New Era Racing

[Strika]

Not racing at Broadford on Sunday. No motor. Hasn't been finished. Will still be up there tommorrow helping out at the road race school. Don't forget all welcome. Like a ride day but with instruction from top level racers. Bring your muddaboik, helmet boots gloves leathers licence and some dough (dunno howmuchtis but it's not much) and your away.

Any more info ring Francis Conroy on 0413 622 079.

[Strika]

Did the road race school on sat at broadford with Simmo. That 9 of his looks wicked with that web graphic. Simmo is getting up to speed nicely and improved with every session. I will leave it to him to report on his progress today however. I was there, but it's his story, I will let him tell it.

Yesterday was mainly about helping out other riders, and i only had my road bike with me, which is stock standard, but did manage to get out in one of the longer racer sessions towards the end of the day, and did probably 15-18 laps.

I am absolutely gob smacked at how fast that little green bike is around a race track. I had several Superbikes behind me and a lot more Supersports. A guy who has been quicker than me at the race meetings this year, who is on a CBR600 03/04 took 4 laps to pass me, did a maniac attack in a desperate under brakes and then failed to pull away. I think we were lapping around 64's from what the racers were saying. Anyway, whatever it was, it was really comfortable (as I don't push the issue with my pretty roadbike).

I ran a Bridgestone 002 race compound front tyre, and a road compound Bridgestone BT014 on the rear. As you would expect from Bridgestones' premier supersport race tyre, the 002 did not put a foot wrong all day. The rear tyre however, really surprised me, as it hung in there all day and stood up too some real abuse. In the final racer session I was pushing a little, maybe about 7/8 tenths, and it didn't move. I even started to have some fun with it late in the session. Exiting pit corner, which is a downhill right, with a double apex and some interesting camber changes across the track width, I was opening the throttle very early. Probably as early as i do the race tyres, and it really was well behaved. Sure I could get it to slide or spin if a really tried to be a dickhead, but even then it was prediactable and controllable. Very impressed I am. Oh and it was laying backies too!


There were three wheelstand opportunities each lap.
1. The hill along the back straight, the front would paw skyward every lap as you clicked 4th gear, and then 5th too.

2. "Crash Corner", the right hander which runs down the hill into the flip-flop. 3rd gear

3. The right hander exiting the flip-flop. 3rd also.

Did I mention that I love Broadford. Sure it's no Phillip Island, but for us ahem, more experienced shall we say, riders, the speeds are far more sane.

[Gosling1]

heh Strika, how did you get to ride your non-race bike on the track at the same time ? Was this during an actual race ?? Looks like you were having fun mate

Here is a list of current New Era 1 and 2 bikes that were raced today at Wakefield Park - just so you know what the NSW guys are using....

NE 1

82 Ducati SL600
88 Yamaha YZR500
88 Yamaha TDR 250
89 Yamaha TZ250W ( x 2)
88 Suzuki GSXR750
85 KAWASAKI KR250 ( woo hoo, but it was a slug.... )
88 Moto Guzzi 950 ( looked really fast )

NE2

91 Honda RS125
91 Honda VFR400
94 KAWASAKI ZXR750
94 Honda VFR400 (x3)
95 Honda RS125
95 Honda CBR600 (x2)
95 Yamaha FZR1000 (750 frame quick, very quick...)
94 Cagiva Mito 125
95 Yamaha TZ250
93 Honda CBR600
93 Honda RS250
95 Yamaha FZR750
95 Suzuki GSX1100
87 Yamaha FZR1000 ( don't know why this wasn't in NE1 ??)
94 Yamaha TZ250

Good quality field......There was also a 1978 TZ750 in FE U/L, but it only did a few laps in the morning

cheers

[Strika]

Interesting and eclectic mix of bikes up there! A TZ750 you say! That would have been nice to see, even if it only did a handful of laps. Did the pilot ride it in anger? Or like an old mole?

