Le-Mans 2018

[Winger]

Well another year come and gone,went over on the St Malo boat down to see friends in Bordeaux and then up to Le-Mans on Thursday all done at mid 30 degrees C,the speed limits are getting worse and was told while there will coming down again in August all you’ll need is a CB500 

Friends came with us on a Pikes Peak so that was an interesting comparison and the ride back to Caen was chasing a mate on a 16 year old SP1 it’s amazing some things haven’t improved!!.

Did give a few thoughts to Billywizz on here who was camping well done dude your a better man than me in that heat 

As for the race!! One of the good’uns it ain’t over till it’s over and maybe one day BM will actually win.

[Belco100]

Good race - watched most of it from my arm chair on Euro sport - a nice comfortable 21 deg 

[billywizzz]

Haha yes a tad warm but made use of shade where possible and plenty of liquids and yes including water. Still better hot and dry than cold and wet,dont think I will leave it so long till I return next time we had a great trip all be it only 500 miles

[Winger]

We only did around 1200 ourselves but it was interesting because with the mods i’d Done during the winter took some time getting used to a different kind of bike particularly how it ran in the heat and Bordeaux traffic.

As for Le-Mans  it is what it is and we love it although having an ACO card makes the experience a tad cheaper and a touch more civilised along with a decent hotel and the tram long may it continue 

[billywizzz]

That tram is fantastic used it Saturday night to go into town didnt know how ticket system so had free ride into town but found out how to pay for return trip later which was just as well as there were staff onboard making sure people were paying 

[Winger]

  oh yea been there as luck would have it we also had a ticket!! But i’ve a very well known mate you got caught and they chucked him off when the GP was there.

Re your other post about Checa I bet he’s still in a dark room getting over it.

[Waynexr1000]

How did your xr compare to the pikes peak mate

[Winger]

The easy way out would be to say it’s like comparing apples to oranges but the reality was far more complicated the guy riding the multi although some years ago got his production bike on the front row of a support race at the British GP so he can really ride a bike.

Part of why after my try with a 43 rear I went back to stock with being two up and a pile of gear i would be struggling getting the bike off the line,with stock gearing and my current fuelling it’s like having a giant twist and go scooter even two up fully loaded,he on the other hand had to ride in Road mode because the big twin is way to aggressive in the lower gears and his other half was struggling to hang on like mine did when we test rode one,and he was for ever changing gear most of the time the X/R stayed in 6th.

Fuel range was identical which was interesting considering my aftermarket map and stock gearing against his Road Mode.

The downer for me/us was watching them glide along on their Ohlins we haven’t done a decent trip on production sus for the best part of 15 years and feck me what I culture shock(pardon the pun) that was and I was cursing my decision not to go on the K at the very last minute so an aftermarket rear and revalved front is next on the list,if you only ride one up it’s something you can put with,but when your other half tells you she prefers Ohlins to Wilbers  the stock stuff doesn’t cut it.

Would I buy a Pikes Peak not a chance but I understand those that do.

[Mareng1]

Back to the change in French speed law:

Did you notice any ‘practical’ difference when you were there?   Are the French car and bike drivers - driving differently?

When all you had to do was stay “sensible-ish” and watch out for the roadside cameras - it was easy.  If there is to be a load of camera cars silently racking up fines - not so good, although in strict terms, due to the size of France - the concentration of camera-cars might not be significant.

Usually - the French public set fire to things or block roads in protest at things like this.

[Winger]

Blimey!!! It’s a different ball game i’ve Had a life time like so many others of just riding gung ho and probably only ever seen two tripod cameras ever.

The unnerving part is how they all tow the line you’ll be on a dual carriage way that 10 years ago we’d be bollocking along in 3 figures the Froggies are all trundling along at 60/65 tops you’ll get the odd one going a touch faster but that’s it,the Peage is still 130k in the dry and again you see the odd one doing a touch over.

Now in all honesty i’ve No problem with taking a financial kicking when being stopped carry a heavy duty credit card for such an occasion but that ain’t the problem it’s the risk of confiscation that is,they have zero tollerance over the limit and speeding is now a risky business.

Even on back roads it is,we have a route back to Caen that we enjoy but when my mate with his SP1 decides he going to make an effort we tag along the camera was forward facing!!!

Was it easy?? Yes and no,no because you rarely see 110k most are 90k or less the yes bit on stock gearing its bang on 

As for burning the cameras good question knowing what they can be like so maybe that’s to come,what they have got into is the warning sign and no bloody camera so if you travelling France this year and want to speed make sure you have your dancing shoes on you’ll need it.

Rather unscientific but felt things were more relaxed the further south we went,but our friends in Bordeaux were explaining that in the last couple of years the death rate on the roads has started to climb again and the authrorities are determined to stop it.