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- Joined
- Nov 20, 2001
- Messages
- 17,042
- Location
- Ely, England
yes we had someone on there that screwed it up. best to close it up.
well I got the 570- back on the Wednesday lunchtime, undid the fuel cap and it stank of......thinners!
so Thursday night I syphoned it out and it started first time. In the meantime I had ordered 'used' plastics and a seat from Mid-west and they arrived Friday ready for the final touches. alas I started on the nike at 9pm and it would NOT star...try as I might it wouldn't go so I went over to 'old faithful' in the corner and started her up second kick. dropped the oil and adjusted the chain. and that was all I did to it oh! tyre pressures as well. they were both flat!
left early and got to the Ashdown Farm circuit in good time. took a pee at the entry to the circuit stood under a 'red kyte' bird of prey which was hovering over me!
we usually do a 2 + 2 = 4 hours but rain was due mid-afternoon so we settled on a straight (through) 3.5 hours.
from the third row (called row 2) i got away slowly for once as it refused to start, I stalled the bike 4 times on the first lap and had to find neutral each time to restart it as the Rekluse doesn't run freely at the moment.
4th time I reset the idle and then went towards a turn where with the high idle the bike couldn't freewheel and tried to take me through the hedge!the track was rough and all you could do was ride to conserve as much energy as possible.
there were many husabergs there - how much longer will we say that? and they were all sorts as well although without Matt Ede or Martin Burke there were no pre 2009s this time except...mine!
there was a 125. a TE250, a FE250, several 350s and a 501.
a women rider was the first to reach the milestone of 200 club meetings. when I caught her it was very slowly - she's very good! while on the subject, on lap three I was catching a 'boy' on a small Honda 4T when 'he' was whipped off by successive crossing tree roots near the end of the lap. 'he' flattened the ground heavily and I went 'ewww!'.
stopping I found it to be a women. we straightened the bike and I sent her on her way. she retired at the end of one more lap - can't blame her!
I couldn't believe how light the 400 felt, it like being on a bicycle after the 570. I noticed feeling tire after 2.5 hours and instead of falling pretty soon afterwards, I noticed I never felt any worse, I faded no further so to speak!
I did 10 laps and so dd my two main rivals in the championship and because we rode them clean we will all get the same points. about 240. I did a lap 10 seconds slower than main rival Nick Airey and .49 of a second slower than Jon Foxley.
will i ride the 570 in the future? maybe! seriously, it isn't the beginning of the race it is the end that is killing me. I'm trying to go to 24mm offset on the 570 and I'm trying to get either CC or 12mm OC forks for the 400.
anyway, off to the isle of man on Friday for a bit of a break. do mention it lads if anyone asks!
Oh and I think I came about 20th but 3rd veteran.
regards
Taffy
well I got the 570- back on the Wednesday lunchtime, undid the fuel cap and it stank of......thinners!
so Thursday night I syphoned it out and it started first time. In the meantime I had ordered 'used' plastics and a seat from Mid-west and they arrived Friday ready for the final touches. alas I started on the nike at 9pm and it would NOT star...try as I might it wouldn't go so I went over to 'old faithful' in the corner and started her up second kick. dropped the oil and adjusted the chain. and that was all I did to it oh! tyre pressures as well. they were both flat!
left early and got to the Ashdown Farm circuit in good time. took a pee at the entry to the circuit stood under a 'red kyte' bird of prey which was hovering over me!
we usually do a 2 + 2 = 4 hours but rain was due mid-afternoon so we settled on a straight (through) 3.5 hours.
from the third row (called row 2) i got away slowly for once as it refused to start, I stalled the bike 4 times on the first lap and had to find neutral each time to restart it as the Rekluse doesn't run freely at the moment.
