Touring Manfeild

[Drew]

It all started as a joke I think. Luke called me up a few weeks ago, and said I should enter F1 for round one, of the Actrix winter series. "Don't be friggin stupid"! I replied. He insisted I should, and said I'd have a ball, and that he'd pay my entry fees. "Righto then, you clearly just want some pay back after I beat you at the hill climb". "Mumble mumble, just wanna see what you can do on the RF, mumble mumble...to do with the cliffhanger".

So we agreed I'd have a whirl, and man am I glad I did.

Race prep for the RF consisted of removing the mirrors and indicators, and changing fork and engine oil. "Woohoo, she's a racer not a tourer now"!

Pissing around with tyres sucks! Qualifying was wet, but the track was drying so that shit had to happen twice.

Qualifying went without incident, to everyone's surprise. (There was some conjecture as to weather I'd finish the out lap, let alone the session) I did make it back and had put myself No.8 on the grid. I was happy with not being last to be honest.

Just couldn't be arsed swinging on tyre levers again, so went and saw Kerry to get him to do it for me. Cheers man, AWESOME!

Race one. It occurs to me on the out lap, that I hadn't checked the pressures in my tyres after they were changed. "Hmmm, wonder how that's gonna go with 200+ kilos of bike pushing on a cold track? Best not to think about it I guess". Sitting on the grid waiting for the lights and giggling at how ridiculous I must look. Lights go out and away we go. For what it's worth, the RF pulls pretty well, so I made a few spots up towards turn one. That put Roger Cathro and a few other people in a very difficult position, getting past a bike that's wider than a lot of small cars. I held him off till lap two where he went past into the hairpin.

That left me in seventh spot, and although Johan showed a wheel into turn one at some point, I managed to hold him off and finish in seventh.

Check the pressures back in the pit, and I reckon I did not bad for running front and back at 40psi and lapping at 1m16s

Race two. This time out, just as we suit up I notice my front warmer isn't working. "Ah well, at least the pressure is where it should be. I'll just take it easy for two laps".

Off we go again and I manage to stay eighth while waiting for my tyre to warm up. There was no way I could make up the gap Johan had on me in four laps so I set about trying not to shit myself under brakes into T1. It gets a bit hairy on the ol' girl. Somehow managed to get down to 1m15.6s that time. CHOICE!

Race 3. With a warm front tyre at the right kinda pressure, I was quite confident I would make it round turn 1 lap 1 at last.

Off we go again, Johan beats me to turn one, and I have a real ugly lap. Sliding out of 'splash' and just generally making a hash of things. I get my shit together and start to shorten the gap to Johan. On lap four I found myself coming up on his rear wheel quite fast into 'splash', so I braked a bit later expecting to get by early and run my usual line round the turn, (read, wrestle the bike under brakes, move my arse a bit and wobble and weave round the bend). I'd underestimated Johans speed though so was left with no option but to go round him the long way mid turn. All the while thinking, "this is really advised against as a good place to pass". Somehow made it round and proceed on for the next lap and a half to finish sixth. This time lapping 1m15.1s (I think the timing gear is broken, that can't be right!)

So, a great day. The RF just goes from strength to strength I tell you!

Thanks to Luke for making me do it, to Jody for help and support, everyone in the pit for helping with tyres and shit, and of course TSS Red Baron. Couldn't have had so much fun without you all.

Thanks to Vic club for putting on a great day. It went as perfectly as anyone could expect, and as soon as CJ learns to read, I'm sure she will start calling up the right class to the dummy grid. Hehehe

To anyone worried that I'll be doing the rest of the season, you need not. It was a oncer to take the RF out. I loved every second of it but lets be serious, the old girl has done 92,000k's. As good as it is, thrashing the arse off it all day once a month will likely kill it.

[driftn]

Fantastic effort mate, was well worth the hundy. Glad I sat the last race out, hanging out in the crowd was a wicked laugh.

[Drew]

Fantastic effort mate, was well worth the hundy. Glad I sat the last race out, hanging out in the crowd was a wicked laugh.

I please to aim.

[Matt Bleck]

It all started as a joke I think. Luke called me up a few weeks ago, and said I should enter F1 for round one, of the Actrix winter series. "Don't be friggin stupid"! I replied. He insisted I should, and said I'd have a ball, and that he'd pay my entry fees. "Righto then, you clearly just want some pay back after I beat you at the hill climb". "Mumble mumble, just wanna see what you can do on the RF, mumble mumble...to do with the cliffhanger".

So we agreed I'd have a whirl, and man am I glad I did.

Race prep for the RF consisted of removing the mirrors and indicators, and changing fork and engine oil. "Woohoo, she's a racer not a tourer now"!

Pissing around with tyres sucks! Qualifying was wet, but the track was drying so that shit had to happen twice.

