ManxGP 2010 - Fifth Practice - Up a Gear

Spent yesterday frantically trying to find someone with an air-ratched to help with the clutch. I guess if I woke up early I would have more time... but hey... I'm on holiday here and it's great to take a break from the alarm clock... if only for two weeks. Besides... I'm giving my body as much rest as it needs... my upper back, neck and shoulders are still so sore, stiff and knotted up. The rigors of the TT Mountain Course! (also all the laying down, picking up, pushing around of the BAMF.. and hauling tools-boxes etc. around the paddock)

A great pic from John Turnton for the shopping basket - this must have been wet Monday evening

Finally got the clutch changed on the BAMF with the help of the able hands and air-ratchet of Geoff Martin and air-supply from Ernie Coates (one of the paddock race shops). Thanks guys! Turns out I got the wrong filter - never a dull moment. Old filter back, fresh oil in a and ready to rock!

How to change a clutch on an Aprilia...

Conditions yesterday evening were perfect. Light breeze, sunny, warm, dry. As I gunned the BAMF down Glencrutchery Road, she wheelied on the gear changes - the new clutch works! Getting some heat into the tyres and on the stops out of Union Mills. Whooooo-hoooo!

Job done.. and Mr finger is larfing!

The only problem with evening practice when it's sunny is sun dazzle. You come hooning around a bend, and despite acknowledging the 'SUN' flags you get a face-full of setting sun. You can't see jack diddley squat! Roll the throttle, get your bearings and get going again... losing precious time.

This guy built his own Moto Guzzi works replica frame for the Post Classic class - it's beautiful! I must get more info and spend more time looking at other machines than working on mine...

Got 2 good laps in. The BAMF is really pulling now, despite running with the Co-Built dB killer (don't want to get pulled for too much noise before the race - it'll come out for the race). Pulling so much that it gets scary to hold it at full pelt. I'm working up to that. Also, the brakes are so damn good that I'm braking far too soon for corners and losing my corner speed. No worries... the bike is working good... good enough for laps of 104 and 105mph. I'm happy with that... but she did 108mph around here with less horsepower in 2006, so there is still more room for improvement!

Geoff Martin (red overalls) who was a great help with the BAMF clutch

Had a 3 minute break and headed out on the little SV. The acceleration is so tame compared with the BAMF. The BAMF just wants to rip your arms from the sockets... the SV just gently pulls. The SV's brakes are rubbish... but this is not a bad thing because I land up carrying more corner speed. She's feeling good. So light and planted. The BAMF is really hard work around here... you have to muscle her around the bends and on every little bump on the road she's trying to wheelie. Where the SV just skips over the jumps, the BAMF launches skywards. But... the SV's poor engine gets tortured around here... flat-out at over 9000 rpm for so much of the lap... I hope she can go the distance.

Found this pic online... not sure who took it... looks like the entry to Braddan Bridge

Despite a few yellow-flag incidents, the laps were good. 99 and 101mph respectively! I am so pleased with that. The ton on the SV was my aim... We've done it! The Suzuki SV650 has now been christened 'Suzy V'.