Goodwood 78th members meeting

Chris

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Hi
I finally got to do Goodwood & I've got to say it was a brilliant weekend. Loved the crowd, dressing up, the cars, the bikes, the noise, the buz! Not to mention spitfires taking of from the middle of the circuit.
As usual with me nothing went smoothly. Bent the pushrods on the 8 valve starting it on the rollers! This was a couple of days before the off.
I stripped the motor & went through it. Its an engine out job. Traced it to "tightening" the rocker feed nuts. Turns out the Thackeray washers had cut/worn the inside of the rocker boxes & when I tightened everything up during pre race prep. I had pulled the spindles through, the shoulder of the spindle locking up the timing side rockers. Took the bike in the van on the Friday, engine in ancillarys in a box. Too much to do not enough time. I took the North as back up. Got the bike pretty much together, ie just needing wiring exhausts fairing sticking back on when I cracked the oil pipe at the junction block. Luckily I was allowed to enter the North.
Setting up in the paddock & having a walk round meant the evening disappearing quickly, there was so much to see. We followed on by griddling some burgers & having a not so early night as we consoled ourselves over a few ciders to running a bike ive only ridden once! Did I say the gearchange is on the wrong side & the wrong direction lol. I had mentioned before that I could be lapped 3 or uncomfortably 4 times during the race because of some of the riders out there. But then I was there to ride the circuit & have some fun.
Didn't quite feel that way on Saturday morning after a great start to my day all dressed up in my finery it started to rain. Not a passing cloud type rain but a biblical downpour. We were delayed. The 20s cars had been out & we watched on the big screen as the American muscle cars fishtailed down the straight through the standing water. Eventually we were let out. Did I mention I've never been here before? The lovely Charlie Williams who was doing the commentary asked me about my bike & told me not to worry about finding my way round as " all the corners are blind" I followed the other riders round! Turns out its not only practise but qualifying as well. I was committed to starting last on the grid. Damp, no longer wet, it was however greasy. The bike stepped out at Lavant! The next lap it did it again & then again. The fourth lap the fun began! I caught someone! & then I overtook them, just before Lavant!
As I went down the tarmac backwards trying desperately to try & keep the petrol tank off the ground by wedging myself under the bike. Multi tasking as I went, trying to figure out why I couldn't pull in the clutch lever while trying to find the kill switch. Why you ask? as I did, what was wrong with being last on the grid. After the marshals had picked me up & told me there was something wrong with the track at their corner I had to smile at the doctor when she asked me if I was alright, as I was a bit slow at getting up. I said I was fine but that I just had a little difficulty lifting the bike off me as I lay on the ground. I then had the joy of a trip back to the paddock behind a period land rover pick up. This was so period (knackered) it broke down towing a car on the Sunday. One new footpeg & brake guard? We had only just managed to bodge one on that morning, just as well the packet contained two. A nice file taken to the brake lever, clip on, brake pedal. I left the timing cover alone & duct taped the big gash in the fairing. Once we had packed the big hole in the shoulder of my leathers we were good to go.
The evening went much like the first, just a few more pints & music & street food from market place. It was here that a nice lady told me that I was very graceful as I slid down the track? Seems I was on camera & shown in glorious colour on one of the giant 40ft high screens around the circuit. Fame at last, how to keep that from the missus. The entertainment at the various events that evening was stunning & the night stage rally over a timed stage was awesome.
Sunday to come
 
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True Nige
The gentleman racer lol
 

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Saturday night all dressed up & stiff as a board. In front of the helter skelter as I phoned the wife & told her it was a better slide than the one in the morning! Oh dear. Sunday was a beautiful day, clear & Sunny. I had handed out all my passes & had lots of people drop in, which was great. Eventually we got called for the race. At Goodwood they like a bit of pomp! & we paraded pushed the bikes to the holding area with our pit crews through the crowd. The only class allowed to go past the front of the grand hall! (This is a big aircraft hangar disguised as a 20s (Croydon) style cinema.) We then lined up on either side in qualifying order. I was 28th out of 29 & it still wasn't worth it! but it made me smile. Television interviews were done. James Hillier TT star then Luke Hedger BSB Supersport rider, Alan Cathcart et all. One warm up lap & the chequered flag dropped. Three from last away. I said it didn't matter, I was soon last. The bike wasn't going where I wanted it to go which wasn't helped by the fact that I wasn't sure where I wanted to go. It took me three laps to get myself sorted. I decided the quasimodo riding position wasn't helping with the handling. Ie right foot, toes on the footrest to make sure I didn't change gear with the brake lever. Once I got both feet straight things improved. It was then that I made the discovery that the bikes wayward handling was down to the fact that the tracks incredibly bumpy. Once I started forcing the bike to go where I wanted it to go everything improved. From a long way back I caught my fellow racer at the back & past him. I improved my lap time every lap & my last lap was my fastest. I had another moment of fame on the big screen when the tv crew got me mixed up with the leader. I've got to say I got to 9000 revs half a mile from the end of the Lavant straight my smile was huge. Flat out full revs full noise glorious. At the end of the television credits my name appeared saying I had finished in 18th place! Turns out I was 17th & lapped twice. So something to aim for in April at the79th members meeting, get it down to once lol.
Best bit?
I've been invited back!
 

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Put your volume up!
All the best Chris
Sorry my video doesn't have the right end tags?
 
Brilliant, that is on my bucket list. Shame about the off but as long as you are OK not the end of the world. When is it going to be on the TV?

Are all the corners blind?
 
Hi Ralph
Its a fabulous circuit. Fast big open sweeping bends. Thruxton, maybe Cadwell's Coppice & Charlies Donington Redgate.
It was on 4 the week after but if you blinked you would miss the bikes lol. Goodwood y tube clips are better. To get to see all the coverage you have to join Goodwoods "fellowship" for a miserly £ amount.
 

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