KRC
Endurance leave team in suspense
August 15, 2004 - For this round
we had Jules Wren, a new rider, joining for the race. We
did a track day a few weeks before the race to test the
bike and try to resolve the handling problems. No matter
what we changed on the suspension settings, the handling
was still a problem. A brake fade problem also appeared
and it looked like a combination of worn pads and old
brake fluid was the issue. The rear suspension unit was
sent off to K-Tech be re-built. I replaced the front
fork oil and managed to get a coat hanger wire through
my thumb, when making a special tool to dismantle the
forks. On checking the wheel alignment it was found that
there was a 1.5mm difference in the rear wheel alignment
markings on the swingarm. At last, a potential problem
that could be tested.
On the Saturday before the race we had a trackday booked
for practice. I was first out on the bike and the
handling was back to normal. A combination of the
suspension and wheel alignment seems to have cured our
problems. At the end of the first session one fork seal
was leaking, I must have damaged it when changing the
oil. Shelley went on the scrounge for new seals and came
back with a pair of forks kindly loaned to us by GB
Moto. In the meantime, the Moores team arranged for
seals and oil to be delivered to the circuit on Sunday.
John, Martin and the new pit crew helpers all dived in
and changed the forks over, in time for Jules to get out
for the next session. The bike was going well at last.
All three riders got down to some decent lap times and
it was looking good for the race.
On Sunday morning we qualified our usual mid field even
though we were lapping a couple of seconds quicker than
the previous year. Everyone else, and the newer bikes,
were going faster than before.
It was decided that Jules would do the start, with
Shelley holding the bike. At the end of the first lap
Jules had got into about 10th position. On the second
lap, at the end of the back straight, turning into the
left of the esses, Jules had a coming together with
another bike and crashed at about 110 miles per hour.
Fortunately Jules only sprained an ankle and he managed
to get the bike off the circuit and back to the pits.
The marshals that saw the incident said they were amazed
we got the bike back on circuilt given the state of it -
a tribute to our pit crew! Later on, when Kailah was
doing photos, she found more pieces of the bike over the
Armco at the end of the straight.
The bike looked quite bad at first, as it had barrel
rolled and destroyed the fairings and tail piece, along
with footrests and handlebars. On closer inspection it
looked fixable and the frame looked straight. The pit
crew got to work and replaced and repaired everything
that was needed. Both wheels had to be replaces as there
was grass trapped between the tyre and the rim, from the
impact when going off the track. These needed to be
checked carefully for any damage. Including recovering
the bike and repairs we were out of the race for about
one and a half hours. This put us in last place but at
least we got out again, with Jules going out for an hour
session.
Shelley was out for the second session and rode
consistently. I was out next, for our third hour. I had
a good session and got my best lap times at Snetterton.
I was pleased with a best of 1:14.02 which would be a
top 10 place in the BEMSEE Powerbikes. Also, this was
the 13th fastest lap time of the day overall, out of
over 100 competitors.
The following sessions for Jules, Shelley and myself
went well along with a few tyre changes and a broken
gear lever needing longer than normal pit stops. I went
out for the last session and was lapping at a good pace
in the 1:14’s. About five laps into my session another
bike just clipped the rear of our exhaust while in the
process of crashing. There wan a very slight bump and I
was lucky not to have been taken out. At the end of the
race we were still running and finished in 35th place.
Overall it was a good weekend with a great team
atmosphere and the new pit crew just fitting in so well.
The Saturday night BBQ also went well. Special thanks go
to Karen from BEMSEE who filled in as the teams marshal,
and to Hazel Drury for making the long trip to help out.
The next and final round of the championship is in only
three weeks time on September 5th. We need to do a fair
amount of work to get the bike prepared in a very short
space of time, but we are confident that everything will
come together.
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