Fast? It’s all relative
James rides Silverstone’s full circuit on a slick-shod Yamaha R1M, in company with a gaggle of racing’s current pros, and some lucky owners. It’s a great day in the sun…
IT WAS LOVELY TO BE INVITED back again to host the Yamaha R1M owner’s VIP Experience and trackday, Silverstone. The R1M is still one of my favourite bikes of all time. The evening can be nervy – interviewing top riders: Melandri; VDM; Lowes; Cortese; Canepa; Niall and Taz Mackenzie, O’halloran, Kennedy. And Yamaha top brass: Eric De Seynes (President Yamaha Motor Europe); Lin Jarvis (MD of Yamaha Racing); Paul Denning etc. But the trackday’s to die for!
The morning after the night before is gloriously sunny, ideal trackday conditions. When I arrive at Silverstone I have to pinch myself because waiting for me is an R1M on new Bridgestone slicks, with a race pattern gear change and factory technicians attending. Everywhere you look are R1MS. Standard, tricked up, limited editions. They are all here.
Even better I’m allowed to just go out and play. Which basically means race any of the top boys I come up against. Boom! It’s an utterly rare occasion because there’s no pressure to go fast. I’m not towing anyone around teaching. Or doing any other sort of work. The R1M is so delicious. It’s so feelsome and progressive, and I love its small dimensions. It feels built just for me and fits like a Saville Row suit. It’s a machine with a pulse that naturally taps into your senses so you can really push the thing and dominate it. It’s so easy to hit your mark and just work on your riding. Brake
later, add more corner speed, hit the throttle earlier, repeat, repeat, repeat. I ride session after session.
Several times I manage to get among the gaggle of current pros. Here we go. I haven’t crashed a bike since 2008, but I’m pushing as hard as I dare to stay with them. Eek! Don’t embarrass yourself. But, shock horror, I can’t quite do it. It’s a sobering moment, but I should have expected it. They are burying the front so hard on entry (especially Melandri, VDM and Mackenzie) and I just don’t have the confidence (or skill anymore) to match them. It’s not a lot, but it counts. It’s about seven bike lengths a lap. Which means after three laps they’ve properly broken you. However, it’s not all bad. I come across Cortese and slip past him on the brakes. He chases me for the rest of the session, but doesn’t get back past. Small victories. In a later session I also have a really nice dingdong with Canepa until he pulls in. I think he’s underrated. A magnificent day when I had to face the fact that I’m not as fast as I once was, but I’m also not too bad either. Yet. Biking heaven for an old scratcher like me.