lukemillar
22nd August 2011, 21:19
After a couple of months off the bike due to an early exit from Round 2 and being away getting married during Round 3, I was really looking forward to Round 4. Unfortunately, because work was so damn busy, all my plans of fettling my bike into mechanical perfection went out the window and I only finished getting the thing back together by lunchtime on Saturday! At least the thing was straight now! :)
Sat trackday
Bike finally starts just before lunch and I get it scruiteneered ready for my first session. The only thing bothering me was the new my open carb setup with jetting settings nicked off the fine folk on the 400 forum. As it turned out these weren't that great and the bike would stumble really badly between 3-7k, pretty much to the point of stalling. Then it did cut out coming into Higgins and so I had to park it :no:. An hour of carb fiddling ensued and although it still had the overly rich stumble between 3-7k, beyond that it was running fairly well (as long as I kept it 8k+)!
Qualifying
Pretty cold so I'm not going banzai. Am behind Mike Webster when his Kwak lets go in a big way down th back straight. Luckily he realises and keeps well off the racing line (good man!) so although there is a clean up, it's not a big deal. End up 13th in the mixed class on the inside for a change with a slow 1:26 lap
Race 1
Get an average start. The engine stumble that I can avoid while lapping, can't be avoid on the starts and as soon as I launch there is a stutter before picking up speed. Lose a few places into T1, but make a few back though T2 and Splash. Things start to settle down and I get into a monster battle with a guy on an old beemer! He clearly has the legs on the straights, but hugs the inside on every turn, which hampers my roll-on. Eventually I get past and my laptimes drop 2 secs. I can see the group in front and I'm gaining rapidly, but run out of laps just 0.3 of a second behind the guy in front. Got into the 1:21s with a new PB of 1:21.5! Sweet. 8th in the class.
Race 2
After some wise words from Steve, I go out in race 2 and try a few new things. I pick of a few people and catch a pass a couple of riders who finished ahead of me in race 1 but just get my ass handed back to me on the straights. Was getting a little frustrated having to work so hard in the corners only to have someone wind it open and pull straight back in front on the straights! Still had some great racing and applied some suggestions by Steve B, that definitely helped. Finished 7th with a best lap of 1:22 something
Race 3
Same problems with the start again. (It's not just the carbs - I really need to practice these!) So spend the first part of the lap making back positions I lost off the start. Eventually get a bit of clear air and I'm not really catching the guy in front. End up a lonely 7th again with the slowest best lap of the day, but still happy.
Overall, I had a great weekend! It was nice to take the bike home in one piece and hopefully by next time I'll be able to sort out the niggles. Got a few things to concentrate on and the main on is get a decent start and go hard on the first lap. Laptime-wise I can run the pace in front (well apart from maybe Eamon!), but by the time I'm there, everyone has cleared off. :facepalm:
Still, happy with knocking off 2.5 secs from my best from Rnd 1!
Big Thanks to Motorad for parts and service, Steve Bagshaw and Moto Academy, Robert Taylor at CKT and all the guys/girls I pitted with and people who came and said hello throughout the weekend.
Onto round 5!
Thanks
Luke
Sat trackday
Bike finally starts just before lunch and I get it scruiteneered ready for my first session. The only thing bothering me was the new my open carb setup with jetting settings nicked off the fine folk on the 400 forum. As it turned out these weren't that great and the bike would stumble really badly between 3-7k, pretty much to the point of stalling. Then it did cut out coming into Higgins and so I had to park it :no:. An hour of carb fiddling ensued and although it still had the overly rich stumble between 3-7k, beyond that it was running fairly well (as long as I kept it 8k+)!
Qualifying
Pretty cold so I'm not going banzai. Am behind Mike Webster when his Kwak lets go in a big way down th back straight. Luckily he realises and keeps well off the racing line (good man!) so although there is a clean up, it's not a big deal. End up 13th in the mixed class on the inside for a change with a slow 1:26 lap
Race 1
Get an average start. The engine stumble that I can avoid while lapping, can't be avoid on the starts and as soon as I launch there is a stutter before picking up speed. Lose a few places into T1, but make a few back though T2 and Splash. Things start to settle down and I get into a monster battle with a guy on an old beemer! He clearly has the legs on the straights, but hugs the inside on every turn, which hampers my roll-on. Eventually I get past and my laptimes drop 2 secs. I can see the group in front and I'm gaining rapidly, but run out of laps just 0.3 of a second behind the guy in front. Got into the 1:21s with a new PB of 1:21.5! Sweet. 8th in the class.
Race 2
After some wise words from Steve, I go out in race 2 and try a few new things. I pick of a few people and catch a pass a couple of riders who finished ahead of me in race 1 but just get my ass handed back to me on the straights. Was getting a little frustrated having to work so hard in the corners only to have someone wind it open and pull straight back in front on the straights! Still had some great racing and applied some suggestions by Steve B, that definitely helped. Finished 7th with a best lap of 1:22 something
Race 3
Same problems with the start again. (It's not just the carbs - I really need to practice these!) So spend the first part of the lap making back positions I lost off the start. Eventually get a bit of clear air and I'm not really catching the guy in front. End up a lonely 7th again with the slowest best lap of the day, but still happy.
Overall, I had a great weekend! It was nice to take the bike home in one piece and hopefully by next time I'll be able to sort out the niggles. Got a few things to concentrate on and the main on is get a decent start and go hard on the first lap. Laptime-wise I can run the pace in front (well apart from maybe Eamon!), but by the time I'm there, everyone has cleared off. :facepalm:
Still, happy with knocking off 2.5 secs from my best from Rnd 1!
Big Thanks to Motorad for parts and service, Steve Bagshaw and Moto Academy, Robert Taylor at CKT and all the guys/girls I pitted with and people who came and said hello throughout the weekend.
Onto round 5!
Thanks
Luke