Qualifying went without incident, to everyone's surprise. (There was some conjecture as to weather I'd finish the out lap, let alone the session) I did make it back and had put myself No.8 on the grid. I was happy with not being last to be honest.

Just couldn't be arsed swinging on tyre levers again, so went and saw Kerry to get him to do it for me. Cheers man, AWESOME!

Race one. It occurs to me on the out lap, that I hadn't checked the pressures in my tyres after they were changed. "Hmmm, wonder how that's gonna go with 200+ kilos of bike pushing on a cold track? Best not to think about it I guess". Sitting on the grid waiting for the lights and giggling at how ridiculous I must look. Lights go out and away we go. For what it's worth, the RF pulls pretty well, so I made a few spots up towards turn one. That put Roger Cathro and a few other people in a very difficult position, getting past a bike that's wider than a lot of small cars. I held him off till lap two where he went past into the hairpin.

That left me in seventh spot, and although Johan showed a wheel into turn one at some point, I managed to hold him off and finish in seventh.

Check the pressures back in the pit, and I reckon I did not bad for running front and back at 40psi and lapping at 1m16s

Race two. This time out, just as we suit up I notice my front warmer isn't working. "Ah well, at least the pressure is where it should be. I'll just take it easy for two laps".

Off we go again and I manage to stay eighth while waiting for my tyre to warm up. There was no way I could make up the gap Johan had on me in four laps so I set about trying not to shit myself under brakes into T1. It gets a bit hairy on the ol' girl. Somehow managed to get down to 1m15.6s that time. CHOICE!

Race 3. With a warm front tyre at the right kinda pressure, I was quite confident I would make it round turn 1 lap 1 at last.

Off we go again, Johan beats me to turn one, and I have a real ugly lap. Sliding out of 'splash' and just generally making a hash of things. I get my shit together and start to shorten the gap to Johan. On lap four I found myself coming up on his rear wheel quite fast into 'splash', so I braked a bit later expecting to get by early and run my usual line round the turn, (read, wrestle the bike under brakes, move my arse a bit and wobble and weave round the bend). I'd underestimated Johans speed though so was left with no option but to go round him the long way mid turn. All the while thinking, "this is really advised against as a good place to pass". Somehow made it round and proceed on for the next lap and a half to finish sixth. This time lapping 1m15.1s (I think the timing gear is broken, that can't be right!)

So, a great day. The RF just goes from strength to strength I tell you!

Thanks to Luke for making me do it, to Jody for help and support, everyone in the pit for helping with tyres and shit, and of course TSS Red Baron. Couldn't have had so much fun without you all.

Thanks to Vic club for putting on a great day. It went as perfectly as anyone could expect, and as soon as CJ learns to read, I'm sure she will start calling up the right class to the dummy grid. Hehehe

To anyone worried that I'll be doing the rest of the season, you need not. It was a oncer to take the RF out. I loved every second of it but lets be serious, the old girl has done 92,000k's. As good as it is, thrashing the arse off it all day once a month will likely kill it.

respect!

[sugilite:Me]

Well done Drew, those lap times on that machine are seriously impressive!

[Drew]

Well done Drew, those lap times on that machine are seriously impressive!

Dunno about that. It wouldn't take sod all to get the old girl a couple seconds quicker. Rear shock is essentially ballast after 92k's. And the disks are so thin they distort under heavy breaking and create some interesting sensations as ya turn in.

[sugilite:Me]

Na, doing that time on a standard RF, means you rode the thing like a Demon

[Crasherfromwayback]

Good effort mate!

[wharfy]

Looked pretty good for the short time I could keep you in sight !

[skilly035]

Go on, do the series!!

[kiwifruit]

Man, that is awesome! Are there photos? You should do the series

[Mental Trousers]

Onya

Probably a good thing that you didn't do Clubmans like you said you were going to eh.

[ducatilover]

I should have gone and watched instead of picking dags out my arse. I'm only 10min from Manfield, I could probably hear the lot of you

[Drew]

Onya

Probably a good thing that you didn't do Clubmans like you said you were going to eh.

I knew it was better than 1m18s, and clubmans really is for beginners I think. If someone passing ya with a 20-30k speed differential doesn't freak you out, step up to the class your bike is eligible for methinks.

I should have gone and watched instead of picking dags out my arse. I'm only 10min from Manfield, I could probably hear the lot of you

You should have indeed. But I'm afraid to say that I just couldn't bring myself to sell the old beast anymore. It's just too good of a bike for what it owes me.

[ducatilover]

You should have indeed. But I'm afraid to say that I just couldn't bring myself to sell the old beast anymore. It's just too good of a bike for what it owes me.

No worries, there seems to be a few around, watch this space.