Just wondered what tracks you guys use on a regular basis, Castle Combe is my closest circuit, seems to me thay have a kind of anti bike mentality ie - very few bike trackdays and when they do it's 6 groups per hour !! so I need to travel further afield, Donnington, Mallory, Thruxton are the closest to me as far as I can see, I'm booked on Donny April 9th in the Novice class, what are your favourite tracks and why ?
Originally from Brizzle and as you say Castle Coombe was closest. Now live in Lincolnshire and have Cadwell, Blyton, Mallory, Donnington and a few others pretty close
Am about 15mins from Thruxton but I hate to tell you they don't do trackdays there any more. Nearest useable track to me is Silverstone.
Regarding Castle Combe, plenty of regulars book their place, then on the day book an extra place (assuming there is some space, which apparently there always is) at a massively discounted rate. The 3 guys we got talking to had booked their extra place for £40 each.... so they were getting 2 sessions per hour, for a total outlay of about £170!
im in Bristol, never done CC as none of my bikes so far would pass the noise test, mainly been to Silverstone as its the nearest large track.
But as they test different than any other circuit. it's 1/2 meter at 3/4 revs . Most circuits are 1 meter at 5-6k. So makes a HUGE difference. I mean HUGE. And why a standard 08-13 blade will not get on track with a standard exhaust Cadwell was 105db but I passed with 104db on the Sunday and 102db on the Monday and that was with no baffle in. Never had a issues getting to any 105db TD. but I will test my bike (it's free on a event day) and see what my bike makes at Combe. I'm thinking way over 105db how they test Castle combe in 15 mins from me and I won't get on. So lost interest. And a shame as it's only a few locals that have kicked combe in the nuts re noise issues I used to think lets try the closests tracks but now have done and enjoyed Pembrey, Donny, Silverstone, Cadwell, Anglesey. All great tracks, I'm from Brizzle myself. I will be doing Brands and Rocky this year to start with. i want to try all tracks at some point. So not keep going back to the same circuit.
I was thinking of getting a Blade as a track bike and I too would love to use Castle Coombe as living so close. I tried my Panigale and it failed the sound test at 116DB with custom DB killers (104DB as Brands). Will a 2008 Blade really not pass the sound test - even with standard cans - if not their test truly is madness?!?!?
It's not Castle Coombe's test that is madness, it's the idiots who buy a house next/near to a race track and then complain about the noise that are the problem. It would be like me complaining about the Red Arrows practising over/near our house when they have been there for years whilst I only moved in about 5 years ago.
Hear Hear, why would you buy a house next to a track if you want quiet !! iv just ordered a DB meter so to try different length cans to get it under 100db without using a db killer, i get 9bhp more without db ! It feels like I'm riding a different bike.
I'm in Somerset near to Glastonbury. Also booked on at Donny on the 9th. Tend to go to Donny, Oulton or Pembrey. Done a few days at Llandow and Cadwell if it's a 2 day event. Having a go at Silverstone GP on 18th May. Tried to pass the noise test once at CC on the R6 and got scowled at by the noise chap and a firm no and that was that. Don't like the thought of 10 minute sessions either.
hey up Shammy I'm not to far from you, North Petherton, was thinking of doing Silverstone myself, hope to see you on Thursday for a chat
I've never ridden Silverstone so should be good, be a bit different to the narrow bits of Cadwell! See you Thursday.
Don't know if we got to say hi yesterday (other than my death stare on the sighting lap), we may have done but I spoke to so many folks and my head was fun of 'your using race shift today!!!' Maybe see you at Silverstone.
