News from Africa

Some news from my brother Nic in South Africa...

Off to visit some peeps in Graskop on Saturday. The St4 did not get the nod for the job, with intermittent fault ,no chancing it.
Might have worked fine, might have not. Confidence in the machine is important.
So went on the st2. Super little motorcycle.

So I ride some other routes go through some road works for about 15k's. slow, mud sand, all the stuff you do not like to ride a Duke over.
Anyhow, all good, road opens up, open up. Back end don't feel good, feel again. No good.
Pull over.
Sheeeet.
Flat.
Rear.
Back road somewhere.
Hmm.
Bag off bike on stand. No wurries. Out with the kit.
OOOh!, on inspection there appears to be a couple of possibilities.
Send the Auger mujob into one, and give it a clean. Dumbass shitty Chinese products. Rubber cement tube has about 1 10th of a gram of cement in it.
Chinese, you don't want that.
No wurries, we don't need that. plug in. 1x CO2 bomb, 1 x can tyre weld. Pffffffffffffffsssssssssssst.
Spin tyre. Pfffsssssffffsssstffffsssst. nuther hole.
Quick.
Auger.
Plug.
Rest of tyre weld.
Sooper.
Wait 5 minutes. Check pressure. all good.
PAck up . Ride on.

Decision.
Back home or onward. there was time.
No, rather back home. I do not have total trust in these things.
Besides, I had used all the repair kit up.
So back home it was. 160 k's. in the car, and back .

All good.
It was pissin doon, and all misty, so being in a car was great.

yeah! tyre repair kit lives under seat.
Yea never know.

IOM 2013 - Day 11 - Rest

Tuesday was a day of rest. Spent the morning getting new tyres fitted and trying to find the source of a worrying clunk sound from the rear wheel/suspension of the Chevy. We couldn't find anything... hope she can get us home on Sunday without trouble.

Started prep on the Suzuki SV650 for Friday's race as we only get 1 lap of practice to Wednesday and decided I needed to get out on the Aprilia for that seeing as I've only done 3 laps on it. It was a chilled-out day.

My Brother and teammate Nic left the island to get back to work. Nic came all the way from South Africa to be part of this year's campaign. He was on the ferry over with me and has been brilliant in helping prep the bikes, spinning spanners, loading the machines, off-loading the machines, spending hours in skrootineering queues, helping with practice change-overs, general support, encouragement, company and someone to bounce ideas off.

He's also a first-class cook and whipped up fantastic meals after a long day with the bikes. One and a half weeks on the Isle with bikes, bikes, bikes.

Thanks Nic - you're an absolute Champion! I couldn't have done it without you Chief!

Nic giving to Duke a toon-up!

Sadly, my partner Alex also had to leave the island to return to work on Tuesday. Although only here for a few days, Alex has been fantastic in her support while here and from afar for the last week of practice and especially for the last few months. Putting up with my long hours in the garage, frustrations, crankiness (only when hungry...) and general selfishness that racing is. Thank you my Sweetheart. I Love you!

My own Brolly-girl!

Alex also had some awesome team-wear made up - tee-shirts and hoodies with luscious embroidery. For years I have wanted to have some team-wear made, but went for a set of new race tyres instead and made some amateur iron-on stuff. This is proper factory! Thank you Sweetie-pie!

Scenes from South Africa

Some great photography from one of my brother Nic's recent tilley-tours around South Africa's dirt roads on his LC4...

Sometimes I really miss South Africa.

Taster - ZA Speed Week

My brother Nic took part in South Africa's first 'Speed Week' on the salt pan where an attempt on the world land speed record will be made by Noble and his team in the next few years.

Not only did he take some cool shots... but he took his Ducati for a few runs down the salt.

Story and more awesome pics coming soon.

Manx Poetry

Tonight I sail for the Isle of Man for teh manx Grand Prix 2011... my brother Nic sent me some well wishes peotry:

"On the eve before you disembark on yet another adventure.
I wish you all the best and well.
You know of the cunning and guile the wee Isle can turn up for one.
But you cana be put out by that.
Visit the fairies.
Have a great ride, and enjoy.
Would be great to be there, but alas. I'll pop round next year for a 
cuppu tea.
Anyhoo,webe in touch. You have inte net on the Isle. I send mail."
Thanks Chief!

Erzberg Poetry

My brother Nic sent me this brilliant poem of encouragement today:

All the best on the mountain,
and in the pit,
round them burms,
through the dust and spit.
Fight them from the grid to the gravel.
Give them shit.
Have a blast.

Down the field wit mah Brutha

Been a bit quiet on the old blog since returning from the Isle of Man. Got to get back into the habit...

(Down the field - Nic ginving the four-fiddy some welly)

Took a break for a week after the Manx GP then started a new contract ooop north in Chesterfield. It's only till mid-November, but I don't like being away from my garage for 5 days a week and makes travel difficult.

(Nic on the four-fiddy)

Went down the field with brother Nic a few weeks ago. Cracking weather - the field was as dry as I've ever seen it. Got to ride the little Beta trials bike for a few minutes.

(Nic trying out the Beta)

Also sold the Beemdawg (1989 BMW 325i Sport). Sad to see her go, never managed to learn to drift proper in her, take her on a track or to the 'Ring' as I had planned. But feels like a weight has been lifted... need to get rid of more stuff... it's cluttering up my life!