Race Reports
I had taken the afternoon off to go watch Rich Davies practice - it was his first time out on his KR. As the weather was reasonable I thought I would take my KR just to sort out the suspension which I didn't get a chance to do last time out.
I have changed the fork oil to Castrol, put 310 ml in and set the preload so 9 rings are showing. On the back I have taken out all the pre-load and set re-bound to minimum and compression to midway. The back had cut up a bit at the last meeting. Iwas running 29 psi in the frt and 30 in the back, 1lb less than previously.
Rich went out first did a couple of laps before coming in - the left carb was flooding. The bike had run happily on the road whilst being run in so there was a bit of head scratching. Took my KR out and everything was fine just felt a bit soft. The rear didn't cut up so I was happy. I added two more rings of pre-load on the front, 7 showing and 5mm of pre-load on the back just to stiffen things up a bit. Rich didn't get out in his second session as he was still trying to fix the flooding problem. Out for my second session, and the bike flew - handling was pretty much spot on no shaking of the head and about the right amount of feel. Came in after about 8 laps and the rear tyre was spot on, the front had gone a bit like putty - didn't think any more about it.
Rich finally fixed the problem, by adjusting the float height by 1mm and got out in the 3rd session. For first time out he did really well getting down to 1 minute laps on what is effectively a stock bike.
Went out for my third session having left the suspension alone, this time really pushing going into and around Gerrards. On about lap 10 about 1/4 of the way round the front tucked and I find myself sliding along on my stomach thinking this is going to hurt. I hit the gravel trap and disappear in to a cloud of dust and stones then everything goes very quiet. I can still see, everything still seems to work - I am still alive - then I see the bike. My nice new body work is in bits and the right expansion is poking up at a very odd angle. They stop the session and I get taken back in the ambulance to the medical centre where a very nice lady insists on feeling various bits of my body to check for damage - I could make a habit of this. I get a plaster put on the scratch on my thumb and after signing out am allowed out to survey the damaged bike which has been deposited just outside. Messed up the leathers but the helmet and gloves are ok. I suppose that I can now justify the new leathers I ordered from Lloyd Lifestyle on Tuesday (www.lloydlifestyle.com).
There appears to be a world shortage of KR364s at the moment so I have opted to run the Michelin Pilot (soft) on the front with the KR364 rear, 30 psi Frt and 31 psi rear for Sunday. I have also lifted the yokes back up so only 10mm of leg is showing - this should put less load on the front tyre (you don't need the steering to be as quick at Mallory as you need it for Anglesey).
Spent Thursday removing Gerrards from the bike - bits of the gravel trap got into every bit of the bike apart from the engine. Eventually have half a carrier bag of stones. The new leathers have turned up and very nice they are. I ordered a set of 42" as my current 40" were getting a bit tight - I put weight on over Christmas not lost as I had hoped. However 42" is still a bit big. Friday, try putting my spare stock expansions on - except they don't fit. They look straight but aren't which makes me wonder how Sandy ever got them to fit his bike? No choice I have to fit the Huxleys. Get to start the bike and it sounds really crisp on the pipes - things are finally beginning to look up.
Saturday off to Aintree - Dave Page is trying the TZ250 for the first time. The weather is not good and it rains all afternoon. Dave has a mixed day - learning a track he rode on once a few years back, getting used to something quite different to his RS125 and having to put up with the weather. Get back from Aintree about 9 pm and finish rebuilding the KR.
Race 1 John Newbold qualifying - I am using the TZ and have a row 4 start. Line up with a nice space in front of me. Rob Mawbey is on the row in front and when he sees me moves over to block my line - thanks Rob. Get a reasonable start and must have got into Gerrards around 20th or so. Pass a whole bunch of bikes in Gerrards - this TZ isn't bad. Take a couple more into the hairpin and I am up to about 14th at the end of the first lap. I can see Rob a couple of bikes ahead which gives me a marker to follow. The next 5 laps fly by and I fly by a a few more bikes riding round the outside and inside of them at Gerrards. Eventually finish 8th overall and qualify for the Final. 6 lap race time of 5'43.5" an average of 57.1 per lap and a quickest lap of 55.1 quicker than I have ever gone round Mallory before. I think I am going to like this TZ and any trace of the dispondancy I had after practice have gone.
