Just for my information - I was running 15/39 gearing at Pau on the 350, which whilst being a little short was really not bad.
In the meantime I have rebuilt the 350 clutch, which was slipping at Pau, using genuine yamaha clutch friction plates. The wear limit was 2.7 mms, and mine were at 2.8mms (the new size is 3.0mms), but I changed them anyway. The original clutch pushrod adjustment was fine, but it will need to be done again. I am using Motul 10/30W Two stroke gearbox oil.
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Monday, 12 July 2010
Pau - Results
Well, I came back from Pau with (another) trophy! Well it was in the Unlimited series on the RD350, where there was only 5 competitors, but still a second place that was not easy to get.
We arrived at the circuit around 15:00 on Friday, after a never ending drive across France - Pau is in the very South West corner of France. We left Grenoble in a heat wave, and I was surprised as we approached Pau to find at least 10 degrees cooler than Grenoble at around 26 degrees - first "free" practise (20 Euros!!!), and the bike was going well, I can tell when the engine is funning well as it slips the clutch quite badly and this was happening at around 10k rpm.
Pau is a very twisty, circuit with ups and downs, with 3-4 very high speed bends, I enjoy it, although it still holds a few mysteries for me.
Timed practice on Saturdat morning, and once again the bike was running well, although the powervalve cover came lose. I managed a 1:34 which turned out to be my best time of the weekend, and put me on the 5th line of the grid.
Race 1
I got a pretty good start, and it helped to be a bit further forward, so I could put some distance between me and the faster (in a straight line) four strokes behind. I did however got taken at the start by most of the "600's", and I followed them to the end of the race, managing to overtake, and dice with one of them, but never really endangering their positions. I finished 17th stratch and 3rd Unlimited - not bad. The bike was not pulling aswell as the Friday, due largely to the extremly hot temperatures Saturday afternoon.
Race 2
On Sunday we woke up to a heavy cloudy/misty morning - great the bike would get less hot in the race! I started from line 5, and again an OK start, but I did get taken by a number of guys, i fought my way back to roughly where I was in the previous race, although too far back to fight with the 600's, although I did have a bit of a dice with a VFR 750, where we swapped positions a couple of times. Again the bike was not running quite as well as the Friday, so I will have to check it over for the next event at Croix-en-Ternois in September. I finished the 2nd race once again in 17th spot, but this time 2nd Unlimited.
Photos and video to follow.
I will update the blog with my progress on the 500, which I should be able to finish for September, so I am hoping to be able to compete in the Endurance with the 350 and the other short races with the RG500.
Speak to you soon! Happy holidays.
We arrived at the circuit around 15:00 on Friday, after a never ending drive across France - Pau is in the very South West corner of France. We left Grenoble in a heat wave, and I was surprised as we approached Pau to find at least 10 degrees cooler than Grenoble at around 26 degrees - first "free" practise (20 Euros!!!), and the bike was going well, I can tell when the engine is funning well as it slips the clutch quite badly and this was happening at around 10k rpm.
Pau is a very twisty, circuit with ups and downs, with 3-4 very high speed bends, I enjoy it, although it still holds a few mysteries for me.
Timed practice on Saturdat morning, and once again the bike was running well, although the powervalve cover came lose. I managed a 1:34 which turned out to be my best time of the weekend, and put me on the 5th line of the grid.
Race 1
I got a pretty good start, and it helped to be a bit further forward, so I could put some distance between me and the faster (in a straight line) four strokes behind. I did however got taken at the start by most of the "600's", and I followed them to the end of the race, managing to overtake, and dice with one of them, but never really endangering their positions. I finished 17th stratch and 3rd Unlimited - not bad. The bike was not pulling aswell as the Friday, due largely to the extremly hot temperatures Saturday afternoon.
Race 2
On Sunday we woke up to a heavy cloudy/misty morning - great the bike would get less hot in the race! I started from line 5, and again an OK start, but I did get taken by a number of guys, i fought my way back to roughly where I was in the previous race, although too far back to fight with the 600's, although I did have a bit of a dice with a VFR 750, where we swapped positions a couple of times. Again the bike was not running quite as well as the Friday, so I will have to check it over for the next event at Croix-en-Ternois in September. I finished the 2nd race once again in 17th spot, but this time 2nd Unlimited.
Photos and video to follow.
I will update the blog with my progress on the 500, which I should be able to finish for September, so I am hoping to be able to compete in the Endurance with the 350 and the other short races with the RG500.
Speak to you soon! Happy holidays.
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Pau
Well, my bits finally made it to England, although I had some issues with the UK post which means I will not be taking the RG to Pau, but I am motivated because the 350 has been running well, and the circuit is quite tight, and will suit the 350 well.
It will be my first time at Pau on the 350, so gearing etc.. will be trial and error.
For the 500 Performance fab. will be adding some weld to the head in order to bring it back to perfect condition, and honing the barrel, machining the new piston (to fit the thrust washers), and cutting down a new rotary disk, stuff should be ready next week sometime, and then I will have the summer lay off to get it ready for the last couple of weekends of the season.
I have ordered some new goodridge brake hoses for the 350 , which haven't yet arrived. The scrutineers at MagnyCours had a go at my brakes, as the splitter is below the bottom yoke - this is not allowed (goodness knows why!), so I have ordered a 2 brake line system going straight from the master cylinder to the calipers.
I will be having a go at making a new alternator cover in carbon weave in a couple of weeks, I have bought a carbon starter kit(!), so I will need to make a mold of the alternator cover will glass fibre and then use that to make a new cover - the idea behind this is to make a "customer cover" that will allow my bigger carbs to fit on - more news on that later.
It will be my first time at Pau on the 350, so gearing etc.. will be trial and error.
For the 500 Performance fab. will be adding some weld to the head in order to bring it back to perfect condition, and honing the barrel, machining the new piston (to fit the thrust washers), and cutting down a new rotary disk, stuff should be ready next week sometime, and then I will have the summer lay off to get it ready for the last couple of weekends of the season.
I have ordered some new goodridge brake hoses for the 350 , which haven't yet arrived. The scrutineers at MagnyCours had a go at my brakes, as the splitter is below the bottom yoke - this is not allowed (goodness knows why!), so I have ordered a 2 brake line system going straight from the master cylinder to the calipers.
I will be having a go at making a new alternator cover in carbon weave in a couple of weeks, I have bought a carbon starter kit(!), so I will need to make a mold of the alternator cover will glass fibre and then use that to make a new cover - the idea behind this is to make a "customer cover" that will allow my bigger carbs to fit on - more news on that later.
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