TZR piston - inlet and exhaust views
I now need to spend some time putting the bikes back together. I did nothing over the Christmas break and I'm not really looking forward to working in the cold, dark shed again.
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OK - managed to get out to the shed for a few hours over the weekend. Put the LC motor together as a 250 for the first time. Oh how pleased I was when the pistons hit the head. I then stuck a head gasket in and the squish increased to about 2mm, so I'll pull that back out and fit another base gasket (or two).
To cap it all, I dropped the XJR400 as I got home from work tonight. I deliberately went to work late this morning to avoid any ice on the roads - so to over-balance having arrived home was a bit of a crusher. Naturally I filled it up with petrol on the way home too!
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I got the LC back together at the weekend. Loads of trials along the way though. I had to replace the exhaust studs in both 250 barrels rather than just one as planned - so I had to cut some more. I also discovered that the exhaust gaskets are different sizes on the two barrels! How did that happen! I've only ever used one size of gasket before - so I just couldn't believe it wouldn't fit. It was miles out - way too big. I ended up cutting a gasket open (they spring apart when you do that) and re-coiling it to fit. Fiddly job.
All the bike needs now is coolant, oil in the gearbox and petrol. Then it should go. I checked the spark already. I finally got the squish to about 0.9mm by using three base gaskets and no head gasket.
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Almost the end of January now and I've started to make some real progress with the TZR. I put the engine back together today, made a blanking plate for the oil pump, fitted a set of carb rubbers with the oil feed blocked-off and lock-wired the sump plug. I also did a lot of general tidying, etc. like re-fitting the radiator, fitting a catch bottle and finishing the footpegs. What it now needs is some bodywork and something made up to hold the battery and CDI box.
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A bit more time in the shed - and now I've started on the long awaited and long dreaded battery/CDI holder. It's going to be a fairly flat sheet of alloy and so far I've mounted the rear carb solenoid on it. Next comes the battery, then the CDI. I've ordered some race bodywork from BB Reinforced Plastics - £218 for a full set (fairing, screen, seat including pad and a front mudguard). It'll be ready in three weeks.
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Got the LC up and running at last. It's still three weeks to the first race but I wanted to be sure it'd run OK. It started on about the 6th kick and is very much easier to kick over than as a 350. I let it warm up for a while then took it up the road and back. I was really surprised how strong it felt. Brilliant. It was a bugger to get off the line though - nothing below 5,000rpm - just bogged. Anyway, looking forward to getting on with the season now.
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Picked up the TZR bodywork from BB Reinforced Plactics on Saturday morning. Nice stuff. Came with Dzus fasteners to put it together. The parts are really for a TZ250B, so the mountings aren't quite the same. This has so far caused untold grief when fitting the seat unit. I think it's about on now, but it was a considerable struggle. Not really looking forward to fitting the fairing, but at least it should look like a bike again once it's done.
Got my details through for Lydden on 4th March. I'm number 37 on the LC. Got to get some number backs from Taymar.
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Did some work on the TZR at the weekend, and started loading the car for 4th March. I put the pipes, battery and tank on the TZR and gave it a few kicks. It took a while but it eventually spluttered into life. Very satisfying. It kept spluttering and stopping so I whipped the plugs out and found they were a bit wet - with water rather than
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petrol! I assume there must have been some condensation in the crankcases. I haven't put any coolant in the bike yet. Anyway, I put some dry plugs in and it was fine. Obviously I only ran it for a few seconds, but it seemed fine.
Lydden - 4th March 2000
By the time I went to bed on Friday night everything was packed in the car and ready to go. On Saturday morning everyone was up at 5:15 and at 6:00 we were ready to go. This was when things got interesting. The infra-red key fob thing wouldn't switch the alarm off on the car so that I could open the door! The little red light on the dash wasn't flashing either. For a second I thought the car battery must be dead. I opened the door with the key (never done that before!) and tried to start the engine. Nothing - immobiliser still on. Eventually I discovered the maintenance mode on the alarm and just switched the whole thing off. Now we were 15 minutes late. I was planning on being at Lydden for 8:00 and thanks to some fastish driving we got there just after that.
The sky was cloudless, but the wind was freezing. Getting scrooted and out for practice was a bit mad. Queues everywhere, buying numbers, putting water in the gearbox, oil in the rad (or whatever), etc. Practice was over in a flash of wobbling bikes.
