This round was to be a little different though and my mental state as the weekend approached, was a bit shaky. Let me explain.
When we were racing at Croix back in mid June, The owner of Gyles' Moto Guzzi asked me if I would be interested in riding another MGS01 next season. Naturally, I was excited about the prospect and as Gyles was due to not be riding at Cadwell, it was agreed I would test the bike to see how I felt about riding it.
I think there were only ever 50 of the MGS01 made by the factory and they were built as a race bike and do not make a good road bike. I have been told that if you want lights and a number plate, it's another £2,000 please! Amongst Guzzi fans, this bike is the grail, so I am extremely privileged to be riding it, and with a price tag of somewhere in the region of £17,000, an expensive machine it certainly is, as well as rare. The only one racing in the UK.
The FZ has been a long journey for me, from the initial build and the hard slog to getting the bike to run and handle well, to improving my riding and getting the bike into the top 6. That was always the goal for me, to be consistantly running in the top 6. So now I am there, it's hard to go and jump on another bike.
So as Cadwell on the Guzzi approached, I found myself torn between the chance to ride the Guzzi and wanting to continue on my journey with the FZ. It is really difficult to get across how hard a decision it was to choose between the two. The FZ just had to go in the van too, just in case I decided to ride it and also in the event of a nasty with the Guzzi.
So Friday Practice came, and at last a ride on the Guzzi. The first thing you would notice is the weight. At around 220kg its a good 40 or more kg heavier than the FZ. There is however, more power, around 120bhp and something like 96fpt ( foot pound torque ) as opposed to the FZ with 95bhp and around 70fpt.
With the last Cadwell meeting just five weeks ago, the circuit was still fresh in my mind, so at least it should be easier to get my head around the Moto Guzzi, but there was all this weight! It is such a different machine to the Yamaha. I had to almost re learn the corners. The first session, and after several laps the weight began to take it's toll on my body. I remember thinking, how on earth am I going to last 8 laps on this?
I returned to the pits absolutely soaked in sweat and feeling a little down in the mouth. I was determined to give it another go and went a bit quicker in the next session. With just four sessions booked for me, I decided that the last would be for the FZ, just to keep my hand in should I decide to ride the old girl in the races.
The third session on the Guzzi and I was even more convinced I would struggle on race day. I realised I was not fit enough to hustle this brute of a machine as well or as quickly as Gyles.
When time came for the last session of the day, I fired the FZ. What a difference! So light and nimble compared to the big black beast. I felt instantly at home and so much happier. I really wanted to ride the FZ. That last session was fantastic fun and I really found a renewed love of riding the FZ. As they say, you don't know what you've got till it's gone. I was instantly on the limit with the Yamaha and feeling that I could push harder than I ever had before with this bike.
This is not to take anything away from the Moto Guzzi.
What a fantastic bike it is. It is a really planted to the road feeling. It has immense presence both on and off the track, and gives out a "don't you mess with me" look no matter where you look at it from.I'm sure it would scare the pants off anyone with a weak constitution.
So with the Friday sessions over, and race day looming, the dilemma on what to do became larger. I chatted with Gyles on the phone, I chatted with Jeremy Hill and several other people in an attempt to reach the right decision for me. The next morning would be the time to decide.Go with your gut feeling was the general advice.
Saturday at last, race day.
I had to give the Guzzi a chance and see how I got on. 1 minute 40 seconds was a tall order and matching Gyles was going to be near on impossible. Practice times from the previous day were taken from timing my on-board camera laps and the best was a 1:46. Mid pack times and not the top 6 I would have liked. Anyway I had to give it a shot.
Race 1 and I was to start from the second row and with all that big Guzzi torque I figured I could get up there at the start. Having not done a race start on this bike, I was looking forward to finding out how this bike would compare to the FZ. Gyles usually got away well but the FZ is renowned for getting away particularly well.
Well the start wasn't too bad at all. An initial bit of bogging down but as the torque cut it, I found myself heading for a small gap between Read and Budgen and tucked into 3rd into turn 1.
The first lap was ok and the guys in front of me pulled a small gap but as the next couple of laps went on, I began to struggle and the queue behind me began to form up. I was soon down a place, then another and the weight of the bike really began to show.
