2010 sidecarX Husabergs UK and GPs

brilliant story Loz and I read it without checking that it was you. as i read it i was going: "typical bloody aussies!"

so weed, you're right!

BTW, just in case someone from air france sees this; it hink now that the two crash photos (them in mid air and laying on the floor) are connected so that's only two on film but i saw them have another on the last lap of one race when the passenger fell out at the foot of the hill and francy keeled over when he didn't know he was missing! he was so knackered and the passenger so far away that he could be barely bring himself to go round and right the outfit with the passenger still 20M away.

regards

Taffy

wow, how can any words match those video clips! are they yours plumb bob?

I had a birthday binge friday night and flew down saturday morning with a sore head to the circuit. I was given a marshaling spot half way up an incredibly steep 'cold hill'. all we had all day was 5 teams that couldn't actually get up it.

the millards had swopped from a standard motor at Lyng and went out in practice and had cooling problems immediately with their 700 so they swopped to a 660 for the rest of the weekend and no problems (i believe).

Thijs and Roy Derks were very quick in practice but on the day they were involved in both startline pile-ups and didn't even bother continueing in the second race (that's them in the video clip).

Browny had a poor qualifier and came 7th and the millards came 8th after their outfit got shunted sideways in theirs so the two lined up on the extreme left of the grid and had no real chance of a good start. francy struggled to a 12th as i recall and so a good start was never going to happen.

In race one the millards got away really well and were moving through the field well, they had a technique of running the wall of the berms and although coming off the corners 5 yards down they would take 20 yards back as the 'kack-handers' tried to go up hill from a dead start'. the 660 got up to 7th right infront of me and then a corner with a deep rut in it stuck the outit on it's belly and within 5 seconds 4 outfits were by - the last of which was browny. Browny just isn't himself here and also I think his standard (i finally believe him now) motor and his fuller figure mean he can't make good.

anyway, browny just beat the millards who had lost their zest from that moment on. francy had a poor start and in such illustrious company he was never going to come through... tough at the top. but at least he was there!

In the second GP browny got away ahead of the millards and they seemed very subdued this time and were unable to make an impression on the field. Browny also used the wall of berm to fly past two outfits in one go and and just as he rounded the same tree as the millards had HIS belly got stuck for a mere one second!

alas, that's all it took for the two teams he'd overtaken to get back by!

there were quite a lot of foriegn Husabergs at the event but the KTM engines are the choice of the big teams or the last of the zabels, they are still very quick and light too! Browny had the better of the millards easily at Lyng in it's deep sand but did the millards find some extra go juice at langrish to even things up a bit?

I've at last got my mits on a Millard standard engine and I'm going to be doing 'ma thing' to it. i call it "a tickle up". I have given them one bulletproof motor and I want to supply another.

bushie has indicated that i have a few secrets i need to share: well I can when they work! and I'm not trying them yet but i will let you know!

battle will be rejoined again this coming weekend in the british championship at a circuit named 'little silver' near exeter and I have the feeling that if the 660 is still good, that the millards will have gone forwards a few yards.

regards

Taffy

what were your overall impressions then bob?

I thought that the quads were great but that there isn't a following for either code and as such the crowd suffered?

I reckon that both formula need to share with the solos (and apart from each other) if either are to get a better crowd.

regards

Taffy

on sunday i visited the second round of the national clubmans championship at Great Dunmow in Essex just 2 miles from Stansted airport.

On show were two Husabergs ridden by Ben Blythe and the other by the name you're starting to hear a lot of: Jack Etheridge. Jack rides the '09 chassis of the Millards which he is being sponsored on by the same sponsor. The engine is a rebuilt 2004 644 that I sold them and has now reached a whopping 17 hours racing - almost unheard of - without a strip down.

Ben's got the Millards '08/Kinge '09 chassis with a 628 i rebuilt over the winter in it. This is a beautifully prepared outfit and Ben puts everything into it he can.

both teams had stand-in passengers: Jack's passenger had been whacked at the previous weekends British championshiop round and was out with a wrenched knee (1" open-ended Ha Ha!) so veteran passenger colin philpott stepped in. so putting young Jack with the veteran was a clever move. Ben has had his passenger go AWOL so he used a veteran for the last couple of weeks before using a n experienced passenger in neil bann. neil is the son of steve bann who has been on this site a few times. pleased to see neil turn up wearing a husaberg cap!