Waiting patiently in the paddock
Race 1 - 6th row of the grid. I got the worlds worst start and was left for dead on the line. I almost stalled it. By the last lap I'd started to remember what racing was like and had worked my way up from last to 18th out of 24. Not a sensational start. This struck me as odd because on Friday night I had a dream about winning the first race of the season. Oh well.
Race 2 - 2nd row. Another poxy start. Almost the entire field passed me before the first bend! This time I managed 16th by the end and did a 52.23 lap in there somewhere. I was chuffed cos that's 1.5 better than I ever managed on the 350.
Race 3 - 6th row. Crappy start, 18th again. It was getting cold by now and everyone was a about a second slower than earlier in the day.
On the whole a very enjoyable day. Great to be back out on the bike. It runs really sweetly as a 250, but has no power below 7,000. This caught me out a few times as I didn't have to be quite so careful about gears on the 350 - it would pull from about 5,000. I need to concentrate harder on the grid. Looking forward to Snetterton now.
More work on the TZR........
Despite a lot more pushing, pulling, drilling, searing, etc. - the fairing is still not yet fitted. I knew it was going to be difficult to fit a race fairing to a road bike, and I sure wasn't wrong. Again I reached the point of thinking it wasn't possible, and again I now think it may be. I managed to break my pad saw, so I'll need another of those before I can go much further. The saga continues.
Got the pictures back of the TZR with the seat unit fitted - looks good - see the bike spec page.
Snetterton - 1st April 2000
Things started badly on Thursday after I appeared to have caught the stomach bug that the kids have had. I spent a large part of Friday asleep and didn't eat anything, hoping I'd feel better on Saturday. And I was definitely a bit better but didn't feel on top form.
I felt worse when we arrived at the circuit and had to park about a half a mile from scrooting. The long push to get the bike checked almost finished me off. Then it failed the test because there was oil on the fork leg. I could have cried. It must have a weak seal on the right leg because oil only comes past it when it's under pressure on the trailer. I was ready for another kip by the time I'd pushed it backwards and forwards a couple more times to get it passed.
I was all over the place in practice, but everyone else seemed to be as well. We were due out in the second race. It all got started late because of stopages in practice.
Race 1 - Row 8 of the grid, my start seemed ok - probably because there weren't many people to come past me! I was near the back through the first few corners and was being held up by a bloke on a Ducati (we were in with the singles, twins and triples). Once we got to the long straight on the second lap he cleared off. I got some reasonable laps in and managed to get close to the best time I'd done on the 350 last year. The winning triple lapped me just as I came up to the finish line.
Race 2 - Row 8 again. Held up by a single (which was cutting-out) this time. Partly my own fault - not enough bottle to fly past. I spent the first couple of laps trying to pass a TZR that was quick on the straights but slow into the corners. I closed right up going into Sears on lap three preparing to get good drive onto the straight. It all went wrong as I hit cement dust and the front slid. The back followed suit and I ran wide onto the grass and then into the field (which had recently been ploughed). There was no chance of keeping it upright and I didn't. The marshalls kindly picked the bike out of the dirt and I rode it back to the paddock after the race had finished. Muddy but unscathed.
Race 3 - Row 6 - so a few more people came past me into Riches. I was slow and battled long and hard to get past a TZR. I eventually past him coming out of Corams and he promptly fell-off at the chicane thereby promoting me to last place! My best lap was 5 seconds slower than in race 1.
Corams
I was completely dogged-out and just looking forward to bed. The engine ran well, but it had been losing water from the head all day necessitating regular top ups. So, before Brands I need to sort the forks out and sort the head out.
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Pulled the bike to bits. The fork seal was real difficult to get out. The new ones I'd got were too big. Going well really. Better news on the cylinder head front. By removing two base gaskets and giving the head gasket a real good squashing I was able to get the squish to about 1mm. I've re-built it with two exhaust gaskets each side to try to seal the exhausts - it'll be a first if it works. I'm going to use 20 weight oil in the forks this time and I'll fit my EBC green sprint formula brake pads. Already looking forward to Brands.
Brands - 23rd April 2000
Things got off to an interesting start when the bike tried to get off of the trailer as I was loading it. Instead of letting it fall (and making itself look really stupid by laying on the front lawn on its head) I tried to catch it and hurt my back. Bugger. Still, I knew the bike was well prepared and it sailed through scrooty. I had a nice sit in the sun whilst watching Vince fanny about with his gearing. Unfortunately, practice didn't go well and I failed to save a tank slapper at Clarke. The bike went down on its right side breaking the brake lever and bending lots of other bits. Got a thorough blasting from the gravel too.