4th time I reset the idle and then went towards a turn where with the high idle the bike couldn't freewheel and tried to take me through the hedge!the track was rough and all you could do was ride to conserve as much energy as possible.
there were many husabergs there - how much longer will we say that? and they were all sorts as well although without Matt Ede or Martin Burke there were no pre 2009s this time except...mine!
there was a 125. a TE250, a FE250, several 350s and a 501.
a women rider was the first to reach the milestone of 200 club meetings. when I caught her it was very slowly - she's very good! while on the subject, on lap three I was catching a 'boy' on a small Honda 4T when 'he' was whipped off by successive crossing tree roots near the end of the lap. 'he' flattened the ground heavily and I went 'ewww!'.
stopping I found it to be a women. we straightened the bike and I sent her on her way. she retired at the end of one more lap - can't blame her!
I couldn't believe how light the 400 felt, it like being on a bicycle after the 570. I noticed feeling tire after 2.5 hours and instead of falling pretty soon afterwards, I noticed I never felt any worse, I faded no further so to speak!
I did 10 laps and so dd my two main rivals in the championship and because we rode them clean we will all get the same points. about 240. I did a lap 10 seconds slower than main rival Nick Airey and .49 of a second slower than Jon Foxley.
will i ride the 570 in the future? maybe! seriously, it isn't the beginning of the race it is the end that is killing me. I'm trying to go to 24mm offset on the 570 and I'm trying to get either CC or 12mm OC forks for the 400.
anyway, off to the isle of man on Friday for a bit of a break. do mention it lads if anyone asks!
Oh and I think I came about 20th but 3rd veteran.
regards
Taffy
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2001
- Messages
- 17,042
- Location
- Ely, England
well I entered the penultimate round of the TBEC championship at a new track on Sunday at Weedon in Northants.
having done the calculations on how to overcome my 7 point deficit in the championship I decided that it couldn't be done at the last round. IT HAD TO BE DONE HERE!
so i decided to try and get a 'hot one' in and borrowed a friends KTM300EXC 6-day 2013. I needed to gain a complete lap on my rival and over-50 championship leader Jon Foxley.
I picked up the bike on the Wednesday and jet washed it, next were new chain and sprockets and I went out from 13 x 48 to 13 x 51 while I was there. Alex, my mate who lent me the bike has mousses and so fitting the 140/70 x 18 was a pig of a job!
then it started raining on Friday and Saturday and heavy showers they were, and even stronger 'driving rain' was forecast for Sunday!
I lined up on row 2 with 10 others and Jon was behind me on his 450EXC on row 3. the race was reduced from 2 + 2 to a straight three hours. so I started up and started what i thought was quite quickly but everyone shot by me on both my left and the right! I tried to bring in the KTM power high up and it just spun up, I tried in the slow places to use the low revs but I stalled it! I stalled it 20 times in the whole race although I did get better! the trouble was I was trying to use second gear over mounds and was stalling. I'm not a 'nasty' clutch user and I should have been a bit 'meaner' with it.
Jon made up the minute very quickly and overtook me, I stalled it some more and then fell when i touched the 'no feel' front Brembo brake which is useless.
anyway, by now I'm feeling right down in the dumps because I not only have to beat Jon but get far enough ahead to take on fuel and then get a lap ahead....
anyway, I started to lean on the tyres and saved loads of big slides...the bike doesn't have enough trail I'm afraid. but slowly but surely I got used to everything. the bike is NOT tiring at all, it is so light and quick though that traction is the problem: there's no grip!
eventually I caught Jon for the first of three times and each time I fell braking on wet grass - the brake just has no feel! on the third time as I fell I looked out for him and he wasn't anywhere near me. joy!
so i got on and bombed around getting quicker and quicker. I then switched to reserve just after I'd asked a friend to have a can of fuel ready! in 3 minutes I was out and I didn't know where Jon was? the track for a little while got 'claggy' but then it rained some more and went back to being just 'wet'!
so I came around towards the end of my 3-hours and found I couldn't remember the time on the clock from the previous lap....every lap i swore to work out my lap times and every time I couldn't remember them!
anyway, one thing I did recall was my start time: 10.31 so 3 hours meant I had to be in by 1.31. as I came around I asked Babs what i was doing laps in to which she replied "10 minutes like everybody else". I looked up at the clock and I had 6 minutes left. this meant I'd be 4 over and the penalty would be the same as what i was earning so i went to pull in, stalled and had to kickstart it again for the 20th a and last time just so'as I could check in 2 yards ahead of me!
