At Lydden Hill it was all down to me to fly the Rudge flag because Mervyn Stratford was unable to ride. He is also the main opposition.
With my bike failing to start for one race at Mallory I decided to enter two events at Lydden, to help ensure getting at least four rides. In the end I did all eight. The two classes were the Event 1 ACU Solo Girder Fork Motorcycle Championship and Event 31 Solo Motorcycles Unlimited to 1948.
Lydden Hill Event 31 Solo Motorcycles Unlimited to 1948 (10 laps)
In this new to me class there was a 1949 Vincent Rapide with girdraulics (Steve Higgins) and a Vincent Egli Comet (Tony Hazeldine) , plus a 350 Velocette MAC (Tony Green). I cannot quite fathom what the Vincents are doing in the class when you read the class title and the rules for that matter, but at least I had something to race against. So two solo Vincents which will hopefully interest Tim
@vibrac .
The Rapide cleared off at the start, but retired after completing five laps. The Egli had a better grid position and started really well. I knew I must not let it get away from me and took a brave wide outside line around Chessons Drift passing several bikes including, importantly, the Egli. The newer bikes eventually got me back and I think I only got past them because they were initially more cautious on cold tyres. The Egli was nipping at my heels throughout the race and on a couple of occasions showed me his front wheel. All I could do was keep my head down and not make a mistake. It was a great ding dong battle which we both enjoyed. I thought I had finished second to the Rapide, so it was quite a surprise to see I had won because the Rapide did not finish.
With the Rapide now AWOL, more favourable grid positions and better starts, I kept the Egli, plus the Velo, behind me in the next two races. I was also having a ding dong with a 1978 XS500 Yamaha twin, passing him in corners only for him to out gun me again on the straights. Overall this was slowing me down and unbeknown to me allowing the Egli to close in.
Before the fourth race in this class Tony Hazeldine said to me he only had one more chance to beat me, so I was expecting him to be really going for it.
This fourth race was all basically going as the previous two except the Velo was now AWOL and the Egli eventually got past the pair of us (me and the Yam). The last thing I needed was the Yamaha between me and the Egli and I managed to ride around the outside of them both at Chessons Drift. The Yamaha got us both back on the Dover Straight and the Egli also repassed me. The Yamaha took a defensive line into Devil's Elbow. The Egli rider thought he could pass the Yamaha and I thought I could pass the pair of them, but the Egli rider was too late braking for this corner on his wide entry line and ended up in the gravel trap and toppled over. I was nearly drawn into it and failed my intended pass on the Yamaha. In the end I felt this was a hollow victory for me as in reality I finished first and last, being the only finisher in this class, but I guess I played a part in forcing Tony Hazeldine into making his mistake. I felt both a little guilty about his crash and felt sorry for him. I went to see him afterwards and his bike was absolutely fine, as was he. With his leathers full of gravel I joked that if he jumped around a bit it would clean off the rust. He is a Novice, in his first season, who for many years has been parading. He seems a very good rider and I admire his spirit.
Lydden Hill Event 1 ACU Solo Girder Fork Motorcycle Championship (10 laps)
My main opposition in this class would be from methanol burning 350 Velocette MACs and again Tony Green on his petrol burner. There was also a 1930 KSS, which most of us lapped. The person I most wanted to beat was Sam Page on the Velo. I beat him only once I think in our first season, might have been more, and is more if you include his DNFs, but he has had the beating of me ever since. I felt I had more chance though at Lydden because it was his first time there.
In the first race I got into the lead by passing Kevin Thurston on a 1950 MAC. He was obviously not happy and got me back at the very next corner, which impressed me and depressed me, in equal measures. I was impressed because that is exactly what you need to do to stamp your authority. However, over gunning his Velo to pass me may have led to its retirement after only four laps. So that was a relatively easy win. Sam was having a few issues with the bike, but getting faster all the time.
The next two races were again relatively easy wins with me blissfully unaware of Sam's progress in catching me.
It was all going to plan in the fourth race. I was keeping my head down and hoping to gap Sam, but now it was my turn to make a mistake. You would of thought I should of learnt something by witnessing Tony Hazeldine's crash. Throughout the weekend I had quite a few tyre slides, but thankfully stayed on, but at Chessons Drift, both wheels stepped out because I think they were momentarily airborne from a bump or ripple. At that point in time it was no great drama and should not of created a situation where I needed to tighten my line because there should of still been loads of track to work with. However, I could see my speed was too great for the line I was on and I was going to run off the track. All I could do was brake which now caused the rear to slide out and this was compounded by now being on the dusty part of the track that has the marbles. However, I think the rear end slide saved me, because I no longer needed to corner much once I was on the grass. It could have been a massive crash and took the wind from my sails. It took about half a lap to get back into my rhythm and Sam got past. I caught him back up after a lap and thought I had a chance to out brake him into the hairpin on the last lap, but a rider, who was lapping the pair of us totally stuffed up that chance. With the gap I was aiming for between Sam and the inside of the corner gone I had to lock up and narrowly missed a collision, which undoubtedly would of knocked off Sam as well. It was a shame because the crowd were probably enjoying the battle between Sam and me.
Summary
The minor issues with the bike were engine case screws working loose causing oil seepage. However, in one race I had wondered why my boot was slipping off the footrest. If it was not for the fact I was battling with that Yamaha, whilst trying to keep the Egli behind, I would of looked down. My right leg and boot were covered with oil from above the knee down. Had I of noticed this I would of retired and should have been black flagged. The belly pan did a good job and there was certainly no evidence of oil on the track. One of the two screws holding the tappet cover had fallen out, so the cover was dangling down on the other loose screw. Easily fixed with a spare screw, but the mopping up took a while.
The other issue was the rev counter packing up after only three races, so I had to ride by ear and feel.
It was certainly a busy weekend for me doing eight races instead of four and it was quite a workout on my arms. They still ached on Wednesday.
I had quite a few tyre slides, the worse at the hairpin on the first lap, so although it was very hot the tyres may have been cold. Both wheels let go together. The other slides were mainly on the rear.
I went to see Mervyn after a few of my races. He said I had to get the front end of the bike sorted out. His wife Caralynne, rightly so, was quite vocal and said it looked like I was riding a pogo stick (I think they were watching at Paddock Bend). I thought quietly to myself "You should see it between Pilgrim's Drop and Chessons Drift, it's like a pneumatic drill around there and it was blurring my vision".
Mervyn asked what tyre pressures I was using and he considered my answers far too high. He also asked how much damping I was using on the fork suspension and suggested I added some more friction damping.
Emboldened by Mervyn's advice and Caralynne’s accurate critique, I made these adjustments in stages. Each step was in the right direction. Mervyn still thinks I could go lower still with the pressures and I will at the next meeting. I think one, or two, more notches on the suspension friction damper might get the forks even better. Any way whilst these adjustments, did not significantly improve my lap times, they did improve my confidence and make the bike so much more rideable. It became a different bike, but I still wonder how it would do around Gerrards at Mallory Park. So I can only express my thanks and gratitude for their taking the time and help me head in the right direction.
Circumstances played into my hands giving me seven wins and a second place. So some real highs and one little downer for me, which was not being able to prevent Sam Page get maximum points in the last Girder Fork Race. I was the Rudge tail gunner trying to protect Mervyn’s Championship lead over Sam, who is his nearest rival. Next meeting will be Pembrey in South Wales on 27th and 28th July.