Rob
Hero member
- Location
- Midlands, UK
Pembrey is in South Wales, UK - about two thirds of the way along the coast, just past Llanelli. The weather forecast for the weekend threatened all sorts of dire tempests and storms. As it was, the sun shone and only a few spots of rain fell. Happy days.
Purpose of the outing was to give Andy Jessopp chance to get a couple of signatures required for his national ACU race licence and with it, eligibility for racing in the European Endurance championship (EELC). The series failed to go ahead last year and has suffered significant upset this year too. Team Laverda TT1 is campaigning a Redax-powered replica of the factory RGS race bike, with owner/rider Andy Bartlett and the aforementioned Andy Jessopp.
The weekend meeting was part of the Vintage Motorcycle Club's British Historic Racing (BHR) calendar. All sorts of bikes, scooters and three wheelers can be seen in a friendly relaxed atmosphere. Not so relaxed that I could blag my way in without a paddock pass, so Richard Baker (who was also supporting Team Laverda TT1) walked to the gate with my vital ticket. He had arrived on Friday night with the two Andy’s, so base camp was set up and fully functional by the time I arrived on Saturday morning.
This was the first outing for the bike which until now has only been subjected to some dyno time to sort carb jetting (it runs Keihin CRs), plus a few road miles thanks to its daytime MoT - the latter a ruse to try and get the bike into Europe without needing an expensive carnet, now a requirement after Brexit. As a road registered vehicle, only a registration document and insurance is needed - we hope! Saturday morning practice would be the first opportunity for (1) a shakedown run on track, and (2) AJ to ride it. So it was somewhat alarming to hear only two sessions being called, having been told we were assigned to practice session 3. As seems to be the BHR way, things got sorted and Andy joined the second session. He came back seemingly happy with the bike and no problems reported. It was his first time at Pembrey so had successfully navigated his way around the circuit too!
The bike is built to comply with EELC regs so was running without lights for this meeting. The enormous tray under the engine is another EELC requirement. A lithium battery saves weight and although the starter is retained, rollers are used to fire the bike up. This avoids sprag clutch stress and hammering the tiny battery when starting from cold. Of course, this means that there can be a lot of engine idling before the race starts, and for the first race this was around 20 mins. Andy came in afterwards reporting some 'all or nothing' moments when calling for revs. Nothing could be found amiss, so we resolved to reduce the waiting time in the holding area for future races. Belly pan scuffs were noted - this despite 20mm longer rear shocks and Andy's own lightweight build!
The second session came and went without incident - no further 'all or nothing' experiences were had and Andy was beginning to get comfortable on the bike too. A big frustration was starting towards the back of the grid - presumably as a BHR unknown - which meant having to pick a way through the large field and was a particular challenge on the approach to the hairpin immediately after the start/finish straight.
The third race saw Andy beginning to push on with more determination - a mid-field start position of the 4th row helped too. Lap times dropped with every lap until a disaster on the 6th. The bike twitched on a fast approach to a sweeping right hander and Andy's right foot slipped off the footrest. He straightened the bike up, heading for the grass as a result. Then the bike seemed to flip him off before it and the rider slid to a halt. We were relieved to see that not only had Andy's Helite airbag vest been triggered but he also picked himself up seemingly uninjured whilst the marshals waved a yellow flag.
Pushing the bike back to the pits after the race revealed a broken fairing & screen. Limited steering lock. No front brake. And most worrying of all - no rear drive chain! What on earth had happened? A thorough post fault analysis - and the return of a broken and bent chain found on the track - suggested the following scenario. The drive side lower rubber mounting to the frame was found loose - one bolt completely missing. Many RGS owners will know that the rubber mountings need to be checked for tightness and often it's the drive side mounting that will be found to need nipping up. It seems that the loose mounting caused chain mis-alignment sufficient for the chain to come off the sprocket. The rear sprocket bolt threads and nuts had been severely damaged - presumably by the chain being pulled around over them, until the chain jammed and broke. The chain adjuster on that side had been torn around the spindle until it hit the rear shock mounting bolt, presumably by the errant chain. I left the team pondering on whether or not the bike could be repaired for Sunday's two races. Andy B had packed every spare imaginable apart from a spare brake line, or the components to remake the termination that had pulled apart.