Conditions on the clay course were treacherous with hard rain the night before and during the morning. the track is a proper old fashioned british scramble course with land supplying all the undulations, and dips, off-camber corners and a great little ditch called 'the mudhole' in which riders splash their way through 4-6" of water on each lap and slither around afterwards.

Race 1
Jack got away in second but shot straight into some rope before getting back midfield and then doing it again two corners later. Now, in last place he worked his way up from 18th to 7th in 7 or so laps whilst Ben was very smooth and finished 4th racking up yet more steady points.

visibility was terrible and all the teams threw their useless goggles in the pit as they came round. grip was even harder to fond as the soft top inch gave to hardened clay and the outfits slithered everywhere.

Race 2
Etheridge got the holeshot and the race 1 winners gave chase but could do nothing. Jack's father had assured me that Jack was 'kind to his motors' and how true this was as he came by me at the end of the straight barely revving it yet opening his lead. what a talent! Ben got another 4th so in a sense moved up one place.

Race 3
Jack got away in third and found himself behind two fast british champ teams that are ineligable for points so he pressed them - but not too hard and as we say in england: 'brought home the bacon!'. they did challenge veteran stuart lines on the straight on the last lap but his line was clearly baulked by a back marker so he backed off.

Jack's motor is now due a rebuild but i've asked dad, chris, to hold off a few more hours as i'm too busy. one of the reasons i'm too busy is that I'm doing Ben's second motor and that in turn is why Ben is riding 'smoothly' = he can't afford to damage his only engine.

so a Taffmeister motor leads the british clubmans championship with an 18 year old lad in his first season aboard. great stuff!

In the GPs: browny had a nasty crash in plomein, northern france and qualified best in the last chance. the millards qualified a poor 12th and steve france was the first to fail to qualify at all on a circuit said to really favour the right chairs.

in the GP, browny got to a 16th and a brilliant 10th while dan millard whacked his hand so badly he couldn't continue OR do the second leg. Putting 2 & 2 together it seems obvious that passenger joe millard might be a good stand in on the etheridge outfit.... but various riders and passengers are now seeking to be fit ASAP all over the UK!

this weekend - a UMX club round at winterpick farm near peas pottage in surrey.

regards

Taffy

On Sunday a club meeting was held at Winterpick Farm just south of Peas Pottage on the A23 Brighton Road.

Unlike last weeks clubmans where only those that have never qualified to 'move on' are eligable, this meeting was for anyone who cares to do it. there is no 'clubmans' about it!

There for instance and winning three events was Tim Breacher who was fresh from the previous weekends French GP and I believe a 12th and 16th or so. not exactly a clubman so let's just call this a national shall we?

out of 28 outfits there were two Husabergs there again. Ben Blythe and Jack Etheridge. Ben struggled yet again with another stand in passenger while Jack again had to cut his teeth with some seasoned pro's. On such a narrow track he struggled to be brave and commit to overtaking on a half chance.

as the outfits queued he would often go backwards instead of forwards but eventually a poor start for 9th and then two wonderful results: 5th and 3rd followed.

The Husaberg was overheating again as it had last week at Dunmow and so father Chris drilled 40 new holes in the front panel and got rid of a weird back panel that seemed to keep hot air in. for two races the bike steamed but they had it licked for the third.

