RIP David Taylor

Nearly a month ago, I got the sad news that David Taylor had passed away from injuries sustained after he came off at Brandywell in the last lap of the Manx Grand Prix Senior race on Friday 4^th September.

I had got to know David over the years competing at the Manx and on more than one occasion we were parked next to each other during the wait for the ferry across and had a good catch-up. We were similar in many ways… both worked in technology, struggled sometimes to fit our racing in around our work travel commitments, both on tight budgets and trying to get the most out of older/stock machines... I think we we just about the only two who didn;t have a van to fit the bikes in and trailered the bikes to and from the IOM. Most importantly, we shared a love for going as fast as we could on the TT Mountain Course.

Ferry crossings, paddock banter and assembly area chats - I knew David more than all the riders that I have known over the years that have lost their lives on the TT Mountain Course.

 

David was out there doing what he loved… stretching those cables around the most challenging race track in the world. Rest in Peace David

IOM 2014 Day 6 - When in Doubt - Don't

Thursday morning we tackled the Ducati fuel leak again. We were getting pretty good at stripping the fuel tank out by then. We also looked into solving another problem we had - the Aprilia forks bottoming out and causing the rear to lift and sway all over the place under heavy braking.

Over the mountain in the morning things didn't look too promising

Dave Hagon of Evomoto in Ramsay is a K-Tech/Ohlins dealer and also super helpful. We were in luck, he happened to have a set of 10Nm K-Tech springs on the shelf. I loaded the Aprilia and headed across the mountain for Dave to fit the new springs.

With the fork-tops off, we found out that my forks are pretty old and have longer springs than the later, more common ones. But Dave is a top bloke and quickly machined up a custom set of spacers so we could fit the shorter new springs. My fork oil was also hanging - this is only after about 15 laps of the TT Mountain Course. I didn't want to change too much and didn't have time for a fork service, so Dave just topped up the oil by 5mm.

I got back to the garage and we prepped the Aprilia and Suzuki because there was no Formula 1 practice for the Ducati on Thursday evening, besides... we had a fuel leak that I wasn't happy with. Just before we load the bikes and head to the paddock, the heavens opened up. Great! I was really looking forward to testing the new springs and some other changes we had made to the Suzuki.

Norton Rotary ready for pratice

We waited the rainstorm out then loaded and got the bikes up the paddock and skrootineering. The roads dry pretty quickly on the Isle of Man, but with the heavy rainstorm and cool temperatures it would stay damp under the trees that cover much of the course. With 3 good practice days already behind us, the practice session was declared untimed and most riders elected not to go out.

We got both bike through skrootineering and ready to go. I was uncertain. The forecast for Friday and Saturday were good. Would I learn anything on the damp track? Would I be able to push hard enough and brake hard enough to test if the new springs were a step in the right direction? I had my doubts. I remembered something I'd say to myself in my helmet during first few years here while learning the course: "If in doubt - Don't". I elected to not go out.

More camera artistry from Kevan

We went up to pit-lane to retrieve the bike as the bikes were being warmed up for evening practice. The ground shakes with the sound of 50 classic bikes and Supertwins warming up. The tension, nervousness and excitement is real and felt so strongly in pit-lane and Parc-Firme just before the bikes go out. The smell, the sounds. Fantastic!

Mark Herbertson getting ready for a ride around

Because there were so few riders out there, Kevan had managed to get the little Suzuki positioned behind Bruce Anstey, Nick Jefferies and Lee Johnson... and in front of Michael and William Dunlop. "Damn!" I thought... "I might have learned something tonight". It was then that I had a strong urge to get my leathers on and not be a spectator. It was tough, but quelled that emotion and knew I had to stick with my gut feeling and decision not to go out.

Bruce Anstey with the MacIntosh Norton

Michael Dunlop

Nick Jefferies

William Dunlop

Michael Rutter

Most riders that went out only did 1 lap, the few that needed qualifying laps did 2. Reports back were that the conditions were poor all around the circuit. In the end I am glad I was a spectator :-) We loaded the bikes up, dropped them at the garage and headed to Jacks on the Promenade for a steak with Warren and his crew. After a good meal and some track banter, we tried something else to fix the Duke tank back at the garage. At 23h30 it we were knackered, my eyes sandy and the tank was still leaking... now worse than before...

Dinner at Jacks

Stripping the tank is like doing open-heart surgery

IOM 2013 - Day 4 - The Quickening

Tuesday was beautiful on the island. Sunny and warminsh :-)
Spent the morning prepping the bikes and then hauled the Aprilia and Ducati up to skrootineering. Again, at skrootineering there was a queue halfway to Douglas Promenade. A bit disorganised. We got both bikes through no problem and the bikes into Pitlane and Parc ferme.

 

First session was the Duke and we started on time. I set off at a steady pace... a bit slow through to Ballacraine with loads of traffic but then started to get back into the rhythm. Over the mountain there were rain drops on my screen/visor, but nothing to be concerned about.

Some fantastic machines in the paddock...

