S1000RR vs. Goodwood

And before you say it, no it's not "Start and finish a journey on two wheels without falling off."

I rode up Goodwood's hill. And I did it on BMW's mighty S1000RR.

Ok, so it wasn't infront of thousands of on-lookers and it wasn't at any great speed. But I did it and got to see the grounds of Goodwood from a different perspective. And how sharp those flint walls look, too. They've claimed a few priceless sports cars in their time. I pulled a couple of wheelies, gave the marshalls a wave and when I pulled up into the holding paddock, I realised that even though it's just a country lane, it's a magical place to be. I've wanted to do that since I was about 10.

The image above is of us lining up on the start line. Leon Haslam on the GXX-R1000 and Loris Caprossi's old Desmosedici, which is responsible for the ringing in my ears, 3 days later..

The Festival of Speed is running from the 2nd to the 4th of July this year. And Kevin Schwantz is going to be there.

Book 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed tickets online, here. That plug ought to keep Lord March happy.

By Ben Cope