Well, the final positions are posted on the proclassic web site, and I finished 12th out of 27 point scorers, in the "unlimited" category. This was helped by my 10 points gained at Croix-en-Ternois - a good weekend for points! I totaled 47 points, with only one race (my first) where I didn't score. I finished second RDLC. Not bad, but I know next year I can do better..... Oliver has bought me "A Twist of the Wrist" for my birthday. This is a book from the top American road race school, so I won't have any excuses next year!!
What is planned for the bike :-
1/. Tuned head and barrels
2/. Renewed carburetor jets, needles, o'rings etc.. (should cure the leaky float needle)
3/. Carbon reed valves
4/. New seat unit - I am going to attempt to make this myself
5/. Engine protectors
6/. Remove battery replace with capacitors
7/. Re paint the trailer and potentially decorate it...
I am sure with that lot to complete I will have a busy autumn/winter!
Friday 28 September 2007
Thursday 27 September 2007
Clip from Race 4
I created this video clip, showing "my" race 4 where I came back from behind the safety car to my "normal" position.
Wednesday 26 September 2007
Tuesday 25 September 2007
Croix-En-Ternois
The weekend was the last in the pro-classic series for 2007. We were invited to participate in the "Chpt France Vitesse Motos Anciennes"! Because of the limited number of races we had the possibility of having two complete grids running. The split was "Unlimited & Post Unlimited" and "Classic", however due to the lack of classics to fill the grid we were also allowed to run in the classics just for the fun.
This is what I did, so I had 2 x free practises, 2 x timed practises, 2 x Unlimited races and 2 x Classic races - 8 sessions in the weekend!
The weekend was great, weather-wise and Libby was really pleased to see we had plenty of room in the pits (and loos!).
My first practise session started badly as I only finished 10 or so laps before the bike cut out! I pushed to the side, and then it started again no problem, going back to the pits did not identify where the breakdown was coming from, but a fresh set of plugs allowed me to participate in the second practise.
First timed practise went fine although I only managed a 1:10.410 - I had managed a 1:09 in the race at the begining of the season and I was really expecting to see 1:09's consistently, but this was only just the case, in the second practise session where I managed a 1:09.138! Enough to get me in the middle of the pack for the classics race and at the back for the unlimited's.
Race 1 (Classic)
I got a reasonable start, and had a relatively lonely race - I ended up roughly in my place at 11th position scratch - this didn't score me any points as of course my category is "unlimited". Best time during the race 1:09.314.....
Race 1 (Unlimited)
Didin't feel like a good race, my favourite opponents were in front, and I could not make much impact on them for a good part of the race. I finished with a best time of 1:08.946 - I really must concentrate on keeping my corner speed, I get the impression that I am braking too early down the long straight! I tried braking with my rear brake, but this did lead to a scary moment as I blocked the back wheel - I was convinced I had a puncture for at least 2-3 bends! Once I got used to using the rear brake, it did really help shorten my braking distances, although not making much (if any) difference on my lap times. I finished 11th of my category so scoring some useful points!
Race 2 (Classic)
A misty start to the day, but the track was completely dry - we were the first race on! I had a good race finishing in 10th position scratch with a best time of 1:08.962. Nothing to add.
Race 2 (Unlimited)
After a 40 minute wait around (after the previous race), we were called to the pre-grid. Unfortunately my bike refused to start! We changed the plugs, and eventually got it started by opening the throttle wide, and pushing, most spare hands were used to push me and whilst the bike started a couple of times it kept stalling almost straight away. We got the bike on a rolling road, and the guy was managing to 2.5K revs in first gear, but the bike refused to start, by this time my race had already done a warmup lap nd if I wanted to join it was now or never!
We were just giving up, when of course "old reliable" burst into song! I screamed it all the way to the pits (10K revs all the way) to keep the bike going. There was no-one on the gate so I took the bike out onto the track and completed a lap, however I had no idea of where in the proceedings we were, I was not sure if we were on the first, second warm up lap or even if the race had started, so I pulled back into the pit lane. The race director told me could start but behind the safety car!
Just to add to the stress the bike stalled!!!!.............. But started first kick!