 

Blasting past the Grandstand on a flying lap is awesome... flat out down Bray Hill. It's so fast. The Duke was feeling good, but a bit slow to turn and running a little wide. Had to man-handle her through the bottom of Bray Hill.

Some oddball ones too!

The second lap was good. Not too much traffic and the old girl pulling well on the changed gearing. The fairing design and seating position pushes ones knees into the wind. At over 140mph down the long straights, the wind is trying to push my knees open. I have to really work hard and the insides of my thighs were burning at the end of 2 laps.

The first lap was 98mph second was clocked at 102mph. Super happy with that :-) We've got more to come.

Norton Rotary...

 

Permanently being worked on...

I came into Parc Firme and Nic had the Aprilia warmed-up and waiting. A quick drink, visor clean and we're off again on the big bike.

She feels totally different to the old Duke. Different riding position. Feet not so high, bum lower than your hands, long and stretched out. Big. Fast! First time I have ridden big Betty since breaking down at Ballaugh in last year's Senior. The 10 000 mile completely standard eBay engine in her pulls well. Don at Southern Cross has sorted her fuelling beautifully and the power 'curve' is a straight line. Kaboodles of torque too.

Rotary engine on display

The Ducati has a close ration box, so I'm changing gear a lot more than with the Aprilia. The Aprilia drives like anything from 5000 rpm so I can short-shift a lot more and generally be a bit lazier. No knees battering through the wind and with that big screen she's a lot easier to ride fast. But, on the really fast sections I'm struggling to breathe. I have to gasp for breath. I think there is a big negative air pressure happening and it is literally sucking the breath out of me. Need to try sort that.

Lining the old girl up down Glencrutchery Road

First lap on the big girl and I'm on 105mph. Nice :-) I get a second lap in... with the flyer down Bray Hill I clock in at 107.5 mph. Awesome. Pretty close to the fastest I've ever gone around here (108mph) and I wasn't pushing at all. Definitely more to come.

An awesome day's practice with 4 good laps in. Back of shoulders, neck and back aching like anything. Very unfit for riding a bike... but with the first race in less than a week: no pain, no gain.

Pic of the SV at Ballacraine from Monday

IOM 2013 - Day 3 - First Practice Replay

On Monday we were greeted with beautiful, sunny and dry weather. We prepped the bikes in the morning and hauled them up to skrootineering in the afternoon. With the Newcomers speed-controlled lap, the practice session would be shorter than usual. We made sure that at least one bike was at the front of the queue so we could get 2 laps in on it.

She's so Purdy!

The Suzuki though skrootineering okay and into the middle of the pitlane queue... followed shortly by the Ducati. We got the Ducati to the front of the classics queue so intended doing 2 laps on her.

The session started on time and the nervous Newcomers headed off for their first lap of the Isle of Map on closed roads. This first lap is speed controlled and done behind one of the Travelling Marshals.

I told one of the Newcomers: "If you're not nervous, you have no idea what you've got yourself in for." When I was a Newcomer in 2005, I wasn't nervous... I had no clue. I had never been to the Isle, never gone around. On my Newcomers bus tour, it started to dawn on me that this was more than just a spirited road ride when the bus guide (and TT pro) said to me "You've never been around the island and in two hours you're going to do your first lap. Good luck." - the bus erupted with laughter. I couldn't see much from my seat at the back and the excited Scotsman next to me kept on wanting to chat.

My first speed controlled lap was terrifying. We set off in groups of 12. Down Bray Hill and I thought the Travelling Marshal was trying to kill us. It seemed so fast. I was lagging behind and despite no overtaking allowed, the group all overtook me. Soon I was on my own, wandering around the course as fast as I could. Scaring myself half to death on every second corner.

Looks like some kind of valve mechanism on this flat-four two-stroke Konig

 

About a third of the way through the lap, the group behind me caught. They also all passed me. I clung to the back of the last guy till the end. It was a huge wake-up call. The rest of practice week, I was up at 5 doing laps in cold rain and fog on my road bike. I just went round and round and round and round. And spent the rest of the time working on my ill-prepared bike - no time for sleep. I learned enough and managed to patch up to bike enough to finish the race in 12th place out of 35 or so starters. I was exhausted... but hooked.

My mate Ian Gardner's beautifully prepped Formula 1 ZXR

Back to Monday's practice... I set off on the Suzuki with a wheelie and a bit of a tank slapper down Glencrutchery road. Pretty soon my tyres were warm and I was settling into it. Got a reminder of the dangers here when I get to Appledean. Waved yellow flags, debris strewn across the road and a mangled R6 that is half the length it should be being dragged off the road. A few corners later and it's out of my mind as we're doing over 120 mph past the Hawthorn pub through the blind right-hand kink lined with stone walls.

A couple of Ducati's from Australia

It all comes back as soon as I'm doing a lap and I don't have to think too much about where I'm going and what is next. Focussing on the lines and getting used to the speed. Also getting the body acclimatised to the pounding you get.

