Racing 2023

storm42

storm42

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All change again for this year, I wasn't going to bother with this but someone asked the other day so here is another racing thread for you all.

The last race at Cadwell in 2022 presented me with the opportunity of buying a Manx, this is a bucket list bike for me, and whilst I really want to sort the ES2 out, and what I paid for the Manx would have done that, I couldn't resist the pull of racing a Manx.

I made a couple of changes before I took it on track, I raised the seat an inch and lowered and moved back the footrests, I took the dead battery pack out of the Interspan ignition and now have a remote battery hanging from the frame. I fitted new tyres and headed off to the Mallory test day at the end of March, cold and wet was the order of the day and my nice shiny Manx, leathers and helmet were well and truly baptised.

The bike was as expected apart from the front drum, it didn't fail but when the marshals were standing up every time i approached the hairpin, I figured it needed improving.

The first race was at Mallory mid April and I took the front end off the Petty ES2, the drum from that is 30mm bigger and I didn't remember having problems with it before. The practice session showed I had made the right decision, the brake was a fair bit better.

The first days racing went well and apart from a MT125R Honda buzzing us (horrible smelly thing) I got two 3rd places, I am happy with that, new bike and all that. That Honda was put in our race on a not for points basis and the corner entry speed was unbelievable, so much so I went to find it in the paddock because I was convinced it didn't have any brakes.

We woke up Sunday to a damp track and for some reason I couldn't get going, I was still third in class though but the fly in the ointment this time was Merv on his old Rudge, girder forks, no rear suspension and running on methanol, his speed round Gerrards was fun to see.

Second race Sunday was dry but cold and it was back to normal, another 3rd. The biggest shock for me came a couple of days later when I looked at my lap time from the year before when I was on the ES2, despite only doing 2 races on the ES2, and 4 races on the Manx, both the first time out on the bikes and both at Mallory, I was 0.2 of a second faster on the ES2. I think it was a lot warmer a year ago so I should get faster on the Manx.

Next race weekend is at Cadwell park 13/14th may.

ManxMallory.jpg
 
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Good stuff Ralph and thanks for posting!

A bucket full of thirds is pretty good, first time out and all.

Good luck for Cadwell yewth, looking forward to the race report already !
 
Ralph, I enjoy reading of your exploits.
These threads allow me go racing vicariously. The cost is low and I can carry on for years, as long as you stay in shape for racing!

Glen
 
storm42 said:
All change again for this year, I wasn't going to bother with this but someone asked the other day so here is another racing thread for you all.

The last race at Cadwell in 2022 presented me with the opportunity of buying a Manx, this is a bucket list bike for me, and whilst I really want to sort the ES2 out, and what I paid for the Manx would have done that, I couldn't resist the pull of racing a Manx.

I made a couple of changes before I took it on track, I raised the seat an inch and lowered and moved back the footrests, I took the dead battery pack out of the Interspan ignition and now have a remote battery hanging from the frame. I fitted new tyres and headed off to the Mallory test day at the end of March, cold and wet was the order of the day and my nice shiny Manx, leathers and helmet were well and truly baptised.

The bike was as expected apart from the front drum, it didn't fail but when the marshals were standing up every time i approached the hairpin, I figured it needed improving.

The first race was at Mallory mid April and I took the front end off the Petty ES2, the drum from that is 30mm bigger and I didn't remember having problems with it before. The practice session showed I had made the right decision, the brake was a fair bit better.

The first days racing went well and apart from a MT125R Honda buzzing us (horrible smelly thing) I got two 3rd places, I am happy with that, new bike and all that. That Honda was put in our race on a not for points basis and the corner entry speed was unbelievable, so much so I went to find it in the paddock because I was convinced it didn't have any brakes.

We woke up Sunday to a damp track and for some reason I couldn't get going, I was still third in class though but the fly in the ointment this time was Merv on his old Rudge, girder forks, no rear suspension and running on methanol, his speed round Gerrards was fun to see.

Second race Sunday was dry but cold and it was back to normal, another 3rd. The biggest shock for me came a couple of days later when I looked at my lap time from the year before when I was on the ES2, despite only doing 2 races on the ES2, and 4 races on the Manx, both the first time out on the bikes and both at Mallory, I was 0.2 of a second faster on the ES2. I think it was a lot warmer a year ago so I should get faster on the Manx.

Next race weekend is at Cadwell park 13/14th may.

View attachment 106325
Click to expand...
A Manx will usually oversteer if you gas it early in corners, If you are not in the habit of trying that, the effect is not obvious. Most modern riders lean their bike as far as possible and ride very gently through corners. A Manx is different to more modern bikes. And your ES2 is probably a converted road bike, it would have different geometry and weight distribution. With a Manx the weight is well forward and low and should feel more positive. Try accelerating a bit harder and earlier when coming out of corners. Also the Manx should tip into corners easier than a road bike.
 
