Nurburgring 2017

Author
Discussion

Chipchap

2,580 posts

196 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
tongue outopcorn:

CAPP0

19,533 posts

202 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
Birky_41 said:
Haha I have to take that as a compliment then because I did and when today with immense traffic was 8.18

Joe on his rsv4 using the same harry app did a 7.59. He's went last year and did 5 laps and did another 6 or so today

I did 5 laps including following my mate and I'm damn pleased with myself. I have a video of each lap today. One following Billy the instructor and one following boosted Boris in the mclarens. He will have videos of Tom and me up in the next day as he came over and videod chatting to us

Biggest issue I had was the metz m7rr moving about all over the place
Erm….you don't time from THAT bridge…… tongue out

Birky_41

Original Poster:

4,276 posts

183 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
Chipchap said:
tongue outopcorn:
It does seem it and it's a shame as I'm buzzing from the experience. I'm no keyboard warrior but have just said to Joe who did the 7.59 today to get up on YouTube soon as he's home and send me the link (it was his 7th ever lap of the ring)

I'll put on here and any doubters can time it. It was done while hugely busy after the third red flag

We are no 'moto gp' riders but merely guys that enjoy fast group track days and fast road rides.

It must suck knowing you've done over 150 laps and can't crack 8 minutes... Hehe

And I need to be clear it wasn't just about doing the ring. The whole experience has been amazing. I would recommend it to anyone

This one's just uploaded and is typical of the roads all around the ring

https://youtu.be/kdEscTulIGI

CAPP0

19,533 posts

202 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
Hats off to you matey, but seriously, if you can crack 8 minutes on a naked bike on a TF day on your first-ever visit, then whatever you're doing for a job, you missed your real vocation in life!

Birky_41

Original Poster:

4,276 posts

183 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
eddd1e said:
That's a 9min BTG lap with some silly overtakes by the guy in front. I look forward to the video where you're over 1 minute faster.
We leave to come home tomorrow at 11, it's a long old ride to calais and we hopefully should be back in Essex around 6-7pm

The video should be uploaded in the next day or two from that. When it's up and you see the time I'd like you to just wind that neck in a bit. Id be a very silly boy to put a time that I couldn't backup

And yes that video was purely following the mclarens and nurburgring biker blogs wife and daughter who work for them. Was just having fun on the last lap before we headed back

eddd1e

499 posts

167 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
Birky_41 said:
We leave to come home tomorrow at 11, it's a long old ride to calais and we hopefully should be back in Essex around 6-7pm

The video should be uploaded in the next day or two from that. When it's up and you see the time I'd like you to just wind that neck in a bit. Id be a very silly boy to put a time that I couldn't backup

And yes that video was purely following the mclarens and nurburgring biker blogs wife and daughter who work for them. Was just having fun on the last lap before we headed back
I deleted my comment as first time round i gave up watching after the overtakes on the right of the mclarens, which is a big no no. I didn't notice you cruised a lot of the last section.

If you managed a sub 8 on first visit, then fair play to you.. but to be honest if you did, you either have supreme skill or you're pretty lucky to still be riding home. I imagine the guides that took you around were experienced enough to show you the lines. If so, fair play.

Edited by eddd1e on Sunday 30th April 21:37

Birky_41

Original Poster:

4,276 posts

183 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
eddd1e said:
Birky_41 said:
We leave to come home tomorrow at 11, it's a long old ride to calais and we hopefully should be back in Essex around 6-7pm

The video should be uploaded in the next day or two from that. When it's up and you see the time I'd like you to just wind that neck in a bit. Id be a very silly boy to put a time that I couldn't backup

And yes that video was purely following the mclarens and nurburgring biker blogs wife and daughter who work for them. Was just having fun on the last lap before we headed back
I deleted my comment as first time round i gave up watching after the overtakes on the right of the maclarens, which is a big no no. I didn't notice you cruised a lot of the last section.

If you managed a sub 8 on first visit, then fair play to you.. but to be honest if you did, you either have supreme skill or you're pretty lucky to still riding home. I imagine the guides that took you around were experienced enough to show you the lines. If so, fair play.
I appreciate that eddd1e. Yes I said to Tom never never ever pass on the right but he was showboating a bit as we had been chatting to the passengers in the mclarens for the last 2 days. I know it's a big no no and never did it myself

I'm gonna be honest... You may disapprove a bit when you see Joe do his time today. He was well committed and even I said that's too fast for me with that amount of cars.

I probably was a little stupid. Hopefully Billy will get back on pistonheads as he said he has an old account and can comment on my first day and first lap with him

spareparts

6,777 posts

226 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
It's great that you had the Mclarens to give you the tow for most of the lap at a healthy pace. That really really helps, especially when you're not so familiar with the Ring. But sorry, those lap times don't count if getting the tow hehe Conditions looked perfect too. As soon as you pass the McLarens, your pace drops off due to not knowing where the track goes and the yellow flags.