I started behind the car, and he pulled wide to let me overtake on the second bend I was at least 200 yards behind the nearest rider! I suppose the red mist came down, and I decided that this would not be my final position on the final race of the year! I managed to get past Olivier (69), then Patrick (44), and then past Herve (13) to finish an honourable 12th position in my category, with a best lap time of 1:08.280, my personal best for this circuit! Someone in the pit lane even said I should start behind the car more often, as I was quicker catching up!
Anyway, a great end to a great weekend, and a fantastic season - thanks to all that have followed me electronically or in the flesh (yes my Dad, and brother were over for the weekend!).
I will post a couple of video clips and photos, but my blog will go into winter mode of preparing the bike - I still have some bits to fit!!!
Wednesday 5 September 2007
Knee down
And I forgot to mention ---- I got my knee down on the off camber left hander at Ledenon. Just show's it can be done even with my style!! That wasn't the only thing that was touching the floor. My new pipes went down on both sides which really pissed me off. You pay for racing pipes and they have less ground clearance than the original exhausts... I feel there is room for some hammer work!!
Speak to you soon.
Speak to you soon.
Tuesday 4 September 2007
Monday 3 September 2007
Ledenon
This weekends racing started on Friday - when we left the house. We arrived at Ledenon, which is almost my home circuit given that it is only 2.5 hours away, just before lunch. In fact we arrived just before a Proclassic training session, unfortunately it was not a "published" session, so I didn't manage to do it - because I didn't know about it!
The circuit is on a small hill in the middle of the Rhone valley, which if you remember my last rendition of Ledenon is subject to a bit of wind! Well the wind was forecasted for Friday and Saturday, and dying on Sunday. The forecast actually turned out right, on Friday and Saturday the wind was strong enough to blow you off line very easily, and in fact it may have been responsible for an accident on Thursday which ended up in the hospital with more than 7 ribs broken!
Anyway, Friday evening practise for me was reduced to one lap! I had fitted my expansion chambers, but I hadn't yet had the opportunity to check my carburation at maximum throttle opening (the most important setting!), so I completed a plug chop on the first lap, and took a look at the plugs, which although the insulation on the anode looked OK, the cathode (the bendy bit) was white, which led me to think that I was running too lean, so back to the pits, and off with the carbs and up to 250 main jets. Unfortunately the time to do this and you run out of the 20 minutes practise time!
Saturday morning timed qualification. Fortunately the bike was pulling well up to maximum throttle and revs, the pilot however was having trouble with the wind, the off camber bends and generally learning the circuit! I finished the session with a 2.01 minute best lap, which was pretty appauling, the fastest time in our series was 1.37 seconds ! This was set by a current European Champion (guest rider) on a prepared TZ350, but even still I was pretty crap! This put me on line 7 of the grid with surprisingly some bikes behind me!
Race 1
I got an excellent start, from line 7 I overtook a line at the start and another few guys in the first bend, I was in front of 44 and the 750 Honda of David Boisnard, and even dicing with the 1000 Kawa Martin of the Hugh Arnold, who despite getting past me on the straights was having difficulty on the twisty bits. Eventually he got clear of me, and I proceeded to have the same fight with David as his Honda was more powerful on the straights, but I was quicker around the bends. I was comfortably keeping both Claude and David behind me, when the BSA 750 came flying past, I kept my head down to follow, but he went straight on virtually at the next bend! I just managed to understand what he was doing, and managed to keep going although a little shaken by the experience.
On the second to last lap, I missed a gear going into the last bend, in fact I thought the engine had stopped, of course both David and Claude came flying through, and although I discovered my error quickly they were already long gone! The result was a 23 or 24th scratch, although I must be in the points in my category.
Race 2
The temperature had increased and the wind dropped completely for the second race. Thankfully the fan club was there to hold the umbrella (thanks Philippe) and Pascalle with the cold water to keep me alive on the pre-grid. My start was not good, I got boxed in in the first bend, and got stuck behind a 750 Honda it took me a couple of bends to get past him and by that time I was fighting to get back in the pack of 350's! By lap 4-5 I was catching Pierre Eline on his RD 350, but my bike started to cough and stutter - SHIT, I thought I was going to seize, one more lap, SHIT it's the petrol tap - I had forgotten to switch back to reserve after filling the tank! The bike only runs with about 5 litres of fuel for the race, and so this "went onto reserve" and I had lost at least half a lap on my group before realising my mistake.
