Andy J
Hero member
- Location
- Isle of Man
Right on cue at 5pm today, as I set off from the workshop to head to the race paddock at Castletown, the first spots of rain started hitting my windscreen, after umpteen week’s of almost unbroken sunshine....
As it was, the event was already off to a bad start as I was down to one bike and I had to buy yet another new helmet to meet the latest ACU directive that only FIM approved helmets are eligible for road events, regardless of whether the helmet has an ACU Gold Label etc.
Unfortunately, after close inspection, following several minutes of stationary running of the engine of the 840, it was clear that the issue was not blocked breathers or leaky oil seals but a leak from the crankcase joint to the rear of the lay shaft seal, which when it had spayed around a bit had given the impression it was a seal issue. Even a retightening of the crankcase bolts didn't have any noticeable reduction in oil flow, so a decision was reluctantly made to park the bike and concentrate on the 650 for the junior super bike race.
By the time I arrived at Castletown the spots had turned into a steady drizzle with bouts of slightly heavier rainfall from time-to-time. It also became fairly dull and was verging on being pretty dark by the time the last practice took place.
Scrutineering was a breeze compared to last year, others than rain dripping off the roof of the scrutineering tent onto my head. It was then a case of hanging around in the light rain for 15-20 mins to wait for the first qualifying session. I noted that at least half of my fellow competitors had switched to full wets, but I had to make do with my road tyres. I’ve got a set of wets, but as they’re more than 3 years old they can’t be used..
Anyway, I made the most of a bad situation and completed 3 laps of a very wet circuit, and generally was losing out on coming out of corners and on the straights rather then in through the twisty bits or breaking zones. I also had some misting issues with my visor, which didn’t help, and couple slides on a dodgy road joint near stadium corner. However, I wasn't the slowest rider out there but still probably a lot slower than I really need to be to stand a chance of qualifying for the race tomorrow.
There is one more qualifying session, tomorrow afternoon, that looks as though it might be dry, but the weather forecast for tomorrow evening, when the race is due to run, is not looking good.
As it was, the event was already off to a bad start as I was down to one bike and I had to buy yet another new helmet to meet the latest ACU directive that only FIM approved helmets are eligible for road events, regardless of whether the helmet has an ACU Gold Label etc.
Unfortunately, after close inspection, following several minutes of stationary running of the engine of the 840, it was clear that the issue was not blocked breathers or leaky oil seals but a leak from the crankcase joint to the rear of the lay shaft seal, which when it had spayed around a bit had given the impression it was a seal issue. Even a retightening of the crankcase bolts didn't have any noticeable reduction in oil flow, so a decision was reluctantly made to park the bike and concentrate on the 650 for the junior super bike race.
By the time I arrived at Castletown the spots had turned into a steady drizzle with bouts of slightly heavier rainfall from time-to-time. It also became fairly dull and was verging on being pretty dark by the time the last practice took place.
Scrutineering was a breeze compared to last year, others than rain dripping off the roof of the scrutineering tent onto my head. It was then a case of hanging around in the light rain for 15-20 mins to wait for the first qualifying session. I noted that at least half of my fellow competitors had switched to full wets, but I had to make do with my road tyres. I’ve got a set of wets, but as they’re more than 3 years old they can’t be used..
Anyway, I made the most of a bad situation and completed 3 laps of a very wet circuit, and generally was losing out on coming out of corners and on the straights rather then in through the twisty bits or breaking zones. I also had some misting issues with my visor, which didn’t help, and couple slides on a dodgy road joint near stadium corner. However, I wasn't the slowest rider out there but still probably a lot slower than I really need to be to stand a chance of qualifying for the race tomorrow.
There is one more qualifying session, tomorrow afternoon, that looks as though it might be dry, but the weather forecast for tomorrow evening, when the race is due to run, is not looking good.
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