This weekend I'm at Sproxton near Leicester delivering a second engine to Tom Mann and will watch the northern lot for once. numbers are right down and the 6/13 husabergs is now heavily reduced to 3-4 due to a coupla retirements and frenchy heading south!

regards

Taffy

Today I visited the northern lot here in the UK run by the body: the AMCA and it was sad to see just 10 outfits left representing an area really from if not north of the bristol channel/thames well at least the M6 and north. 10!

with francy going sarf and a family of 2 huseys stopping and alun evans of wales that meant that 5 husabergs had retired!

there were however 3 husabergs there. Ed Turner has had three seconds this season at the first round but has since done two Brit C rounds darn sarf and so was 'readier' than his rival on a fully tuned 637RFS KTM. The turner bros have a standard motor - 628, no jetting kit - nuffink. yet their suspension seemed beautifully set for the big jumps and they sailed away to three wins from 3.

also there but not perhaps gaining the headlines were a mark berresford on a 2005 628 and tom mann with an old 2002 644 complete with dell orto carb. real budget racing!

tom's 2002 which he bought from me is totally relaible and but for his starting issues he would have a perfect bike as it pulls so well from anywhere. past the first flush of youth he rides steadily and always finishes.

GP of Italy
The Millards (i trust running the 660) gained a best ever result at cingoli in italy with a 6th and a 7th and for the first time anywhere beat stu brown in an open and fair (i take it that it was...) race. stu got a 9th and 13th so not sure what happened there but he did struggle in the UK round as well.

this bodes well for BRILLIANT meeting at Frome on Monday 31st of May. Can the millards change the balance of power or will stu put him right again. the millards get nearer and nearer and nearer...

National Clubmans
Jack Etheridge dominated the days racing again at Binstead. I will look for the results but i think he had at least 2 wins from 3 on the Taffmeisters engined machine - a 2004 644.

GREAT WEEKEND THEN FOR HUSABERG IN GB. PHUCKING AWESOME!

given it's supermoto pedigree before this is it time we started talking about how great (and no longer how good) this engine is?

regards

Taffy

latest news is that there is a British Championship round this coming bank holiday Monday at Frome in Somerset. the millards will be there with i suspect their 660 and joe the passenger fit again.

young jack etheridge was at dunkirk last weekend practicing when his '04 644 s*** itself. sadly the big end has gone after 18 hours of abuse and this on top of whatever as the engine was bought used and mileage unknown. the usual troubles: piston, rod and liner are trash now and the mains and other bearings are being replaced in a hurry ready for the weekend. jack has been accepted to do BCs for the rest of this season on the back of his superb results last time out.

Rumour is going around that Browny has been using a 644. long gone it seems are the days when the 644 big end got the blame for everything. it would seem that despite the complaints of others and the support of ...well yes ME!!!!!!....that the big man is running the big motor.

Battle Royale
after their brilliant GP rides two weeks ago in Italy when the millards beat browny fair-and-square it's fair to say that this meeting is a bit special. have the young pretenders finally made it?

regards

Taffy

well as you know there have been head gasket and other issues so they took a step back to a 102 piston. it's not rocket science. i was at the British GP and the 700 HG failed after 30 mins and so the 660 went in.

I DID MENTION IT BUT I DON'T SPELL THESE THINGS OUT ALWAYS. THERE'S A LOT HERE, IF PEOPLE CHOOSE TO READ IT (as you did!).....

I knew it would be successful as 102 is my lucky number!

regards

Taffy

26cc. mmmm? worth potentially and on average: about 2.5BHP.

regards

Taffy

on Sunday 31st May I travelled down to Frome, Somerset which is about as far as i want to travel for a meeting in this economic climate at 200 miles.

big things were expected of the Millards just 5 miles from home as they had just beaten Browny for the first time in a race fair and square in both Italian GP legs.

In Practice, disaster for young Jack Etheridge as his engine gave a squeel in practice and locked solid. this left him to borrow an old outfit that he was most upset to use now that he's been spoilt. Later upon inspection it turned out to be a bent crank which was repaired over the next week and straightened by myself. All is good now as you'll hear next.

anyway, in race 1 Browny was gone like a bullet from the gate and disappeared whilst the Millards made a mistake and dropped from 3rd to 4th and then got it back again.

in race 2, the wilkinson zabel led for 2 laps and browny was like a badly fitting coat and all over him before disappearing at about 2 seconds per lap. the millards having lost their clutch at lyng were losing ground so when Wilkinson launched himself into the back of the Ballard Brothers and screwed his race it was the Millards who shot through to grab a handful of points back in the championship.

rumours of insider dealing were abound but entirely unfounded. however the Ballards may be taking up my offer of the number '00' from now on!