I now waited for Jon and he had 7 minutes or 6 as I was now waiting. 4 mins.....5 mins....and then he came in, pushing the bike, he signed in breathless and he told me that he'd run out of fuel just 100m from the end.
Lord why couldn't you have made it 400m?
well anyway, i knew that Jon and I had done the same laps and I was quicker so i should be up for a win in the over 50s. alas when I see the results last night I see that a new bloke beat me by 0.9 f a second...... :lol: :lol: :lol:
well anyway, off to Banovallum this weekend for their last round. I did the first three rounds and was lying second easily. now I'm 3rd and only by a point but I shall go back for round 7 and try and hold onto 3rd overall. I'll either take the old 2002 model 400 or the 570 which hasn't turned a wheel since we got it running again and could have faults....
my overall conclusion on the KTM in the wet was
needs heavier springs
clutch springs too strong
brake; no feel
not enough trail
remove mousse and fit tube on the front
clean up the carburation/pull
the bike is a winner though and so easy to ride.
http://www.tbec.co.uk/results/weedon-131013/
regards
Taffy
having done the calculations on how to overcome my 7 point deficit in the championship I decided that it couldn't be done at the last round. IT HAD TO BE DONE HERE!
so i decided to try and get a 'hot one' in and borrowed a friends KTM300EXC 6-day 2013. I needed to gain a complete lap on my rival and over-50 championship leader Jon Foxley.
I picked up the bike on the Wednesday and jet washed it, next were new chain and sprockets and I went out from 13 x 48 to 13 x 51 while I was there. Alex, my mate who lent me the bike has mousses and so fitting the 140/70 x 18 was a pig of a job!
then it started raining on Friday and Saturday and heavy showers they were, and even stronger 'driving rain' was forecast for Sunday!
I lined up on row 2 with 10 others and Jon was behind me on his 450EXC on row 3. the race was reduced from 2 + 2 to a straight three hours. so I started up and started what i thought was quite quickly but everyone shot by me on both my left and the right! I tried to bring in the KTM power high up and it just spun up, I tried in the slow places to use the low revs but I stalled it! I stalled it 20 times in the whole race although I did get better! the trouble was I was trying to use second gear over mounds and was stalling. I'm not a 'nasty' clutch user and I should have been a bit 'meaner' with it.
Jon made up the minute very quickly and overtook me, I stalled it some more and then fell when i touched the 'no feel' front Brembo brake which is useless.
anyway, by now I'm feeling right down in the dumps because I not only have to beat Jon but get far enough ahead to take on fuel and then get a lap ahead....
anyway, I started to lean on the tyres and saved loads of big slides...the bike doesn't have enough trail I'm afraid. but slowly but surely I got used to everything. the bike is NOT tiring at all, it is so light and quick though that traction is the problem: there's no grip!
eventually I caught Jon for the first of three times and each time I fell braking on wet grass - the brake just has no feel! on the third time as I fell I looked out for him and he wasn't anywhere near me. joy!
so i got on and bombed around getting quicker and quicker. I then switched to reserve just after I'd asked a friend to have a can of fuel ready! in 3 minutes I was out and I didn't know where Jon was? the track for a little while got 'claggy' but then it rained some more and went back to being just 'wet'!
so I came around towards the end of my 3-hours and found I couldn't remember the time on the clock from the previous lap....every lap i swore to work out my lap times and every time I couldn't remember them!
anyway, one thing I did recall was my start time: 10.31 so 3 hours meant I had to be in by 1.31. as I came around I asked Babs what i was doing laps in to which she replied "10 minutes like everybody else". I looked up at the clock and I had 6 minutes left. this meant I'd be 4 over and the penalty would be the same as what i was earning so i went to pull in, stalled and had to kickstart it again for the 20th a and last time just so'as I could check in 2 yards ahead of me!
I now waited for Jon and he had 7 minutes or 6 as I was now waiting. 4 mins.....5 mins....and then he came in, pushing the bike, he signed in breathless and he told me that he'd run out of fuel just 100m from the end.