First time I've ridden in the collecting van. Decent chaps (and lass's) the marshalls, etc. are. All very friendly.
Race 1 - Row 8 of the grid, hopeless start - but I was at the back anyway. Had a good dice with Matt Clark during the race. He was leaving me on the straight but I was closing on him into Paddock and Druids. As the leaders lapped us, Matt had his line into Druids stolen, so I nipped past on the entry to Graham Hill Bend. As we got into back-markers he got the better of me into Graham Hill Bend and stayed there until the race was red flagged a lap later. Good fun, but I was slower than last year.
Race 2 - Row 2, hopeless start saw me near the back by the time we got to Druids. Again I was close to people, but I could tell I wasn't fast, even by my standards.
I've started off too complacent. The slapper was my bad technique - not enough throttle to get the pressure off of the front suspension. Need to work harder at it. Disappointing day.
bent and bruised
The best bit of the day was watching Vince clean up in the Rookie 400 races. A real treat to see someone fight through from mid-pack to win.
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Took the TZR for a spin to cheer myself up (closed circuit, professional rider pictured - you know what I mean). Blimey, fast or what - especially after the LC. I sounds great and goes too. A couple of dog walking pedestrians looked less than amused. Really looking forward to racing it at Brands at the end of May.
Cleaned the Allspeeds up a bit and fitted them to the LC. Sound good. Finished the temperature gauge box too.
Now looks like the LC may not be used again for a while. There wasn't room on the grid for the LC, so I'll be using the TZR for both days at the Brands GP meeting on 28th/29th May.
Brands Hatch - 28th/29th May 2000
Periodic heavy showers on Saturday made the weather look doubtful for the whole weekend. The TZR went on the trailer OK, despite my fears that I might need to remove the whole fairing (just took off the bottom bit). A quick word with Vince suggested I might need to take a bit more fuel than I usually take for the LC, so I filled the jerry can too.
I was woken-up at 5am Sunday morning by the sound of rain on the carport roof. The carport is at the other end of the house, so I knew this must be serious rain! Crawled out of bed at 6:30 and discovered the weather was completely crap - very windy, very wet and it felt cold too.
Rained all the way to Brands. The paddock was awash. I didn't really want to get out of the car. Got the bike sorted for scrooting and thankfully it sailed through. Practice: I wasn't looking forward to venturing out with brand new tyres, but I did my laps and crept back into the dry car. The engine was good.
TZR waiting to go
Not long after practice the rain started to ease. Still very windy though.
Race 1 - The track was dry in places but damp on the long circuit with some small rivers running across the track in strategic places. I took it real easy, just trying to learn about the bike. We were red flagged after two laps. I came round Westfield and discovered Jason Page sitting on the track. The re-started race was over 6 laps and I managed to come last with a best lap of 2.08.69. Tony MacBride and Jason Holland lapped me on the run through Clearways to the line.
I learnt that the bike is very sharpe in the powerband, so you have to feed the power in gently to avoid upsetting the suspension. I also learnt that the Michelin Pilot Races take a little while to warm up - I felt the back end slide a little coming out of slow corners early on in the race. The bike was also weaving in some corners. The front end was set up firmer than the rear and I'd only used about half the fork travel - so I decided to soften the front right off.
Race 2 - Periodic heavy showers continued all day - even had hail at one point. Th etrack was almost uniformly damp for the second race. The suspension felt better. I felt more confident and finished 22nd out of 24 finishers. Best lap 2.16.52.
Day 2........
Left the bike with Vince overnight and turned-up at the track just in time for practice. Got off to a cracking start by opening the car door and letting the flasks fall out onto the tarmac. No tea today then. Luckily, against my advice Vince had bought a generator - so I made good use of his kettle.
Practice. Track still damp, but the clear blue skies looked good.
Race 1 - Started from row 8 and got the traditional poor start. I'm amazed how crowded it seems through paddock and Druids. I let everyone elae go through Paddock and went a bit wide at Druids. It was a pleasant surprise to find there were people I could race with. I passed David Lacy on the brakes into Stirlings. I went in thinking this might be easyish - it turned-out to be difficult and was a move executed with very little finesse and even less control! Got away with it though. Coming into the last lap I closed right up on Kevin Stone. He looked over his shoulder and decided to try to clear off.David Wilton and Alan Roxborough both passed me during the last lap but we all closed up through Clearways. In the rush to the line I managed to pip Kevin by a tenth. I came 32nd out of 38 with a best lap of 1.59.10. Pleased with the racing but I can go a lot quicker yet.
