Motorcycles and ego

If you put your road bike onto a race track, the first thing which usually happens is that all the loose bits fall off it. What I usually do when I build a race bike, is give it to somebody else to ride before I do. That way they have the problems and not me.
 
acotrel said:
If you put your road bike onto a race track, the first thing which usually happens is that all the loose bits fall off it. What I usually do when I build a race bike, is give it to somebody else to ride before I do. That way they have the problems and not me.
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Lets hope if you do that, the sump bolt doesn't fall off!
 
Bernhard said:
Lets hope if you do that, the sump bolt doesn't fall off!
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Last time, the valve immediately got pulled out of the rear wheel at the start of it's first race and in the next, the bike stood up under brakes and turned the wrong way. My mate was riding it and I did not believe him until I rode the bike myself and it happened to me. It three me completely off balance. I was lucky I had the sense to turn it on again, so I survived.
I'm getting older and sillier. Last time I raced I forgot to tighten the clip on the fuel line which is right up under the tank. The tube came off after I had gained the lead. There was no way I was ever going to be caught by anyone in that race.
There is an old saying 'seize the day' - the next one might never come. I have been too broke ever since and I have lost my helper. He died of heart failure and crashed his car. He was a bloody good rider, probably the bravest man I ever met.
 
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acotrel said:
If you put your road bike onto a race track, the first thing which usually happens is that all the loose bits fall off it. What I usually do when I build a race bike, is give it to somebody else to ride before I do. That way they have the problems and not me.
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That's not nice, if you build something then it should be you that takes the first ride, how would you feel if you gave your bike to someone to test it out that you have done the work on and they had a accident and got seriously hurt or even killed, surely you wouldn't do that, and why would anyone ride a bike with loose bits on it that could fall off whether on the road or race track, sometimes Al I wonder if you realized in what you write or is it old age catching up to you.
 
acotrel said:
I forgot to tighten the clip on the fuel line
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There is a (mainly racing) preparation philosophy, whereby you never fit something without fully tightening its fasteners, even if you only intend it to be in place for a minute.

It may be a silly waste of time in many instances, but can prevent a lot of those failures due to “things we forgot.”
 
In my first race more than 50 years ago, speedway on a track known to be extremely slippery, I got a good start, leading, broadsided into first bend, found it was even more slippery than I've been told. Went into the fence, looked up on my laughing friends, dragged the bike off the track. Never bothered about ego since then.
Since then found that there is always better riders than me. On a speedway practise happened to stand next to the world champion. When the tapes went up, he simply disappeared.
Now, when roadracing, I do it just for the fun of trying to get a perfect lap, right lines and brake points.
But it is quite fun on trackdays to pass 50 years younger riders with 100 horsepower more in their bikes, in the bends.
 
Scout63 said:
Starting my Commando in front of people is all ego. There’s not as much downside as racing, but it might be close.
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I don't see it that way.

Most onlookers don't expect it to start because it's "old".

So, if it DOESN'T start, no loss of status.

If it DOES start, instant elevation of stature.
 
See it just happened there. I wish I were so sanguine GP. I feel all the eyes on me. Luckily the Norton is well sorted and usually needs one soft prod. Now the Matchless is a different story. When warm it wants a few spins with the valve lifter open, then one kick with no throttle, then one with the throttle wide open. Go figure.

Now back to the post. Sometimes riding is all ego, then I take a long early morning Sunday ride and it is just about the bike. I love that.
 
If race and have something to prove, you usually end up getting hurt. On public roads, you often see car drivers who compete to assert themselves if you pass them. Many of our Australian highways are long and boring. When you drive your car on them at the speed limit, you will often see cars struggling up to get past you, then they pull in front of you and slow down.
Australia should be a good place in which to ride a motorcycle, but it is not. When I was in the UK, I found the drivers to be much more sensible - and faster.. Their mentality is different.
 
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acotrel said:
If race and have something to prove, you usually end up getting hurt. On public roads, you often see car drivers who compete to assert themselves if you pass them. Many of our Australian highways are long and boring. When you drive your car on them at the speed limit, you will often see cars struggling up to get past you, then they pull in front of you and slow down.
Australia should be a good place in which to ride a motorcycle, but it is not. When I was in the UK, I found the drivers to be much more sensible - and faster.. Their mentality is different.
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Well that is your view AL, I been riding on Aussie roads for over 45 years now and you do get your idiots on the road but you get idiots anywhere, you just got to be a ware of them and pay attention to what is happing around you and if other car drivers are struggling to get past you then slowing down in front of you when they do, maybe they are telling you something in the way you drive, what about older drivers who drive in the fast lanes under the speed limit who think its their right to do so, so really there is two sides of your thinking there and I see more older drivers making more mistakes as much as younger drivers.

Ashley
 
Ash, when you race everybody usually takes care of everybody else. What you see when you look over the fence is not necessarily what you get. To anyone who hasn't raced, road racing looks slow. Speed is only relative unless you come to a sudden stop.
I make mistakes when I drive a car because I get bored and lazy. I don't usually make mistakes when I road race. I think the last time I raced, I upset a few guys. I was well ahead of the leaders when my fuel line came off - that was due to a mistake, I don't usually make.
 
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