2017 Phillip Island Irving Vincent dnf's

Apart from Roger Winfield's UK team again coming out overall winners at this years Phillip Island classic, the meeting was memorable for the retirement through mechanical problems of the two Irving Vincents. Usually very reliable, these retirements following on from a sensational engine blow up at a race meeting last year, would seem to indicate the engines are being pushed extremely hard, and are currently running on a ragged edge regarding reliability.
The engine blowup mentioned above can be seen via YouTube as 'Irving Vincent engine blowup', by all accounts the result of a con rod letting go - quite spectacular!

The story circulating around the paddock after the retirements, focussed on the organisers refusing the Horner brothers permission to use their own fuel, and had insisted that they use the fuel as supplied to all teams competing. It was being suggested that this change to the official supplied fuel was the reason behind the breakdowns.

Apparently smarting from a defeat by the Winfield UK team for the third year running, the Aussie's are talking about upping their rider talent for next year, by bringing Troy Bayliss and Troy Corser into their team. If the Irving Vincent's can find their former reliability, the 2018 meeting should be something special.

Wow, great clip!

It also clearly shows the difference between an owner-builder-rider and a hired rider...

The owner-builder-rider IMMEDIATELY inspects the bike as close as he can, immediately going into problem solving mode, working out what the damage is, physical and financial, and has his mind full of how to fix it in time for the next meeting...

The hired rider removes his helmet and goes for a coffee without a thought for the poor beast!

Amazing. Glad he saved it so effortlessly.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=momHd-W6IWg[/video]

Truely amazing, but he was lucky it didn't spit him off.

Ashley

I would like to know if they are running Carillo rods. Terry Prince doesn't use Carillo with his cranks as he says Carillo rods have the H section the wrong way for strength.
Terry is also pushing the HP envelope with 165 RWHP on his fuel injected 1360 running on methanol. In many ways he is pushing things further than Horner's as his cases are old original 45 hp Vincent cases that have been welded up to accept the bigger crank.
Horners started with Terry's top ends but are now using their own designs for everything.
Their first motor which used the TP top ends made 135 HP from 1300 CC . I believe they won the Battle of the Twins with that one.
Things have moved on, 135 HP isn't enough to win that competition now.

Glen