Race 2 - Another poor start. I felt as though I was putting in better laps, but didn't seem to make progress. I was closing on Matthew Hickman but ran out of laps. 33rd out of 35. Best lap 1.59.03.
Race 3 - Row 3, poor start. This one started dry and I felt quicker, gradually building confidence with the bike. Made good progress, passing a few people. With two laps to go it started spitting, then as we started the last lap it was really raining. I knoked it right off, deciding I'd rather not do repair work before Snetterton. Four people came past me on the last lap and I finished 29th of 31 finishers. Best lap 1.58.88.
The bike is brilliant. It's stable on the brakes, handles well and has enough power for me at present. It looks and sounds good too. Well pleased. Roll on Snetterton.
TZR before it all started
........ I've done the important preparation for Snetterton - I've re-done the number backs. The front one still looks pants, but the back ones are much better. Fablon is trully fab. Actually I did some serious stuff - I took the plugs out, looked at 'em, and then put 'em back in quick. All looked fine.
Snetterton - 17th June 2000
Snetterton is now so busy (always seems to have an MRO meeting the day after the club meeting) that we're almost parking on the bridge into the circuit!
Scrooting went fine. The bike started first kick for practice and I did three fairly slow laps to learn where the corners went again. Couldn't believe it when I saw the chequered - three laps is really bugger all.
Race 1. Row 4. My start was pretty poor - a couple came past me as we left the line but the real swarm hit me as we went into Riches. I hung back fairly wide (being a coward) and took it too easy. Heavy braking into Sears successfully prevented me from running into anyone and a couple of bikes near the front went straight-on into the field. With reasonable drive out of Sears I managed to overhaul Paul Little (on an early TZR) on the straight but, for a race wuss like me, Paul's bravery on the brakes and turn into the Esses looked like the stuff of miracles. Needless to say he swept past me. I tried it again later in the race with the same result. I spent several laps behind an RGV and was beginning to feel a bit held up in the corners, but was I brave enough to force through, was I b*ll*x! As we came round to start the last lap I kept it nailed through Corams and rode round the outside. Didn't see him again, so either I beat someone, or he retired! On the last lap I was closing on Paul again but it was too much to do in a lap.
25th of 26 finishers. Best lap 1:27:72.
Race 2. Row 7. Got a mediocre start and passed someone going in to Riches! Settled in behind Paul and Eric Corridge on the Revett Straight. Next lap round I caught Paul of the straight. I'd got right with him at Russell when there was a bit of a moment (Paul had his back wheel a foot in the air trying to avoid T-boning someone on the apex!). I passed him on Revett quite early and thought I wouldn't see him again. Well I didn't - not until the Esses anyway! I settled in behind him again. Passed him next time down Revett and this time he didn't show me up into the Esses. Next time round I took Eric round the outside at Coram and managed to stay ahead for the last lap. On one lap, can't remeber which, I went into the Bomb Hole faster than I thought I could get away with. I was amazed when nothing nasty happened. It's that sort of event that gives you the confidence to push a bit harder.
23rd of 27 finishers. Best lap 1:26:21
Race 3. Row 6. Vince was on row 10, but I wasn't expecting him to stay behind me for long. I got a reasonable start - front wheel just skimming the tarmac. I got into third gear as Vince howled past going 20mph quicker. To me this looked very fast and dangerous (wuss) so I thought I'd best not follow. Traffic was, as usual, heavy through the first two turns but it soon settled down. I passed a couple pf people but had a long way to go to reach Andrew Lawrence and I kept making mistakes which didn't help.
25th of 29 finishers. Best lap 1:26:82.
All in all a top day. Sweltering weather but with a nice breeze. Gaining confidence all the time now with the bike and tyres and looking forward to Lydden on 15th July.
Lydden - 15th July 2000
I thought getting up at 5:45am would give us plenty of time. However, I was panic-stricken and desparate for a dump (as usual) by the time we reached the circuit. Alomst the last bike through scrutineering - at least I didn't have to push the bike back up to the top of the paddock before practice.