In race 3, Browny disappeared and this time the Millards gated well and chased them hard but Browny was way too good.

Browny sure is the business at home. In the meantime Francy was scrapping his way through from midfield in all the races and what a sight he is to see at that. I will upload a photo of him. It is phucking good!

this bloke should have a fan club.

regards

Taffy

on sunday the 6th the Millards got a 14th and 11th in the Polish GP while Browny amazingly could only manage a 19th and 25th. almost unheard of! word has it that the 700 has been back in and out but I'm a little unsure on that one...

At home though there was a UMX round at the Foxholes circuit near Winchester. Steve France was down for this and Jack Etheridge had his engine back together. I had straightened the ccrank myself and put it together.

In practice the passenger on the Breacher outfit had a bad blow to the chest so they withdrew and there were some great scraps between the Chamberlain Brothers on their Zabel, Francy and Etheridge. Jack has fallen out with his future B-i-L and had a new passenger on board. the first race saw Francy outmanoevered on the last lap by the Chamberlains and Jack was third. Race 2 and the Chamberlains are away and francy and jack scrap it out before Francy got another second and in the third race Jack led away but Francy took the lead for a long period before Jack got the lead on the last lap.

what a race for the 18 year old in his first season to be beating Steve France (reigning AMCA champ and part-time GP runner) and all with a new passenger. Oh and the engine ran really well....

regards

Taffy

for the past month there has only been one weekend of racing in three befoore this weekend we had the latest round of the british championships. held at wrangway down in dorset the usual suspects arrived to do battle
stu brown the invincible
the millard bros trying to regain second from zabels scott wilkinson
wild pie eater steve france
up and comer jack etheridge in his first season
ben blythe solid clubman and british champ journeyman.

Race one saw browny dive into the lead and never be headed while jack etheridge settled into second, alas the 644 rider was under pressure from men with vastly more experience and dropped down to a fantastic 4th ahead of the millards whom he held off. the millards felt the pressure somewhat and went for a gap that closed and the etheridge outfit was turned over unceromoniously! worries for jacks leg as the sidecar plate crashed into the back of his leg but he was able to hobble away.

this dropped the millards to third and allowed zabel mounted wilkinson to get 2 more points away in the table to keep second in the champs by 4 points. so steve france stormed through to 4th to make it 1, 3 and 4 for the husabergs. phucking superb!

in race 2 the millards led away from the line and were 6 seconds clear with 5 minutes left of the 20-minute race when the engine went south. browny again won easily while this time francy struggled through to 7th from another poor start. reports on the damage reckon that it seized but enough to say that wilkinson picked up a third and moved 26 points away in the championship with just two rounds in east anglia to go!

This championship round was being filmed for a program called, Blood, sweat and gears which will be on the extreme sports channel and will be shown on a Saturday at 1 o’clock in the afternoon in 6 to 7 weeks time and many teams were interviewed throughout the day for the programme.

the third race was called off due to the dust. so I'm glad I didn't make the 600 mile round trip for just the two races!

CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS AFTER 5 ROUNDS

Pos No DRIVER / PASSENGER MACHINE Total
1 1 Stuart Brown / Luke Peters VMC Husaberg 630 347
2 222 Scott Wilkinson / David Keane VMC Zabel 700 278
3 3 Daniel Millard / Joe Millard WHT Husaberg 630 252
4 20 Steve France / Lee Machin VMC Husaberg 630 211

17 27 Ben Blythe / Mark Nisbet VMC Husaberg 51

22 37 Ed Turner / Kris Turner VMC Husaberg 630 40
23 119 Jack Etheridge / Ryan Humphrey 650 Husaberg WSP 39

this weekend is the GP that all the british teams enter - the belgiun GP at Genk. It's an all sidecar meeting and the reason the brits go is because if they don't qualify for the GP they get in the support races instead so it's not a total loss.

the millards are collecting another new outfit - mid season that will be used as a test bike for practicing in between GPs. I am preparing an engine that may be used :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:

it is straight from the Taffmeister laboratory and my assistant egor is still drooling! let's hope it's not the monster mash by the criptkicker 5!!!!

regards

Taffy