September 1998

It's only recently that I've decided it might be a "good idea" to have a go at the racing lark. Secretly, I guess it's been on my mind for a while - but a number of things happened this year that forced me to make my mind up. Firstly, the LC has been sitting unused in the back of the garage for a year - partly because it needs a crank (other than me), and partly because I have another bike. So, it was either sell it or track it. Secondly, I did a race school and a track day and enjoyed both. Thirdly, I enjoy spannering - so prep'ing a bike for the track appeals to me.

Next step was to get this idea approved by the rest of the household. This went surprisingly smoothly following an explanation of how much safer it is to ride on the track where there's no cars, lorries, horse-shit, etc. The kids were disappointed they won't see me on Eurosport until next year !! They also gave me strict instructions regarding wheelie pulling when I win ! I didn't have the heart to tell them I'll be wobbling around at the back of the field.

So far, so good. Now to the bike. Well, I've always taken a close look at the LC's in the paddock at club race meetings, so I've a fair idea about what's needed. The biggest problem, as always, will be finance. To start with I may be forced to run crap tyres, crap suspension and a not-very-powerful engine. So it's essentials first. These include: new crank, footpegs, clip-ons and a few bits and pieces (plugs, jets, etc.).

I've started stripping the bike - no really nasty surprises yet, other than an incredible amount of grease and dirt ! A few bits of the frame are rusty as well, so I'll need to get handy with the paint brush.

The barrels are good, but standard - so I'll need me files there ! The chains knackered, but I've already got a new one. The front sprocket has a had its lot too, so I've sent for one from MPS. I've decided to treat myself to some new (rather than second-hand) rearsets (from those nice people at TAGG Racing who give LC Club discount) and some steel clip-ons (for durability). The bottom end will go to Taymar for refurb (but I need to put some money aside for that).

For anyone who doesn't already know about it, there's an RD web site at http://rd.linefeed.com and there are a number of RD/YPVS racers who are regulars in the discussion forum there. I've already had to ask a few stupid questions - but the response in the forum has been great - advice freely given.

Other things I'm going to need are: club membership (don't know whether that'll be BMCRC or New-Era), eye test and/or medical, ACU licence and a novice jacket. I guess I need to think about some spares (plugs, etc.), transport to circuits, somewhere to test, etc.

Late September 1998

I'd never taken the airbox off of an LC before. It's bloody enormous ! I thought I'd take it out before the engine came out - and it was a bit of a squeeze. The engine came out OK, although some of the bolts are pretty rusty - stainless steel required there then. Most of the bike is already held together with stainless fasteners because, if there's one thing I hate, it's rusty nuts! (and bolts). If it wasn't for the cost, it'd be nice to use titanium, but stainless will have to suffice.

I've put the TAGG Racing rearsets together now - and what a treat they are. They're all alloy and use the standard footrest hangers, which I prefer. They look the business and are a lot cheaper than some of the other makes you see advertised in the bike part catalogues.

Speaking of good kit, I also had to get another exhaust for a TZR125 I'm running at the moment. The original standard exhaust was completely clogged-up. Swarbrick looked like a good option and, although they only give discount for LC Club if you're buying exhausts for more than one bike, the quality of the kit is tops - I was blown away by the standard of workmanship. The price is really competitive too, even without the discount.

I got a letter from New Era race club which specifies what you can and cannot do to the bike. Most of it is pretty straight forward, however, I think the electrical side may prove challenging. You can remove the obvious bits e.g. lights, horn, etc. but, you can also run without a battery. Suddenly I'm nervous. Think I'll have to take a very long look at the wiring diagram (why do they never look like what's on the bike?) before I get stuck in with the cutters.

Very Late September 1998

I thought it would be a good idea to put the fork spacers from my spare forks into the ones that are on the bike. This went much better than expected; I'd really struggled with this before, but this time I managed to rig up a "Heath Robinson" apparatus involving a Black & Decker Workmate, a heavy piece of machinery, two screwdrivers, a long bolt and some mole grips. Excellent. Had it sorted in no time. I'd never had the spare forks apart before, and the spacers turned out to be "proper" kit: 15mm lengths of pipe. I was expecting car wheel nuts, which I'm told work OK.