Fast Eddie said:
And that’s cos 10% have got one !
Click to expand...
The 1961 500cc Manx I rode was offered to me for $1300 in 1974. I knocked it back. When I was a kid, a sodium-filled exhaust valve for a Manx cost 15 pounds, and a piston was 30 pounds - that totals three week's wages. I had 3 mates who owned Manxes in the 1950s - I thought they were insane. If you owned a Manx, back then, you would be up-graded almost immediately. For about one-fifth of the price of a Manx, you could buy a speedway bike and earn enough money riding it, to buy a new one each year.
 
A bit late but here is a bit about Cadwell.

Cool but dry for most of the weekend, although the racing was delayed Sunday because of a heavy mist, we couldn't start until the marshal posts could see each other.

The first race went well, got off to a decent start and ended up on my own for most of the race, in the last two laps i was catching a rider (Jack Hebb) fairly quickly and by the time I got to the hairpin on the last lap I was right on his rear wheel, I had decided to get him in the last corner and as luck would have it, he missed a gear which sent him wide and I got under him and just in front and managed to hold him to the line to take the place, I could see him stretching his throttle cable trying to get past and we were side by side to the line, good fun I was 4th in class and Jack 5th in class.

The second race was a repeat of the first in so much as I was on my own for most of it, but caught Jack again in the same place, I had it in mind to do the same as the first race and get him in the last bend, but this time he didn't miss a gear so we were side by side right to the line and this time the time keepers could not separate us, race time was 10:38.09 for each of us, a dead heat, I got the place again because whilst chasing him down I put in a lap 3 seconds faster than him, same result, 4th and 5th in class. I was starting to have fun.

Jack came and found me in the paddock after that one and we had a chat about the race, I think he thought I had been following him and pouncing at the last minute, I did explain that wasn't the case, he did say that he is prone to taking a nap when on his own in a race.

I have fitted a Gardner carb to the bike for eligibility reasons and it was Jack that sold me the carb, he had not had any luck getting it to work on his 4 valve Manx and after Chris had contacted him for me about Gardners, he decided to move it on, good for me.

Sunday and after the fog had cleared it was back to the track to try and beat Jack fair and square, hmm, it seems that bike racers don't like being beaten, Jack's early race pace was carried through to the end of the race, I finished 1.5 seconds behind him in the first race 3rd and 4th in class and the second race was worse at 5 seconds behind and 3rd and 4th again in class.

Still, when we left Mallory I was third in the championship behind Jack and Mick Baldwin, because of personal issues Mick didn't attend Cadwell, and as the other guys that finished in front of us were not at Mallory, Jack still leads the championship and I moved up to second.

Roll on Pembrey.

Good grip on the grass :)
Racing 2023
 
Thanks for the write up Ralph. Sounds like you’re having a ball !

Russ at Torque Tune near Newark is a master with Gardeners Ralph. Could make all the difference chasing Jack !
 
I was there just after Pembrey, I wasn't far out with how I had it, but it was going weak after 7200rpm, I have opened out the jet in the float bowl to increase the flow, it seemed better at the Bob Mac the other weekend but I need to go back to Russ to confirm it is right now. It only made 52 bhp but with no appreciable dips in power all the way up to where it went a bit weak.

The bike is very close to Jacks so it is me that needs to get better, I am learning from Jack now I can get close to him.
 
storm42 said:
I was there just after Pembrey, I wasn't far out with how I had it, but it was going weak after 7200rpm, I have opened out the jet in the float bowl to increase the flow, it seemed better at the Bob Mac the other weekend but I need to go back to Russ to confirm it is right now. It only made 52 bhp but with no appreciable dips in power all the way up to where it went a bit weak.

The bike is very close to Jacks so it is me that needs to get better, I am learning from Jack now I can get close to him.
Click to expand...

I wouldn’t say ‘only’ as I think Russ’ dyno is one of the more honest…
 
I had a run up to Scotland to race in the Bob Mac classic at East Lothian. This is a brilliant race meeting and well worth the trip up the road.

The down side is the big hitters that enter it so there is no running up the front, not a problem but I kept getting tangled with a T500 Spewzuki which held me up in the corners but shot past on the straights, it was getting annoying and definitely hurt my lap time and the opportunity to learn from other singles in the race, my fastest lap was when i got past and had a lap without him in the way.

As it turned out he beat me 3 times to me getting the upper hand twice. Still a good meet though and there is a lot of interesting machines turn up. There was a 500 Gilera doing parade laps, I don't know if it was the one that Bob did the first 100mph IOM lap on but it looked and sounded the part.
 
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