Race Report Broadford March 20-21

JasonL · Post by **JasonL** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 5:16 am

I'm not on a Yamaha (yet) but Spook encouraged me to put up a race report anyway since this is the place and he was there on the Sunday to see the highs, lows and general unpredictability which scares the bejesus out of us and hooks us at the same time.

So this was Rnd 1 of the Vic Road Race Titles and I entered the Pre Modern over 500 class which in this series is for anything 9yrs and older. There weren't many entrants but they were on R1's, 916, RSV1000. So I turned up on my 22yr old sports tourer and the best lap I did all weekend was in qualifying, a 1.04.999 (!!) That wasn't too bad in the group, however they run several races on the one grid, being under 500 Pre Modern (F2) Thunderbikes and maybe something else I can't remember. Because of this I was gridded on p14 which seemed not quite right, anyway off we went, the first race was a blur, I was dicing with a 916 and trumping them in the corners then getting lunched on the straight, a familiar theme to develop over the weekend. I realised this guy finished 3rd in the BEARS race so that gave me some confidence. He was from Qld and I wondered if he was the 916 Mike mentioned was going to the Barry Sheene but its not him.

Onto Sunday for races 2 and 3. Spook rode out for a visit and a look about, and I think it fired him up to get the OW01 on track. It's also great to have some company and help on racedays, it makes a big difference. Race 2 was scrappy, lots of disparate bikes all over the place trying to claim some tarmac. I had a couple of exciting slides and we set about analysing a few things, changing tyre pressures and Spook rightly pointed out the chain was too tight so we backed it off and the small changes seemed to work as I had a cracking last race, running 3rd or 4th. I had massive brain-fade into the uphill eight hander turn 1 and ran very wide. Just so happened a KX450 Motard was beside me on the outside and he ran right off, lucky he was on a dirt bike! A couple of guys got past me but I settled down and got into a rhythm, catching an R1 and getting baulked in the turns, I got under him once or twice but was passed again on the straights. It was all good fun, the guys' mate had a pitboard for him which Spook quickly pointed out made him a tool, and therefore fair game (ie: perfectly ok for me to duff up in the turns) Dunno what was on the pitboard, maybe a picture of a bus?? I hadn't kept much of a track of my finishes but it turned out I got 2nd overall in class for the weekend, I was pretty happy with that, I thought maybe possibly a 3rd.

The 400 was a different story. I never got quite as comfortable on it and the 400 class is more competitive. I qualified 9th and finished 5th for the weekend, but not without some excitement - race 2, I had managed to push the flimsy chainguard in with my heel and it carries the rear brake line on top of it. Result?? Brake line and chain guard caught between wheel and swingarm. And I didn't notice! I saw an oil flag not realising it was for me until I rounded the last turn with a frantic marshall waving the flag and pointing at the rear wheel. I had also felt no back brake and thought it had dumped fluid so I pulled over at the side of pit straight. I'd had such a good start too. Spook came up and said I'd blown it up, it was pumping out lots of smoke. We looked a bit more and it had rubbed a big chamfer off the sidewall, the tyre was buggered! I was going to park it but I checked the results and I was listed - last, but completed the race as I'd pulled in after more than 75% race distance and gone past the start/finish line to get back to the pits! So it was worth carrying on, and a new rear was fitted. The last race I took it easy, new rear to scrub in for a lap or two and the front was pretty worn, pushing more with the new rear. Best lap on the 400 was a 1.06.7

All in all a fun weekend and since its only a four round series and I've started well, might just do the rest. But I need to get this FZR out, go chase down some R1's !!

I'm looking forward to the reports from the Barry Sheene in a couple of weeks time!! Have a great race!

Mike_SS · Post by **Mike_SS** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 5:31 am

Great report Jason.

He was from Qld and I wondered if he was the 916 Mike mentioned was going to the Barry Sheene but its not him

I know who that would have been as he did pre-modern up here year last year but is doing the BEARS National series this year. I'll give him a good razzing next time I see him. Might ask he is thinking of getting an ST4 (Ducati's Sports Tourer) to be more competitive.

the guys' mate had a pitboard for him which Spook quickly pointed out made him a tool, and therefore fair game

:ha

I'm looking forward to the reports from the Barry Sheene in a couple of weeks time!! Have a great race!

I am going to run the 750 in the first round of our local series this weekend as well.

hotcam · Post by **hotcam** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 5:56 am

Great report, let us know if you're going to the next one and you might
get a bit more help/applause :cool

stan · Post by **stan** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 6:49 am

i taught Spook all i know about being a team/rider manager, glad to see he is putting it to good use

Great report, keep working on eliminating the small issues and things will run smoother at race weekends....usually only takes a track day a Broadford to sort things out

stan

spook · Post by **spook** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:34 am

JasonL wrote:It was all good fun, the guys' mate had a pitboard for him which Spook quickly pointed out made him a tool, and therefore fair game (ie: perfectly ok for me to duff up in the turns) Dunno what was on the pitboard, maybe a picture of a bus??

Hmmm, well I've got to admit that there was a fairly large hole in the middle of that board, and each time he came around, I would tap his crew on the right shoulder and shout...he's doing really well, whilst giving him the finger through the gap. Least I could do...

And as Stan has so well and properly mentioned, this site is about the team, and the fun and good times we have together, in print or in real life

JasonL · Post by **JasonL** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:35 pm

Thanks all,

Mike I looked up the guys name it was Paul Cane on the 916.

Hotcam, next Round is May 22-23 at the Island if you want to have a ride out, would be good to see you.

Now where's that old pitboard??

hotcam · Post by **hotcam** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:06 pm

JasonL wrote:Hotcam, next Round is May 22-23 at the Island if you want to have a ride out, would be good to see you

It's in the diary for Sunday (work sat)

spook · Post by **spook** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 2:05 am

Mike_SS wrote:I am going to run the 750 in the first round of our local series this weekend as well.