Your mate is going to become another Ring statistic if he keeps illegally riding by overtaking on the right. Ze cops could easily book him if they had reviewed the CCTV and stopped him in the car park. Noticeable is that there were no fast cars on your lap. Don't take this the wrong way, but I've come across a fair number of Brit riders riding like your friend when I've been on a hot lap in a GT3 or GT4 and almost taken them out. Their road awareness just isn't there combined with lack of turn-by-turn knowledge, mixed with riding like a cock and waiting for mates without knowing a faster car is coming up behind them. I always say - just ride your line and never never 'wait' for mates as you just become a hazard to anyone behind you - there is almost always someone faster than you at the Ring.

Preaching over, I'm glad you had a good trip and were lucky to return and tell the tale. thumbup

kellys hero

544 posts

249 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
Biker's Nemesis said:
CAPP0 said:
I used to go a lot (around 15 years ago) and I have a lot of laps under my belt (hundreds, 99% on bikes) plus I've had circuit-specific tuition there on a closed track.

I fear you've missed the boat. I wouldn't ride a bike round there again now on a TF (public) day; in fact I probably wouldn't drive a car round there now either.

Probably the best advice I can offer if you're committed to doing it is:

1. Speak to Neil Leigh of AE Aventures and ask him whether he will be running english-language groups on any of the Motorrad days, and whether you can get a place (you'll get tuition and a closed circuit, it'll be 2-3 days and well north of £1000 though).

2. See whether there are any TDOs running bike-only days. I don't know whether they do.

3. If you can only go on a public session, look for one of the midweek evening sessions, usually 1700 - 2000 in the summer. There will still be VERY fast cars there (and bikes) who will come out of nowhere and over/undertake you when you think you have the sector to yourself, but they will at least in the main be locals who know the track and know what they are doing, so they risk is slightly diminished.

If you go on an open weekend, I can guarantee you that (a) you won't get anywhere near the car parks, (b) the place will be full of Brits determined to beat Clarkson's mythical 9 minutes, and (c) several of those will stuff their cars trying, resulting in often-lengthy full closure of the track. During those closures, the aforementioned champion drivers get very frustrated, which means that when they go back out, they try even harder to make the lap time, because they need to do it before heading back for the ferry, and guess what happens then?

On top of all that, it used to be about €5 a lap, I think it's more like €25 now?

And finally, despite all the people on here who will quote legal caveats to the contrary, you almost certainly won't be insured. Your insurer may well pay out against a 3rd party, but will pursue you for the full cost. Remember also that of you damage the track or track furniture (Armco etc), you WILL be billed for it. I've seen (physically set eyes on) horrendous bills for thousands of euros for a small low-speed slide into the Armco. You can get cover per day but last time a mate checked (maybe 12-15 years ago) it was around £150 per day, and I expect that's gone up considerably given the points I made above about Brits vs 9 minutes.

Apologies for the doom & gloom but that's how it is, certainly IMO.

Enjoy! tongue out
I couldn't agree more with the above post, in fact I'd say this was a "gospel post" for anyone with any sense of self preservation wanting to go to the Nurburgring on a bike.
Hi OP as above totally agree.

I went across in 2009 with a friend and we did only did 3 laps due to time constraints. In brief we were one of the "shed" brigade as far as the car goes, however we did a lot of research beforehand and decided that we didn't wan't to be the cause of any accidents or injuries so we made sure the car was as safe and as up together as possible so it was given a service, we fitted decent tyres, fitted new brake pads and then had it MOT'd a week before going over in case we had missed anything. On top of that we also fitted a bespoke "tray" that fitted beneath the engine to catch any oil drips.

Our research included reading the sites website and looking at various forums (as you are) At the time the website listed emergency phone numbers for marshal's etc so we each had these emergency numbers in our mobile phones.

The comments about bills for damage were certainly the case in 2009, as I recall it was something like £1000 euros per meter of damaged armco, similar fee for any fluids dumped on the circuit so oil, screen-wash, coolant etc plus recovery fee if the vehicle has to be carried off. We realized that a significant shunt could easily cost us £5k if we tried too hard- plus the hassle of getting home. We paid 20 euros per lap.

On the day we arrived (Sunday) the place was packed and was a great mix of supercars, experienced enthusiasts, a few like us and some total fxxxwits that were going way to fast in cars that were hopeless. We saw a few spin off and passed a few wrecks that were probably looking at a big bill.

As far as the track itself goes you spend as much time checking the rear view mirror as you do looking out of the front, cars catch you really quickly and are probably aiming at the same piece of tarmac you are, we found that we would choose a line, commit to it and then be swarmed by bigger, better and much faster cars. It is very hard to change your chosen line midway through, a standard car runs out of grip / brakes really quickly on a track.

