Another VMCC Actrix Series-Bert go's streetstock.

**Bert** · 15th May 2006, 20:52

My first attempt at streetstocking on my ZXR250a.

Part one – the pre match - the funny shit that you don't hear

Over the past couple of months I've worked on doing up the ZXR which i brought before Christmas. With the motor seeming to run fine, I spent most of my time fixing up the crash damage and making it rideable.
Last week the decision had to be made, was I seriously going to race or just ride around making a c^nt of myself.
So I decided to race. Which ment I needed to do some laps before the first round, (due to the fact that I haven’t ridden a road bike this century, other than my bucket, which hasn’t been that successful)
So I ask for Friday off work, load the bike and drove on out to Mansfeild.

On arrival I saw that there were a couple of faces that look familiar, one of which was Racey Rider. Whom I caught up with at the previous test day. So I unloaded and tried to look like I knew what I was up too. Skipped the first/second session as I was still carming the nerves. Started the bike and let it warm up. The poor thing didn’t quite sound as good as the previous night, then it slowly died.
Sh!t WTF has gone wrong now ???????
After spending the next half an hour pushing the starter motor to it limits, I gave up. It must be flooded!
Nope. – At this point I’d like to thank everyone that was there, for their suggestions and advice.

Bike 1 Brent 0

Formula ford drops it ass over the track and we all pack up.
On the way home I made a stop into Manawatu Motorcycles, to get my new rear tyre mounted and started picking Paul’s brain about what had just happen. He offered some more advice and off home I went. This should be simple!
Nope.
Bike 2 Brent 0

Friday night was spent trying to get to the spark plugs. Removed everything and called it a night.
Saturday: Up early determent to sort this out ‘I haven’t come this bloody far for nothing’. By lunch time I had found that all the fuses had blown and the regulator / rectifier had melted. Though not needed, I swapped the one off my CBX, (with a few mods), and replaced all the fuses and melted cable. Sweet this time it should go.
Nope.
Bike3 Brent 0
Grrrrr
Alex (Racey Rider) popped in, to see how things were going. To be honest I was very close to giving up. But having him there gave me some extra encouragement to keen going. The rest of the afternoon was spent removing plugs, installing plugs, flooding, removing plugs, flushing, installing plugs etc etc.
We had good spark, and fuel – WTF is going on…….
Last resort different fuel. 96 to 98. Drained the carbs (by blowing through the petrol line, I know that dumb but it had been a long day

). Sh!t petrol everywhere, bloodly hell those carbs hold a lot of gas – flooded the motor well and truly. – take the plugs out and turn it over….
I’m now missing a half a eyebrow and my receding hairline one side as got a whole worse. Some quick thinking by Alex saved the wiring loom from completely melting while I danced around putting out my face/head.
Bike 4 Brent 0
15 mins later 6pm, the bike was purring on 98. –
Bike 4 Brent 1. it had it revenge as was laughing at me.

Thanks Alex for your time on Saturday, with out you there I doubt I would have made it on Sunday.

**Bert** · 15th May 2006, 20:53

Part two – Game day

SHIT – Its 7 o’clock.
Slept in, bugger I going to be late.
Pulled into the pits at 815 to find Racey and Garry H and saved me a part pit space. – thank guys heaps
Signed in and sorted my shit out.
Tyre scrub session: first lap holy shit I can’t race I can’t even ride. Slowly got into it and start to warm up my tyre and the flag comes out. While sitting in the chute bike dies. F##K – slowly push the bike back into the pits only to see the streetstocks heading out, crap.
Back in the pits, the bike starts again first pop, bloodly thing (Bike 5 Brent 1). Shoot back out and finish three laps before the flag comes out again, rear tyre still sliding around, so I had no confidence with going around corners. Qualify LAST, bugger.

Race One
Sitting at the back of the field, heart motoring, bike feeling good. (Wandering did I fuel it up ???). Green flag drops. Get a good start down the inside past a few bikes and raced on up to turn one. Chicken out and slowed down knowing that I couldn’t take the corner at the speed and line that I was on with out taking other out with me, last again bugger.
This is good track time use it wisely (don’t go and fall off trying to catch up). So I just settled into it and worked my way around the track. With a couple laps to go I start to gain on Ryan Scullion, and with a few good corners and 250 straight line speed I start to catch up quickly; (I started to think I can get him). We went past the white flag with Ryan just in front, came along side in turn one, then had my chance though the infield but decided not to for some stupid reason; I though I would have him on the infield straight or the back section. Nope missed a gear in Higgens and he gained some space. We powered down the back straight, (heehee I know its streetstocks but it sounds funnier that way).
“I’ve Got Him” through the sweeper we went and I was sitting right behind him. – then out of no where a bloody black RS125 screams up the inside loose as anything and starts pushing me wider and wider and then nearly off the track, slowly I see Ryan getting away and he pips me by 0.441. grrr and whom should be on the loose RS – none other than IVAN.
But last (12th in the streetstock) isn’t all that bad I still took my helmet off with a smile from ear to ear.

