Sepang Track day for 2011

Started the trip to Sepang early at 6.30am just after Subuh so that we can arrive by noon and check in the Grand BlueWave in Shah Alam. The track session's scheduled at 2pm till 4pm. We hope to be able to freshen up after the long ride up to Shah Alam, before getting into business in SIC (Sepang Int'l Circuit).

Weather was excellent up till Tapah, when it started to rain. We kept on going to make it on time but it continuously rained even at 2pm when we reached the hotel. Bikes parked under drizzling rain

As later discovered, it was just our luck as there would be 3 more track sessions the next day - Sunday. I pretty much guessed it would not gonna rain anymore come tomorrow.

So, we decided to stay in bed for a while, with helmets on :-( cursing on the weather....


Headed up to Naza PJ and Mecinda once the rain stopped. In Naza to check out Arlen Ness leathers price tags. In Mecinda, I got myself a Mink oil for my leather care and had my helmet fixed by Paksu.

Some friends from the previous Krabi trip accompanied us for dinner. "Wloong Lum braderhood" as they call it, perhaps due to an incident in across the Northern border few weeks back, was the name given to this specific group of fun loving people (below).


Bikers night out (below). It was almost midnight when the engine just started. This is the time we had some lessons learned shared from old hands of Sepang- Nizam and Hisham Monster.

Here we are, all suit up and ready to go. Time check 7:30am.


Finally got in SIC with few more friends joining. It was just very fortunate for us to have Yasser Said, rode with us last time to Grik. Below, Yasser was talking about some techniques less known to others. One of the must humble guy with very high credentials I ever met. He even took me around for 2 laps just to show the correct racingline. I am so honored to be guided by someone who raced with Rossi before, in 99 .....

The session was delayed for an hour and started at about 10am as there was a night jogging session the day before that results in a track full of litter.

I started off with a 32 mins non stop sighting which summed up to about 33miles. I noticed that the bike was fast on straights but having too much dive which forced me to throttle off midway in the straights.

The tire too was not confident inspiring especially coming out of turn 15. They are not of super sports but sports touring type (021). Although they resist long&hot stints, throttle control must be smooth as I lost grip coming out of 15 and 3.

After a 5-minute pit, 1 made another 14miles (20mins or so) with a friend tagging on to just learn from each others observation especially on body posture inside corners. 1 thing I learned here is that I lacked a wide knee out coming into corners.

Corner 15?

After another short pitstop, I clocked an additional 30miles before a red light forcing a pit break for everybody. I was a bit puzzled as there were still some 20minutes to go. Little did I know, it was time for a mock up race. Personally, its the best moment for ameteurs to experience flagoff at a starting grid similar to MotoGP setting (minus the spectators off course), with gridlights, flag man and best of all the engine roar at pushoff.

Even with more than 6 trackdays in Sepang before, I personally have different experience this time. The mock up race, the front sports touring tires instead of sticky super sports, the highest number of laps of all the trackdays (~27laps) and finally, racing with proper racing leather suit (unlike all the while before, racing jeans and armor top) are few things apart.

All in all, the tyres was spent up by ~ 600miles this trip including 90miles of Sepang track riding.

My Hayabusa - best bike in my ownership line up, really fits all purpose - meeting my needs for speed at this modest skill. It deserve a good bath like below after the long trip.

So much to do, too little time...

After 2 months of hiatus away from motocrossing or even enduro, the track looked super inviting this morning. The weather was right and I even have at least 2 hours to slot in before the parents teacher meeting in the afternoon.

Letting the good time roll, I guess

Lap after lap...after lap

As a lone dirtrider among the superbikers, I know there won't be much chance to ride motocross. So, I have to ride like there's no tomorrow and hopefully I will smile when think about the last time I rode my KX.

Having another go

One satisfied weekend hooligan :-)

So, from the photos, I think I had a really good time roll ... like what I expected out of Kawasaki bike.

Do it all

After the Krabi ride, numerous Grik rides and the last Banding ride, I started reminiscing dirt motocross riding. It has been a very long time. Cobwebs and oil gunk accumulated - everywhere under the bike shroud.

So, I tried to kick start it. Nothing, not even the sound of trailing engin spin. Not until about 20 kicks, I thought about this - no juice. Meaning, no spark or fuel flow. I rolled the throttle for at least 10 times, each time to the to maximum twist. 1 more kick and it fired up...finally! 5 minutes of choke and I let it go. Suddenly there were series of bang and pop. I turned back on the choke and no more fireworks. Within seconds the engine died.

To make it short, it just need a new CR8E spark plugs to solve the problem. It fired up again and surely it was satisfying with a hint of disgust as it took more than 3 hours to fix it.

Got to ride... raod or gravel, flat sand or clay ruts, x,y or z a-xis, lets do it all.....

dari siang....

sampai malam....

just to change the darn spark plugs...