Classics Love Them or Hate Them

It's 11pm on Saturday night, I've got a very large glass of very fine wine in front of me and I'm feeling pretty pleased!

For the past three weeks the bike has given nothing but grief, first off the ignition stator plate packed up so I got that sorted (thank Boyer Bransden for the great service), then on one of my test runs it just quit after a couple of miles due to dirt in the carbs. Then I fitted a new clutch as the old one was warped and stupidly though that was everything sorted. NOT! The Wednesday night before race day we fired it up and it decided it only wanted to run on one cylinder! I suppose I could have entered it as a 250! Turns out my brand new, just out of the box, very expensive racing spark plug was a dud! Doh! as Homer would say! So at long last we had the bike running about 90% OK and I was ready for Aghadowey!

Race Day:

I had arranged to go out with the Junior Classic practice as well as the Seniors to bed in the new front brake and run in the motor. So just before we practice we fired it up and it ran like a very fat person uphill, was I 'fit to be tied' or what! The temperamental old *#*#*# had decided it didn't like it's new spark plugs and had oiled them up! One lap later and I pulled in with a face that could sour milk at fifty feet! Swapped the plugs, again, and fired it up, again and this time it ran like a very skinny person downhill! Yee Ha!

 I spent practice taking it easy to bed in the brake etc. and just getting into the groove.

Race 1:

Starting from the second row I knew I had to take it sort of easy as the last thing I needed was a blown motor first time out so I tucked in behind an 850 Norton and tried not to rev it too hard, which is easier said than done in the excitement of a race. The fact that I was undergeared wasn't helping either. Anyway, I had no real moments and finished 2nd 500cc and was seventh overall.

Race 2:

I knew I could go a bit harder this time as the motor had a few miles under its belt. this time I got away better and was in front of the 850 Norton going into the first corner. I knew I could keep him behind if I kept my head and the revs below 9000rpm. We were never more than a few seconds apart the whole way but I brought it home in front him for another second in the 500 class and a fifth in the overall standings. Well pleased!

And just to finish off the tale of mechanical woes I managed to spring a small oil leak and discovered a dodgy wheel bearing. Classics... don't ya just love them!!!!!

Tune in next time for more tales of mechanical woe and people thrashing perfectly good 35 year old motorbikes.

See Ya. Liam