piranha-bro2
Hero member
- Location
- Melbourne
My only experience in a road racing chair was testing the 500 Honda with the full 620(?) Yoshi kit, me as passenger, blasting around the side streets of East Perth at around 11pm. Fun!
TT1 4 Hour Endurance racing
- Thread starter KERMIT1200
- Start date
chrisk
Hero member
- Location
- Brisbane, Australia
A ride around your block and the bloody thins would be worn out again!
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Finished 3rd in class. Result
Andy
Hero member
- Location
- Auckland, roughly
Any problems? Bike ran ok?
Good result, and great platform for improvements
Good result, and great platform for improvements
a14rgs
Hero member
- Location
- Wiltshire, UK
🏍
Very Well done Andy, Tony and crew, excellent result.
lavgert
Hero member
- Location
- Vienna, Austria
Congratulations to the team!
Ciao, Gert
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Sitting at home, one week after the event, feels surreal. What a roller coaster!
Contingency planning is at the core of racing and this applies to not just the bike. One of our number was absent riding trails in Namibia but then we lost our ace mechanic with 2 weeks to go followed shortly by the timekeeper! Mrs A and her feckless husband would need to work their passage this time...but even this left us light. JLO volunteered two friends who were parading their Laverdas. Tony & Ben changed their travel plans and the three of us crossed the Channel all set for some entente cordiale.
The entente cordiale evaporated in Dieppe when French boarder control decided to investigate the contents of the Van! I was ready however with V5, number plate, Certificate of insurance, and semi-plausible story about just parading the bike. After 20 mins we were allowed to carry on despite no Carnet...(conversely Team Bike told me that with no Carnet they brazenly told Customs they were off racing and were waved on with a jolly 'Bonne journee!', 'Bonne chance'!. You meet the nicest people with a Honda hey?
Nick & Lorraine rode their Jota and met us late Wednesday afternoon in Saint- Peray near to Valence for an overnight stop before reaching Paul Ricard the following day.
We were billeted in Garage #12 with 4 other UK teams (including Team Bike). Within the hour we were arguing the toss with the scrutineers...never wise. We knuckled down to lock wiring the exhaust manifold nuts and fibre-glassing the belly-pan...
Nick & Lo went to put up their tent and all seemed well 'til Lo came running in saying Nick had collapsed with kidney stone pain! Nick was shipped to Toulon hospital with Lo and Ben in hot pursuit. Now of course I was concerned for Nick but on the other hand...
Lo & Ben returned without Nick in the early hours. Friday morning dawned and time to practice. Bernard & Jean-Francois reported for duty. I did a roll call and counted two riders fit and ready, a physically drained petrol man, hysterical wife and two bemused Frenchmen. Things were looking good...until the bike began misfiring after 1 lap!
My mind was working overtime as I spluttered back to the garage - got to be the Lithium battery (despite a dedicated rec/reg) and sure enough the gel replacement fixed it. Tony completed his practise session without issue so on to qualifying.
Nick was now out of hospital and by the power of 'Uber' appeared...looking rather haggard but upright!
Qualifying wasn't about fast lap times as we knew we'd go faster during the race. We needed to make the grid and have the chance of bagging points. We did though tweek the front suspension to make it less nervous.
1st Qualifying went well, a lot more to come in terms of times. The bike felt hesitant coming out of corners, making it difficult to place because the power wasn’t linear.
2nd qualifying finished late due to a crash but Tony put in some strong laps and we'd done enough.
Final hurdle was mandatory night practice requiring 3 laps. Tony limps in immediately with a rough sounding triple - a top end issue would've meant game over. The question was could we risk 3 slow laps without causing serious engine damage? Compression test completed in 15 minutes showed all cylinders okay so I was off down pit lane to totter round. Lady luck intervened (finally) with a safety car...3 laps behind a safety car is 3 laps...thank you!
Within ½ a lap of tottering I knew the problem was electrical so with the mandatory laps complete, tank off and Ben found a disconnected coil wire - normal service resumed!
