Arse on a plate with humble pie for desert. Actrix VMCC #6

**Clivoris** · 7th November 2011, 21:52

Many thanks to Alex of Ridelife for the opportunity to go head to head with GirrlRacer at the final round of the Actrix VMCC Winter Series. The plot was simple. Provide me with a similar KR 150 with Heidenau tyres, pay my entry and put up $50 for the person with the most points at the end of the day. Given that GirrlRacer had only been racing for 6 months and riding very part-time before this, I had it in the bag.

Friday's track day was very low key. I figured that I would take my time getting used to the bike, what with it being a pesky 2 stroke thing, and figure out some reference points. In the end I supposed that I just needed to paddle the gearbox thingy harder to find the power if I wasn't able to exit in the same gear I entered in. GirrlRacer was pulling away on the straights but holding me up in most of the corners so my confidence was building well. At lunch-time we talked a little about where she could get some speed and I carried on enjoying myself. At the end of the last session she let me know that she was catching me. Yeah right: Must have been on the slow down lap

Saturday morning the track was fairly dry for our qualifying, which suits me fine as I have a bit of a wet weather phobia. We had a track modification, with a hair-pin introduced that messed with my head big-time. It was the slowest corner though, so it wouldn't matter much and I had plenty time to sort it out.
Well, imagine my suprise to find that GirrlRacer had qualified 16th and nearly a second quicker than me.

Time to extract my digit and get serious. I consulted with Alex about a quick and dirty fix and pressured him into jetting my bike the same as hers. That must explain the extra speed she had? I wasn't in the greatest place on the grid and got a stuttery start, but managed to get through turn 1ahead of GR and tried to get my head down. As soon as I hit the slow hairpin I couldn't find the right gear and the bike was bogging until 25 metres from the esses before the start finish straight. It seemed to run fine every where else. I managed 2-3 laps of this before becoming worried that the misfire was getting worse and pulling off. At this point, I thought I then let GR past. It turns out that it was another of the many jokes on me. She had passed me back after turn 1, pinned her ears back and left me in the dust. It was another KR behind me.
Never mind, 2 more races left to get her back. Anything can happen in racing.
Alex insisted that the only thing that could be wrong with the bike was the jetting change we had made. I managed to negotiate a halfway return to the original jetting which had been running fine and got out there for race 2.... Which was wet. NOW, I knew that the Heidenaus had great stickability but my body refused to listen to logic so I wobbled my way around turn 1 while watching GR muscle her way through the crowd admirably. This time I got to watch her disappear. I never really got to grips with things after this. I think this race was red-flagged 3 times. Back to the pits to humbly request that Alex return the jetting back to original, as the misfire was lessened, but still present out of the hairpin. Truth was that it could have been running like a rocket ship and GR would have still left me behind like farts beat the poos down the colon. She was in her element and having a great ride.
We got out for another wet race which was also red flagged but completed enough for points to be awarded.
I had had my arse handed to me on a plate. Thankfully the piss-taking has relented slightly in our household. I had a spectacular time and learned a great deal. So we have bought another KR which I am hoping to get a little time on before daughter 2 starts racing streetstock. At least by the time she beats me as well, I will have got used to it.
Thanks again Alex (Ridelife), and all those who have supported GirrlRacer (Wharfy, ACR Fibreglass, MotoAcademy, Jeff Whitehead, Shaun Harris) and assisted her incredible development over the last 6 months. I think it's worth mentioning the support of the bucket racing community as well, Henk and Michelle, Koba, and the Lincoln's have all loaned her bikes at various times so she could get track time. You're all bastards, but the absolutely best kind.

**RideLife** · 8th November 2011, 05:57

Good on ya Clive.

It's a learning game this bike setup thing. I think we concluded, that as Mihi's bike was running fine with a #150 main jet in, we better give you the same benefit by moving up from a #145 two sizes to a #150 as well in my bike. Just goes to show that every motor need jetting as an individual unit.
We had two motors exactly the size, both in good running condition, but quite different jetting needed.

Good to see there was no major protest from you at prize giving when I awarded the $50 to Mihi. It was clear, On the day...., she out rode Both of us.

But there will be another day... another chance to save face..... another opportunity to put her in her place!

Don't sleep too easy there girly.

**koba** · 8th November 2011, 06:06

Originally Posted by Clivoris

Truth was that it could have been running like a rocket ship and GR would have still left me behind like farts beat the poos down the colon.

Are you calling yourself shit there?

**Deano** · 8th November 2011, 06:53

Great report Clive. Time for the new guard to take over huh ?

**sinfull** · 8th November 2011, 07:07

Good readin there Clive .

Make sure ya chew that pie slowly aye !!!

**Clivoris** · 8th November 2011, 08:37

Originally Posted by RideLife

But there will be another day... another chance to save face..... another opportunity to put her in her place!

Don't sleep too easy there girly.

I will be giving it another go for sure Alex. It's back to school for me as her foundation skills are so solid I can't afford to be lazy and unfocussed in my riding.

Originally Posted by koba

Are you calling yourself shit there?

Noticed that huh? I'm working up to fast-shit, hopefully.

Originally Posted by Deano

Great report Clive. Time for the new guard to take over huh ?

Cheers man. It's inevitable really, but I'm gonna have some fun in the meantime.

Originally Posted by sinfull

Make sure ya chew that pie slowly aye !!!

Haha. Washing it down with white wine has helped a great deal.

**RobGassit** · 9th November 2011, 07:17

All the fella's are proud of you buddy. You took your beating with a smile and I saw you and Mihi spent the next day together huddled up in a flag booth without any bloodshed so that's all good. The challenge was a fun way to spice up the racing actually, just the sort of thing we should try to encourage, so that it doesn't all get too serious. Well done to Alex at RideLife for stepping up with his support too. We need to support our local shops and retailers because they won't survive if we keep buying everything on the internet. Whatever happened to the cake Mihi promised everyone?