red bike- Mal is the evil one in Black.

 

Guy