Looking forward to hearing how it goes Mike

You know, joking and bull-shit aside, I was really impressed with the rides Jason put in. If it wasn't for the rear brake line snagging the rear wheel he would have finished outright in 6th position in the first race I watched on the 400. It was a good result when you consider the field was large.

His performance on the VFR was really good as well, the contact he made with the motard was no way his fault, the guy was on the outside, and not even a consideration. No one was hurt, or came off, and Jason recovered the ground, and finished well.

So all in all a good day out

sbutler · Post by **sbutler** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 2:26 am

Ar Jay nothing has changed. Charging hard in the corners & getting smashed on the straights.
Well though. You & the 750 have something going thats for sure. No one can hussle a VRF quite like you,
Now all you need do is transfer that, to the FZR with its 40+ extra HP & dont even think of comming back here with it!

JasonL · Post by **JasonL** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 3:19 am

Mike, hope you have a good run on the weekend and look forward to hearing all about it. Thanks Steve and Spook, I'm certainly trying when I'm out there, I guess you could say the 750 more physically so and the 400 more mentally, if that makes sense. Steve, dunno when I will be back up there! Maybe the 1hr weekend in Nov as its a fun meeting and worthwhile coming up for the weekend, as you get lots of tracktime, but if you do make it down to Broadford in Oct I'll be at that one. Missing the Barry Sheene this year but maybe next time??

sbutler · Post by **sbutler** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 3:53 am

[quote="JasonL"] but if you do make it down to Broadford in Oct I'll be at that one. [quote]

Bugger

JasonL · Post by **JasonL** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 4:27 am

Steve, come on we're not even in the same class!! There's always line honours I suppose!

sbutler · Post by **sbutler** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:57 am

JasonL wrote:Steve, come on we're not even in the same class!! There's always line honours I suppose!

thats it J first over the line!
No all jokes aside, racing you was great fun & you were my bench mark for a long time.
The FZR will be a killer with you steering it, those southerners wont know what hit them, so I'll have to use my fox like cunning & skill if I am to beat you, .

hotcam · Post by **hotcam** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 6:49 am

I gotta watch this one

JasonL · Post by **JasonL** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:18 pm

Ha! You know what, I'm not that certain. I'm somewhat concerned the FZR will be too much on the heavy side to be able to have the turn-in speed the VFR has, being one area I seem to make up time in. Then again the FZR has 4 pot calipers unlike the 750's 2 pots, so that should help a bit! I'm working on getting 4 pots on the 750 anyway, I'll keep doing bits and pieces to it while I get to grips with the 1000. The idea is to have 2 viable P6 bikes. Well Steve, if you make it to Broadford or we both make it to the 1 hour, we'll finally find out! I'll at least have had a few months on it by then, and as you know, it can take a bit of time to adapt to something when you're so used to another bike - that's my story now on the 750, I'm so used to it I can't extract enough out of the 400 in the same way, and I now find the two different riding methods cutting across each other - I still ride the 400 too much like the 750, but then again I've started to ride the 750 a little more like the 400 - and that's a good thing.

sbutler · Post by **sbutler** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:12 pm

Yep I do hope we end up at the one meeting. It'll be good to catch up, & have a good old yak.

I know how to make the FZR turn in a lot faster. But like all inside info, it can be bought.

I do know what you mean about getting use to the one bike.
The GSXR just does everything different to the FZR..

Ride fast & safe.
Steve.

JasonL · Post by **JasonL** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 4:08 am

Hmmm, don't you still owe me some bucks for the mirrors and indicators off my bike ?!

The suspension work (still) being done on mine includes geometry, lengthening shock, swingarm angle etc so I'm keen to see what that does.
Gotta get some lightweight wheels though, any ideas?

hotcam · Post by **hotcam** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 4:50 am

lightweight wheels

Dymag did a bolt-on set that sell at a premium price IF you can find them.
The current trend of thinking seems to be early R6 series, with sleeves
and spacers and etc made to suit. Sadly there are no bolt-on easy solutions.

sbutler · Post by **sbutler** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 6:12 am

JasonL wrote:Hmmm, don't you still owe me some bucks for the mirrors and indicators off my bike ?!?

Yep I'll buy you a beer, or let you win, your choice

Just jokin.. I'll see you at Broadford. The minister for finance has given the green light to go, so it looks like a long drive comming up.

PS::: remember the light weight wheels made you go slower on the 750.

JasonL · Post by **JasonL** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 5:23 pm

Hotcam, I remember we touched on wheels first time I popped up on the forums, I haven't got much further with them! It looks like Dymag went into administration, Marvic do a set but its all $$$. I guess R6 wheels probably are the most obvious choice at this point, but I'd be keen to know what they actually weigh.

Steve - I did run slower times at EC in 09 with lighter wheels than in 08, but there are mitigating circumstances. I first only had a lightweight on the front and it made a big difference. Knowing that most steering is off the rear, I thought the lighther rear would make an even bigger difference. It didn't for two main reasons - it was an 18" rear with a 155 slick and just didn't work that well, and most importantly the suspension was completely knackered by then - it had the biggest effect, beyond wheels or anything else. Plus I rode like a gran. At the last round at OP the bike had a full system on it and the suspension sorted and I easily went 7/10's quicker than my previous best.

I'll look forward to that beer and its good news you'll make it down, it's a great little track, busy mind you, more so than Wakefield I'd say. A very easy place to lose time rather than gain it. There's lots of onboard stuff on Youtube to give you a sense of it.

EXUP Worldwide

Race Report Broadford March 20-21

Race Report Broadford March 20-21

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