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2008 Race Report

by Ian Steltner

Anglsey, my first race.....EVER!!
Now, as most of you will know this island is absolutely miles from anywhere, 250 from my house!
As a track very few of the club will have raced in it's new for this year form I felt ok as no-one will have that advantage over me, so barring my untried bike, lack of race experience and talent I should do ok!
Both of Saturday and Sundays were wet and when the sun did come out for our last race you literally could not see the track as the steam rising off it, it was like a scene from the film 'The Fog'.
Result- a third in class on first race; £4 voucher, Back of the net!!

Lydden Hill.
Give me strength, 215 miles
Another track I've never been to. A lot of people don't like Lyd but for me; I enjoyed it.
Wet was the theme again on the Saturday but I had some good races and my first feeling of the limitations of the chassis with some front end patter (listen to me !! )
Sunday cleared up a bit and I had a couple of decent races.
Result- 3-2nds, 1-3rd; 2-tankards (given for the second race of the day). £9 vouchers (£4+£5 (3rd+ 2nd)) That's the way aha, aha.......

Donington Park.
At last, a 'local' track 90 miles.
First track I've actually been around(one track day, 2 years ago), but it is fair to say everyone else has too, and the grid was heaving. Being Donington a lot of racers made a special effort as this track isn't on the schedule every year and the event  also had a couple of  international races thrown in.
First lap of practice; 'clatter, clatter', clutch in and roll to the pits.
Now, the beauty of the Ducati singles is that to get the head off all you do is, tank, carb, exhaust and plug caps off, 4 bolts and in 10 mins it's off, on doing this I find the circlip holding the oldham coupling sleeve in place had moved, as a result so had the sleeve, end result motor spinning, cam not!!! Game over!!
Well not quite...
Another lad on the same model had a big end failure, so he lent me the bevel tunnel that had broken and I found nigel Lacey (ducati specialists Lacey Engineering) who happened to have a second hand Valve to replace the bent one, various shims and a 50p circlip! 5 1/2hours of my time and where off!!
As a result I raced 2 of the 3 races though the bike was off it's peak I still had some good dices.
Result- found that all is not necassarilly lost, had first front end slide at Mcleans shortly followed by 2 wheel slide at Redgate
(and it rained on the Sunday!)

Cadwell Park.
Now this is Local- 18miles
Being my local circuit I have done a few Trackdays here so was only confident in so much as I knew my way round as well as most and better than a few.
First race went well getting a 2nd and only a few seconds behind the winner
The whole second part of the day was cancelled due to, you guessed it, Rain water logging parts of the track with a lot of standing water.
Second race. In the holding area we were told to cut engines due to an accident and when it came to starting ithe bike would not bump off, I was spitting feathers and had to sit it out watching the race!?!
Third race I was at the back of the grid (P40). I got a great start and by the end of the race finished 15th!
Result- 1 2nd(tankard) and a feeling of what could have been.

Snetterton.
Localish-90 miles.
Another track I have Never ridden, so, at 6.15AM after a poor nights sleep I was up and Walking the track on a wonderful fresh morning with the sun rising, perfect!
The reason I didn't sleep very well was because my dad asked me if I fancied racing his 500 (f#/k Yeah!). He has been developing this bike for about 10 years and it is pretty much as fast as anything in it's class, where my 350 isn't (yet), so I would be riding someone else's bike, on a track I'd never ridden and the forcast was, you guessed it again, lotsa rain!
Fortunatley the practices were dry, as were my first 2 races which gave me a chance to learn the track a bit.
To cut a long story short, on the 350 I managed 3- 2nds and my first class win of the year!

The 500 I managed  2- 4ths, 6th and 7th in what is a much larger grid than my class; result!
2 tankards and £13 vouchers (my wallet and trophy cabinet is by this stage brimful)

 
Brands Hatch.
Not very local- 160 miles (approx)
Yet another track I have not ridden . the stories of paddock hill bend, I must admit, had me a little worried and with my races being concurrent meant that a little help was required (the holding area was miles away from our pit, (thanks Chris and Daryl!!).
I thought, being the indie curcuit, it would be a bit 'tin pot', none of it! It's a great track with the approach to paddock hill being like falling of the edge of the world, then being slammed into the tank as everything bottoms out at the bottom,  the exit of clearways is a real bum clencher as you wind the power on as early as you dare whilst still well over.
Although my results were not great, 2- 4ths, 1- 5th (350).  7th, 12th (twistgrip came loose whilst in 5th) and a DNF whilst 6th (broken crank!! ) (500) i had some of the closest races and probably the best fun of the year

BMF SHOW

‘Through the Eyes of John Smith’

Well it’s been and gone again!

 The build up to this year’s BMF Show came around and it was time for Dave and Debbie and a few helpers to sort out all the necessary kit needed to be taken for the weekend. All the gazebos, tables, chairs, banners, boards, and not to forget the fridge and the generators came out of the Hoyle residence (which is now to be known as the TARDIS). After a few hours of loading the van and caravan Debbie and Jackie returned from Asda with nearly £300 of food for the weekend, this was then loaded and all was set for the following morning.

