King of Levels Rd 1 writeup

[Kickaha]

King of Levels Rd 1

I was up at 5.30am loading up as I really couldn’t be stuffed doing it the night before and then after micro waving last nights burger I shot off to pick up Dangerous, arrived at his place and tossed his bucket and gear onboard and off we headed to Levels, we arrive at he track just after 8.00am grab our gear shoot down and do sign in, gear check and scrutineering and then get set up for the day

Riders briefing comes and goes and we’ve fired the bikes up and made sure they at least run, with the buckets running in with street stock 150/250 four stroke it’s looking like a big field as there was a training day for the young guys the day before and they’re all set to go, K14 is busy changing his numbers with his classy ice cream lid number boards

We line up and head out for practice and my bikes running like crap as it gets up in the revs, I slow down a bit and let Dangerous pass me and have a bit of a play to make sure I’m going to be able to nail him during the racing, Cotton comes smoking past on his MB/RS100 while my bikes coughing and spluttering up the straight, practice over and we’re back into the bits, Dangerous notices a bit of oil over my back wheel so I pull off the side cover, change the air gap on the trigger wheel and adjust the timing and seal it back up again

Race 1

We get into it right from the start and it’s a scramble into turn 1 and we’re in amongst the 150’s right from he start, we hit the straight and they start clearing off, I have a sudden attack of depression when first Dangerous and then K14 come streaming past and that little snot nose K14 gives me a wave as he goes by, I’m not having any of that and as we hit the end of the straight and turn in I keep it pinned and ride around the outside of Dangerous and cut back across and take K14 on the inside of the next left and get it nailed, across the start line through the right left and then back around on to the back straight again K14 comes past again and I chase him to the decreasing radius and go up the inside again, he comes back at me on the start/finish straight and leads me onto the back straight and I’m thinking I’m screwed as he pulls away but I close him down from the end of the straight and get by him into the decreasing radius again and pull a little gap and beat him over the line to finish second bucket behind Cotton

Race 2

I hit turn one with the throttle against the stop and just about rear end a youngster on a 150 who cuts straight across in front of me as I back off to avoid collision and Cotton, Dangerous and K14 motor on past on the outside of me, I chase them down the straight and hit turn 4 at full noise down into the left hand turn 5 and pass all three of the into the decreasing radius as they get baulked by a slower rider, Cotton comes past on the straight but neither of the others do and as we complete another lap I see Dangerous parked of the side of turn 3, Cotton is getting bored by himself and slows to let me pass and for the next few laps we trade places on every lap and get in to some of the 150s with him leaving just enough in reserve to beat me over the line with another 2nd place finish

Dangerous stoppage turns out to be a complete act of incompetence on Diesel Pigs part :clap: when he assembled the motor for Dangerous with a tappet lock nut coming loose and disappearing down inside the motor, K14 manages to drop his bucket and break his brake lever off so scavenges the one of his RS125 as he has decided not to ride it for the day as his newly healed wrist cant handle the loading it puts on it

Race3

I just about contact the same 150 into turn 3 and then he pisses off down the straight with Cotton in hot pursuit, I pull a gap on K14 then get bored by myself so slow up and let him in front so we can have a bit of a play we swap places a couple of times and as we pass the line I notice the white flag out, my timing obviously isn’t as good as Cottons as I stuff it up and let K14 pull to much of a gap and he beats me to the line and gets 2nd bucket home, I’ve done the let then get in front and have a play thing a few times now and always stuff that bit up ,I must be a bloody slow learner

Race 4

We have a swap around I hop on Cottons MB/RS100 Dangerous jumps on my GNR140, K14 keeps his bike cause no one else wants it and Cotton is on K14s RS125 after scavenging a brake lever off Kev who crashed the race previous, the organisers decide it’ll be a Le Mans start and we park the bikes up with a helper holding it, the organisers also have a sense of humour as well as being the other side of the track we have to climb over the other side of the wall, the lady says go and everyone hesitates for a sec as they expected a flag fall and then start scrambling over the wall, Cotton pops a muscle in his calf as he clambers up and K14 hops over the wall and falls on his face :rofl: , I’m across the track on the bike and away, Cotton is still hobbling across the track but still beats K14 who’s picking himself up off the ground and manages to be 2nd to be last away in a 20+ bike field , Dangerous passes me almost immediately but I hard on his back wheel onto the straight and motor on past and head out after some 150s, Cotton blows past me on the RS125 and not long after a 750 and 400 come past and I give chase, I’m easily as quick around the corners and close in a bit but every straight they pull away, as I come around the decreasing radius I notice K14 off the side having just been hit and knocked off the track by another rider, all to soon the race is over and we’re back into the pits and I’m trying to straight my legs from the cramped riding position K14 is giving the guy who hit him a mouthful :mad: and Cotton gets off the RS125 and say “I want one”


All in all a bloody good days racing with a lot of fun and excellent weather
Roll on the next round :yes:

DISCLAIMER
All the above events may not in anyway actually be true or correct and could all be figments of my imagination, but the others will be along to sort that out

[Jantar]

