Getting There ...
| Some people just don't understand Kiwi initiative and budget restrictions! We received some strange looks from other race teams as Nigel Healy and I arrived at the ferry terminal all kitted up on our race bikes. Our R1's were barely run in so the more miles on them the better, plus Bill Smith had leased his transporter and two R6's to the Argentinean newcomers. No room for us but at least there was room for our gear on it. |
Bill Smith's Transporter
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Sunday 28th May:
Setting Up ...
The morning was spent doing the final prep work on the bikes. I removed the side stand, taped up the lights and stuck some numbers on. I also replaced the standard brake pads with EBC double H items. The production Metzeler's would be fine for the first few sessions. The two Argentinean's were naturally anxious to get some laps in before the evening practice. As Nigel had two bikes to prepare, and I thought I might get an idea on suspension set up, I offered to lead them around. An offer I was soon to regret, I had forgotten how bad the open roads are during TT fortnight. The traffic was diabolical and the police were out in force. They don't worry about race bikes being ridden on open roads, but they hit speedsters with hefty fines, except for the mountain where there is no speed limit. It took us one hour to cover 38 miles and there were at least 30,000 more spectators still to arrive.It was six o'clock before I knew it. I made my way up to Glencrutchery Road and joined the large queue that had already formed at the start line. It's a first come first serve basis but it's wise to let the fastest riders get to the front of the cue. The first lap was my look lap, remembering braking markers and checking out the bumps. Mark Robinson (from Christchurch) zipped past me just before Ballacraine and I followed him for the rest of the lap. I then upped the pace a little to put in a 106 mph lap, about fifteen seconds inside the qualifying time. Ian Duffus was the fastest man that evening at 118 mph.The R1 felt great, I was confident and looking forward to pushing it harder next session. It became quite stable once the Extreme Tech damper was on max but I felt it could pull a tooth smaller than standard on the rear sprocket. There were no 530 pitch sprockets on the Island and Monday being a Bank Holiday it would be Wednesday before one would arrive. |