Of course, while I was working on the front end, I thought I'd clean the calipers, make sure they still work, etc. The pads were finished, so they went in the bin. I freed the pistons using the old "vice and large socket" trick. Then I got to the bleed nipples. These looked very rusty - one was OK, but the other one, well, seized is a bit of an under statement. A spanner slipped on it, a socket rounded the corners and the mole grips are just ripping bits of metal off of the nipple without moving it. It's beginning to look like a job for the blow torch - the theory being that if you heat it all up, the alloy of the caliper will expand faster than the steel of the nipple, thus releasing it. I'll give it another go with the mole grips first though. And I'm going to get some stainless steel bleed nipples!

Mole grips: best tool in the garage, I don't think! - but they did me proud this time. One final go with the grips before lighting the blow torch did the trick. Now I can get on with me life again. Not that I was obsessed with a single sticking bolt or anything.

Next on the list: paint the frame and sort the electrics (a bit).

October 1998

I thought those stainless steel bleed nipples would be a real god-send. And maybe they will, but one of them seems to let brake fluid out no matter how much I tighten it. Maybe I got some grit in the seat of the caliper. Other than that the brakes have gone together very well. I must remember to bed the pads in properly when I first take the bike out.

The bottom end has now gone to Taymar for a re-build, so I need to watch the money a bit carefully this month. I've managed to find a part-worn tyre for the front (through another racer) and I also noticed whilst at Taymar that they have a small selection of part-worn fronts. These represent a major saving over the cost of a new tyre. The part-worn ones come in at between £20 and £35, whereas a new one is £84 plus VAT. The front is an Avon AM22 110/80 (Club compound). I don't imagine I'll be so fortunate as to find a part-worn rear, but if anyone knows of such an Avon AM23 130/650 (Club compound) I'd be more than interested to know.

I've written to BMCRC (again) to ask for details of joining the club.

Next on the list: paint the frame and sort the electrics (a bit).

I did a little bit of work on the frame last weekend - just rubbing some of the rust off and applying primer. I can't be bothered to do the whole frame, so I'm just doing the worst bits. Lazy or what? I've painted some black on the frame too now, so it's beginning to look a bit better. It'll need a second coat though, which is a pain.

I collected the bottom end of the engine from Taymar at the weekend. The list of parts is something like: new crank bearings throughout, one new crank web, welded crank, new seals, one new gearbox bearing, new rods, bushed gear selector shaft, drilled and lock-wired sump plug. While I was at Taymar I also bought an oil pump blank plate and some carb jets (320s and 330s). I asked for some advice on pre-mix and they reckon that 40:1 should be OK so long as I stick to a good quality fully synthetic. I also asked about the temperature gauge sender, since the electrical connection bit has broken off mine. They said they use electrical temp gauges that have a probe fitted through a bolt. Sounds too good to be cheap, but they reckon about £25 when they've got them in stock. So I'll put one of those on the list.

I've pulled my carbs to bits and put in the air correctors and 330 main jets. I think the only other thing for the carbs is blocking off the oil feed holes for the oil pump. I've also removed the oil pump activation cable from the throttle cable junction box.

Late October 1998

Made some good progress in the garage this weekend (while the gales were wrecking the garden, fences, etc.). Completed a number of exploratory rebuilds of the top end of the engine. I had decided not to go for any skimming at this stage since I figured I'll be more in need of a reliable and flexible engine that I can sort out myself, rather than a real missile. So I've been playing with gaskets and squish to get close to the recommended optimum. The main job left to do on the top end is the raising of the exhaust port - I'll leave that for when I'm really bored (or for when it's too cold to work in the garage and I need something to do indoors).

I'm obsessed with the irrational need to lock-wire things! I don't know why, but I've got the urge to lock-wire everything. Perhaps it's because it's a "race" thing to do. I'll have to go easy though, otherwise every nut and bolt will be a major hurdle to remove. So far it's just the gearbox oil drain bolt and the gearbox filler stick thing. Desperate to do some more though!

Generally, the list of things that need doing seems to be getting longer! I guess it's only when you start to work on the bike that you to notice some of them.

In the end, I couldn't be arsed with the second coat of paint for the frame. I'm sure one coat will do - it'll have to! Perhaps I should sort out a paint scheme for the tank and side panels. The base will have to be black ('cos I can't be bothered to paint the whole thing). I think I've got some red and some white in the garage; so it may just be a case of deciding what the pattern will be.