Race day began with training for the multi-national pit crew. Bernard was assigned fire extinguisher, Jean-Francois the stand with Mrs A as Sargent Major and Ben fuel. The language barrier was beaten with role-played pit-stops (Nick playing the riders role via a planet of the apes tribute...) Training complete, time for fresh tyres and replacement rear light. With one hour before warm-up sparks had to be restored via a replacement ignition loom!
You must change riders a minimum of 4 times during the race. We'd struggle to run for an hour due to fuel so our strategy was 45 minute sessions with two 30 minute sessions in the final hour. The plan worked as did the 'multi-national' pit stops. Tony lost his front lights during his second session but he carried on regardless and new fuses solved the problem (well it gave us one front headlight).
The final 30 minute session started to count down. Everyone held their breathe except for Tony who put in his fastest laps! We were euphoric as he rode in to Parc Ferme, third in class (41 out of 62 overall).
For the first time there was a one hour sprint race from midday Sunday. The team were buoyant from the 4 hour success but had to swallow the bitter pill of a DNF caused by running out of fuel on the penultimate lap...while holding 3rd! Not ideal but we were still drunk on the glory of the 4 hour race. 'That's racing' as the saying goes...
I’m in debt to everyone who's helped - all of you who've bought a T-shirt, JLO for introducing Bernard and Jean-Francois and for his promise of ongoing support. For all the effort of our French teammates who stepped forward and took on considerable responsibility. Toulon hospital and Phase One for offering to get Nick's Jota home if needed. To Lo for managing the pit stops and Nick's meds. To Nick for bringing Lo. To Ben the calm head in many crises and to Tony (he's a lover and a fighter) for bringing it home. The banter was brill, with at times tears of laughter , I salute you all. Brands Hatch next, once I’ve sorted the engine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Picture of team from left - Bernard ,Myself, Tony, Ben, Lorraine, Jean Francois, Nick
Must say thanks to Nick for his help in contributing to putting the report together.
Contingency planning is at the core of racing and this applies to not just the bike. One of our number was absent riding trails in Namibia but then we lost our ace mechanic with 2 weeks to go followed shortly by the timekeeper! Mrs A and her feckless husband would need to work their passage this time...but even this left us light. JLO volunteered two friends who were parading their Laverdas. Tony & Ben changed their travel plans and the three of us crossed the Channel all set for some entente cordiale.
The entente cordiale evaporated in Dieppe when French boarder control decided to investigate the contents of the Van! I was ready however with V5, number plate, Certificate of insurance, and semi-plausible story about just parading the bike. After 20 mins we were allowed to carry on despite no Carnet...(conversely Team Bike told me that with no Carnet they brazenly told Customs they were off racing and were waved on with a jolly 'Bonne journee!', 'Bonne chance'!. You meet the nicest people with a Honda hey?
Nick & Lorraine rode their Jota and met us late Wednesday afternoon in Saint- Peray near to Valence for an overnight stop before reaching Paul Ricard the following day.
We were billeted in Garage #12 with 4 other UK teams (including Team Bike). Within the hour we were arguing the toss with the scrutineers...never wise. We knuckled down to lock wiring the exhaust manifold nuts and fibre-glassing the belly-pan...
Nick & Lo went to put up their tent and all seemed well 'til Lo came running in saying Nick had collapsed with kidney stone pain! Nick was shipped to Toulon hospital with Lo and Ben in hot pursuit. Now of course I was concerned for Nick but on the other hand...
Lo & Ben returned without Nick in the early hours. Friday morning dawned and time to practice. Bernard & Jean-Francois reported for duty. I did a roll call and counted two riders fit and ready, a physically drained petrol man, hysterical wife and two bemused Frenchmen. Things were looking good...until the bike began misfiring after 1 lap!
My mind was working overtime as I spluttered back to the garage - got to be the Lithium battery (despite a dedicated rec/reg) and sure enough the gel replacement fixed it. Tony completed his practise session without issue so on to qualifying.
Nick was now out of hospital and by the power of 'Uber' appeared...looking rather haggard but upright!
Qualifying wasn't about fast lap times as we knew we'd go faster during the race. We needed to make the grid and have the chance of bagging points. We did though tweek the front suspension to make it less nervous.