On this note, it is 13 odd miles long, most average cars (and i guess bikes) never get driven or ridden at such a pace for so long in normal day to day use, even spirited road driving still gives a car time to cool down between giving it the berries due to slower traffic, junctions etc. On the Nurburgring the car will get hot, brakes get hot and tyres suffer, we did two consecutive laps and the car was showing its age at the end, and we really weren't pushing at all, I doubt we did more than 90mph in reality.

It was a great experience and we loved every moment of it but I think as we treated the place with respect and recognized that neither of us were F1 drivers it went well. Neither my friend or i egged each other on and accepted that we were the limiting factors. However it would be very easy to be taken off by a total loony toon who thinks he is Lewis Hamilton in some lowered, noisy exhaust knackered Astra...

As a final point as we left we saw a brand new BMW 1 series sport model parked up with a whiff of smoke coming from beneath the bonnet, within 10 minutes it was burnt out. Shows that even brand new sports models find the Nurburgring too much!


Andy XRV

3,837 posts

179 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
Birky_41 said:
Still in Germany so hard to upload videos on my phone. This is the last one following the mclarens. Apologise for the shaky camera. My fixing partially broke. It's unedited so I'll sort once at home

https://youtu.be/bn6j9Gmca44
Great lap times and I bet Billy was gutted as his quickest lap ever is 8min12sec and he lives there! Really nice couple Billy and his little lady.

Looking at your AR pipe I assume Billy is talking about you on his FB blog hehe

"I did a lap following an English lad on a V4 1100 Tuono the sound was kin Awesome!! Plus the power Wow! I need a faster Bike! I need a newer Tuono"

Glad you had a great time and that you're all still in one piece.

PS: we passed that poster too and did a double take before pissing ourselves!

Birky_41

Original Poster:

4,276 posts

183 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
Andy XRV said:
Birky_41 said:
Still in Germany so hard to upload videos on my phone. This is the last one following the mclarens. Apologise for the shaky camera. My fixing partially broke. It's unedited so I'll sort once at home

https://youtu.be/bn6j9Gmca44
Great lap times and I bet Billy was gutted as his quickest lap ever is 8min12sec and he lives there! Really nice couple Billy and his little lady.

Looking at your AR pipe I assume Billy is talking about you on his FB blog hehe

"I did a lap following an English lad on a V4 1100 Tuono the sound was kin Awesome!! Plus the power Wow! I need a faster Bike! I need a newer Tuono"

Glad you had a great time and that you're all still in one piece.

PS: we passed that poster too and did a double take before pissing ourselves!
Yes Andy that's him. I've said the next trip I'm definitely planning with him. Absolutely brilliant guy and couldn't have helped us enough.

That picture had us laughing for ages. I'll get a few site seeing pictures up tomorrow on the way home

Birky_41

Original Poster:

4,276 posts

183 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
kellys hero said:
Hi OP as above totally agree.

I went across in 2009 with a friend and we did only did 3 laps due to time constraints. In brief we were one of the "shed" brigade as far as the car goes, however we did a lot of research beforehand and decided that we didn't wan't to be the cause of any accidents or injuries so we made sure the car was as safe and as up together as possible so it was given a service, we fitted decent tyres, fitted new brake pads and then had it MOT'd a week before going over in case we had missed anything. On top of that we also fitted a bespoke "tray" that fitted beneath the engine to catch any oil drips.

Our research included reading the sites website and looking at various forums (as you are) At the time the website listed emergency phone numbers for marshal's etc so we each had these emergency numbers in our mobile phones.

The comments about bills for damage were certainly the case in 2009, as I recall it was something like £1000 euros per meter of damaged armco, similar fee for any fluids dumped on the circuit so oil, screen-wash, coolant etc plus recovery fee if the vehicle has to be carried off. We realized that a significant shunt could easily cost us £5k if we tried too hard- plus the hassle of getting home. We paid 20 euros per lap.

On the day we arrived (Sunday) the place was packed and was a great mix of supercars, experienced enthusiasts, a few like us and some total fxxxwits that were going way to fast in cars that were hopeless. We saw a few spin off and passed a few wrecks that were probably looking at a big bill.

As far as the track itself goes you spend as much time checking the rear view mirror as you do looking out of the front, cars catch you really quickly and are probably aiming at the same piece of tarmac you are, we found that we would choose a line, commit to it and then be swarmed by bigger, better and much faster cars. It is very hard to change your chosen line midway through, a standard car runs out of grip / brakes really quickly on a track.

