Started friday before Christmas with a few laps at manfield to sort out the carb issues on #78. resorted back to the old carb again (this is the third time I have gone back to it). CJs bike seemed to be running quite well (though he will explain things more later). #78 had the legs on #8, so I was quite happy. well we went to taupo, both bikes running wellish but not really what I would be happy with for racing at the national event. but they were going. Day one. we only had two sessions to sort out jetting (which is always an issue at Taupo due to the altitude). #78 ran like a dog first session, it was ok on the straights (in fact quite quick). but the mid section of the track it was doing its normal farting around. so I did a plug cut and came in; rich as a bitch.... Changes: 1. made an air box out of a pump bottle and duck taped it to the carb. 2. dropped needle. 3. went down 2 jet sizes. 4. adjusted the timing. Second session: F##K didn't torque up the mag bolts and the timing went well out, so nursed the bike back to the pits and reset it. made it back to the dummy grid with all the other bikes (as there was a crash and everyone came in); sweet, but alas we session got called off. so no more testing for day one, had a few beers and a nanny nap. (more to come)
Day two. Qualification session we ended up getting another qualification session before the F4 gp, so fingers were crossed I had got everything right the day before. well sort off, i had nearly got it right, still not really pulling out of the corners but at lease it was rideable. so completed all the Qual laps and ended up in 34 (not really the best but at lease it was on the inside). NZF4 GP (10 Laps, ~20 mins) well I made a couple of tweaks (mainly the air screw to lean things up a bit at the bottom end). made a mess of the start (not it gear, school boy) watched every one go past while i was trying to find first. caught up to back of the field into turn one and slowly start to pick them off. had to ride the bike quite hard to deal with the bogging in corner (slamming down a gear on exit to get the revs up so i could have the card open). Eventually caught up to skunk, cj & George (with my eye on Kendog). things were going quite well until a major crash up field ment we had to return to the dummy grid, bugger. (4 laps into it) restart (5laps). we moved into new starting positions as per or last lap. so i was beside skunk & george with cj right behind. This time i got a great start getting pass at lease another row of bikes, but chicken out in turn one leaving the door wide open for at lease four other bikes to shoot up the inside and sending me wide with a shitty exit, so lost another few places (george and skunk). from there we settle into quite a battle (all of the above riders & a few aucklanders about eight of us in total swapping places). then it all came apart lap 4; on the exit of turn one i caught my foot peg on the ground bouncing the rear in the air which unsettled me (slammed down a couple of gears so i could get back into the mix; heard a small ping which felt like a seizure) anyway carried on and the bike felt fine (so it can't of seized) then heading down into turn five (RHder) a major clunk and the ass locked up (stood the bike up and skidded off the track into the kitty litter; then most embarrassingly fell over). cause? the chain came off and locked up the wheel; crap, another NZGP down the drain (in 15 years i have only finished one gp) so went and sat on the tires and watched the last couple of laps. back in the pit looked into it a bit more; broke 3 out of the 5 studs holding the rear sprocket. we tried to get the broken studs out but ended up F33king one of them and destroying the thread. I'm going to sack my engineer for not building a better system that would stay together. so I parked up and became CJs pitbitch for the rest of the day. the end of the TRRS story and th end of bucket racing for 2009 for me, roll on 2010. As for CJ he did really well. but I let him tell the story. Here's a great one of CJ. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dty1/42...7623096896212/
WO...what a story!!! I can't wait till next year either. Shame about the rear wheel, maybe you should have hit it with a hammer. Did you have one with you I'll be up your way soon, so you can give me the unabridged version.
Hehe, well, I had better add my fun and games here. Had some rather interesting running issues with the bike bogging, farting and being a pig. Trying different jetting did precicely nothing, everything else seemed OK. Probelm was, it had flashes of it's former self, where it was running well >_< Turns out the barrel retaining nuts have a habit of working loose, which they had managed to do between checking them on practice and qualifying. So, a borrowed (cheers bert) 12 mm nut later and we were back up and running. Managed to lose a gear lever on the dummy grid too, though that was quicly fixed with a crescent and some eagle-eyed work to find all the bits. Thanks to the kind lady that went to find me a crescent Beyond that, this big track stuff is interesting, there's a fair bit of room to play with, though I only seemed to use a wee bit. Had a couple of good moments, flying past people under brakes. Hate to admit it but most times at that point I though I had bitten off way more lateness than I could chew "shit shit shit slow down come on 20-year old brakes...". Had a wicked squabble with George on his new CBR125. There was buger-all in it at the top end, he had a bit better drive out of the corners though (damn modern fuel injected trickery). Every time we came into a corner I was gaining, just didn't have enough brave pills to really make it stick >_<. Was a bloody brilliant couple of days though, big thanks to Bert for volunteering (well, kinda, his bike volunteered him I guess ) to pit fo rme, made things a fair bit easier in the heat and dust. Anyways, plans are to try my old 18" wheel out front, some lower gearing, and stock up on brave pills for next time
