chnordiste
Junior Member
This summer I’ve decided to took money out of my saving and booked a day on a motogp calendar racetrack. Because Lemans is the only one I can reach in a one day travel : lemans it will be :rockon:!
First challenge : put all needed stuff on a 2007 FZ6-N (Tent, sleeping bag, clothes, tools, spare parts, ….)
Here we go, one the road to lemans.
After 4 hour of boring highway, I’ve arrived to the “holy ground”, blessed by gods as Rossi, Lorenzo or marquez just 3 month ago : the bugatti track.
In fact there is 3 track in lemans :
- the Bugatti : motogp track also use for the 24h motorcycle event.
- “circuit de la Sarthe” : 24h car track : it’s a mix of Bugatti track and public road.
- Maison blanche : the low cost track
On the spot I join my friend who had travelled in car with their bike on a trailer. Looks like I was the only one of the paddock who had came on bike. I also realised there is few roadster, only 2 Z750 in my cathegorie (intermediate), and most of the rest are 1000cc sportbike. It’s going to be hard in the straight line :spank:.
After a really short night (asphalt is not so comfortable), I get up for the ‘big day”. It’s 7am and briefing it’s at 8h30, so I have time to do a short tour around the track.
Pit lane
Dunlop curve
« trhe camp »
.
9h30 : Serious things begins. In a few minutes we will ride on a grand prix track !! the pitlane entry is very intimidating, espacially for rider like me who are used to small trak. (the track I’m used to ride is 2km long, 9m wide and its whole infrastructure is a unique bungalow). The unique things pops into my head is : « what am I doing here !!? » .
Enter Arena - YouTube
The first round is quite calm for me, I discover the track which is much different than I’ve expected. There is much more difference in height than it can be see on TV and the track is so wide, I have difficulty to find the good trajectory (especially for chapelle and muse curves).
But I still find a Z to play with : the first to brake is a coward :sinister:!!
Z750400m - YouTube
During other morning session, I’m going to relax et become aware the FZ6 is not that ridiculous on such track. Of course I have a hard time in straight line, but the Fz6 ease of use is a great help to push my limit faster than others.
I also begin to learn this track secret, for example « musée », « chapelle » and « esses Bleues » are two apex corner, also the first left of the Dunlop chicane has to be sacrified in order to get a good accélation in the next right corner.
But my greatest strenght compare to other riders is the Dunlop curve. With a Fz6 its a really simple corner if you have the ability of turn your mind off. In fact the speed entry of this curve is faster than the Fz6 top speed (personally I couldn’t go faster than 225 km/h). So you go flat out until you reach the white mark (on the track left side), you cut the throttle and do everything you can to reach the apex :banghead:.
In the afternoon it’s war, 1000cc sportbike don’t impress me anymore, I know the track and get my “landmark”, weather is perfect and photographers are on the go.
There we are, the day is already over, everyone repack their stuff and are ready for another 4h00 of highway.
That was a great experience and my little Fz6 does its job perfectly despite its 80 000 km (and genuine clutch).
My Best laptime was 2mn01’92, means I am 30s behind Marc Marquez and 15s behind Efren Vazquez with its moto3, but such laptime could put me in the advanced group (laptime between 2mn06 and 1mn57).
This laptime could be largely improved by mounting racing footpegs, because, in my opinion, lean angle limit is the great Fz6 disadvantage.
This picture speack for itself
And to finish, the video of the funniest session of the day, where I ‘ve done everything I could in order to keep playing with 1000cc sportbike. A great fight with one of my friend with the grey R1 (he passed me at 2:50, 4:00 and 12:18). A fight I finaly won by passing him in the very last corner :Flip:!
Le mans 14 aout 2014 - YouTube
Can’t wait to ride back on such racetrack
PS : I’ve decided to do this without using google traduction, hope you’ve understands me.
First challenge : put all needed stuff on a 2007 FZ6-N (Tent, sleeping bag, clothes, tools, spare parts, ….)
Here we go, one the road to lemans.
After 4 hour of boring highway, I’ve arrived to the “holy ground”, blessed by gods as Rossi, Lorenzo or marquez just 3 month ago : the bugatti track.
In fact there is 3 track in lemans :
- the Bugatti : motogp track also use for the 24h motorcycle event.
- “circuit de la Sarthe” : 24h car track : it’s a mix of Bugatti track and public road.
- Maison blanche : the low cost track
On the spot I join my friend who had travelled in car with their bike on a trailer. Looks like I was the only one of the paddock who had came on bike. I also realised there is few roadster, only 2 Z750 in my cathegorie (intermediate), and most of the rest are 1000cc sportbike. It’s going to be hard in the straight line :spank:.
After a really short night (asphalt is not so comfortable)
, I get up for the ‘big day”. It’s 7am and briefing it’s at 8h30, so I have time to do a short tour around the track. Pit lane
Dunlop curve
« trhe camp »
9h30 : Serious things begins. In a few minutes we will ride on a grand prix track !! the pitlane entry is very intimidating, espacially for rider like me who are used to small trak. (the track I’m used to ride is 2km long, 9m wide and its whole infrastructure is a unique bungalow
). The unique things pops into my head is : « what am I doing here !!? » .Enter Arena - YouTube
The first round is quite calm for me, I discover the track which is much different than I’ve expected. There is much more difference in height than it can be see on TV and the track is so wide, I have difficulty to find the good trajectory (especially for chapelle and muse curves).
But I still find a Z to play with : the first to brake is a coward :sinister:!!
Z750400m - YouTube
During other morning session, I’m going to relax et become aware the FZ6 is not that ridiculous on such track. Of course I have a hard time in straight line, but the Fz6 ease of use is a great help to push my limit faster than others.
I also begin to learn this track secret, for example « musée », « chapelle » and « esses Bleues » are two apex corner, also the first left of the Dunlop chicane has to be sacrified in order to get a good accélation in the next right corner.
But my greatest strenght compare to other riders is the Dunlop curve. With a Fz6 its a really simple corner if you have the ability of turn your mind off. In fact the speed entry of this curve is faster than the Fz6 top speed (personally I couldn’t go faster than 225 km/h). So you go flat out until you reach the white mark (on the track left side), you cut the throttle and do everything you can to reach the apex :banghead:.
In the afternoon it’s war, 1000cc sportbike don’t impress me anymore, I know the track and get my “landmark”, weather is perfect and photographers are on the go.
There we are, the day is already over, everyone repack their stuff and are ready for another 4h00 of highway.
That was a great experience and my little Fz6 does its job perfectly despite its 80 000 km (and genuine clutch).
My Best laptime was 2mn01’92, means I am 30s behind Marc Marquez and 15s behind Efren Vazquez with its moto3, but such laptime could put me in the advanced group (laptime between 2mn06 and 1mn57).
This laptime could be largely improved by mounting racing footpegs, because, in my opinion, lean angle limit is the great Fz6 disadvantage.
This picture speack for itself
And to finish, the video of the funniest session of the day, where I ‘ve done everything I could in order to keep playing with 1000cc sportbike. A great fight with one of my friend with the grey R1 (he passed me at 2:50, 4:00 and 12:18). A fight I finaly won by passing him in the very last corner :Flip:!
Le mans 14 aout 2014 - YouTube
Can’t wait to ride back on such racetrack
PS : I’ve decided to do this without using google traduction, hope you’ve understands me
.
Last edited:
