Race Reports
I put the sparrow incident behind me, but I am not to happy as I haven't had enough time to prep the bike to my liking or done enough practice sessions to sort out gearing for the engine and jetting. Anyway went through scruittenering without any problems then realised I had left the tyre warmers at home. Phone Dave who was coming up later to get him to bring them up. Set of for practice just got in to pit lane when I realised I hadn't checked tyre pressures. Back to the paddock, had 20 in the front 23 in the back. Pump them up to 29 front 27.5 back (I am running Pilots soft front and back as I haven't had time to fit and scrub in the Dunlops). Out for practice taking it easy for the first few laps - cold tyres and a very cold track. Up the pace a bit after a few laps and wind her on along the back straight - and she really flies. Lap 4 and Malcolm Ashley comes past me on the back straight like a man on a mission. I catch up with him at the Bus stop where he has stuffed it in to the bails. To many people fall of in practice - one chap on an RGV on new tyres bins it at the esses on his first practice lap and ends up in Leicester Royal. It is the same every year at the first meeting. Did a plug chop at the end of the session and checked the right hand plug - which looked just like they had during running in so looks like the jetting is OK.
I am in race 6 (175 to 1300 race machines) and then race 7 F400. This is good in that I come in with warm tyres all fired up from 6 and straight out for 7, and bad in that I will probably be knackered (All my plans of getting fit amounted to one visit to the pool - I really need to get fit). Race 6 is a mixed grid (last year they started the 250s at the back) get a good start from the 3rd row but it is a bit mad when you get to Gerrards arriving in the middle of a bunch of 600 and 750s then have to avoid getting flattened and ride around them. Race is stopped because of a big get off by somebody at the Esses. Start again with the usual madness into Gerrards. I run a fairly timid race ending up 19/27 but still in one piece (5 fell off during the race). Straight through to race 7. I am on the front row so am hoping for a good start - though my right arm has started pumping up. Follow my normal starting technique from last season, dial in 12,000 and feed the clutch in. Totally *&%$" the start going nearly vertical after a few yards, drop her down and then nearly flip her again. By the time I get her down half the pack has gone. I can't get into the groove and my arm starts failing on the brakes into the hairpin. I finish a poor 9th. However, I feel encouraged I have had no trouble with 400's or the bunch of Aprilias in the race and feel that once I get into battle mode I can probably run top 5. The problem today was me and the gearing (standard book of excuses pages 45 and 97). For Race 11 another 1300 race I decide to go to 14/45. Front row start again but this time I get a really good launch out dragging Andy Sprakes R1 for the first 50 yards (Andy going vertical after the first few yards). Run into Gerrards towards the front of the pack. Steadily lose places during the race, the bike is well under geared. Last lap I redline down the back straight (12,500) through the Esses and up to the hairpin where the bike feels sluggish. I whip the clutch in thinking some thing might be amiss and the motor stops. Coast back into the pits. Motor turns over but the temperature gauge has gone up to 3/4. Whip the plugs out. The right hand plug looks spot on. The left hand plug is a dark chocolate colour with lots of silver speckles. Me thinks a detonation problem. Decide to call it a day. What caused the problem, after all the bike has run for two years without a problem? I had checked both plugs when running in but only the right plug after practice (It is a pain getting at them with the fairing on). I had a problem with the fuel tap when draining the tank as fuel came out of one side a lot quicker than the other. I removed the fuel tap and blew it out (didn't dismantle it) which improved the flow but not totally even. I suspect that with revving the bike on the lower gearing I am draining the carb faster than the tap was allowing fuel to flow so running the thing lean on the left cylinder causing the detonation. The solution is dismantle the fuel tap, clean and rebuild. Fit a T piece in the fuel line so both tap outputs feed into one pipe (bigger diameter), then split this pipe into two to feed the carbs. I am annoyed this happened but put it down to lack of preparation and practice. On the bright side I don't think it is terminal but I haven't had the motor apart yet. I will post some pictures of the plugs and barrel when I do. The motor is fast last seasons the 400's left me for dead this year there is not a lot in it. If it was going to happen now is a good as time as any as I have 6 weeks until the next meeting to sort it and test to ensure it doesn't happen again. So I am a sparrow with clipped wings albeit a bit wiser - hitting that sparrow did turn out to be a bad omen.
The fix - put more fuel in the tank, T the fuel lines as mentioned above, run on prime, check both plugs during a plug chop. Don't race until you have tested and sorted out a jetting regime. That's another £200 still my mistakes/lessons may save you a bob or two. I am off to drown my sorrows. Bugger, bugger, bugger.......
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