Joined Mar 2006
2K Posts | 4+
mid-wales, uk
went to the above event today.
basically the Race Experience Day was started by the event organisers as a way to get people into doin events without the pressure of goin into a race without having much experience.
have everyone from top class riders just getting extra bike time to familys riding around.
this was the first one i'd been to.
schedule was 0900-1230 free riding on the course that will be used for the sunday race day.
1230 - 1330 lunch
1330 - 1430 1 hr all comers race.
1500 kiddies race.
course consisted of 2/3 stubble field, which was mainly flat out with a variety of corners. 1/3 tight woodland.
fast lap was apparently about 10 minutes and i was lapping about 11 to 11:30 once i'd come in and softened the forks.
only incident of note was rather an entertaining high-side.
was going well when a faster rider came past so decided to see how long i could keep up. coming out of a hairpin right i was letting the back drift out to the left, as i picked it up it just snapped all the way to the right. where upon i find myself looking down at the bike from about 4ft above it before landing in a heap ontop of it, on the floor.
straighten the levers and off to go....for about 100 yard then i realise the front wheel is pointing about 15 degrees to the left. use of the size 10 straightened it up and off to go again.
i didnt really know who far the bike would go in a race with the alloy tank so decided to use this as a fuel consumption test. wish i hadn't. bike ran dry at 5 laps. which was only about 30 miles!
most of the stubble field was full throttle but still i was expecting more mileage than this. two things to do is to 1 measure the capacity of the tank to makes sure its the 7 ltr tank not the 6 ltr tank, then look to jet it down further. gearing up isnt an option.
unfortuantly the running out of fuel announced the end of my day as the bike just would not start afterwards. previously it was starting perfectly.
pulled the carb as best as could in the field but still no joy, though i did find alot of oil in the carb boot from the engine breather, result of the high side no doubt.
hopefully its just a combination of some crap picked up from the bottom of the tank and the oil thats stopped it from running.
so until my enforced stop it was a very enjoyable day.
only note of worry was a found myself thinking about a ktm 400 as this is the 3rd ride in a row thats been spoilt by bike problems.
never had so many little problems with a bike as this one, but when it's going its a rocket, even the wife is saying its about time it went and get a new one!
mmmmm.......can i afford a 2009.
basically the Race Experience Day was started by the event organisers as a way to get people into doin events without the pressure of goin into a race without having much experience.
have everyone from top class riders just getting extra bike time to familys riding around.
this was the first one i'd been to.
schedule was 0900-1230 free riding on the course that will be used for the sunday race day.
1230 - 1330 lunch
1330 - 1430 1 hr all comers race.
1500 kiddies race.
course consisted of 2/3 stubble field, which was mainly flat out with a variety of corners. 1/3 tight woodland.
fast lap was apparently about 10 minutes and i was lapping about 11 to 11:30 once i'd come in and softened the forks.
only incident of note was rather an entertaining high-side.
was going well when a faster rider came past so decided to see how long i could keep up. coming out of a hairpin right i was letting the back drift out to the left, as i picked it up it just snapped all the way to the right. where upon i find myself looking down at the bike from about 4ft above it before landing in a heap ontop of it, on the floor.
straighten the levers and off to go....for about 100 yard then i realise the front wheel is pointing about 15 degrees to the left. use of the size 10 straightened it up and off to go again.
i didnt really know who far the bike would go in a race with the alloy tank so decided to use this as a fuel consumption test. wish i hadn't. bike ran dry at 5 laps. which was only about 30 miles!
most of the stubble field was full throttle but still i was expecting more mileage than this. two things to do is to 1 measure the capacity of the tank to makes sure its the 7 ltr tank not the 6 ltr tank, then look to jet it down further. gearing up isnt an option.
unfortuantly the running out of fuel announced the end of my day as the bike just would not start afterwards. previously it was starting perfectly.
pulled the carb as best as could in the field but still no joy, though i did find alot of oil in the carb boot from the engine breather, result of the high side no doubt.
hopefully its just a combination of some crap picked up from the bottom of the tank and the oil thats stopped it from running.
so until my enforced stop it was a very enjoyable day.
only note of worry was a found myself thinking about a ktm 400 as this is the 3rd ride in a row thats been spoilt by bike problems.
never had so many little problems with a bike as this one, but when it's going its a rocket, even the wife is saying its about time it went and get a new one!
mmmmm.......can i afford a 2009.