Practice - Very bad. I felt (and probably was) all over the place: wrong lines, wrong gears, wrong braking points. Then a slide from the rear at Devil's Elbow. Then the chequered flag. Felt very grumpy. Bottom lip sticking-out far enough for people to trip over.
Race 1 - Row 7. Almost so far from the front you can't see the lights! Got a reasonable (for me) start and might even have passed a couple of people into pilgrims. The first couple of laps were really busy. I spent the time trying to work up the confidence to start passing people. With about two laps to go, I started making attempts to ride around the outside of slower people through Chessons and Paddock. It worked a couple of times but you've got to watch the exit to Paddock as you can easily run out of road. With a lap to go, Bill Philp came past, demonstrating how it should be done. I really enjoyed the race once into my stride.
18th of 25 finishers. Best lap 49.83 - please with that.
Race 2 - Row 5. Not such a good start - got passed by five or six bikes into Pilgrims. I pretty soon found a rhythm and was having to move my foot around on the peg in Chessons to avoid scraping it. The brakes on the TZR are terrific. I found I can really wind people in on the brakes. Having passed a few people, I was lining Chris Stephens up going into the Devil's Elbow but as I put the power down the back end slid what felt like a long way. This calmed me down a bit, but I'd lost time on Chris and although I closed-up again on the last lap, I wasn't near enough to pass.
17th of 24 finishers. Best lap 48.76. Well pleased.
Race 3 - Row 5. Between the races there'd been some heavy showers but the track was almost completely dry by now. Mediocre start again, followed by some reasonable passing. Didn't feel as fast, but enjoyed the racing. Catching Chris Stephens again by the end, but again not close enough.
19th of 25 finishers. Fastest lap 50.87.
Brands - 2nd September 2000
I got to scrutineering before Vince despite the fact that he'd stayed at Brands overnight. First race to me! It seems he was overwhelmed by a compulsive necessity to swap the rear tyre - only to find that A&R were to busy to change it.
Just before practice started I noticed that the right had exhaust has been grounding. Must have been Lydden. I hastily raised the rear suspension a bit, hoping it wouldn't affect the handling.
Practice was good for a change. I felt reasonably quick (wasn't, of course) and composed (well, who wouldn't be at that speed!). I decided to go round for a second session, but after a lengthy wait, we got out onto the track and managed half a lap before the session was red flagged.
I've sorted out the squirming feeling during practice - it's cold tyres. For some reason I never assumed they'd feel like that. Exhaust hadn't grounded any more.
Race 1 - Row 9(!). Got an OK start and passed a couple of people into Paddock. During the week I'd day-dreamed of passing hordes of people going into paddock so late on the brakes. Didn't happen - not sure why. Made some good progress in the first few laps and was up to 20th place. With four laps remaining, I entered Clarke Curve and about mid-bend I noticed the front of an orange Aprilia out of the corner of my right eye coming up my inside. He was on a tight entry line and I was on a wide entry line. Needless to say we met in the middle, bumped and I went down. After tumbling head over heels through the gravel I jumped up and ran for cover - noticing that nothing hurt (good sign). I was pretty pissed-off at the time as I thought I was going OK and might a reasonable result. The bike looked a bit of a disaster, but it was all cosmetic. I saw the culprit later - Tony Morrell - and he was quite apologetic.
Best lap 58.73
Vince won the race, of course (best lap 52.89)
The damage - looks worse in the flesh
With a long wait for my second race I spent the time fitting a new sreen and taping-up the fairing.
Race 2 - Row 6. Noticed Tony M was on row 5. Normal start, passed a few people. I wasn't cut-throat enough to pass Juliet Manning. I spent ages following her round. Then Vince sailed past on the Cooper straight and I assumed there'd be a swarm following him - but he was so far in front there was no one. One one else came past before the flag. Vince won it by over ten seconds. Tony M was behind me at the line.
27th of 33 finishers. Best lap 58.92
Lydden - 16th September 2000
Not a championship race, so some of the quick people stayed away.
I was a bit nervous about the journey time as it was our first time out in the motorhome. I was hoping to do without the trailer and start using one of Dave Coopers clip-on adjustable bike racks. The rack arrived four days before the meeting, but after a fair amount of swearing and struggling the bike refused to fit in the rack. Dave's making a new part for me, but due to the fuel "crisis", the courier couldn't deliver. So, trailer it was.