Frustrated, I really tried to open her up on the last few laps to try and get back to them, but I couldn't get near them, and looking at my lap times I turned out being slower in the second race than the first! I must get some more practise on this circuit there are things I haven't yet understood.
Again, I got a few points, bringing the weekends tally up to 7 points due mainly to people breaking down. Anyway at least I improved my championship points, and I should have overtaken at least guy in the championship as he was not racing this weekend.
I had got my lap time down by 8 seconds in the first race to 1.53, but only managed a 1.54 in the second!
My thanks to all my team, officially now Da.R.T Daves race team. with the T shirts to match!! I am really looking forward to Croix-en-Ternois as I have already raced there, and I will have support from the English contingent!! Speak to you then.
Video to follow!
The circuit is on a small hill in the middle of the Rhone valley, which if you remember my last rendition of Ledenon is subject to a bit of wind! Well the wind was forecasted for Friday and Saturday, and dying on Sunday. The forecast actually turned out right, on Friday and Saturday the wind was strong enough to blow you off line very easily, and in fact it may have been responsible for an accident on Thursday which ended up in the hospital with more than 7 ribs broken!
Anyway, Friday evening practise for me was reduced to one lap! I had fitted my expansion chambers, but I hadn't yet had the opportunity to check my carburation at maximum throttle opening (the most important setting!), so I completed a plug chop on the first lap, and took a look at the plugs, which although the insulation on the anode looked OK, the cathode (the bendy bit) was white, which led me to think that I was running too lean, so back to the pits, and off with the carbs and up to 250 main jets. Unfortunately the time to do this and you run out of the 20 minutes practise time!
Saturday morning timed qualification. Fortunately the bike was pulling well up to maximum throttle and revs, the pilot however was having trouble with the wind, the off camber bends and generally learning the circuit! I finished the session with a 2.01 minute best lap, which was pretty appauling, the fastest time in our series was 1.37 seconds ! This was set by a current European Champion (guest rider) on a prepared TZ350, but even still I was pretty crap! This put me on line 7 of the grid with surprisingly some bikes behind me!
Race 1
I got an excellent start, from line 7 I overtook a line at the start and another few guys in the first bend, I was in front of 44 and the 750 Honda of David Boisnard, and even dicing with the 1000 Kawa Martin of the Hugh Arnold, who despite getting past me on the straights was having difficulty on the twisty bits. Eventually he got clear of me, and I proceeded to have the same fight with David as his Honda was more powerful on the straights, but I was quicker around the bends. I was comfortably keeping both Claude and David behind me, when the BSA 750 came flying past, I kept my head down to follow, but he went straight on virtually at the next bend! I just managed to understand what he was doing, and managed to keep going although a little shaken by the experience.
On the second to last lap, I missed a gear going into the last bend, in fact I thought the engine had stopped, of course both David and Claude came flying through, and although I discovered my error quickly they were already long gone! The result was a 23 or 24th scratch, although I must be in the points in my category.
Race 2
The temperature had increased and the wind dropped completely for the second race. Thankfully the fan club was there to hold the umbrella (thanks Philippe) and Pascalle with the cold water to keep me alive on the pre-grid. My start was not good, I got boxed in in the first bend, and got stuck behind a 750 Honda it took me a couple of bends to get past him and by that time I was fighting to get back in the pack of 350's! By lap 4-5 I was catching Pierre Eline on his RD 350, but my bike started to cough and stutter - SHIT, I thought I was going to seize, one more lap, SHIT it's the petrol tap - I had forgotten to switch back to reserve after filling the tank! The bike only runs with about 5 litres of fuel for the race, and so this "went onto reserve" and I had lost at least half a lap on my group before realising my mistake.
Frustrated, I really tried to open her up on the last few laps to try and get back to them, but I couldn't get near them, and looking at my lap times I turned out being slower in the second race than the first! I must get some more practise on this circuit there are things I haven't yet understood.
Again, I got a few points, bringing the weekends tally up to 7 points due mainly to people breaking down. Anyway at least I improved my championship points, and I should have overtaken at least guy in the championship as he was not racing this weekend.
I had got my lap time down by 8 seconds in the first race to 1.53, but only managed a 1.54 in the second!
My thanks to all my team, officially now Da.R.T Daves race team. with the T shirts to match!! I am really looking forward to Croix-en-Ternois as I have already raced there, and I will have support from the English contingent!! Speak to you then.
Video to follow!
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