I would really liked to have had more time to write about everything that was going on, leading up to Mallory park, but alas, time was very short in supply.
we spent most of the last week, frantically working on the bike, quite often till 2 in the morning.
With the bike 99.9% finnished, we set off on the 6.30 am ferry in order to make 3 stops along the way. The first, to visit an amazing guy, Steve Spencer, who knows more about the FZ than anyone is ever likely to know. We spent 2 and a half hours talking to him and learnt more in that time than we would have on our own in several seasons of racing....absolutely incredible!! I can't express enough about the value of some of the stuff he revealed. much too much to be able to tell here.
He has raced and won on these bikes for years.
The next stop was to pick up a spare motor, the one I accidentally bought on the net a few weeks ago!
Then on to Alto performance to pick up a few bits for Phil's Laverda and then finally on to Mallory to spend a cold, damp night in the back of the van.I must have woke every hour that night, on each occasion, quickly realising it wasn't quite time to get up yet!
Finally the day got underway and proved to be rather hectic with just 15 minutes between being in the classroom and then out on track immediately after that, all day long. What an excellent day. I was pleasantly surprised to be approached several times by people who had been following our progress throughout the winter via this blog and I received much positive feedback about it too which made the day even more satisfying.
She was so fast, Phil couldn't get the camera to keep up!
The bike. Well that was the best surprise of all. Apart from the fact we had nothing but running trouble all day, when she did run, she was surprisingly fast and even more surprisingly good in the handling and braking area. She has bags of potential to be a serious bit of kit as promised by Steve, the Fz guru we met on our first stop on the way to the track the previous day.
So on back home with a very overwhelming feeling of positivity for the coming season and confidence we can get her to run before the next race weekend.
There is loads to do. On the list for the bike are; new coils and leads, new fuel pump, new fuel filter, the clutch needs sorting as it dragged and slipped all day, the belly pan decks out really early so that needs hacking about, a coat of paint on the tail unit and a serious go at sorting out the wiring loom which it a real pain in the arse! We hope to get a few bits from Steve (FzSteve!) to help improve on what we have. (aside from all his encouragement, approval in what we have done so far and invaluable knowledge which has in fact, seriously saved our ass!) Really looking forward to seeing him at Brands Hatch on the 10th march.
After Brands, we will look at the new motor which Steve has assured us he can extract as much power as we want and about another 20 kilos at least which can be lost.A real missile in the making!
I spent more time at the side of the track than on
it!
nice spot for a chat!
All in all a very fruitful day. The staff at Bemsee were fantastic, Phil was an absolute diamond without whom there is no way I would have spent any time on the track at all, as he got her going while I was in the classroom. I met loads of really great people and a few guys who will be racing in the Thunderbikes races this year and I also gained a mentor in my instructor, Jeremy hill ( www.jhill-racing.com ) who has promised to help me in the coming year, and I know he means it!
Not forgetting a real high light of the trip, Steve Spencer, one of the most passionate guys I have met in along time. I've never seen anyone get so excited by the sight of engine internals before...what a guy!! pure inspiration!
oops! I forgot my dirt bike!