 The meeting time being 10.00am at Dave & Debbies, final checks and minor repairs being carried out (with Debbie providing a constant flow of coffee/tea) and all was ready. I lead the group to Peterborough via Crowland Bank, the weather was wet but bearable, we got to the East of England Showground at approx 11.15am and passed through the gate without any problems. We found our allocated pitch (seemingly in the middle of a large grass field!), a few minutes later Dave and Debbie arrived with the “MOBILE TARDIS” (otherwise known as the DDJ MOBILE) then, after “marking out territory” we proceeded to unload the gear and set up the caravan and awning plus the four gazebo’s, then came the task of arranging the 14 tents that where to be staying, bearing in mind that we still had 2 more caravans to arrive so space had to be left for these. After all was set up it was time to get the leathers off and put some jeans and a t-shirt, and by this time a sweatshirt as it had cooled down a fair bit. Then we thought it would be a good idea to wash the grass and muck off the bikes at the tap over the road, the least said about this the better but it ended in me tearing the muscle in my right shoulder!

 Saturday got off to a wet start with a constant supply of the wet stuff, but this was off-set by the obscene amount of bacon consumed at breakfast. The positioning of the stand was obviously done by using a blind-fold and a pin as from the road the “Club Village” looked like the camp site, hence the reason for the poor traffic of people. Salad was had for lunch prepared by numerous vaulenteers, then washed and dried by ourselves ready for the next meal. Various people had already sloped off to see what the Show had to offer, but by this time the feedback from people was not looking good.

 The evening meal was basically the side of a cow, the side of a pig, and a small lamb all being cooked by Head Chef Dave Hoyle. This provided more than enough protein for any of us, but there was a healthy salad available for those with a conscience. A few people headed off to the evening entertainment being held in the new buildings, this housed the bands and the bar, I don’t think there would have been any issues but you had to get another wristband for the entrance to the hall, you were not allowed to take your own alcohol in but had to buy their’s at £3.00 A CAN and also you where subject to a search before you where allowed inside. As you can imagine all hell let loose, but that is another story.

 Sunday morning got off to a better start as it was bright sunshine from the off. The bargain hunters(myself included) headed off at the first opportunity but this was not before clearing up another half pig of bacon! Today there was a few more people milling about but not as many as could have been. Towards the end of the day the last minute bargains where snapped up. The final task of the day was to dismantle and pack away into the “TARDIS” all the kit, this was done with military precision by Drill Sergeant Hoyle. At least the ride back was dry and in the sunshine. A few of us headed back to Dave an Debbies to un load the “TARDIS” and finally sit down for a well deserved cup of coffee.

BIKE TEST

‘Ken does Ducati Day at Cadwell Park’

Monday 7th May 2008 - a day I shall remember, as I was able to test ride the 2008 Ducati 848 and 1098 at Cadwell Park. Below I have given some basic specification and performance details for each bike followed by my impressions of riding the bikes on track. Please remember I am neither a journalist nor a bike tester, just an ordinary Joe who rides bikes for the sheer pleasure of it. After my test rides I had a one-to-one tuition session from Pete (Boastie) Boast, one of our top short track riders. He made a couple of criticisms - I need to move around more on the bike and I could use a bit more of the track which would give me better drive and turn exit speed. If I would have had this session with him before my test rides I could probably have got more out of the two bikes I tried. All in all though today left one 74 year-old pensioner with a great big grin on his face.

What are they like to ride?
The smaller machine has nearly all the knobs and whistles of its bigger brother but has a much more readily usable power output. The bike is not intimidating and I felt in charge most of the time once I had got used to the power delivery and the 9500ish rpm rev-limiter. I think that the chassis is happiest on smooth surfaces as I could feel even the slight irregularities of the Cadwell track distinctly. This bike is quite tiny and I did not find it as comfortable as my CBR600RR-7 although more comfortable than I had expected. Although it makes good peak power this smaller of the two engines, probably unsurprisingly, does not have the same low down grunt of its bigger sibling. The big Ducati is impressively powerful and can be ridden hard or lazily whichever suits the mood of the moment. It is smooth and steady with superb handling, exhilarating acceleration and excellent brakes. Of the two bikes, much to my surprise, I ended up preferring the 1098. Brief details (Cost, Power O/P, Weight and Top Speed) and my on-track impressions are given below.


Ducati 848.
Price: £9500.
Power: 122.5bhp.
Weight (Wet): 194.7kg.
Top Speed: 165mph.