This sounds like a great days riding. Almost makes me want to build a bucket. :ride:

[dangerous]

DISCLAIMER
All the above events may not in anyway actually be true or correct and could all be figments of my imagination, but the others will be along to sort that out
Yeah quite correct, it was you that blew a motor you that face planted the dirt, you that droped ya bike and you that collided with another bike :yes: me on the other hand had a awesome day comming 2nd in the buckets and going like a rocket all day................... ohhh na it wasent, back to your post Kick. :whocares:

Well Levels, awesome track I can see why the lads say its the best in the south Is. It takes a while to master it dont think I actually did with a pratice and 2 & a 1/2 races. :Punk:

Short straight from the grid into a tight right/left (ont like that bit) left hand sweeper onto the straight (bit long for a bucket) left hand part sweeper at full noise left then left into the decreaser (dont mind this section) right, straight, right hand hairpin, straight lefter, straight then right/left through the chicane then on to the straight over the grid. :ride:

Now my thing was running sweet dident miss a beat till the second race when it started with a bad rattel, but I couldent work out if it was me or the bloody 2 strokers so carried on, at the other end of the track it lost power nipped up and got really noisie I slowed quickly and pulled the clutch in, Kev behind me said there was a shit load a smoke from the pipe.... not sure what thats about but did find a lock nut missing of a tappit and bugger it it had taken a dive down the cam chain well..... time will tell on that one aye :weep:

Well an interesting day indead heaps went down or craped out but what a wicked day, will be back cheers for the lift down Kick, hows the wrist K14 wish I saw ya guts off.... LOL and arse up in the LeMans start speaking of which came so close to taking Cotton out as he stumbled across the track, mind you he soon passed me once he finely let the clutch all the way out swear I could hear him screaming as he rocked past on the RS125... awesome shit guys :niceone:

[gav]

Nice one, good weather too!

[Artifice]

i love these write-ups kickaha. it'g good to hear ya write yourself up and the other lot around. seems cotton knows how to abuse a clutch in order to get past dangerous dirvers eh.

[dangerous]

Heres a few pic's... I wont post my track ones as they are just shit but next w/e the top notch pic's will be up so I'll post the link.

1) a 1972 Honda, cool aye
2) Whats missing DIESEL PIG
3) dangerous mutt (not broken at this point) Kick's beas behind
4) the Cotton bucket

[dangerous]

more

1) k14's RS
2) Cottons R100
3) Kevs repulse before he toatled it good and proper

[k14]

Well after that great commentary I thought I would add my 2c.

Left home at 7am and arrived at the track at 8:45, went to sign up and got both bikes scrutineered. Still had a few minor things to do to both bikes but before we knew it first practice for buckets was up.

After a bit of mucking around I made it out after the dummy grid had already left, taking it very easy I remembered about 3 laps into the warmup that I had pumped up the tyres to around 32psi yesterday but forgot to set them properly. So I headed in early knowing that I had the F3 practice next. That came and I just did some easy laps getting used to riding it again (its been about 10 weeks) and just getting into the race groove. Towards the end I started feeling my wrist (broke it 6 weeks ago, been out of plaster for 2), so started taking the braking a bit easier.

Race 1: Now it was the first race of the buckets, I lined up and the flag was dropped. It was a very cramped first corner and very close quarters racing, with kickaha coming round the front of me from a wider line. Down the back straight on the first lap both dangerous and I passed him and from his above remarks he wasnt too happy. After that we cleared off the slow guy (dangerous) and had a good battle between us. I was feeling very sorry for my bucket having it at full revs in top gear for about 15 to 20 seconds down the back straight, a very long time. The race finished with me about 20m behind kickaha, not quite being able to catch him.

Race 2: Now was the first F3 race, after getting back to my van from the first bucket race I had to quickly jump on the 125 and get out to the grid. After getting completly smoked off the line (just like normal against the bigger bikes) I got into the groove and managed to pick off 1 or 2 guys a lap. Again my wrist was giving me a bit of grief but I finished the race with some more consistent laps, not sure what I came. This was my last race on the 125 for the day, I decided it wasn't worth the risk damaging my wrist by doing something stupid.

Race 3: Buckets race 2 and again I got a good start and was passed by kickaha who this time had his bucket sorted a bit better and I couldn't close the gap at all. Instead I had a duel with a RG150 and another bucket, managing to pass the RG150 on the 2nd to last lap and keeping in front of the other bucket untill the checkered flag, I bet him by about 2 or 3 bike lengths in the end.

Race 4: The 3rd and final points bucket race, now I was coming to grips with my bucket better, knowing when to induce the wobble that makes it turn into the corners and leaning off more so the gear stick and pegs don't scrape so much. I was holding a fairly steady gap to kickaha for the first 2 or 3 laps, the managed to pass him going into the hairpin. He came past again the next lap on the decreasing radius but I went up the inside of him into the hairpin again. Next I saw the white flag come out and I was very determined to not let him back past. I made sure I covered the inside line as best as I could to make sure he had to go the long way round. To my surprise I didn't even see his front wheel during the last lap and managed to show him how its done :Punk: the first of many to come :whistle:

So now that the points races were over the last round was upon us, the all in's, split into two classes of fast and slow. Also to add to the mix they decided on a le mans start, I thought that was a great idea, oh how wrong was I.