The reason you see a road registered bike on the track with the racers, is I was instructing, and my racer has a gearbox prob with No1 engine, and No2, engine is not built yet. So rather than be down one instructor, I used my roadie.

Your probably asking the question, "WTF have they got strika intstructing?" and to be purfectly honest, it was my reaction when asked too. But apparently, there are racers that are slower than me! Who'd have thought it hey?
I spent most of the day in the Road rider sessions, and the road race school sessions just running around the track picking up riders and getting them to follow lines and brake markers and turn points etc.,

But that pick was taken in the last session, with just the fully fledged racers out. I was initially doing some work with the guy on the yellow Suzuki, who is a guy I know from racing, and he wanted to watch my lines etc. But when I saw the red Honda in my mirrors it changed things a little.
The guy on the red bike, who will remain nameless to protect the innocent, is a friend and a competitor of mine when I race my old girl. This year we have shared beating each other a few times, with him coming out on top in the last few encounters. So, When I saw him closing the gap on the yellow bike, I changed strategy, and went from showing Mr. Suzuki some lines, to wicking it up a little more and staying in front of Mr. Red Honda.

I had to be a little cautious, as I only had a road compound BT014 on the rear, so getting on the gas too early was not an option. Gotta say though, it was nice to be on a bike that is competitive, it made it really easy to lope around the track in the low mid 64's. Now I know why its so hard to pass the modern stuff during a race.

I let him past to see if he would gap me, and although we only did another two or three laps before the end of the session, I was still glued to his ducktail till the flag ended the session

I reckon, with a decent pilot, a pipe, some suspension work and some brake lines, my 636 could hang a 58-59 around there. they are fast.

[Gosling1]

A TZ750 you say! That would have been nice to see, even if it only did a handful of laps. Did the pilot ride it in anger? Or like an old mole?

He rode it hard until it cried 'Enough'.......I think he was just giving it a 'blow-the-cobwebs-out' run after winter hibernation ?

But when I saw the red Honda in my mirrors it changed things a little.

the old 'red mist' heh ??!! Well done, it sounds like a great day was had by all. Thanks for the explanation about being an instructor, it makes sense to be out there with the 'race' rigs after all.

In any case, the guy on the Suzuki could have learnt heaps from those last few laps when you and Honda dude were having a 'ding'dong'

[Strika]

Yeah we dropped the yellow suzi off after about three corners and carried on The guy on the Honda is a guy a race my 1995 ZX6 against. And as I mentioned sometimes I beat him, and sometimes he beats me. But in the last two encounters he has had the better of me. So it was nice to be on a bike that is sorta equivalent, just to see how I compare with him on sorta equal machinery.

Now I know my road bike is on standard suspension, brakes, chassis set up, with road rear tyre and my expensive to crash road fairings on it. As well as having lights, indicators and mirrors still attached, but his bike is a true 600cc bike and mine is 636cc, so I guess they kinda cancel each other out and make the bikes pretty comparable i would think??? ????

So when I stuck with him comfortably, I kinda figured we must be pretty even. He says his lap timer was recording 64"s with a lap in the low 65"s. So we were not really nailing it, as a fast SS time around there is 59"s , with some loony apparently (Seaton on a kwaka ZX6RR at the vic titles) doing a 58". So it was pretty comfy. I really don't wanna push the friendship with my pretty road bike. I would hate to bin it.

[Gosling1]

sounds like fun , but I am not sure about you 'not pushing it' from the lean angle in that photo, you sure weren't on a Sunday ride

600 v 636.....probably close to *even* as you say.

[Strika]

sounds like fun , but I am not sure about you 'not pushing it' from the lean angle in that photo, you sure weren't on a Sunday ride

Nah Mate, I look like I am going down the shops to pick up the milk and the sunday paper

Did I tell you that Adam Krusty Fergusson was there instructing also on Saturday????? And I was lapping shitloads quicker than him!..............He didn't actually have a bike to ride, which made things a little easier, but even without one he's still quick thru the turns

[Gosling1]

Nah Mate, I look like I am going down the shops to pick up the milk and the sunday paper

tsk tsk I have heard that Broadford is a bit *bumpy* and *tight* ( ie a bit like racing on a *real* piece of road )

How long is the actual circuit in meters ??

