Cb500 Race Bike

I had decided to sell the race van and race bike, the usual crap happening in my personal life. But whilst they’re still here I’d be as well using them so I’ve booked the next KMSC round at Knockhill which is reverse direction.

I was going to do the last round on the R1 but I really want the top 10 finish in the KMSC table so that’s the plan. So 2 rounds left.

So finger out, no arsing about and no lazy starts taking 2 laps to get into the swing of things.

 

I’ve stuck on a new rear tyre, new pads and sorted the exhaust the best I could. It’s close to the shock but it won’t foul it so should be ok.

So I’ll bed the tyre and pads in during practise then go like buggery after that hopefully. This will be my last time wearing the orange top as well, I’ve got 9 signatures to date so just 1 more that’s needed

 

KMSC ROUND 3 reverse direction race report - 24/25 August

I wasn’t entirely sure if I was going to do this round, with finances etc I had decided I’d do the very last one of the year to get my 10th signature, but I was lying 11th in the KMSC championship so I decided I’d do the last 2 rounds and try for the top 10.

I fired on a new rear tyre and new front pads, but other than that the bike was good to go. Packed the van on the Thursday, and headed off early Friday morning to set up as usual. Then relax for the rest of the day.

The weather for the weekend was to be perfect, in fact it was to be the first race weekend at Knockhill this year where we didn’t get any rain, none at all, and hardly any wind, it was going to be a fast weekend.

I hadn’t ridden the bike in over a month so I wasn’t sure what I’d be like after the high side on the R1, and I didn’t feel comfortable from the word go.

In morning practise I fired in a high 1:02 and was 11th fastest, but with a new pair of boots I was struggling with upshifts especially between Butchers and Mcintyres. I left them on for qualifying and managed a 1:02.2 which was a baw hair quicker than my fastest time in reverse. Last time in reverse saw that time get me 9th place where as this time it was me get 16th......so quick.

Race 1 I got a decent start and unlike before where I’d go backwards for the first 2 laps I held my own and was pretty much 15th/16th for the first 4 laps, I fired in a 1:05 from a standing start then 3 consecutive 1:02’s with the latter being a mid 62, then on the 5th lap I went down at the hairpin, disaster.





It was a relatively slow off but my hip took a bash, I knew it was going to be sore as I could feel it straight away. After the race I got collected and got checked out, all good then rushed to get the bike ready for race 2, new bars, grips, brake lever guard, bar end and a borrowed l/h rearset saw me just make the start of race 2, starting from 31st.

Aspirations versus reality summed up in one picture.




In race 2 I got a good start and made my way through the pack lap after lap and finished in 15th, I was pleased as that would see me start race 3 from 15th. Best time of 1:02.140 which was a PB for me. I was struggling to move around the bike as much as usual and when I got back in my hip was in agony, I was seizing up.

The Saturday night was torture, could hardly walk and I got about 2hrs sleep, I was seriously considering not doing any of the remaining races on Sunday but as the morning went on I started to feel better.

I headed out for warm up and fired in a high 1:02 and was managing, I was 10th fastest.

Race 3 I got the usual start that I was getting that weekend, much better than before and holding my place before moving up as oppose to going backwards to begin with. Had a good battle with a few and was hunting down 11th and 12th but it kept jumping out of gears whilst entering the hairpin and I got a false neutral with 2 laps to go which lost me too much time, so i settled for 13th. I finally got down into the 61’s with a 1:01.516, I had a few.

Back to Q results for race 4, 16th. I got the same start again and then made a few passes, I was having a great battle with Andrew Kirkwood and Jay Munro, we got by Jay with 2 laps to go and I made a pass on Andrew on the exit of Mcintyres, but on the last lap he got by me into the hairpin, Andrew is strong there. I decided I’d make a move at Clark’s, I felt stronger there and dived up the inside but had to run deep, I didn’t want to risk going down and I lost so much momentum that Andrew got back through but so did Jay. So from 13th to 12th then back to 14th in the matter of 2 or 3 seconds. I could have been patient and held 13th or tried elsewhere but I had to go for it and felt good. So a 14th to finish the weekend. Best lap of 1:01.7

Overall it was a mixed weekend, I’ve went from 11th to 14th in the championship so I’m not overly pleased about that but it is what it is. I’ve went faster which is good especially with being injured but still, I always want to do better.

Final KMSC round will be at the end of September.

 

Appreciated mate, not sure why some pictures aren’t coming up, when I edit the post they are there.