We lined up over a small bank about 20m or so from the bikes and while everyone was waiting for a flag drop the flag marshall just yelled out "GO". I was very slow to react and then made things worse by triping up :rofl: , leathers aren't the easiest to run in. Anyways I managed to get onto my bike and get it started and away. This was a pretty boring race, being so far off the rest of the field I just was determined to keep it up on 2 wheels for the duration of the race. The white flag came out and then coming round the decreasing radius for the final time (about 1/2 way through the lap) a guy on a SV650 who is lapping my cuts right infront of me, we collide and it sends me straight for the grass. The instant I hit the grass I'm on my arse :no: and as murphys law goes I fall on my dodgy wrist. I pick the bike up (after gesturing towards the perpretrator) bend the gear lever back and ride it back to the pits. As you can imagine i am fairly :mad: :mad: and have a few "words" to the guy. After a few mins i have calmed down and can reflect on the incident as coming with the territory of motorcycle racing. Oh well, no real damage done.

After all the racing's over we go to the pub for a quick drink and then head back home. A pretty awesome day and I can't wait for the next one in 4 weeks, hopefully my wrist will be back to full strength by then. :ride:

[Kickaha]

A pretty awesome day and I can't wait for the next one in 4 weeks, hopefully my wrist will be back to full strength by then. :ride:


And I think we all know what kind of exercise he'll be doing to strengthen that wrist :whistle:

[dangerous]

And I think we all know what kind of exercise he'll be doing to strengthen that wrist :whistle:
:rofl: heheheheeeeehee...... yip thats was the cause of it to start with, ohhh the strength of youth aye, not so hard next time k14 dosent happen any quicker by going ta town ya know........ gentle she blows..... errrrrr goes K :wait:

[k14]

And I think we all know what kind of exercise he'll be doing to strengthen that wrist :whistle:

Nah Im right handed, its my left hand that i broke :rofl:

How do you know that is a good way to build strength back? Oh yeah thats right, you broke yours last year :motu:

[Bren_chch]

wot a great day.... i missed. Was going to come down later in the day, but decided not to, always next time... 4 weeks, my foot and ankle should be better by then, cant wait to join in the fun! :ride:

Bugger about ya engine dangerous, hope its not bad damage... k14, hope i didnt jinx you! :O

great writeup as usual Kickaha!! :Punk:

[k14]

Here are some piccies:
1.) Dangerous saying good morning to everyone on kb
2.) Our professional pit setup (14 is my RS125 and CB125 bucket, 83 is kickaha's bucket and 68 is dangerous's bucket)
3.) Kickaha delaying the inevitable pass from the much faster rider.
4.) A lap later when the faster rider has pulled the pass off.
5.) The lemans start, you can see kickaha (red leathers 3rd from right) has got the headstart on dangerous (grey and black leathers to the right of kickaha) and then me right at the back (blue leathers) waking up about 5 mins after they went.

[k14]

and some more:

1.) You can see dangerous on #83 getting a flier and me still trying to work out how to get onto my bike :whistle: I eventually worked it out.
2.) Dangerous out by himself.
3.) Me following about 100m or so behind.
4.) Dangerous
5.) Me again, just before the "racing incident"

[dangerous]

Awesome photos k14, big thanks to the man on the camera 'Biff' :clap:
Now the pic of us all jumping the wall....... dont ya just love it how Kickaha and Cotton are holding hands as they do the death defing leap over the edge, I always new something dodgy was going on there :Punk:

[Kickaha]

Awesome photos k14, big thanks to the man on the camera 'Biff' :clap:
Now the pic of us all jumping the wall....... dont ya just love it how Kickaha and Cotton are holding hands as they do the death defing leap over the edge, I always new something dodgy was going on there :Punk:

Ah crap so you're saying thats why he let me ride his bike :rofl:

ps it's spelt "knew"

[dangerous]

ps it's spelt "knew"
I no that :motu:

[k14]

Now the pic of us all jumping the wall....... dont ya just love it how Kickaha and Cotton are holding hands as they do the death defing leap over the edge, I always new something dodgy was going on there :Punk:

I think you need to get your glasses out, if you take a closer look you will see that Mr C is far right not the one kickaha is holding hands with.

[dangerous]

Kev behind me said there was a shit load a smoke from the pipe....
Well, I know what the smoke was........ aluminium, steel and sparkplug going BOOM.
Heres a pic of the result for more go to this link (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=14702)

[Biff]

Dangerous, "Now I know there's an engine in this bouquet somewhere."

[gav]

I think you need to get your glasses out, if you take a closer look you will see that Mr C is far right not the one kickaha is holding hands with.
Does Mr C know you're cheating on him? So who is the mystery man??

[nipper]

Great day.1 young guy is a bit dangerous. I will have to watch my ass when I get my clearance to race again. The training day was good a pity we had to share the track with the cars as we only had 20min sessions at a time.