The quick conversion is 143 mph… I remember hitting a giant dragonfly on my bike at about 100 mph one time and I thought I had been shot. It really is a miracle that he didn’t crash.
The progress continues as the first race gets closer.
Munich. BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s World Superbike team successfully completed their two day test at Phillip Island and are now looking forward to the first race of the year, which will take place next week at the same circuit. During the two days there was a mixture of sunshine and cloud, together with strong gusty winds on day one. But although there were a few spots of rain on the first day, the track remained dry throughout.
Troy finished the test early, thanks to a collision with a bird early in the afternoon of day two. He was going about 230 kph, when he hit the bird and the force of the impact on Troy’s left bicep was enough to wrench his left hand off the handlebars. Somehow Troy managed to keep the control of the bike and not crash, but the doctors advised him to sit out the rest of the day. Ruben continued his learning curve and was happy to end up far more comfortable with his S 1000 RR by the end of the test.
Troy (97 laps, best lap 1:32.9)
The tests went very well, though it’s a real shame that I had to finish early because we still had lots more to try out. But, I guess I’m lucky that I didn’t crash and hurt myself badly when I hit the bird. I’m really not sure how I managed to stay on the bike, because it’s not easy when you’ve only got one hand on the bars, but somehow I was able to recover. I had seen the bird on the track and tried to avoid it by going up the inside.
But instead of staying put, or flying away from my bike, it flew up right in front of me. Hitting a one kilo or so bird at over 230 kph is like hitting a brick wall, so I’m lucky that my injury isn’t any worse. We have learnt a lot in these two days and I’ve been able to get a better idea of how the bike works in different conditions and set-ups. What I can say though, is that my S 1000 RR feels as good as any other bike I’ve ever ridden round here.
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