Race 2 F400 - Row 3 start, get a good launch and get to Gerrards in about 8th, ride round most of them and settle into third behind Stuart Bedford and Peter Whiteside. This is much better than I thought possible. I am having to slip the clutch in places, particularly Gerrards to keep the bike out of the hole in the power, and it won't pull sixth down the back straight. The two infront steadily pull away and I end up trying to fight off Richard Jarrold who keeps trying to outbrake me at the hairpin. On about lap 5 Stuart loses it about 2/3rds of the way around Gerrards so I am up to second (Stuart is ok getting away with a small graze to his hand - his bike however, won't be taking part in any more races today). Eventually finish an easy 2nd as Richard gets tangled up in some back markers. 8 Lap race time of 7'40.9", 57.5 average and a best lap of 56.2. The bike is handling really well and the tyre combination is working well. The sun has come out and things are really looking up. Peter's win puts on 50 points I get 6 putting me on 23. None of the other front runners score.
Race 3 250 Open. - Row 3 start, This is a mixed class race, 1300 open and 250GP. I get a good start and come out of Gerrards in about 10th place. I have Rob Mawby just in front and spend the whole race stuck about 20 yards behind him. About mid distance Paul Street passes both of us. 8 lap race time was 7'25.9", 55.6" average and a best lap of 54.2. Robs best was 54.1. Paul winning means that Rob only gets two points more than me. Rob is now on 46 and I have 28.
Race 4 John Newbold Trophy. - Row 4 start, get a good start and come out of Gerrards in about 8th place. I pass a couple more including Phil Murden and am up to 6th (though I didn't know this at the time) again I can see Rob just ahead and I use him as a marker. I catch up round most of the circuit and then lose it all coming out of the elbow. By lap 7 I am getting tired. I am not catching Rob and Phil Murden comes back past. I decide to call it a day as there are no points and I am not going to win anything (If I had known I was in sixth I would have carried on). Best lap was either 53.95 according to Dave Page or 54.05 according to Rock. I am really beginning to like this TZ but the clutch is very heavy and I am still using it to change up and down.
Race 5 250 Open. - Row 6 start. Both Rob and myself are back on 6 so we assume that it is a split grid start as we should be up on row 2. Nope they have mixed up the classes. The flag drops and up comes the front, close off and then she pops back up. Rob gets one of his usual excellent starts and disappears. I go into Gerrards in about 20th. The whole race is spent working my way up past 600, 750 and 1000s which is a right pain. Their corner speed is very low but they belt down the straights. Eventually work my way up to 4th in the 250 class don't know where I was overall. Not a good race I didn't bother checking positions or making a note of the times. Paul Street was first, Rob second, Peter King 3rd and me 4th. Puts Rob on 52 points, me on 31 and Paul Street on 20.
Race 6 F400 - Stuart has transferred his brakes on to his brothers bike and starts at the back of the grid. I have a row 1 start, get away from the line first and about half way down the straight move over a bit to block Peter Whiteside who is just behind (This is what Mick Cheshire did to me last year) at the same time as I am moving over another ZXR400 comes flying over and we have a bit of a collision. I get knocked sideways but manage to stay on though I did back of a bit allowing about four bikes through including Peter. Pass all of them in Gerrards and latch on to Peters back wheel. If I slipstream him I can keep with him. For the next few laps I follow him around but can't get past at the esses or the hairpin. Each time out of the elbow he pulls out 30 yards on me but I get it all back round Gerrards and can follow him round to the elbow where it all starts again. On about lap 5 Richard Jarrold nips past at the end of the start finish straight and I lose speed in Gerrards. The result is I lose the tow down the back straight and Richard and Peter pull away slightly. I slow up on the last lap coming out of the hairpin as nobody is behind me and I am about a second behind Richard and Peter and I am not going to catch them. My race time was 5'42" would have been quicker by about 2 seconds if I hadn't slowed down. The best lap was 55.5'. Better than I have ever gone on the KR and that is with a sick engine - if only?. Peter wins again so he now has 60 points I have got 27. It looks like he is going to win this championship by the halfway stage. Stuart managed a sixth so got 1 point
Summary - A brilliant days racing. I really enjoyed the riding the TZ and think that I might yet beat Rob. The KR went better than expected and though it was slow engine wise, it really is handling well. I need to start winning else I am never going to catch Peter Whiteside. Next race Cadwell - I hope to get the KR dynoed before then. I must say thanks to Dave Page and Rock as I spent the day riding and moaning and didn't raise a finger to help. They looked after both bikes, fueling and fettling them and they both ran without missing a beat. I could get used to this pit crew lark - beats having to ride and fiddle with everything. I would say that six races is probably two to many. I got home knackered and went straight to bed.
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