The Van's full and ready to go!

Well, not quite as much space in the van as compared with the trailer and car, so it's a bit of a squeeze, however everything is in (even the bicycle!), so we are leaving this evening and stopping off in Montpellier, and finishing the trip Friday morning.Should reach the circuit at around midday.

Weather forecast is good for Friday & Saturday but showers are forecast for the two races on Sunday. Good thing I didn't buy any wet tyres, otherwise I would have another decision to make :-)

Starting bikes

Mixed up some fuel, poured a couple of litres, into the Yam and Suz. 3 kicks on the Yam was enough to breath it into life and smell that two stroke aroma. Took it up the road just to make sure I could get through the gears and all was OK, the gear lever is a little high, but that will get adjusted as necessary at Nogaro next weekend.

I was kinda putting off starting the Suz, but everything worked fine, about 5 kicks was enough to charge the battery eliminator, and it started fine, running it up the road and what a difference the new clutch plates make - won't celebrate too soon, but it did seem like the dragging clutch has gone, and I could even get to neutral really easily - hope for the best. The Dzus fittings are a little fiddley but quicker than screws. Next week first race report!

Technical Update

The bikes are both nearly ready. Distilled water has replaced the anti-freeze (put in over winter - but illegal on the track), the pipes are back on the RG, and the battery has been installed in the RD. Both bikes are basically ready to roll. I will start the bikes this week, and ensure everything is running OK, then prepare for Nogaro.

The van

I may have mentioned I bought a Renault Trafic to serve as race transport this year. The van will be cheaper to run than the car plus trailer and also it will go through the "peages" cheaper as it is less high than the trailer.

But will everything fit in - you don't realise the amount of "stuff" that becomes indispensable when trying to keep 2 bikes running all weekend. Well it was clear from the start that we would never fit all the crap in the trailer and car into the back of the van. This weekend we made a trial run, and in fact I was surprised at exactly what we could fit it.

I took the opportunity to down jet the Suzuki to 220's as it was really still too rich at 230's at Ledenon, although first race of the year is at Nogaro in 4 weeks, and Nogaro has this notorious long straight which has never been lucky for me - I have seized both bikes at the end of the straight! So I am hoping that the temperature will be less extreme than during the summer (the RG hit 94 degrees C last year when it seized, with an external temperature of around 34 degrees!), and I will keep the tickover really high, and the choke on at the end of the straight to ensure enough cooling fuel lubicates the cylinders!