The motorhome did OK on the flats, but it was a bit of a struggle up some of the hills. Anyway, we arrived at 8am in the persistent drizzle and gusty wind (so we we were too nervous to use the awning!).
Scrutineering was fine, if damp. Practice was a ten minute timmed session. The track was wet and very slippery so I started off tip-toeing round. After two laps someone binned it at the Elbowand the sesh was stopped. We sat out on the track waiting for the re-start. The weather was so grim that I was shivering! The sesh was re-started and for the next three laps there seemed to be bikes on the deck at every bend. I started to up the pace a little and thought, on one lap, that the clutch was slipping coming out of the Elbow. Imagine my surprise when the back end suddenly snapped back into line! I slowed down after that. I qualified 41st out of 50 (with a 1.06.17) which put me on the third row of group B.
Race 1 - Nervous at start due to the wet. Juliet Manning lost it on the brakes into the hairpin on the warm-up lap! I managed to stop before running her over - but only just. I had been hoping to do a quickish warm-up lap to get some heat into the tyres - never mind. Following a poor start I think I was last at the end of lap one. I really didn't enjoy the wet track very much at all. I passed a KR1S on the brakes into the hairpin and on the last lap I passed an LC on the rush down to Paddock. Simon Tomlinson lapped me before the end.
16th out of 18 finishers, best lap 1.03.21
Race 2 - During the lunch break the heavens opened. For the first time ever, I decided that if the rain didn't stop by my race, then I wasn't going out. Trying to race on the tyres I'm running in the wet is hopeless.
However, it stopped and I raced. Still wet though. Row 4 this time. Usual poor start, but I managed to keep a few people in sight. Then I started to loose ground on them. I got my head down and caught and passed a couple of people by the flag. Didn't get lapped this time. 14th out of 18 finishers, best lap 1.01.48
Didn't really enjoy the racing too much. Disappointing weather - why do I torment myself by watching the weather forecast beforehand?
Brands - 8th October 2000
Staying over the night before a race is definitely the business. Getting parked-up, having a few drinks and then being able to stay in bed 'til half past seven on race day is luxury in the extreme.
The new Dave Cooper bike rack worked well with the new part Dave made up for me. Top marks Dave - recommended.
Scrooting was fine but the track was well damp for practice. The outlook looked good though.
Race 1 - Row 7. Seemed OK off the line but I was too timid into Paddock and was passed by five or six bikes. I slotted in behind two people I though I could stay with and I eventually worked my way passed them - both on the brakes into Druids. The rest of the field had long gone by this time - I could see the next riders going through Clarke Curve as I came along the bottom straight out of Graham Hill Bend. Lonely race to the finish. 24th of 29 finishers, best lap 59.39. Not pleased with 59s. Vince won.
Race 2 - Row 5. OK off the line, but got pushed around a bit in Paddock. Juliet Manning forced her way passed me - almost elbowing me out of the way - that's the sort of attitude I need in the first turn! I soon got settled and picked my way passed Juliet and a few others. I even felt reasonably quick through some corners. I'm trying to get on the power much earlier in the bends (advice from Vince) and it might be working.
Nev Potts on a 350LC passed me at half distance and I did my best to stay with him. In the last two laps I was reeling him back in, but I'd have needed another two laps to get really close. 22nd of 32 finishers, best lap 57.68. Pleased to get into the 57s at long last. I even lapped a couple of people. Vince won again, but only because Marc Ramsbotham fell down on the last corner.
Race 3 - Row 9. Not sure what I did to deserve row 9! Obviously there was going to be a lot to do. I stuck with Eric Gorridge after the first lap settling - he's speeded up a lot during the year. We both went passed a few people. Didn't feel as fast as earlier in the day and came home 31st of 37 finishers. Best lap 58.70. Vince won again - boring. And he won the other SS400 race that I didn't race in.
So that's the end of racing for 2000. Nice to end on an encouraging note and with trully great weather.
Planning a look at the top end of the TZR and the LC over the winter. I might come back with wets for next year too.
Winter Prep 2000
I've already (October still) done a fair amount of work on the bike for next year. Stripping the engine revealed no signs of wear - so I put it back together quick! I've not checked accurately how many miles I've done on the engine this year, so I'll have a look before I decide for certain that nothing needs replacing.
One thing I did discover was that the radiator had taken a knock from the fall at Brands. I was lucky to get away with no leaks there.
The bodywork looks it'll need attention. I predict a fibreglass repair kit being on Santa's list.
home to SBR....