[Strika]

2100-2200metres I think?????

[HemiDuty]

That is awsome Strika, I cannot believe how close you were to SS times on your road bike, with an 014 on the back! Makes me realize just how slow I really am....

Did you / have you played much with the suspensions settings etc. on the bike?

Being asked to do the instructor thing must be a good confidence boost. Was there any theory stuff on the day or just more of a 'follow me and learn something' kinda setup?

[Strika]

That is awsome Strika, I cannot believe how close you were to SS times on your road bike, with an 014 on the back! Makes me realize just how slow I really am....

pls believe me when I tell you that a 64 is no great shakes. That is 10% off pole. So it's like doing a 1'52" around the Island on my roadie, and I do 1'47"s on the roadie around P.I. so we were actually just cruising really.



Did you / have you played much with the suspensions settings etc. on the bike?

A little, I set the sag, and had a little fiddle with comp n rebound front and rear, but no ride height changes. To go any quicker though would require some work, or it will start falling over.

Being asked to do the instructor thing must be a good confidence boost. Was there any theory stuff on the day or just more of a 'follow me and learn something' kinda setup?

They had formal classroom sessions and then practical sessions in between on track. During the classroom sessions, I was on track with some road riders dragging them around, and pulling up working one on one with them. Then when the students came out, I would find out what exercise they were doing and then pick some up around the circuit, monitor and adjust according to needs. It's all really practical stuff, with a lot of similiar stuff to other more well known schools, but also a lot of stuff totally opposing what is taught by them. The road race school appreciates that every rider is different, and therefore what sometimes works for one, doesn't work for others.

I was a little flattered being asked to instruct for sure, however as I knew the student's skill level was fairly basic, i was not concerned. But i would be most reluctant to be offering thoughts to those racers who are faster than me. And there are lots of them. Please don't think I consider myself some sort of riding expert, as i am far from this. We were discussing this with some people the other day and I look at it like this.

If I go on a road ride, I am usually one of the quickest, put me in a club race on equal machinery, and I will be top ten. Put me amongst Krusty and Josh and the boys and I will be top 20. Put me in WSS, and I would not be fast enough to qualify. So if you look at it on a scale of 1-10, I rate myself at a 5. Sure faster than some, but slower than lots more. I just get lucky sometimes with track time etc., [/b]

[Gosling1]

2100-2200metres I think?????

OK, I was seeing if there was any similiarity with Wakefield - I think WP is about 2400m ?? not too sure.. the boys on the weekend are doing around 1'10's, which is none too shabby for bikes that are > 10 years old Lap record i think is 59sec, ??

Mate if you are doing 1'47's on a street bike around PI, don't underate yourself. That is a really quick time (for a streetbike). In fact, anything under 2 minutes is *relatively* honking at PI !! I understand that the training schools at EC divide the students into < 2min, and > 2min, in order to 'grade' them on the day.

[Strika]

There is movement in the New Era camp at Che' Strika at the moment. I got a call and an email late last week to say that my race engine is finally finished Cosway has finally weaved his magic on it, and it's ready to slot back into my No 1 bike.

So hopefully I can have it ready to enter the Pre Modern class at the 2nd round of the Vic champs later in April.

Being a crotchety old bugger, I have a crook back, so if any of you able bodied young girls would like to obtain some real practical mechanical experience, you are welcome to pop over and get greasy with me. I could sure use your muscles........

As always I will keep any who are interested informed of my progress.

[balanse]

Ahhh, the ole Mediteranean back eh

This weeks shot but anytime after the weekend .. gissa call and I'll get me stubby holder out.