Racing again (at last)

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I went to Cadwell with BHR 2016 after just starting racing again. I used to be very good there on a TZ350 early 90s but we nearly always raced the short circuit. The full circuit is a different deal and after a 25 year sabbatical I found it challenging. I did a 2 minute lap on my Honda 350K4 but the top guys were doing 1 min high 40s. I haven't been back since simply because it's very technical, a long way away and you need a full days practise to get anywhere near to your capabilities - I didn't. I will go again one day but my focus, like many others, is solely to get signatures for the IOM, so I race circuits I know. Try Darley, a lot of prima donnas don't like it but its easy to learn and has some fast chicanes. Darley Moor club itself is very cheap, friendly, very well organised and has a classic bike race. Mike (Moto 55 on here) races there on his Commando, it would be good to sè you beat him ;) It isn't the same pressure as CRMC and Darley Moor club has a test day 8th August.
Mike, please text me your number if you read this as I lost it last year when I changed phones, thanks.
 
acotrel said:
One thing I found out very early is 'the faster you try to go, the slower you go'. Like anything, 'practice makes perfect'.

Yes, I have noticed that, very annoying. In practice I got behind a guy on a North Trident for 2 laps, then we caught someone up and Trident man went straight past whilst I took 3 or 4 corners, by then my tow had gone, I tried to use what I thought I had learned in the 2 laps behind him and nearly ran across the grass at the Gooseneck, I will work it out one day.

When you spectate at a road race meeting most bikes seem to be going slow, when they are actually flying.

If I hear that I offer them a pillion ride, never been taken up on it. :)

if you get to the corner first, it is your corner. If they get there first, it can still be your corner.

I like that, I think.
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Steves said:
That was me on 71, sorry I didn't recognise you Ralph. I thought I had a problem with the bike and was distracted.......turned out I had left the choke on....... I will try and write up from my perspective when I get a chance
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No problem, please do write it up. Your bike looked very nice, what frame does it have?
 
FastFred said:
I went to Cadwell with BHR 2016 after just starting racing again. I used to be very good there on a TZ350 early 90s but we nearly always raced the short circuit. The full circuit is a different deal and after a 25 year sabbatical I found it challenging. I did a 2 minute lap on my Honda 350K4 but the top guys were doing 1 min high 40s. I haven't been back since simply because it's very technical, a long way away and you need a full days practise to get anywhere near to your capabilities - I didn't. I will go again one day but my focus, like many others, is solely to get signatures for the IOM, so I race circuits I know. Try Darley, a lot of prima donnas don't like it but its easy to learn and has some fast chicanes. Darley Moor club itself is very cheap, friendly, very well organised and has a classic bike race. Mike (Moto 55 on here) races there on his Commando, it would be good to sè you beat him ;) It isn't the same pressure as CRMC and Darley Moor club has a test day 8th August.
Mike, please text me your number if you read this as I lost it last year when I changed phones, thanks.
Click to expand...

The fast guys are under 1:39 on the TZ350s now, horrible things.

I did Darley with the BHR last year and got my first race win there. I met Mike but I don't think we were in the same races and he had a problem with his bike too.
 
Ralph, great on board , had me shouting encouragement at the screen ( in my mind I'm still in my 20's and in the middle of a pack of TZ 350's) now in my sixties I doubt I would be able to follow my own advice!! Keep doing what your doing at your own pace. You mentioned suffering from clutch slip, I used to have that problem till I changed to narrow bronze and steel plates from RGM, I also clean the plates with brake cleaner after every meeting, the only clutch slip Ive had in the past few seasons was due to a faulty circlip on the mainshaft.
Are spectators allowed at darley for the test day or the CRMC,if so then I'll come and have a look see.
As far as FAST FRED is concerned, Rude! I shall have to have words, if I can catch him!!
 
No spectators Mike at Darley, one rider plus two others currently. I'm taking my TZ350 as well... ;)
 
storm42 said:
The fast guys are under 1:39 on the TZ350s now, horrible things.