1st Qualifying went well, a lot more to come in terms of times. The bike felt hesitant coming out of corners, making it difficult to place because the power wasn’t linear.
2nd qualifying finished late due to a crash but Tony put in some strong laps and we'd done enough.
Final hurdle was mandatory night practice requiring 3 laps. Tony limps in immediately with a rough sounding triple - a top end issue would've meant game over. The question was could we risk 3 slow laps without causing serious engine damage? Compression test completed in 15 minutes showed all cylinders okay so I was off down pit lane to totter round. Lady luck intervened (finally) with a safety car...3 laps behind a safety car is 3 laps...thank you!
Within ½ a lap of tottering I knew the problem was electrical so with the mandatory laps complete, tank off and Ben found a disconnected coil wire - normal service resumed!
Race day began with training for the multi-national pit crew. Bernard was assigned fire extinguisher, Jean-Francois the stand with Mrs A as Sargent Major and Ben fuel. The language barrier was beaten with role-played pit-stops (Nick playing the riders role via a planet of the apes tribute...) Training complete, time for fresh tyres and replacement rear light. With one hour before warm-up sparks had to be restored via a replacement ignition loom!
You must change riders a minimum of 4 times during the race. We'd struggle to run for an hour due to fuel so our strategy was 45 minute sessions with two 30 minute sessions in the final hour. The plan worked as did the 'multi-national' pit stops. Tony lost his front lights during his second session but he carried on regardless and new fuses solved the problem (well it gave us one front headlight).
The final 30 minute session started to count down. Everyone held their breathe except for Tony who put in his fastest laps! We were euphoric as he rode in to Parc Ferme, third in class (41 out of 62 overall).
For the first time there was a one hour sprint race from midday Sunday. The team were buoyant from the 4 hour success but had to swallow the bitter pill of a DNF caused by running out of fuel on the penultimate lap...while holding 3rd! Not ideal but we were still drunk on the glory of the 4 hour race. 'That's racing' as the saying goes...
I’m in debt to everyone who's helped - all of you who've bought a T-shirt, JLO for introducing Bernard and Jean-Francois and for his promise of ongoing support. For all the effort of our French teammates who stepped forward and took on considerable responsibility. Toulon hospital and Phase One for offering to get Nick's Jota home if needed. To Lo for managing the pit stops and Nick's meds. To Nick for bringing Lo. To Ben the calm head in many crises and to Tony (he's a lover and a fighter) for bringing it home. The banter was brill, with at times tears of laughter , I salute you all. Brands Hatch next, once I’ve sorted the engine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Picture of team from left - Bernard ,Myself, Tony, Ben, Lorraine, Jean Francois, Nick
Must say thanks to Nick for his help in contributing to putting the report together.
Attachments
Last edited:
Andy J
Hero member
- Location
- Isle of Man
Well done Andy, Tony and team in getting a result in the 4hr race. As for the sprint, you now have something in common with the Murayama TTF1 which also ran out of fuel in its one and only race in Japan. Hopefully, you will have fewer issues to deal with at the next round.
And I hope Nick is now fully recovered, I know what it’s like to have kidney stone issues.
And I hope Nick is now fully recovered, I know what it’s like to have kidney stone issues.
Tippie
Hero member
- Location
- Dr?bak, Norway
Thanks for the write up. There is always so much more that lies behind the position on the result list. Even in MotoGP the riders always say it is the whole team that gets the result. Good on the lot of you.
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Big thanks Bernard and also to Jean from all the team. I think you will agree it all happens in the pits.Between helping out the Laverda TT1 team, I was having a blast on my little 500 on the track. It was an exceptional weekend for me, this experience with passionate and above all very friendly people.
Bernard
The french fireman during fuelings
Andy
Ps Was it you who introduced Tony to our friendly Marshall?
piranha-bro2
Hero member
- Location
- Melbourne
Always look forward to the race report, Andy. Top job from a dedicated team!
Jo
Hero member
- Location
- Cologne, NRW Germany
What an up and down story, thanks for the write-up Andy. And vive la entente cordiale - what a great team indeed! Looking forward to your next race report!