Thursday Report

After along day of waiting, Dan finally managed to get away in the second batch of riders last night.

The idea was for Dan to try out the changes that had been made over Wednesday, in the run from Glencrutchery to Ballacraine, however long before he reached Ballacraine he was convinced that everything was positive and that the bike was running better than it ever had.

His time from the Grandsatnd to Ramsey was so much better and he really felt that he was in for a good lap time on the outgoing lap.

He was clocked at 138+ on Sulby straight, (6mph up on Tuesday) so the gearing change was a positive one.

The front end was behaving itslef and the back wheel was keeping itself on the black stuff, so the idea was then for the run from Ramsey up and over the mountain to be used to give the bike its head and let it go to its potential.

All went well, until the approach to Windy Corner, a few classics in front of Dan and a change back to 5th with a tweek on the front brake to steady her up for the Apex. On the gas and instantly the front disc exploded in a million pieces with shrapnel flying up through the fairing, resulting in a destroyed rad and a fairing looking like a colander.

Trying to keep control of the bike and the rapidly approaching slower classic, Dan felt the bike go into Tank Slapper mode. Nothing for it, but to lay it down and wait for the consequences.

Phew, missed the classic boy, and started the slide into the green stuff, "bump" as a cats eye caught the knee and off up the old quarry slip road, eventually coming to a halt, man and bike close together.

Thankfully, the damage to Dan was limited to a sore knee, however the wee bike ws looking pretty sorry for itself.

So that was it for the night, just had to wait for the recovery truck, nurse the knee and hope that the bike would be in a fit state for an outing on Friday.

Upon picking the bike up and getting it home, closer examination revealed, repairs to the fairing, change out the rad, install a new wheel, disc and caliper and she should be aok for a go on Friday.

Busy day ahead I am afraid to get the bike up and running and looking smart again for the next run around the mountain and hopefully, a complete circuit of it this time.

Stay tuned for tomorrows update

Friday Update

Well, thanks to an over zealous marshal at Ramsey, Dan did not manage to get a two lap practice in last night. However the one lap that he did manage to do proved to be a cracker. From a standing start and running in a new piston, Dan clocked a 105.235 lap, so far his fastest of the week.

What could he have done on the flying lap if someone only knew the fact that a 2 stoke smokes a little when it is clearing its throat from low rpm after having a long run at high rpm on the run into Ramsey.

Dan was black flagged on the mountain after the Marshals up there had received a radio message to say that his bike was smoking excessively. A quick look around the bike proved there was no oil leaking anywhere, none on the tyre, none in the belly pan, none on his leathers/boots, so why the flag ??? Apologies were received from the guys on the mountain, but the damage had been done by then, and Dan was disallowed his opportunity to put his flying lap in. (Not impressed at all I can tell you).

Funny, I thought that everyone knew that 2 strokes smoke, but apparently this official at Ramsey did not, so Dan was denied a potential 107 lap last night and possibly the fastest lap of the night in the Ultra Lightweight Class.

He was away in the 6th pairing last night, and kept the engine rpm in check until he was approaching Greeba and tailing Maria Costello. He decided by then that the "wee bike" was running sweet and had bedded in sufficiently to let it have its head. He overtook Maria and wound it up for the rest of the lap. He was first across the line to start the 2nd lap, having overtaken everyone who had started before him. He was looking good, smooth and stylish and it looked the bike was on song and not suffering any problems after the Thursday night incident at Windy, (and neither was Dan by the look of it).

The remainder of the first lap was pretty uneventful (getting round Windy this time without any problems), and Dan was feeling pretty good with the bike. Right gearing, suspension behaving well, motor running sweet and his knee feeling fine. He crossed the line and gave it all it had down Bray Hill.

His second lap was getting better, the bike was instilling confidence in Dan and he felt as if he has never gone faster around the mountain (on a solo that is). Rhencullen and two wheels in the air, (I thought I was never coming back down said Dan), and through Sulby he was on it. Not quite so fast as Monday, but still in the high 130's. His time to Ramsey from the Grandstand was far better than he had ever achieved and it looked like the 107 lap was on.

That is until he exited the hairpin. Unknown to Dan he was now going to be "pulled" and his opportunity to get that fast lap in would be denied.

Now we have to get Dan up for it all over again, and hope this time that people recognise a 2 stroke when they see it.