Fourth Practice - Wet, Wet, Wet

26 August 2009

Pissed down the night and into the morning. Cleared up by noon. Looked promising so got the prepped bikes down to the paddock. By the time I got there it had started raining again. Most of the lads decided not to go out and go up to the Creg-ny-baa to have some food and watch us fools. I wanted to try the geometry changes I made to the BAMF and if I got a few miles of dry road that'd be ok.

(The BAMF is soooo fast, just a blur!)

Got both bikes through scroots no problem, changed and up to the pits to wait... wait...wait. Light rain, wet roads and standing water. After an hour's delay we got started... only about 50 bikes in all - 1 untimed lap. That would be enough to test the BAMF.

(Alan Oversby on the imaculately turned out, rare and hugely expensive MV Augusta triple)

Down Glencrutchery road. Wet. Ballaugh. Wet. Union Mills, standing water. Glen Vine, wet. Crosby, wet. Greeba Castle, wet. Greeba Bridge, standing water. Appledene, spray from other bikes and low sun straight in the eyes. I had to slow down to about 30mph - couldn't see squat! Ballacraine, wet... wet... wet. The only change was standing water in some parts. Managed to give her a handful down the straight bits (Cronk-y-voddy & Sulby) and tested getting on the power through the bumpy parts. She's still bucking all over the place but a lot more stable at high speed. :-)

(Roy Richardson on an Aermacchi)

I get back to the paddock, load the bikes on the trailer. I don't even bother to change out my leathers because by the time the bikes are strapped down the last riders have finished their lap and the roads are open again.

(Classic two-smoke winding it up down Glencrutchery Road)

The lower paddock has turned to mush and I have to make a big run at getting up the hill... almost to the top and we hit a bog... the Chevy just churns the mud, but keeps inching foreward. Inch by inch we crawl up the hill... spraying mud and shit all over the nice clean race-bikes!

When I get back to the house I see how bad the mud is. The monster is not too bad with a full fairing... but on the BAMF it's fuckin everywhere. I get most of it off then pack them away for the night.

(Paddock access road - slush!)

I'm miffed and blood-sugar is low. I feel like shit. An hour before the last two practices I had a plate of chips... I didn't have anything before this one. I make a note to have a plate of chips before every practice and race from now on.