Pootling through Quarterbridge

I had a good lap on the Suzuki and pulled in even though I could have continued for a second lap. Wanted to get out early on the Ducati to try do 2 laps on her. All ready to go on the Ducati and they announce a delay to the second practice session due to oil on the track at Appledean and Barregarrow. 30 minutes later and we head off for just a single lap.

A little quicker through Cronk y Mona

The Ducati was absolutely beautiful. A lady. Very well mannered... and fast! Our gearing was too short so I had to roll down the long straights. But she handled the bumps and fast corners so well. I am mightily impressed - for a 22 year old girl... she was lovely.

Far too soon, the lap was over and we rumbled into Parc Firme. After all the time, effort, money, late nights, stress, blood, sweat and tears I have put into her since I got her as a road bike in late April... that lap was immense. Epic.

IOM 2013 - Day 2 - Rest

With the Ducati not starting yesterday evening after the soaking she got... I was a little bit concerned and had a look at her first thing this morning. Nic used his Ducati experience and went straight to the problem. Water in the starter solenoid plug. Sorted.

Spent the morning swapping batteries and getting the bikes prepped then headed out to the Cregg for a wholesome roast beef lunch :-)

Went for my first lap of 2013 in the van and spent the rest of the afternoon tinkering chilling out and watching Moto3, Moto2 and then MotoGP.

Ah yes, Sunday. Day of rest on the Isle.

IOM 2013 - Day 1 - First Practice

Up early to get the wheels off the Ducati for new tyres. Thanks Mike Dawson for the tyres and transponder loan, thanks Si Gilbert for hauling them to the IOM for me :-) It was raining in the morning, but the forecast said it would clear up later in the afternoon and should be dry for first practice that starts at 18h00.

 

Parc Firme

The first day is always a bit manic. Last minute prep on the bikes, finding paddock space, some grocery shopping, sourcing things you left behind and getting fuel. Gear checks, signing on, transponder checks, riders briefing, technical briefing, insurance, getting the paddock/pit passes sorted, picking up the SIS riders pack... and then getting all your shit together to get up to first skrootineering.

Some bikes have been shipped in from afar to compete...

Nic and I made good time and got the bikes ready (Ducati with new tyres - went for a set of intermediate Michelins because of the damp roads) and to the paddock on time. It's awesome having and extra pair of hands to help.

As we unloaded, the heavens opened up. It was then that I realised I had forgotten the bike covers :-( It chucked down for 20 minutes. The bikes got soaked.

Pissin doon!

 

First skrootineering is always a little nerve-wracking. Suzuki got thorough skrootineering no problem. Then we took the Duke up. We got a few approving nods on the way up and in the skrootineering bay. The skrootineer was meticulous with her... he took so long going over her that I was getting a bit nervous. Eventually... he looked up and said "Nicely prepared.".

Holy-cow! That is the first time I have ever heard a skrootineer say anything positive about any bike!

Patiently waiting...

The roads were still wet and was doubtful whether we could get out for practice. We got the bikes ready on the chance we might still get to give the bikes a shake-down and re-familiarize myself with the 270 plus corners. I got into my gear and we headed up to Parc Firme, As we got there... the Clerk of the Course announced the cancellation of the practice - roads too wet and not enough marshals :-(

Super-cool Moto Guzzi

Bollocks! Third year in a row that first practice has been cancelled. Oh well, will have to do it all again on Monday. Forecast is good for next week... but on this wee island, you never know.

I flip the Ducati ignition switch to ride her down to the paddock. The fuel-pump primes. I hit the start button. I hit the start button. Nothing. Again. nothing. Fuck!

Loading and unloading bikes on Bray hill... health and safety risk!

 

The 23 year old Ducati didn't appreciate getting soaked. A job for tomorrow. We packed up and headed out for some good pub grub with the Herbertsons. Day 1 - done. On the shopping list for Sunday: waterproof bike covers.

IOM 2013 - Day 0 - A Good Start

My brother Nic arrived on Thursday and help with finishing off the SP3... spent the evening prepping the race bikes, having a few beers, chewing the fat and catching up. Awesome.

Some sticker-work...

Nic getting ready to load the old Duke in 'transport' trim

Friday morning we got organised and packing. Took a break in the wet weather to load the bikes and pack the Chevy to the rafters. Great to have an extra pair of hands helping out :-).

By 13:30 we were on the road north to Liverpool. Stuck in the usual motorway traffic, the 2.5 hour journey took 4 hours... but made it in good time to board the sea-cat ferry and get on our way. No dramas or missed ferries... a good start to the fortnight's racing!

Packed to the rafters...

Under all the spares, tools, equipment and gear is a Classic Formula 1 Ducati race bike

Tomorrow will be the usual signing-on, briefings, last-minute prep (need to get a set of tyres fitted to the Ducati), first skrootineering and finally first practice (untimed). Am so looking forward to heading down Bray Hill... 50 weeks wait is too long!

The Sultan of Swing

Cheerio mainland...