Sunday dawned warm and sunny in this part of South Wales and I arrived back at the circuit to find the TT1 ready for racing! Gareth Roberts had come up trumps with a spare brake line from one of his mates - Gareth had entered his recently acquired 750 SF/ SFC replica which unfortunately had come over all shy when approaching the start line for his first race and repeated the performance in the holding area prior to the second. Fortunately he'd taken a Honda CB900F along too so did manage to get some time on track. The two Andy's together with Richard Baker had repaired the TT1's bodywork; fitted a new drive chain and rear sprocket; secured the errant engine mount and replaced the broken brake lever guard. Andy J had a sore hand and shoulder but reckoned he was up for more track time. He'd recharged his Helite airbag jacket by replacing the CO2 canister - neat, and a lot more convenient than returning it to the factory for servicing! A minor adjustment to the steering damper clamp restored steering lock and after the scrutineers showed no interest in checking the bike over because it hadn't been picked up by the recovery transport we were good to go. Except the bike decided that it didn't need all three cylinders when it was fired up. A quick diagnosis - how long does it take to burn a finger on the downpipes? - identified #3 wasn't doing all it should. Dropping the carb float bowl revealed a lot of sediment we assumed had been sucked in from the open bellmouth, since that was the side that went down yesterday. A quick clean out and all seemed good as AJ headed off for the first race.
With no practice session being run before Sunday's racing, Andy opted to take things carefully - both for his own confidence and of course to check that everything was OK with the bike. Turned out that it wasn't running as well as it should. We pulled the carb floatbowls off many times in an attempt to clear the fine rust coloured sediment that kept collecting there. Fuel taps were removed and filters cleaned. The carbs then decided to overflow repeatedly so clearly the float valves were being affected by the rusty sediment. For good measure, the centre cylinder cut out and this was traced to no spark at the plug - resolved with a plug change and 10mm cut off the HT lead.
As many RGS owners will know, the two ears at the front of the tank sit lower than the fuel taps and are prime candidates for corrosion due to water being trapped there. Try as you might, it is nigh on impossible to fully clean the tank out. We surmised that the bike's trip on its side had dislodged some rusty sediment which was now severely trying our patience. Up until now, the bike had been sent out with taps on reserve and a carefully calculated amount of fuel onboard sufficient for each race. This of course means the taps were being fed by fuel from the bottom of the tank rather than a distance of maybe 40mm above, so any sediment dislodged in the tank would flow directly into the carbs. Doh!! To hell with weight minimisation - we threw in all the remaining fuel and sent Andy off for the final race with taps turned to 'on', not reserve. Guess what - he came back and reported that the bike was running perfectly, pulling strongly through the rev range.
We left the weekend meeting with the belief that Andy J has done enough to collect the two signatures needed for his National race licence (within 110% of the class winning time). We learned that weather forecasts should be ignored and a lot about Murphy's Law that says no matter the volume of spares carried, you will always want something you haven't got. And that a Redax engine will start easily & immediately when all is good with carbs and ignition; it pulls like a train and eats rubber mountings for breakfast!!
Race 1 results
Race 9 results
Race 10 results
Race 19 results
Race 28 results
View attachment PXL_20210725_140538508.mp4
Purpose of the outing was to give Andy Jessopp chance to get a couple of signatures required for his national ACU race licence and with it, eligibility for racing in the European Endurance championship (EELC). The series failed to go ahead last year and has suffered significant upset this year too. Team Laverda TT1 is campaigning a Redax-powered replica of the factory RGS race bike, with owner/rider Andy Bartlett and the aforementioned Andy Jessopp.
The weekend meeting was part of the Vintage Motorcycle Club's British Historic Racing (BHR) calendar. All sorts of bikes, scooters and three wheelers can be seen in a friendly relaxed atmosphere. Not so relaxed that I could blag my way in without a paddock pass, so Richard Baker (who was also supporting Team Laverda TT1) walked to the gate with my vital ticket. He had arrived on Friday night with the two Andy’s, so base camp was set up and fully functional by the time I arrived on Saturday morning.
This was the first outing for the bike which until now has only been subjected to some dyno time to sort carb jetting (it runs Keihin CRs), plus a few road miles thanks to its daytime MoT - the latter a ruse to try and get the bike into Europe without needing an expensive carnet, now a requirement after Brexit. As a road registered vehicle, only a registration document and insurance is needed - we hope! Saturday morning practice would be the first opportunity for (1) a shakedown run on track, and (2) AJ to ride it. So it was somewhat alarming to hear only two sessions being called, having been told we were assigned to practice session 3. As seems to be the BHR way, things got sorted and Andy joined the second session. He came back seemingly happy with the bike and no problems reported. It was his first time at Pembrey so had successfully navigated his way around the circuit too!
The bike is built to comply with EELC regs so was running without lights for this meeting. The enormous tray under the engine is another EELC requirement. A lithium battery saves weight and although the starter is retained, rollers are used to fire the bike up. This avoids sprag clutch stress and hammering the tiny battery when starting from cold. Of course, this means that there can be a lot of engine idling before the race starts, and for the first race this was around 20 mins. Andy came in afterwards reporting some 'all or nothing' moments when calling for revs. Nothing could be found amiss, so we resolved to reduce the waiting time in the holding area for future races. Belly pan scuffs were noted - this despite 20mm longer rear shocks and Andy's own lightweight build!