Very Late October 1998

I decided it was time to sort out the rear brake torque arm. I naively thought I'd bend the original one to clear a fatter rear tyre. Ho, ho. I gave it a couple of almighty thumps with a cub hammer (after taking it off the bike!) and succeeded only in jarring my wrist (bad news, or what!! - that'll need some intensive physio!). This thing could hold up a building! I found a piece of tubing lying around the garage which I've now drilled and painted ready for fitting.

I've also done some real sorting of the engine. I raised the exhaust port a little, checked the squish (which is now 1.2mm, and hence could be a little closer) and set the ignition timing. That was a real treat - what a joy to use an instrument like a dial gauge. I guess I can put the engine back in the frame now; though I'll finish the brake torque arm first.

I've not lock-wired anything yet!

Early November 1998

Torque arm painted and fitted. I've also cut myself some new stainless exhaust studs. The original set were a real mixed bunch - all sorts of lengths and shapes. I cut the first one by hand - what a chore! It took ages and blunted my hacksaw blade. For the other three I used the mini angle grinder with a steel cutting disc - it was like going through butter (well, almost). And, after a bit of filing to tidy the ends up, they fit a treat.

Big progress: put the engine back in the frame. Now it looks a bit like a bike again. I've painted the barrels and head and stuck those on too. I've used all new stainless fasteners to hold the engine - what a joy to work with new bolts. I couldn't resist putting the rearsets on as well. They look really race. Once the carbs and exhausts are on, I could have a go at starting it. Now I'm nervous.

Late November 1998

I think I've had a bit of a result. I found a guy that was breaking an old LC Formula 2 racer. He was going to re-build it into a racer again, but he was more than a few bits short, so decided to break it. Apparently it was a very quick bike; TZ crank and Femsa ignition, barrels relined with an extra transfer port, 36mm powerjet carbs, etc. When it raced (approx. 10 years ago) the last thing it did was miss a gear. The guy showed me the bottom end, which had a broken rod and lots of metal bits in the bearings. However, I'm now the very proud owner of a Spax shock plus a few other useful bits and pieces; such as a neat alloy rear brake torque arm, a paddock "footpeg" side stand, a selection of sprockets, etc.

I used a little heat (blow lamp!) to remove the oil feed nipples from the carbs, and then filled the holes with JB Weld. This stuff is a sort of mix-together paste (from two tubes) which hardens into an alloy that you can machine etc., if you wish. For me, it was enough just to plug the holes. The carbs are now back on the engine, together with the K&N type filters. It seems the general consensus is that these types of filter can be harmful to power delivery because of the end-cap on the filter. Most racers seem to prefer the full foam type power filters, because of the lack of end-cap. I'll see how I get on with what I've got to start with.

I did the world's muckiest job at the weekend - de-coked the baffles. I used a blow lamp (again) to dry and harden the oil deposits and then wire brushed them off. It's always a messy job though. I now need to paint the pipes before refitting them.

I've been gripped by enthusiasm to fit the Spax shock. I soon realised that I will need to remove the remaining bit of rear mudguard so that I can get at the damping adjuster once the shock is fitted. This has meant a re-think on the wiring front. I was going to leave most of the wiring loom in place, but it was going to be in the way - so I've stripped it out. I just need to tidy up the bits and pieces that are left over now.

And, a bit later??. The shock is now fitted! These things are never ever as straight-forward as you might expect. I got the old standard shock and plastic mudguard out OK, but as soon as the new one was fitted I realised that the spacers (that stop the shock sliding about on the mounting pins) were a bit too short. Eventually, after three "fittings", I got there - and it looks a real treat - very race indeed. When the old bits came off, however, I noticed a lot more rust on the frame! Can I be bothered to do anything about it, or should I leave myself something to do later in the season?

I fitted the new alloy rear brake torque arm too - and that wasn't a straight fit. How come all these bits come off of one LC, and won't go straight on another?!

The good (!) news on the wiring front is that when I went to untangle the remains of the loom from the shock/mudguard, it came off the bike completely and fell to the floor in a heap! I am determined to consider this a fortunate occurrence that will give me the opportunity to sort the wiring out properly rather than be tempted to botch it up.