Race Two
A bit wetter, cool this might slow people down a bit. Again got a good start, again chicken out on turn one, but with a few more gained places. I could here Russell Williams ZXR behind me and settled in to some racing. Kept the little bunch at bay until the second to last lap where I went to sleep just before the hairpin, motored on into to it with out braking, “sh!t it’s the bloody hairpin”, down shifted and anchored the brakes (god knows how I didn’t fall off), waited for everyone to pass me as I slowly got back up to speed, (none did – I think most broke hard to avoid hitting me; for when I assed off), held my place and brought it home finishing 9th,11th overall, Sweet. Highlight passing Ivan around the outside of the sweeper and beating him home(he was 13th over all) and he was on wets. (I know you were just playing with us, as you had 3rd sorted but you can’t get passed by a $450 road bike – and its in the record books)

More Rain – end of the day racing, crap I’m slowly getting more confident.

Recommend this class to anyone. The grin factor is brilliant for the little cash outlay

Special thanks:

ESL Security Levin – good on ya Dave
Paul @ Manawatu Motorcycles. For all the stupid questions on Friday and Saturaday
My lovely lady Jess for cooking dinner every night this week while I worked late and then worked on the bike.
And Alex – Racey Racer for all of you time on Saturday helping me get the bike running and Garry H for the pit area out of the rain.

Good to see all the KB Boys doing well.
See you all next round
Bert #90

**Bert** · 15th May 2006, 20:59

Well done to Vtec, RG100, Racey and alarumba for great KB showing up the front of the streetstock pack.

**Sketchy_Racer** · 15th May 2006, 21:57

LOL!!

Man theres going to be some good and not so good memories from this machine you have!!!

Oh BTW, Thats Ivans Race Pace. He was full out.

I'm so eager to get to the next meeting. Hopefully with a sponser this time .....
Had a Good laugh at this one. Bling sent!!

**vtec** · 15th May 2006, 22:04

Haha, cracked up reading your post about setting the bike on fire. Damn she sounds like a temperamental mongrel. Good stuff, glad you were out there enjoying it... Pretty scary in the wet aye

**Sketchy_Racer** · 15th May 2006, 22:07

Originally Posted by vtec

Haha, cracked up reading your post about setting the bike on fire.

I think i laughed more at him setting his hair on fire....

Sorry bert, but it IS funny

**k14** · 15th May 2006, 22:55

Originally Posted by RG100!!

Oh BTW, Thats Ivans Race Pace. He was full out.

Oi, leave the poor man alone. I'm sure he's got an excuse. Was probably wrong jetting, or maybe just running in his new motor, maybe scrubbing in a new set of tyres or a combination of the aformentioned

**Sketchy_Racer** · 16th May 2006, 15:26

Na i think he was busy trying to scrb in his new knee sliders......

**Bert** · 16th May 2006, 22:38

Originally Posted by vtec

Haha, cracked up reading your post about setting the bike on fire. Damn she sounds like a temperamental mongrel. Good stuff, glad you were out there enjoying it... Pretty scary in the wet aye

Well by that time i was very tempted to just let it burn and try on con the insurance company-
" Yes sir, someone set alite in the drive way during the night"

TemperaMENTAL yep, i guess the old saying stands (if its got tits or wheels its going to be a pain one day).
but its going now, the rider has to.....

I could see and feel what / where things were going wrong so abit more track time i hope to improve. I did enjoy the rain though, really made me think about what was going on around me and what the bike was doing; speed up the learning process.
A few problems to be sorted, brakes sucked (spungy as) and i think i only got to 5 gear down the back straight. other than that all is well looking forward to next month

Cheers
Bert

**Ivan** · 17th May 2006, 18:33

Originally Posted by RG100!!

Na i think he was busy trying to scrb in his new knee sliders......

What new knee sliders dick

**Coyote** · 17th May 2006, 18:42

Originally Posted by RG100!!

Oh BTW, Thats Ivans Race Pace. He was full out.

I had no confidence and didn't try to race, and I still managed to keep up with him

No offence

**MattRSK** · 17th May 2006, 18:46

Hey all.

Good to hear about the streetstock. I was out there on sunday because i wanted to check out what it was about. Hey Ivan I met you on sunday, I was the annoying guy hanging around asking all the questions. I really hope to get into the racing next month or possibly the month after.

**Sketchy_Racer** · 17th May 2006, 19:02

Originally Posted by alarumba

I had no confidence and didn't try to race, and I still managed to keep up with him

No offence

mate you were going well.

you NEED to sort out the back end on your bike. Having it lowered out like that must make it a pig of a bike.

Oh and tires. You wernt on the best tires either.

If you had a perfect bike, you would easily be up with the front guys!!