The second session came and went without incident - no further 'all or nothing' experiences were had and Andy was beginning to get comfortable on the bike too. A big frustration was starting towards the back of the grid - presumably as a BHR unknown - which meant having to pick a way through the large field and was a particular challenge on the approach to the hairpin immediately after the start/finish straight.
The third race saw Andy beginning to push on with more determination - a mid-field start position of the 4th row helped too. Lap times dropped with every lap until a disaster on the 6th. The bike twitched on a fast approach to a sweeping right hander and Andy's right foot slipped off the footrest. He straightened the bike up, heading for the grass as a result. Then the bike seemed to flip him off before it and the rider slid to a halt. We were relieved to see that not only had Andy's Helite airbag vest been triggered but he also picked himself up seemingly uninjured whilst the marshals waved a yellow flag.
Pushing the bike back to the pits after the race revealed a broken fairing & screen. Limited steering lock. No front brake. And most worrying of all - no rear drive chain! What on earth had happened? A thorough post fault analysis - and the return of a broken and bent chain found on the track - suggested the following scenario. The drive side lower rubber mounting to the frame was found loose - one bolt completely missing. Many RGS owners will know that the rubber mountings need to be checked for tightness and often it's the drive side mounting that will be found to need nipping up. It seems that the loose mounting caused chain mis-alignment sufficient for the chain to come off the sprocket. The rear sprocket bolt threads and nuts had been severely damaged - presumably by the chain being pulled around over them, until the chain jammed and broke. The chain adjuster on that side had been torn around the spindle until it hit the rear shock mounting bolt, presumably by the errant chain. I left the team pondering on whether or not the bike could be repaired for Sunday's two races. Andy B had packed every spare imaginable apart from a spare brake line, or the components to remake the termination that had pulled apart.
Sunday dawned warm and sunny in this part of South Wales and I arrived back at the circuit to find the TT1 ready for racing! Gareth Roberts had come up trumps with a spare brake line from one of his mates - Gareth had entered his recently acquired 750 SF/ SFC replica which unfortunately had come over all shy when approaching the start line for his first race and repeated the performance in the holding area prior to the second. Fortunately he'd taken a Honda CB900F along too so did manage to get some time on track. The two Andy's together with Richard Baker had repaired the TT1's bodywork; fitted a new drive chain and rear sprocket; secured the errant engine mount and replaced the broken brake lever guard. Andy J had a sore hand and shoulder but reckoned he was up for more track time. He'd recharged his Helite airbag jacket by replacing the CO2 canister - neat, and a lot more convenient than returning it to the factory for servicing! A minor adjustment to the steering damper clamp restored steering lock and after the scrutineers showed no interest in checking the bike over because it hadn't been picked up by the recovery transport we were good to go. Except the bike decided that it didn't need all three cylinders when it was fired up. A quick diagnosis - how long does it take to burn a finger on the downpipes? - identified #3 wasn't doing all it should. Dropping the carb float bowl revealed a lot of sediment we assumed had been sucked in from the open bellmouth, since that was the side that went down yesterday. A quick clean out and all seemed good as AJ headed off for the first race.
With no practice session being run before Sunday's racing, Andy opted to take things carefully - both for his own confidence and of course to check that everything was OK with the bike. Turned out that it wasn't running as well as it should. We pulled the carb floatbowls off many times in an attempt to clear the fine rust coloured sediment that kept collecting there. Fuel taps were removed and filters cleaned. The carbs then decided to overflow repeatedly so clearly the float valves were being affected by the rusty sediment. For good measure, the centre cylinder cut out and this was traced to no spark at the plug - resolved with a plug change and 10mm cut off the HT lead.
As many RGS owners will know, the two ears at the front of the tank sit lower than the fuel taps and are prime candidates for corrosion due to water being trapped there. Try as you might, it is nigh on impossible to fully clean the tank out. We surmised that the bike's trip on its side had dislodged some rusty sediment which was now severely trying our patience. Up until now, the bike had been sent out with taps on reserve and a carefully calculated amount of fuel onboard sufficient for each race. This of course means the taps were being fed by fuel from the bottom of the tank rather than a distance of maybe 40mm above, so any sediment dislodged in the tank would flow directly into the carbs. Doh!! To hell with weight minimisation - we threw in all the remaining fuel and sent Andy off for the final race with taps turned to 'on', not reserve. Guess what - he came back and reported that the bike was running perfectly, pulling strongly through the rev range.
We left the weekend meeting with the belief that Andy J has done enough to collect the two signatures needed for his National race licence (within 110% of the class winning time). We learned that weather forecasts should be ignored and a lot about Murphy's Law that says no matter the volume of spares carried, you will always want something you haven't got. And that a Redax engine will start easily & immediately when all is good with carbs and ignition; it pulls like a train and eats rubber mountings for breakfast!!
Race 1 results
Race 9 results
Race 10 results
Race 19 results
Race 28 results
View attachment PXL_20210725_140538508.mp4
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