Arrived back from a work thing in Boston at 6am Friday. Boring week with the exception of seeing a damn good band, Taproot at the Axis on Lansdowne st. New or alt metal apparently. Don't think I'd listen to it on a CD or radio, but live they are outstanding!
Anyway, short flight meant sod all sleep, work till 4 then finish off with a bit of sanding and halfords aerosol to cover up the pockmarks caused by petrol dissolving the halfords aerosol couple of weeks ago, then load up the car and trailer, eat with the family and head off.
Lydden's about 3 hours away, but i missed the turn off on the M20 and had to go the long way round through Dover. Found a spot to park, unrolled the sleeping bag and slept like a sleeping thing till the next morning. Sharans may be unreliable heaps of ford dressed as as VWs, but take the back seats out and you can fit all the tools and spares plus an airbed in the back, oh and not forgetting the spare wheel, which now has to be inside the car as the magic thingy that winches it into place underneath has broken and had to be taken off
And it's raining. Lots of it, so glad not to have to pitch a tent
Saturday is fine and the showers even work. Long q for signing on as the super efficient race sec went on to do something useful with her life at the end of last season and her replacement had to pull out because of illness, so its part time volunteer effort - and Lydden's a very popular meeting. Phil P turned up and said hi before going in to help out.... sensible chap! Scrutineered and ready for practice in time for a bacon sarnie (no sauce) and a cuppatea
Everything's working ok in practice, gearing 15/45 same as Anglesey (and Cadwell) is a bit high - only just get into 5th at the end of the s/f straight, but it pulls well up the hill to the hairpin, and the brakes are great. 14/44 or 15/47 gearing would probably be better. Must get a 14 that fits, and a 47
Race 1, gridded 4th. Fair start and hold 4th into the first corner. 5th comming out, 6th by Devil's elbow then I get my Angelsey acquired race head together a bit and start pushing things a bit better so although I'm down to 8th by lap 4 I'm back up to 7th by lap 7 and closing slowly on 6th. Front end is pattering a bit and the back end's being a bit lively round the hairpin, then half way round paddock the pattering turns into a front end that isn't there any more. Land mostly on my shoulder and slide and tumble a bit. Sit up in the gravel and a cloud of marshals usher me and bike to the side. Everything seems to work and nothing hurts too much. Finally got some wear on a knee slider. Push back to the paddock to assess the damage
Broken footpeg, spare in the spares box, fairing worn through, grazed brake lever slightly bent, fork alignment out. Helmet's grazed, gloves coming apart at a seam and leathers looking well used. Right shoulder, some ribs and right hand hurt quite a bit.
results show average speed of 66.92 which was good enough for 7th and a best lap of 52.11, compared to 56's and 57's last year. Winners are in the low 49's!
Borrow a drill from Phil to get an easyout into the remains of the footpeg - must remember to pre-drill them in future, but it's easy to get out and the bike's back together and ready for scrutineering - no problems, but the Arai is declared to have done it's last job. Borrow an AGV from a neighbour for the 2nd race. Trusting chap! Bit concerned that the hand can't work the brake properly
Race 2. Back of the grid, somewhat chastened and humbled by the awesome tarmac I take it easy and avoid the pattering front - 14th 62.69, with a best lap of 54.35 Hand can brake but has trouble getting full throttle quick enough.
There's noise testing going on at the circuit exit so i volunteer - I need to know what/how much I need to do to be legal. It only bl00dy passes!!! Ok, with carb now pretty much right it's no longer backfiring at the required rpm, which must help! They also challenge the stroke.... I've got 74.8 x 58, very over-square, and apparently they have other ducati 250s claiming strokes of 68, which means a lower rpm for noise measurement. Something strange going on
Neighbour then lends me a son to direct me to the LBS to get a new lid and gloves. It's Shoeieo, AGV or Lazer. I don't like buckles, and i hate cheek pads that make you bite your cheeks when you close your mouth. Apparently i am in an extreme minority and there is NOTHING available that can meet my outrageous requirements. I end up buying a 70 quid Lazer as a spare - buckle, but at least i won't suffer self mastication
SOTW indicates http//www.thevisorshop.com/ has the cheapest deals on Arai - 295 for an Astro J, the quantum f replacement. Yellow now on order, which means I'll have to paint the bike to match
Race 3, Sunday
Shoulder's stiffened up and i nearly give up trying to get the leathers on, but win in time for the 3rd call and remember to put some 4* in it. 3rd row of the grid. Keep up with Mark George and have great race trying to get past him, which i do on the last lap under braking into Devil's Elbow and manage 9th, 63.99, best lap 54.29
Race 4, Mark has decided to preserve his 250 as it's just had a new bottom end and rings, he's got some results and it's for sale to fund his new TZ350. There's a smattering of rain and people are taking it slightly easy. I lose 3 places on the first lap, then gain 2 and follow a procession of 4 bikes to the finish for a 10th.
Pack up, sod off and home by 7 and continue to reflect on what went wrong. Top theories are
1. Rode off the edge of the tyres - lean off more
2. Front tyre too stepped and causing pattering - new front tyre for Croft
3. 34 yr old Honda forks don't work as well as I need - Maxton magic over the winter and spend what I'll save by not having to fix the exhaust
Great to see Phil out there having fun on those gorgeous triples!! They sound wonderful!