I was really looking forward to some nice weather and some great riding! Unlike last month the forecast was perfect. The one downside to the wkend was that I was going to have to cover registration. Oh well, I know the routine well and can do it as well as anyone else in the club.
I did manage to get there early and get mostly set up before I had to hit registration. The bikes were ready, and I was looking forward to riding. Even if it was the new config, I’m just not a fan of the those bumpy transitions onto and off the back section of track.
I started off the day on the 675 this time, with warmer weather, it just made sense to see how I was going to be moving around on the bike I was going to be riding the most. I HAD planned on riding 6 races on Sunday maybe 7 if I wasn’t too tired. The one nice thing about doing the grids, you can add yourself in at the last minute if the mood strikes ya. Things were clicking for me right off the bat. The bike was ready it felt great even over the rough stuff, or at least as good as it could. I was hitting 1.16 lap times which for me in practice is great. I’m one that will drop up to 4 seconds from practice to racing. I was stoked about it.
I then decided to go out on the 250 to get that one set up for the bumps or at least see how it felt since I’d only ridden this config with this bike once. The first session out was great, just like on the other bike, it all clicked I even got my knee down in hairpin, I never do that. It really helps to have cut that side stand mount off, it doesn’t hit now and I feel more comfortable on the bike.
Then Brian asked to borrow the stand from the 250. I figured I’d roll to pit out early for my session. I got stopped on the way by someone asking about the races on Sunday, then I got stopped by someone who was complaining about another rider, and then I stopped to talk with that rider….. You know where this is heading right?
By the time I made it to pit out the session was starting to head out on to the track. With out thinking about the amount of time the bike had been off the warmers, I headed out. I had been having so much fun the last time out I went out and rode just like had been then. I made it to the 3rd turn and I tucked the front (I’d say do to cold tires) in the north hair pin on the exit. The bike and I slide to the outside edge of the track, somewhere along the way I felt a sharp pain in my left wrist. I fell onto my right side, why it was my left wrist I’ve no idea. It hurt enough that wouldn’t even try to pick the bike up. Tracy showed up not long after I got out of traffic he got the bike back up onto the pavement and I rode it back to the pits.
By the time I got back to the pit, found Brian to have him go over the time bike, got my glove off the wrist was already turning colors, swelling, and was throbbing. I couldn’t decide if I’d broken something or if it was just a sprain. At that point I just chilled for lunch, did a once over on the bike and my gear, there was just small amounts of rash on the bike, a broken tab for the rear brake, the rear master is going to need some work, as I’ve now found a crack in the connector. We didn’t find that at the track. I’ve got a hole in the elbow of my leathers but all things considered it wasn’t too bad.
After Brian rigged me up a new peg I went back out to see how the bike and my wrist felt. It took about 3 laps for my wrist to let me know that things were not okay. The bike felt fine. After the 4th lap I wasn’t able to feel my left hand anymore, so I figured I was done, but just to make sure I took the 675 out to see how it felt. It was worse, the heavier braking with it was far more taxing on my wrist and the clutch on it wasn’t nearly as soft so it hurt more to use it. I was done for the day.