Well the Lydden Hill race meeting has been and gone.
I lowered the gearing, but either did it too much, or not enough, depending on how you look at it. Basically I was running out of third gear and then not really getting any benefit from top, so I either needed to lower the gearing more, or raise it and only use the first three gears.
When I started upping the pace during Saturday morning practice the front end wobble returned at the Devil's Elbow corner, which has recently been resurfaced. It seemed to be worse on a wide exit line, so consequently I started taking a tighter line and things seemed to improve. However, with hindsight I was probably taking this corner slower, but at the time I was thinking this is working and was concentrating on keeping it tight around that corner. Unfortunately I made a stupid riding error, may be because the bike turned in quicker than I expected and I clipped the kerb on the apex, when I should of sat the bike up to advoid it. I am not sure exactly what happened and neither is my son Bradley, who was watching me.
I think the bike went into a tankslapper and spat me off, the very thing I was trying to advoid. Both me and the bike stopped in the middle of the track on the uphill straight that approaches the hairpin.
I laid there for a few moments just to assess if I was hurt, but then thought "if you want to lay down there are far safer places than this" and therefore got up. I was disorientated and looked round to decide whether to exit stage left, or right, whilst checking that no bikes were coming.
The session was not red flagged and I had to report to the medical centre when the session stopped. I had banged my left foot quite badly and I think twisted the left ankle. The worse injury was to the back of my knee and I think my wife might be right when she thought the oil tank filler cap probably did it. Also my left arm and hand plus my right shoulder were knocked about a bit.
The medics were waiting for me and said "Why have you come here, we saw you jump down from the tyre wall?". This I did but I nearly collapsed on landing, so I knew I had injuries.
After an examination and ice pack treatment I said "I know it is not down to me, but if it was I think I am OK to ride" and indeed it was with the medic too.
I went with Bradley to collect the Rudge from the Scrutineer's Bay. As soon as I saw the bike I said to Bradley and the scrutineer that it looks like it is game over. The scrutinner went through all the damage and Bradley said to me on the push back to our paddock spot that he thought that the scrutineer seemed surprised to my throw the towel in attidude.
I was gutted and could of almost cried when I realised my daughter was driving 100 miles to bring my grandson so they could see me race.
However, I did not reckon with the help I would receive from fellow racers and members of the public. The worse damage was a snapped alloy footrest that was a very bespoke design and I had no spares. The gear lever was bent, but easily straightened. The handlebars were badly bent that on full right hand lock it looked like the right bar was actually on full left hand lock. With some borrowed tube and members of the public bracing the bike against my pulls we got the handlebars good enough.
The footrest repair was a right bodge made from a coach bolt and tubing. The main bodge being how it was attached to the bike.
I put on my riding gear, fired the bike up and presented it to the scrutineer and he passed it all. I kept the engine running because I thought he would want to noise test it, as I had missed noise testing, which was to be carried out on the way in from practice. He looked at the stickers on the number plate and said "Well it has been noise tested before" so with a grin on my face we were good to go.
I missed my first race, but did the other two on Saturday and two more on Sunday.
Roy Robertson watched on Sunday and he thought I was good at the Devil's Elbow but slow at Paddock. I was pleased with that as I had reverted to a wider line again and am pleased to report that the wobbles were not so bad. As I was getting faster I was trail braking with the rear at the Devil's Elbow and wonder if this calmed the front end? Second opinions welcome please !
Whilst I was racing with newer bikes I was only racing against two other bikes in my specific class and finished second every time to a Norton International. I did my fastest lap on the last lap of the last race.
I also made good starts and led around the first corner in the last race and kept in front of the Norton for over a lap. My times are still nothing to write home about but I am pleased they were a little more consistant.
Despite the damage to me and the bike I enjoyed this meeting more than any other.