If a down change in gear is made too early, the front of the bike begins to perform a really strange pogo action and quite severe it is too. At the down hill entry to Mansfield corner, I found out just how bad it can be as I
braked a bit late and banged down the box in a hurried attempt to get stopped in time. The spirit of Zebedi hit the bike and I ended up going straight on and a trip across the grass. By the time I rejoined, most of the field had gone past.
At the same point on the track the next lap round, my foot slipped from the peg and I realised the peg had jumped ship and with it, the gear shift lever dangled helplessly from the bike. So that was it.No gear change and nowhere to put my left foot. I was almost relieved to have to pull in. I was absolutely knackered. The harsh reality of riding this bike hit me and before I had got back to the pit, I had decided that the FZ was going to get out for some fun.
I was feeling a bag of mixed emotions buzzing through me as I got the FZ ready to race that afternoon. A little unhappy that I had not got my head around the Guzzi as well as I had hoped but also pleased at the progress I had made with the bike. Conflicting feelings really but I had been confident I could get closer to Gyles' times than I had. I had run a 1:45 in the race. A full 5 seconds slower than he had run at the last meeting. Fitness would be the key and a lot more time on the bike. Also the suspension needs a lot of work to get it to suit me better. Excuses? yeah I guess they are!
It was not all bad though. I am sure that riding the Guzzi had made me ride the FZ better and quicker too. When I jumped back on the Yamaha for race 2, I felt more fired up and confident than at any point in any past races. I would have to start from the back in 23rd place but as we all lined up for the warm up lap, the two rows in front had each a vacant grid slot on the left hand side of the track. My slot was one in from left. A nice big gap to aim for and three rows ahead sat Phil on his fresh engined FZ. I remember telepathically asking Phil to move over to the right and let me past. At the start, it was like the parting of the Red Sea. The gap in front widened and just as I came up behind Phil, he moved out of the way and gave me a clean shot at more bikes ahead of him. I think I was 10th into the first turn. An absolutely blistering start!
I had Joe Duggan, Paul Martin and Adam Palfreman ahead of me and was determined to get past as soon as possible. I could see the guys in front of them getting away and it seemed like Joe on his Ducati, was holding things up. It took two or three laps to clear these three guys and by the time I had, the bikes in front were long gone. That's when Micheal Neeves started to make things interesting. Riding the Inzane Ducati800ss, Michael was doing a story for Motorcycle News about riding a Bio ethenol powered bike.
Michael Neeves chases hard.He is a real fast racer and as he came past me I realised who it was. If there is ever incentive to ride on the limit, it's when someone with a reputation comes past. I got back past him and as each lap passed, I could feel the deep rumble of the Ducati vibrating in my chest, I could feel it was Michael and at one point, I took a quick peek to check. As I did, I noticed he was on his own and we had dropped the other guys.I continued to push relentlessly and hard too. Lap after lap and I kept the pace hard. I began to tire towards the final few laps but dug deep and kept up the fight. I managed to keep the Ducati behind to the flag and finished in 7th. I was ecstatic with that result and had enjoyed the racing more than ever. I knew my riding had changed too. I felt so much more confident in the bike and felt I could push more than ever. 1:42.6 had been my best lap here last time and I had dropped that to a 1:42.5 just a shade faster but on extremely worn out rubber. last time out I had been on new rubber and with a new set of tyres waiting for the FZ for the Sunday races I knew there had to be a second to chop off my times. With the prospect of 7th on the grid the next day, and Micheal Neeves not racing anymore, I felt super excited about the chance of a solid top 6 on the Sunday.
The day had been a really good one. I had finally come to a conclusion as to what to do about the Guzzi/Yamaha dilema, I had gone faster on the FZ and I had found another level in my riding. I had also kept up my now traditional Cadwell ritual of not either starting or finishing the first race of the weekend. That's three meetings on the trot now!
I was really pleased to have Simon turn up again. If you remember, he came to the last Cadwell and saved my weekend from disaster. Now I had the chance to get a good result and put on a good show for him as reward for all the help and encouragement he has given. He got some great video footage of some of the racing too. I will share that with you in the the next post.