Lord why couldn't you have made it 400m?
well anyway, i knew that Jon and I had done the same laps and I was quicker so i should be up for a win in the over 50s. alas when I see the results last night I see that a new bloke beat me by 0.9 f a second...... :lol: :lol: :lol:
well anyway, off to Banovallum this weekend for their last round. I did the first three rounds and was lying second easily. now I'm 3rd and only by a point but I shall go back for round 7 and try and hold onto 3rd overall. I'll either take the old 2002 model 400 or the 570 which hasn't turned a wheel since we got it running again and could have faults....
my overall conclusion on the KTM in the wet was
needs heavier springs
clutch springs too strong
brake; no feel
not enough trail
remove mousse and fit tube on the front
clean up the carburation/pull
the bike is a winner though and so easy to ride.
http://www.tbec.co.uk/results/weedon-131013/
regards
Taffy
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2001
- Messages
- 17,042
- Location
- Ely, England
OK so here it was, my last racing season coming to an end at the last race. I guess I will do another but I have no plans at the moment.
going to the last round I knew that championship over-50 leader Jon Foxley was going to drop his wekest score and add another 16 points. I on the other hand stood to get 252 and end up well, as I said: just 2 points (40 seconds) behind after 30 hours racing.
coming into this one I had a choice of the FE570 or the old Fe400e and as it was the tight woods of Rendlesham in Suffolk I took out the 400. why not: i raced it for 9 seasons and she's a real woods bike nowadays, very light, flickable and no effort to ride while the 570 is smoother but keeps trying to kill you.
I decided to do a jetting change the night before and went to a smaller PJ and PAJ, lowered the needle and then modified the APJ. just blipping the bike in the yard and it seemed good. an oil and filter change. tappets done, exchange air filter and tyre pressures. total time: 2 hours on a Saturday night at 8pm. right when I should be having a beer!
why do I want to pack up? well that's why!
when we get there the track is damp but well drained, my row 1 request is a row 7 start but we just need to get on with it now. I get a great start and lead all bar one away and he blocks me for a mile, I then stall it and 2-3 get me. after two more stalls I wind the tickover up a bit and we have no more troubles and a trouble free ride.
I get into ryethem in the woods: "slaloming" in and out the trees and it feels great. the bike takes no energy to ride and I could tell I was putting more into it than with the 570. I guess I knew the energy would still be there later...
I stopped for fuel after just two laps, adjusted the PS while I was there INWARDS and the fuel economy for the last 4 laps was almost double the MPG it seemed to me!
Jon started 7 minutes ahead of me on row zero and despite stopping for fuel I caught him after 3 hours. it felt great, the bike was running well. if it was always this good I'd never stop!
I came in after 210 minutes, 3.5 hours with 11 minutes to spare and now had to wait for Jon. if he was 40 seconds past 1.30pm precisely I was the championship winner.
the minutes ticked by and on 1.29.45 I felt hopeful. and at that moment he came around the corner. 6 laps in 3.29.57 = 3 seconds to spare! after 20 more he'd have lost a mark, after 40: 2 point fine and I'd have won the title.
so after 30 hours he'd pipped me. should have gone for the extra lap at the last meeting on the KTM but hell, that's what racing is all about...give your best and salute the better man!
well, we'll have a presentation evening on 25 January and Jon, Anton, Nick and I will all be suited and booted as we're old school - no T-shirts here!
regards
Taffy
going to the last round I knew that championship over-50 leader Jon Foxley was going to drop his wekest score and add another 16 points. I on the other hand stood to get 252 and end up well, as I said: just 2 points (40 seconds) behind after 30 hours racing.
coming into this one I had a choice of the FE570 or the old Fe400e and as it was the tight woods of Rendlesham in Suffolk I took out the 400. why not: i raced it for 9 seasons and she's a real woods bike nowadays, very light, flickable and no effort to ride while the 570 is smoother but keeps trying to kill you.