On the face of it the 848 is of a similar weight to my CBR6RR, has about another 10bhp in its trousers and the same top speed. 0 - 60 in 3.63 s, a standing start 1/4 mile is covered in 11.39 seconds with a terminal velocity of 130mph. 40 - 120 roll on in top gear takes 15.95 seconds. This bike is as quick as the old 999. Overall spec is good, fuel injection, six speed box, chain drive, the usual chromoly steel tube trellis chassis, 43mm USD forks, adjustable for preload, rebound and compression, mono-shock rear again adjustable for preload, rebound and compression. Two 320mm discs with four piston radial callipers haul the bike to a stop aided by a 245mm, 2 piston calliper system at the rear. Tyres are the usual 120/70/ZR17 at the front with 180/55/ZR17 at the rear. Fuel capacity is, to my mind, a bit lacking at 15.5ltrs.

On the track with the 848.
Out of the paddock onto the Cadwell track, the bike is fairly light and was easily swung left - right - left - right through Hall Bends to the Hairpin. Drive out of the Hairpin was good. Coming out of Barn onto the Start/Finish straight and winding the throttle open, the torque available was immediately evident but, just as I was expecting 'power' to come in hard, the bike was stuttering on the rev-limiter. Quick rethink needed - this was a V-twin I was riding and the engine characteristics were very different from the 14,000+ rpm I was used to as the rev-limiter was coming in at somewhere round the 9,500 rpm mark by the feel of it. I was no longer able to equate engine revs with speed either (as demonstrated by an approach to the Mountain that had me running rather wide on the hard left turn in just before the right up the Mountain rise). I decided to treat the bike as though I was riding my own machine but 'short shifting' in every gear. Now it made sense, plenty of torque to thrust the bike out of the slower bends and changing gear just before the rev-limiter cut in I was seeing about 120+ at the end of Park Straight. As I got used to the 848 I felt that it needed to be ridden hard and precisely to get the best out of it and would have liked more time to get properly acquainted than the eight laps I managed. The brakes were excellent slowing the bike time after time, turn after turn with no hint of fade. Overall feeling? A delightful little machine, more comfortable than I had expected, an excellent track-day tool with superb handling and excellent brakes. The suspension, I thought, was a little harsh but presumably a few tweaks here and there would have softened it up nicely for road use. Would I swap my CBR6RR for one? - The jury is still out on that one.

Ducati 1098.
Price: £11,250.
Power: 142.2bhp.
Weight (Wet): 198.8kg.
Top Speed: 169.6mph.

0 - 60 in 3.01seconds, a standing start 1/4 mile is covered in 10.63 seconds with a terminal velocity of 139mph. 40 - 120 roll on in top gear takes 12.15 seconds.

So, compared with the 848 it is 0.62 of a second faster to 60mph, at the end of the quarter mile it is 9mph faster and takes 0.76 of a second less time to devour the 440yds. In the 40 - 120 roll on the big Ducati is 3.8 seconds quicker, all from a 250cc hike in capacity.

Overall spec is, as one would expect, impressive. Fuel injection, six speed box, chain drive, chromoly steel tube trellis chassis, 43mm USD forks, adjustable for pre-load, rebound and compression, mono-shock rear, again adjustable for pre-load, rebound and compression plus ride height. Two 330mm discs with four piston radial callipers slow the bike down as required assisted by a 245mm disc and 2 piston calliper at the rear. Tyres are the typical of the larger superbikes at 120/70/ZR17 at the front with 190/55/ZR17 at the rear. Fuel capacity is, to my mind, a bit lacking at 15.5ltrs.

On the track with the 1098.
Much to my surprise I felt at home on the 1098 as soon as I left the paddock. The machine felt more stable than its smaller sibling, slipped through Hall Bends like a mink up a rabbit hole and seemed to have a much more usable rev range than its little brother. By the time I had completed the first lap I was grinning like a Cheshire cat inside my helmet. The engine performance is incredible thrusting you forward as though there was a rocket strapped to your back. The brakes felt like applying reverse thrust in a Boeing 747, pinning the bike to the track and killing the speed with frightening efficiency - I can say without any fear of contradiction these were the best brakes I have ever used on any bike. I tried trailing the brakes into a few bends and although it did make the bike 'sit up' slightly a little nudge on the bars soon had the 1098 back on line. This is a track-orientated machine and on the track it excels. It was also much more comfortable than I had expected. The power characteristics could be somewhat intimidating if the right wrist was used over exuberantly making the front very light on more than one occasion. As today was the first time I had ridden a large V-twin I exercised a little caution and was rewarded with a very enjoyable ride.

Overall feeling? The 1098 is a stunning machine in every respect, power, torque, acceleration, brakes, handling, and superb road holding - this bike has it all and it devoured the track with a very deceptive smoothness. This was a machine I did not want to hand back and I would quite happily have ridden it all day. The big question, 'Would I want to own one?' if money was no object you bet your sweet life I would! So Mr Ducati, if you happen to have a spare one you don't need, I'm over here!

Ken Lines.

THE THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE

‘Walk to Help Shannon Walk’

Here is their report: