startline disasters 3-premature trajectulation

GOOD TITLE EH?

This is my last disaster story(not all my starts were doomed!)

Mallory Park in June 1998.

A New Era Club meeting with a large entry for the 500 Classic race.

So large, in fact ,that the 500s

were to start 10 seconds in front of a 350 group.

(2 races in one in fact)

I was riding a Honda 350 K4

- a race sorted, roadbased twin .

These bikes bridge the gap nicely

between old and new technology in the classic race scene.

They are deservedly very popular mounts

-strong and reliable

and very competetive in the right hands.

Grid positions were allocated from timed practice results,

run in the morning sessions.

I seem to think there were about 5 rows and I was on the 3rd row

-mid pack in the 350 group

-a good race result, a distinct possibility.

Mallory is a very short course and it is vital to get a good start.

There are few safe passing places.

With this in mind, I was concentrating very hard, on getting a flyer .

SO HARD in fact,

that when the lights went green,

and the first group ,the 500s,left the line

I FOLLOWED THEM

(hence the title-premature trajectulation-geddit?)

I reached the front row before I realised my mistake.

On the “verbal” advice of the startline martial,

I ignominiously pedaled backwards to my slot;

The INSTANT I arrived,

the lights went green for my group

They were off in a flash.

Frantically banging the Honda into gear,

I dashed after the disappearing throng.

Absolutely mad with myself,

I was driving like a man possessed!

So possessed in fact

that I realised I was carrying far too much speed

for the upcoming bend

Gerards .

This is a constant radius bend

which demands a racing line close to its inner edge ;

There was no way I would make it.

I sat up and drove straight into the “kitty litter”

I managed to keep the bike running

and with a marshalls help,

ALMOST got back on the track.

The bike stalled about a yard short

and without the luxury of either kick start

or leccie start on my 1970,s twin

FINITO!

I sat the race out in the martshalls shelter on Gerards

-then back to the paddock in the meatwagon.

Not even one lap completed.

After that I allways watched the bike alongside me

-when he went,so did I,not beforehand

red ducatis 1

Is there any other colour suitable for a Ducati?Or for any other Italian bike for that matter.

Kawasakis are green,Laverdas are orange,Ducatis are red-period.

Having ridden several over the years,

the first one I owned was the Rutter Replica 600F2 pictured below.

It was the real thing, with a fully tuned motor,Paoli forks,cast iron Brembo discs,

spax shock,single seat-very radical for its day..

She weighed 150kgs and had a claimed 127 mph top speed.

I tried to ride her on the road but unless ”on the pipe”,

she was lumpy,snatchy and rough.

On a fast road and on a rising throttle,the power and torque were scintillating!

Every inch a thoroughbred,built for road racing-races like the TT and the big circuits like Spa,Hockenheim,the Nurburgring.

The reason I say this is because of the steering geometry and the 18inch wheels,

the bike understeered quite noticeably,

- quick turning was not an F2  speciality-it was built for the open road.

I took the bike to parade at Mallory ,

at one of Mick Walkers Italian bike, race days .

Greatly admired,and sounding every bit the racer

with its very loud,short stubby exhaust(ear plugs a must!)

the bike took some steering round the hairpin and Gerards ,I can tell you!

Soon after ,I was having a TV aerial fitted at my new house in Chesterfield.

The guy fitting it was an ”early stocks” racer

that I had met,  whilst racing  at a Cadwell park meeting,a few weeks before.

His father in law had been a sidecar racer of some local notoriety in his younger days

and whilst helping his son in law out,spotted the F2 in the garage.

“Did I want to sell it?”

“Well actually yes”-the bike was advertised in MCN,due out on the following day.

He agreed to give me the asking price-£3500-which was what I paid for it.

Disappearing off for half an hour ,he returned with the cash,

loaded the bike in his van and left,having mounted the aerial.

WELL 

9;00 clock the next day,I took a phone call from a collector,

ringing from Tokyo, inviting me to name my price.

His European agent had seen the advert and faxed him details.

I explained that the bike had gone already.

This was not a problem”,just get it back and I will pay”

Of course,the purchaser wouldnt sell it back to me!

Then later that week a guy from Denmark rang

and offered to wire me £5000 to find another F2 for him-apparantly he kept missing UK purchasers

as he lived in a remote corner of Denmark.

I didnt take up his offer-too much responsibility;

It pays to know your market though doesnt it?