I've had an eye test now and, of course, got the optician to sign the ACU licence application form. Because I sit in front of a VDU, the company I work for kindly paid for the eye test.

I've seen the provisional dates for 1999 meetings for both BMCRC and New Era. I was disappointed with New Era because Donington and Castle Combe are not on the list for LC's and there's only one meeting at Brands - in October!

(Christmas is coming!)

Early December 1998

I've applied for my licence now. And I've arrange to have a tow-bar put on the car. I still need a trailer, and although they're not that expensive in the scheme of things, it's all beginning to add up. Plus I still need a fire extinguisher and a rear tyre. Oh dear, debtsville hear we come. It's always like this coming up to Christmas - then you have to wait for almost six weeks to get paid at the end of January.

Anyway, I did some more painting at the weekend - that's cheap! I decided to tackle the acres of rusty frame tubes that were previously hidden by part of the rear mudguard. So some sanding and priming was done. I also removed some of the rust from the front of the exhausts and painted them with Pot Black. Before the exhausts go back on I need to remove the sidestand and its frame lug. That's one for the angle grinder. After putting the exhausts on I only need to lash-up the wiring and I should (hopefully) be able to start it up. It will be a major relief to hear the thing going again.

I'd had a bit of trouble with the gear linkage for the new rearsets. The thread on the new rod (from the lever to the splined gearbox shaft) was cut in a different direction to the old rod at the splined shaft end (if you know what I mean!). When I spoke to Andy at TAGG Racing he suggested that I had the wrong attachment on the splined shaft. He's gonna send me what he thinks is the right one.

December 1998

I didn't get a lot done during the early part of December because the road hack kept playing up and I had to spend some time fixing it. Anyway, last weekend I managed to get a bit more done on the LC. In fact, it felt like major progress. One evening during the previous week I cut the side stand lug off and did all of the gloss painting required on the frame. With that out of the way I could see my way clear to fitting the exhausts, which was pretty straight forward. I also sorted out the wiring. There was so little of the original loom left that it really only took a few minutes to connect the remnants up and try for some sparks. Low and behold - bloody sparks!! I was absolutely chuffed to bits to see the plugs producing little blue sparkly bits. I've had a nagging "what if the electrics don't work"? feeling in the back of my mind for some time, so this came as a great relief. Flushed with success, I went on to fit the steering damper, tank, seat and side panels. This was all a bit previous, but I wanted to see it as a whole(ish) bike again. Doesn't look bad either, apart from the tatty paint job. I had a bit of a sit on it and the pegs seem quite high; be OK though. I'll have to raise the bars a fraction to get good clearance from the steering damper on full lock.

I've set the rearsets up now that all the bits have arrived from TAGG. All seems very good, though I'm still none the wiser about the thread direction fiasco. I've started cutting up bits of plastic to act as a shield between the rear tyre and the air filters, just in case it's not a completely dry season in '99.

I'd like to sort the rev counter mounting out, but I'm still waiting for Taymar to come up with a temperature gauge. If the worst comes to the worst, I'll cable tie the rev counter on for some engine test runs. I might try to start it up next weekend if time allows. One of the throttle cables is sticking slightly (you can hear one carb slide closing after the other) so I'll sort that out first. I might try to tidy up the wiring too - some of the wires are too long so it all looks a bit spaghetti-ish.

On the admin side, I?ve received my ACU licence and novice bib (a stylish piece of equipment - I can't imagine why people want to get rid of them asap).

Late Mid December 1998

Yep, almost Christmas. I had a look in the carbs to see why one might be sticking and to oil the last part of the cable. One of the slides was a bit sticky with oil - I'm not sure where that came from. I did loads of little details like: sorting out a catch bottle, making a master cylinder protector, fitting the rev counter, adjusting the gear lever, fitting the chain, etc. It's now in a position where it could be ridden - only coolant and petrol/oil needs to be added. I will try to give it a quick blast around the block over the holiday period.

I managed to get the old front tyre off of my spare wheel, so I'll paint that and then try re-fitting it. That will tell me whether or not I need to get the professionals involved with tyre fitting.

(Christmas is still coming! But it's a bit nearer now.)