On this note, it is 13 odd miles long, most average cars (and i guess bikes) never get driven or ridden at such a pace for so long in normal day to day use, even spirited road driving still gives a car time to cool down between giving it the berries due to slower traffic, junctions etc. On the Nurburgring the car will get hot, brakes get hot and tyres suffer, we did two consecutive laps and the car was showing its age at the end, and we really weren't pushing at all, I doubt we did more than 90mph in reality.

It was a great experience and we loved every moment of it but I think as we treated the place with respect and recognized that neither of us were F1 drivers it went well. Neither my friend or i egged each other on and accepted that we were the limiting factors. However it would be very easy to be taken off by a total loony toon who thinks he is Lewis Hamilton in some lowered, noisy exhaust knackered Astra...

As a final point as we left we saw a brand new BMW 1 series sport model parked up with a whiff of smoke coming from beneath the bonnet, within 10 minutes it was burnt out. Shows that even brand new sports models find the Nurburgring too much!
Yes some really good comments there. The smell of brakes from some of the cars and I see plenty overheated. The cost of crashing scared me and I always rode well within my limit. I see people in our little bike park bit crash over the 2 days and some weren't pretty

I can say I've done it and appreciated what it is. It was the help of alot of people on here that got the accommodation that I'm at right now (and definitely people I'll come back to again). Contact numbers, advice and basic things that I didn't know

As already said. If you are on a bike and you want to get some ride time and not have cars absolutely everywhere with red flags almost every hour... Leave going on a bank holiday weekend!

Bionic Billy Nav

138 posts

165 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
Hi All, managed to sort out my password Birky41, it's been a couple of years since I've been on here! Anyway It was a great 1st lap! I was mightily impressed Birky41, I have never met such an out the box fast group in all the time I've been at the Ring, I would never have believed someone could do a low 8 in there 1st couple of laps, I definitely need a newer Tuono, they are soo fast and sound awesome!

Bionic Billy Nav

138 posts

165 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
https://www.facebook.com/nurburgringbikerblog/ my blog if anyone's interested in Bikes, cars and the Ring 😉

cmaguire

3,589 posts

108 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
Nobody has mentioned 8mins in the Maclaren clip where your mate ran off track and you nearly followed him, and It looked like you both reined it in a bit afterwards. But well played, you aren't shy.

Nurburgring Biker Blog

138 posts

165 months

Monday 1st May 2017
quotequote all
cmaguire said:
Nobody has mentioned 8mins in the Maclaren clip where your mate ran off track and you nearly followed him, and It looked like you both reined it in a bit afterwards. But well played, you aren't shy.
I think it's clear that the Mclaren lap wasn't an 8 minute one, I was about 30 seconds ahead and there were atleast 3 yellow zones, no one is setting or should be setting 8 minute laps with 3 yellow zones.

Birky_41

Original Poster:

4,276 posts

183 months

Monday 1st May 2017
quotequote all
Finally home, cold, wet and tired with a completely numb bum!

Weather was horrible almost all the way back so our only stops were for fuel. I was mighty impressed that my trusty Aprilia was averaging 40mpg at 85-95 with a rain suit on and was pushing 130 miles before reserve

Pleased to say I've done it, will get a few pics Roy got of us as we left but otherwise that's me done on this thread


moto_traxport

4,235 posts

220 months

Monday 1st May 2017
quotequote all
Looking good there Birky - glad you lot had fun & came home safe.

LOL at a couple of the "you can't do that!" comments on here. Nice to see a "I just flipping did!" type end to the trip.

Andy XRV

3,837 posts

179 months

Monday 1st May 2017
quotequote all
moto_traxport said:
Looking good there Birky - glad you lot had fun & came home safe.

LOL at a couple of the "you can't do that!" comments on here. Nice to see a "I just flipping did!" type end to the trip.
I'd like to second that. The ring is a bit like the TT, it is what it is and some people get it and some never will.

Birky_41

Original Poster:

4,276 posts

183 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Andy XRV said:
moto_traxport said:
Looking good there Birky - glad you lot had fun & came home safe.

LOL at a couple of the "you can't do that!" comments on here. Nice to see a "I just flipping did!" type end to the trip.
I'd like to second that. The ring is a bit like the TT, it is what it is and some people get it and some never will.
And here it is to any doubters... On a very busy Sunday. 7.59 BTG using the harry lap timer app

5th lap that weekend, 8th lap ever. Sub 8 minutes done by Joe on the second day https://youtu.be/tHs8yXakP6k

We are similar pace riders and run almost the same time at Snett

Funny enough I did Isle of Man last year too and had similar responses...

https://youtu.be/ME7sfAvtUGI mad Sunday
https://youtu.be/oKAX6ClBW14 last day before home. Skip the bit until the mountain.

And if it makes any doubters feel better it cost me €120 euro and my mate €240 for two trips in 2 years. I read earlier about 150+ laps and running an 8.06...that must be expensive haha