I decided to do a jetting change the night before and went to a smaller PJ and PAJ, lowered the needle and then modified the APJ. just blipping the bike in the yard and it seemed good. an oil and filter change. tappets done, exchange air filter and tyre pressures. total time: 2 hours on a Saturday night at 8pm. right when I should be having a beer!
why do I want to pack up? well that's why!
when we get there the track is damp but well drained, my row 1 request is a row 7 start but we just need to get on with it now. I get a great start and lead all bar one away and he blocks me for a mile, I then stall it and 2-3 get me. after two more stalls I wind the tickover up a bit and we have no more troubles and a trouble free ride.
I get into ryethem in the woods: "slaloming" in and out the trees and it feels great. the bike takes no energy to ride and I could tell I was putting more into it than with the 570. I guess I knew the energy would still be there later...
I stopped for fuel after just two laps, adjusted the PS while I was there INWARDS and the fuel economy for the last 4 laps was almost double the MPG it seemed to me!
Jon started 7 minutes ahead of me on row zero and despite stopping for fuel I caught him after 3 hours. it felt great, the bike was running well. if it was always this good I'd never stop!
I came in after 210 minutes, 3.5 hours with 11 minutes to spare and now had to wait for Jon. if he was 40 seconds past 1.30pm precisely I was the championship winner.
the minutes ticked by and on 1.29.45 I felt hopeful. and at that moment he came around the corner. 6 laps in 3.29.57 = 3 seconds to spare! after 20 more he'd have lost a mark, after 40: 2 point fine and I'd have won the title.
so after 30 hours he'd pipped me. should have gone for the extra lap at the last meeting on the KTM but hell, that's what racing is all about...give your best and salute the better man!
well, we'll have a presentation evening on 25 January and Jon, Anton, Nick and I will all be suited and booted as we're old school - no T-shirts here!
regards
Taffy
- Joined
- May 12, 2002
- Messages
- 1,634
- Location
- Snowy Mountains NSW Australia
Onya Taff.
I found I didn't actually retire from racing, just haven't raced now for almost 10 years.
I found I didn't actually retire from racing, just haven't raced now for almost 10 years.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2001
- Messages
- 17,042
- Location
- Ely, England
thanks Steve
what a way to finish. a win by 11 minutes and over another 12 old gits at that!
bragging rights in the bar with that one!
cheers
Taffy
what a way to finish. a win by 11 minutes and over another 12 old gits at that!
bragging rights in the bar with that one!
cheers
Taffy
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2012
- Messages
- 2,384
- Location
- Iceland
ahh, must have been fun
Inspiring! Thank you for the writeup!
Inspiring! Thank you for the writeup!
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2001
- Messages
- 17,042
- Location
- Ely, England
[youtube:1i0n8lki]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0iTZwun7mU[/youtube:1i0n8lki]
4 minutes 20 is quite different! an over ground pipe. the guy with the camera has very shaky steering? seems to have very little trail and he can't trust the front at all.
[youtube:1i0n8lki]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um4Edvc6cpQ[/youtube:1i0n8lki]
nearly a full lap. clearly on an early WR I should think. it stalls all the time and won't restart! been there - done that! camera is a bit giddy all the way through.
[youtube:1i0n8lki]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvScmOnhfJU[/youtube:1i0n8lki]
full lap this time, quick rider, and music! best pictures
[youtube:1i0n8lki]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRTxCa8Ejtg[/youtube:1i0n8lki]
short n sweet
regards
Taffy
4 minutes 20 is quite different! an over ground pipe. the guy with the camera has very shaky steering? seems to have very little trail and he can't trust the front at all.
[youtube:1i0n8lki]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um4Edvc6cpQ[/youtube:1i0n8lki]
nearly a full lap. clearly on an early WR I should think. it stalls all the time and won't restart! been there - done that! camera is a bit giddy all the way through.
[youtube:1i0n8lki]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvScmOnhfJU[/youtube:1i0n8lki]
full lap this time, quick rider, and music! best pictures
[youtube:1i0n8lki]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRTxCa8Ejtg[/youtube:1i0n8lki]
short n sweet
regards
Taffy