I did Darley with the BHR last year and got my first race win there. I met Mike but I don't think we were in the same races and he had a problem with his bike too.
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Nice one Storm at Darley get your entry in! Darley club has some meetings on September.
 
storm42 said:
I wouldn't worry about that, its how we learn.
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If you have not raced for a while, it pays to think about how good it was and it will be that good again - ALMOST. When I was a kid, I raced fairly regularly for 12 years, mostly on Winton Raceway. So these days I know what the corners should look like as I approach them. A few years ago I raced at Mount Gambier where the circuit is very different, and still won a couple of races. But that was in the rain and many of the kids are very tyre dependent, so it was not so difficult to get to the front.
 
FastFred said:
No spectators Mike at Darley, one rider plus two others currently. I'm taking my TZ350 as well... ;)
Click to expand...
A TZ350 is much easier way to go than a big four-stroke. You have much more freedom. They go many more places in corners, much more easily. I sold a very good TZ350G to buy the 6 speed box for my Seeley. In our historic racing, a TZ350 is a waste - too expensive and the competition is idiotic..
 
If you race your Commando against TZ350s and they cannot beat you, there is something wrong with them.
 
Don't know what happened there..User error! Agree Acotrel. That why I'm taking the TZ but I havent ridden one for 28 years but would love to ride a tuned Commando oneday. It's the Commando engine stripdowns that isn't a 5 minute job whereas a TZ is an easy rebuild..
 
I built a methanol fuelled T250 Suzuki. It was an absolute blur and handled perfectly, but I did not like it much. I took it to a race meeting at Ballarat airstrip and blew a new TZ350 to the weeds. I still did not like it. When I sold my TZ350, I made a conscious choice. Racing the Seeley 850 is a much better option. If you don't get careless, the TZ should be an easier ride - you can do more with them because they ar usually lighter and more nimble.
One thing I never do when practising or racing, is have somebody timing my laps. You will never race faster than when you are really trying to beat another competitor. As you go you work up.
 
FastFred said:
Don't know what happened there..User error! Agree Acotrel. That why I'm taking the TZ but I havent ridden one for 28 years but would love to ride a tuned Commando oneday. It's the Commando engine stripdowns that isn't a 5 minute job whereas a TZ is an easy rebuild..
Click to expand...
It might take a shorter time to replace the pistons or barrels on a TZ, but you do it much more often. The main difficulty is the ignition system - that has to be perfect.
 
acotrel said:
It might take a shorter time to replace the pistons or barrels on a TZ, but you do it much more often. The main difficulty is the ignition system - that has to be perfect.
Click to expand...
Having once owned a TZ 350, It's no hardship to get it that way on a 2 stroke, all I used was a dial gauge in the plug hole to time it before tdc, its having to carefully run in new piston rings, and not set the carbs up weak.like all things that get old, electronic ignition systems have a limited lifespan.
 
Moto55UK said:
Ralph, great on board , had me shouting encouragement at the screen ( in my mind I'm still in my 20's and in the middle of a pack of TZ 350's) now in my sixties I doubt I would be able to follow my own advice!! Keep doing what your doing at your own pace. You mentioned suffering from clutch slip, I used to have that problem till I changed to narrow bronze and steel plates from RGM, I also clean the plates with brake cleaner after every meeting, the only clutch slip Ive had in the past few seasons was due to a faulty circlip on the mainshaft.
Are spectators allowed at darley for the test day or the CRMC,if so then I'll come and have a look see.
As far as FAST FRED is concerned, Rude! I shall have to have words, if I can catch him!!
Click to expand...

Hi Mike, are you thinking of entering Darley? your Mojo may be there:) My clutch is a Newby and when I took it apart the other day it all looked good, it may be that the mods I made over winter have made a difference, I have the option to wind the springs in a bit, If I do Darley that will show any improvement if any.
 
The replacement clip ons arrived, seem substantial, Thanks for the heads up Steve.
Racing again (at last)
 
Just for information, my Honda 350 k4 makes 50bhp unbaffled which is a top spec engine. I have it rebuilt every 700 miles including crank strip and check. A modern TZ350 crank now can do 1000 miles. It's all about state of tune at the end of the day. I might enter Darley later on.
 
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